Page 111 of The Blackened Blade

“No shame at all.” Calls one of the girls to the back of the second year seats, while another beside her stifles a laugh.

I stop, turning back toward the familiar voice holding its laughter.Alice Parker.

I narrow my eyes toward the small black haired girl and she flinches.

This little witch was one of my kidnappers.

I had remembered every face from the flashes of memory I had, and of those involved in my little kidnapping. I had resolved that each and every one would pay me a hefty price when they least expect it.

“W-what?” The petite witch stutters, her mock bravado failing her without her accomplices around.

A taller sandy-haired girl places herself in front of her, covering her from my eyes as her own glare over at me.

Her lips pursed together before curling upward, “So bullying your little sister isn’t enough for you, now you're trying to start on Alice?”

Alice tugs at the girls sleeve, her eyes flickering between me and the tall girl beside her. “It's fine Sylvia, I–”

“What's fine? Her throwing her weight around acting like she's something she's not?” A mocking scoff leaves her lips. “And all because she got a little bit of attention from guys who probably don't even know her name.”This again.

Her eyes trail down my front, a familiar look twisting her features as she mirrors so many others before her. “They could only ever want her for one thing anyway.”

They really were put out by this weren’t they? That I spent time with their‘Infernal Four’.The guys must have a bigger reputation than I thought.Or did they just want their attentionthatbad?

When I don’t immediately respond, she glares at me; all anger and vitriol hate pulling at her features as the rest of the class fall pin-drop quiet.

“You’re an outcast for a reason. Someone so pathetic and weak with absolutely no magic shouldn’t even be here. This academy isn’t for you. You should slink back into the gutter and shadows where you belong.” She raises her hand mockingly as if shooing some animal away, before continuing on with her rant.

“Know your place, and be grateful that you were even allowed to attend classes here…And that's just because of your name. Howblessedyou are to be born a Bane and have a family like Seria who tolerates you. But you…” Her lips curl upward, a look of pure disgust scrunching her brows before she shakes her head, “You're such a bitter, ungrateful bitch who doesn’t know the grace she's been shown.”A mocking laugh falls from her throat before she continues, “And now you’re trying to bed the Infernal Four. But they’ll throw you away when they realise howdisgustingyou truly are.”

All her words fade away as she continues her one woman show with a single sentence replaying in my mind. ‘The grace she’s been shown’...by who?

Whoevershowed me grace or even mercy here? Was it when I was attacked and almost assaulted by Dean and his group? Or the time I had to fight against Jeremy and Jake before defence class, with the rest of the boys cheering them on?

Or was it when I woke up after being drugged and placed in a beast detainment shelter in the forest, and left to die?

A strange noise leaves my lips, something low and dark and unrecognisable to my ears flowing out. And then another follows until I realise I’m laughing. The whole room turns toward me, their faces and expressions questioning before either turning pale, or turning away completely.

“Why are you laughing–” Sylvia’s words cut off, her features turning colourless with whatever expression she sees on me.

“Don’t people usually laugh when they find something funny?” I take my seat and lean back in my chair, my gaze never leaving the stiff sandy-hairedSylvia.“It'ssofunny how people think they know everything about me, and like they’re the sword and hammer of justice ready to punish me for whatever they think I’ve done wrong.”My gaze flickers to Alice still standing beside Sylvia. She flinches again and takes a step back, her gaze falling to the floor. “You call me pathetic, weak and magicless, and then in the same breath say that I’m the big bad villain picking on her little sister.” I scoff, “How does that even make sense? Especially for someone aspowerfulas Seria? Are you all blind or just that thick?” I glance around the room, noticing some furrowed brows and questioning looks, but I ignore them all and continue. “As for the Infernal Four, well…it's not worth my time or breath explaining it all to you. People like you don't use their heads anyway. You only listen to what you want to hear, and to the sweet lies whispered and spread around for fun. You only follow along like cattle to the slaughter.”

Sylvia’s cheeks flush a slight red, her brows scrunched and mouth opening but I cut her off with a wave of my hand. “Youwantme to be the bad guy, because then it makes all the shit you’ve done to me okay. But if I’m going to be treated like the bad guy…” I look around the room, meeting each set of eyes watching me, “I might as well become one.”

And I mean it. No more of the pathetic or weak schoolgirl they know. It’s time they meet the new Micai and realise they shouldn’t have fucked with her.

I give Alice one last look, a promise in my gaze of things yet to come for the part she played. A small tremor works its way into her hands as she stares at me before I glance back toward Sylvia.

“Whatever.” Her voice is low, almost whispered as she shakes her head and takes a step back, bumping into Alice behind her. She takes her seat with Alice scurrying alongside her, her gaze unable to meet mine again.

I turn toward the board just as the door bursts open with Seria, Knox, Xander, Kane and Anders rush in laughing and giggling. They soon freeze when they notice the silence of the room and the heavy atmosphere.

Their gazes flicker around the room before falling on me.

Seria opens her mouth, “What’s going on–” but is soon interrupted by Mrs. Fleur scurrying into the class. They take their seats as she begins to talk about the next two singers for the class based assignment.

“Micai Bane and George Harrison. You’ll both be doing your solo songs today.” She smiles toward the class, completely oblivious to the atmosphere.

Wait.She wanted me to sing?

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