Page 59 of The Bleak Beginning

Freedom. Sweet, sweet freedom.

The relief is far too short.

A wall of shadowy figures surround me, blocking me in once more. My heart plummets as I realize I’ve escaped one prison only to find myself in another. Each Legacy boy’s eyes bore into me, cold and unforgiving.

“Did you really think we would make it that easy?” Bishop snarls.

“After what you did?” Camden adds, and my gaze returns to the obvious hostility emanating from my shadow. Or was it more of a sparkle?

As I study his appearance, I notice how his skin seems to shine under the dull lights above us.

My lips curve into a coy grin. Suddenly my previous worries seem to melt away. “Take a late-night visit to my room?” I ask Bishop.

Sylvester’s eyes narrow, but I catch the flicker of uncertainty behind his bravado. “What are you talking about?”

The edge of my lip twitches. “You don’t know?” Now wasn’t this interesting? “I would be more than happy to show you the results the camera got—”

“Finish your sentence, Prescott. I dare you.” Bishop warns, voice low. Threatening.

The other two Legacies exchange confused glances, but I keep my focus on Bishop. His jaw clenches. Have I struck a nerve?

“You just couldn’t resist trying to go through my stuff, could you?” I press, my words calm. “Couldn’t resist a peek into the life of the girl who’s caused you so much trouble. Who has told you how many times she doesn’t want to play in your stupid Altair games, but you refuse to listen.”

Bishop steps forward, his patience clearly wearing thin. “Enough.”

I hold my ground, refusing to be intimidated. “No, Bishop. Not enough. You’ve been pushing me around since I got here, and I’m over it.”

Camden’s eyes dart between us, his brow furrowed. “What’s she talking about, Bishop? What camera?”

I can see the gears turning in Bishop’s head as he tries to maintain control of the situation. But I’ve caught him off guard, and the other Legacies are starting to notice.

“It’s nothing,” Bishop snaps, but his voice lacks its usual conviction. “She’s trying to distract us. Don’t fall for it.”

I seize the opportunity to drive the wedge deeper. I tsk my disappointment. “Too embarrassed to admit to your friends I bested you?”

Bishop’s eyes slitted, a flash of irritation crossing his face. “You’re delusional if you think a bucket of water and some well-placed fans make you superior to me. To any of us.”

“Am I?” I challenge. “Then why didn’t you explain to your friends what happened when you went into my room without my permission, hmmm?”

We stare each other down in a tense and deadly silence. The air is charged with an unspoken challenge, daring one of us to make the first move. I can feel the intensity radiating off of him, matching my own steely determination to come out victorious in this standoff.

A deafening gasp rips through the air, shattering the tension like a sledgehammer through glass.

“This is a female-only floor!” The RA’s voice echoes off the walls, sharp and cutting, as she bulldozes her way through our small crowd, her eyes blazing with fury and authority.

She hugs her fluffy robe tighter to her chest.

“What in the world are you doing here?” she demands.

Bishop’s composure falters for a split second before he regains his usual air of superiority. “We were simply having a discussion,” he says smoothly, not bothering to shift his gaze off mine.

“A discussion?” my RA scoffs. “At eight in the morning, in the hallway of the girl’s floor of the dormitory? I think not.” She turns to address the group. “All of you, out. Now. And you,” she points at Bishop, “don’t think I won’t report you to Chancellor Maxwell if you give me any trouble.”

My shadow’s jaw jumps, a fleeting look of frustration passing over his face at the mention of Maxwell. But he quickly masks it, his trademark smirk returning as he holds up his hands in mock surrender.

“No need for that,” he says coolly. “We were just leaving.”

As the others begin to shuffle away, Bishop’s eyes lock onto mine one last time. The look he gives me is a mixture of anger and something else I can’t quite place. A promise, perhaps.

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