WILLA
When Verah said she had a plan, I'd assumed it was something thought out.
Sneaking out of the academy hadn't crossed my mind.
"Won't we get into trouble?" I muttered, squeezing through a narrow gap in the perimeter fence.
"Careful!" Verah snapped, grabbing my hand as I lost my footing. "You could've been electrocuted."
I froze.
"Electrocuted?" I shot back, jerking away from the fence.
My heart raced, beating wildly against my chest. I gulped, staring at the jagged end.
"Phew," Verah let out a breath. "Now that we're out, let's find our ride to the party."
She took out her phone, a wide grin spreading across her face as she scrolled through her contacts.
The wind suddenly picked up. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself, grateful for the leather jacket I had insisted on wearing, even though Verah had called it unnecessary when she picked out the tube top for me.
Her own outfit wasn't any better. She wore a red halter-neck dress that barely reached her thighs.
It was freezing.
The goosebumps on my skin said enough about how harsh the weather was, yet she seemed completely unaffected.
Or maybe I was the strange one.
But if you were in a denim skirt that barely covered half your ass and a top that did little to preserve your dignity, you'd understand I had every reason to feel cold and annoyed.
My ears picked up the sound of leaves rustling. The wind howled louder, whipping my hair across my face. I pushed it back with a groan, remembering I had nothing to tie it up like I usually did.
Verah had called that boring too. According to her, it made me look less soft. Less desirable.
I didn't care about any of that. I was only here, not even enjoying the warmth of the room, because I didn't want my cover to be blown.
My gaze drifted back to the fence. I stared at it for a while as Verah remained focused on her phone.
Then…Something moved.
It flashed through my line of sight so quickly I almost missed it, even though I had been looking straight at it.
My heart lurched.
"Are you sure we won't get in trouble?" I asked again, the uneasy feeling settling deeper as if someone, something, already knew we were here.
The house prefect I had never seen before. Or worse, the headmaster, who might have already noticed us sneaking out, because it was too strange that we had managed to leave without any interruption.
I mean, all the dormitories were heavily guarded. From what I had seen, it should have been impossible to leave without running into someone, even through the path we had taken, the west gate.
Verah snickered, rolling her eyes.
"If we get caught, house points get reduced, privileges get taken," she said casually. "But fortunately, we have you, the face of house Valerius. Headmaster Alaric won't mind. Now stop acting like a scaredy cat and let's get out of here."
Her phone buzzed. Verah's face lit up. "He's here."
I opened my mouth to ask who, but her hand wrapped around my wrist and she pulled me forward, cutting off my words.
"Verah…" I whispered, my steps unsteady as I stumbled after her.
"Hush," she snapped. "Your amnesia is getting annoying and will get us caught. We've never had a problem sneaking out, so this isn't our first time, Elyse."
That much was obvious. The way she had slipped us out of the dorm without being noticed said enough. And yet something felt wrong.
My neck tingled, heating up as if I were standing under a harsh sun. I lifted my free hand to touch it, but a sharp jolt shot through me at the contact.
I flinched and pulled my hand away. My throat tightened as I swallowed, and I glanced over my shoulder.
Nothing. I was imagining things. But the monster, I could feel it.
I stared at Verah. The excitement on her face was pure. Her best friend would have been just as thrilled about this.
But I wasn't her best friend. I was a girl from another world, one shadowed by a monster. A monster no one else could see.
I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. If I was going to survive in this academy while pretending to be Elyse, I needed to learn quickly and stop acting lost.
And as for the monster… Nyra would help me survive again. I would figure things out. I would understand why I had been brought here and who was responsible.
But for now, I had a college party to attend. My first ever party. And despite everything, I felt a flicker of excitement.
We arrived at the edge of the forest. Our ride was already waiting. A sleek blue coupe with tinted windows and orange plush leather seats.
It was the most expensive car I had ever stepped into. I slid into the passenger seat while Verah climbed in beside the driver.
My brows drew together as she leaned in and exchanged a quick kiss with him.
The driver, a boy with very dark hair, coffee brown eyes, a little older than us, turned in his seat with a flirty smile. Verah's lipstick faintly smeared on his lips.
"Hot," he murmured, winking at me.
Verah smacked the back of his head. "That's my best friend, you know."
He shrugged, still not looking away from me.
I shifted in my seat, a little uncomfortable. Then I forced a smile, wondering what Elyse would have said to him.
"Your friend was a little chatty the last time we met. Why is she suddenly calm?" he asked.
"She has amnesia," Verah answered, saving me from having to respond.
"She does?" He glanced at me, scepticism clear in his eyes.
I held his gaze for a second, forcing my expression to stay neutral. He didn't press further.
Eventually, his attention shifted back to the road. I breathed out in relief. He started the car and pulled away.
We pulled up outside a narrow house about twenty minutes from the academy.
I stepped out, stretching slightly as I took in the place.
Music thumped through the walls, loud enough to spill into the street. A few people lingered outside, swaying to it, red plastic cups in hand. Loud laughter saturated the air, and a slow stream of smoke.
No one looked like they cared about curfew. Except for me. A valid reason though.
"Welcome, my girls!" a voice called, cutting through the noise.