lie—their parents didn’t want them there. They didn’t have to live in a world of hate and fear. I shuddered at the thought of Ira’s retirement. I had done nothing to stop it, and I wouldn’t let that happen again.
Lola opened another door inside the room. “This is your bathroom.”
“We get our own bathroom?” Jackie bolted to the door. “Oh my God, it has a tub.” She ran into the bathroom, touching the pearlescent marble on the counter and stopping to look at herself in the mirror. She glanced away from it and jumped into the empty tub. The marble shower walls squeaked as she ran her fingers over them.
Just seeing Jackie so excited and happy nearly brought a tear to my eye. I wanted her to find some happiness after what she’d seen.
“The other academy had us share one bathroom for a whole house. I can’t even imagine having my own bathroom again.”
“Other academy?” Lola asked.
Jackie bit her lip. “Just, you know, boarding school.”
I wasn’t sure why she’d lied, but I felt the same way she did; we should keep the Dark Academy a secret from these people until we knew if we could trust any of them. This place may very well hold secrets just as the Dark Academy had.
Lola walked to a tall dresser and pulled open one of the drawers. “In here, you’ll find your uniforms.” She frowned. “I know they aren’t stylish, but you can modify them as you see fit.” She rotated her body and held out her hands, showing off her tanned skin.
Did they have a tanning bed in this place?
“It looks great on you,” Mark said.
“Thank you. I can’t wait to see what you do with yours. Sometimes, skin is the best color to accentuate the uniform.”
“Allie’s skin will blend right in,” Jackie said and turned to me. “Don’t worry, though. I’ve heard monochromatic is all the rage in Europe.”
“Hey, the sun and I have an abusive relationship.”
Lola took in each of us with a quick look and held her hands in front of her. “Are there any other questions?”
“Yeah.” Jackie spoke up again. “What is it that we do here?”
Lola shook her head and looked confused. “We have classes you can attend on the study of alchemy. We have an amazing pool. Oh, if you like gardening, we have a fantastic garden. Or you can just chill in the rec rooms or the common area below.”
“So we don’t compete with other houses?”
“Compete how ?”
“With stones,” Jackie said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“We do have a stone-making room, but there isn’t any competition to make them. We actually frown upon competitive spirit. We are here to learn about ourselves and the world around us as much as anything else.”
I felt the same way as Jackie looked. What are they feeding these people?
“What about parties?” Jackie asked. “We used to throw some crazy parties back at the boarding school.”
“What kind of boarding school did you go to? No, we don’t have parties, but we do get together and have fun. I guess you could call it a party of sorts.” Lola shrugged and pouted her lips. “Sometimes these parties can help out with the making of stones.”
“Sounds amazing,” Mark said.
I glared at him while he stared at Lola.
“It is. I can’t wait for you guys to get your uniforms on and explore this place. I haven’t told you everything,” Lola said coyly, and walked toward the door. “Some things you’re going to have to find out for yourselves.” She hugged herself. “I can’t wait.” She left through the door, her blonde hair whipping out and the smell of vanilla fading.
Mark’s smile dissipated as he stared at the open door. “Why do I feel like we’re stuck in some strange movie?”
“Speaking of stuck, did you hear we can’t leave here for a year?” I said.
“Yeah, kind of hard to miss. But, please, a place like this can’t keep us locked in,” Jackie said, studying the walls.
“I say we stick to the mission of finding a way to
Lola opened another door inside the room. “This is your bathroom.”
“We get our own bathroom?” Jackie bolted to the door. “Oh my God, it has a tub.” She ran into the bathroom, touching the pearlescent marble on the counter and stopping to look at herself in the mirror. She glanced away from it and jumped into the empty tub. The marble shower walls squeaked as she ran her fingers over them.
Just seeing Jackie so excited and happy nearly brought a tear to my eye. I wanted her to find some happiness after what she’d seen.
“The other academy had us share one bathroom for a whole house. I can’t even imagine having my own bathroom again.”
“Other academy?” Lola asked.
Jackie bit her lip. “Just, you know, boarding school.”
I wasn’t sure why she’d lied, but I felt the same way she did; we should keep the Dark Academy a secret from these people until we knew if we could trust any of them. This place may very well hold secrets just as the Dark Academy had.
Lola walked to a tall dresser and pulled open one of the drawers. “In here, you’ll find your uniforms.” She frowned. “I know they aren’t stylish, but you can modify them as you see fit.” She rotated her body and held out her hands, showing off her tanned skin.
Did they have a tanning bed in this place?
“It looks great on you,” Mark said.
“Thank you. I can’t wait to see what you do with yours. Sometimes, skin is the best color to accentuate the uniform.”
“Allie’s skin will blend right in,” Jackie said and turned to me. “Don’t worry, though. I’ve heard monochromatic is all the rage in Europe.”
“Hey, the sun and I have an abusive relationship.”
Lola took in each of us with a quick look and held her hands in front of her. “Are there any other questions?”
“Yeah.” Jackie spoke up again. “What is it that we do here?”
Lola shook her head and looked confused. “We have classes you can attend on the study of alchemy. We have an amazing pool. Oh, if you like gardening, we have a fantastic garden. Or you can just chill in the rec rooms or the common area below.”
“So we don’t compete with other houses?”
“Compete how ?”
“With stones,” Jackie said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“We do have a stone-making room, but there isn’t any competition to make them. We actually frown upon competitive spirit. We are here to learn about ourselves and the world around us as much as anything else.”
I felt the same way as Jackie looked. What are they feeding these people?
“What about parties?” Jackie asked. “We used to throw some crazy parties back at the boarding school.”
“What kind of boarding school did you go to? No, we don’t have parties, but we do get together and have fun. I guess you could call it a party of sorts.” Lola shrugged and pouted her lips. “Sometimes these parties can help out with the making of stones.”
“Sounds amazing,” Mark said.
I glared at him while he stared at Lola.
“It is. I can’t wait for you guys to get your uniforms on and explore this place. I haven’t told you everything,” Lola said coyly, and walked toward the door. “Some things you’re going to have to find out for yourselves.” She hugged herself. “I can’t wait.” She left through the door, her blonde hair whipping out and the smell of vanilla fading.
Mark’s smile dissipated as he stared at the open door. “Why do I feel like we’re stuck in some strange movie?”
“Speaking of stuck, did you hear we can’t leave here for a year?” I said.
“Yeah, kind of hard to miss. But, please, a place like this can’t keep us locked in,” Jackie said, studying the walls.
“I say we stick to the mission of finding a way to
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