by Rose, Louise
“I don’t owe you anything or want anything,” I remind him, but even as I speak, I knew I wasn’t going to ditch Milly. Much as I hate her brother, I need all the allies I can get, especially now I have seen first-hand the cutthroat nature of this place.
“Make your mind up, sweetheart,” Archer teases.
“Fine,” I nod. “Maybe you can do my detention for me when I get busted for beating up Ally.”
“Detention?” Archer laughs. “Don’t worry about that. I think you’ll find the teachers will be secretly applauding you for taking on Ally. They understand the politics of the houses. And Ally would be far too ashamed of losing to a noob to tell on you. You have no idea how important it is you established your presence with a show of violence. You’re more Archaic than you know. Trust me–no one’s going to challenge you.”
“I guess I just have to watch out for the knife in my back, huh?”
Archer grinned, making a little dimple appear in his left cheek. “See? You’re already learning how things work round here. Now come on, Milly’s waiting for us in the cafeteria. Leave her too long and someone’s bound to steal the table from her.”
“How is she your sister?”
He smirks over his shoulder, and it’s too sexy for my own good. “Milly will snap one day. You best be on her good side when she does. Knights never get knocked down for long.”
Chapter Five
Ivy Archaic
Walking into the cafeteria, it’s like one of those movies where someone walks into a bar out in the middle of nowhere and everyone goes silent and stares at the intruder.
Yeah. My first time walking into the cafeteria at King Academy is exactly like that. I feel like doing a huge bow or flipping everyone the bird, something to justify all the attention I am getting. Instead, I try to ignore them all, or at least focus on the people I do know in the crowd.
My eyes catch a pair of green ones. His remind me of an evergreen forest, deep and dark where you can hardly see the green in their depths. A guy with messy blonde hair and golden skin and reminding me of statues of Greek Gods. His body fills out his seat and two girls sit at his sides, trying to get his attention as he stares me down.
There aren’t just kings at this academy, turns out there is a god.
And he looks more dangerous than anyone I have ever seen in my life.
“Just go and pick up a tray and join the queue,” Archer whispers to me, his hot breath blowing against my ear. “Keep your head high and don’t let them see they’re getting to you. Now laugh as if I’m the funniest person you know.”
I laugh like he just told me the funniest joke I’ve ever heard and the chatter of the teenagers suddenly picks up once again. Realising I’m not going to be of any real entertainment, the other pupils slowly turn their attention back to their conversations, leaving me and Archer to get our lunch. Shaking my head, I head over to a stack of trays. Picking one up, I go to stand behind the last person waiting to be served, Archer following close behind.
“I recommend the curry,” Archer says. “Although our parents pay a fortune to send us here, Pilkington clearly doesn’t spend much of the fees on catering. It’s mystery meat, but it usually tastes pretty good, unlike the soggy lettuce in the salad or slimy mash.”
“How can you mess up a salad?”
Archer shrugs. “I have no idea. It takes a certain kind of talent to be that bad, but the King Academy chefs have it in spades. Even rich chefs can fuck stuff up. Eat at home, that’s what most do.”
“What’ll it be today?” The cook smiles at me when it is my turn to choose.
Gazing over the options, they all look about as bad as Archer warned me.
“I think I’ll take the curry, please,” I say.
“Here you go. And a double helping ‘cos it’s your first day here.”
I gulp as the cook dumps a second load of slop on my plate. “Err… thanks.”
Deciding against the stodgy looking sponge with lumpy custard, I take an apple for dessert and turn to look for Milly. I spot her right at the back on the opposite side of the dining hall, bouncing up and down and waving to get my attention.
As I approach my new BFF, I feel my foot catch on something. Stumbling, I barely manage to save myself from eternal embarrassment that would have been caused by falling flat on my face on my first day at a new school. Turning to see what I tripped on, I see Ally slowly bringing her foot back under the table and brush her blonde hair over her shoulder.
“Oops.” She smiles as if a thousand tiny angels are hovering around her pretty head. “Guess I didn’t see you there. Sorry about that.”
The only thing you’re sorry for is that I didn’tfall, I think, treating her to an equally insincere smile.
“You wanna watch yourself,” Archer advises Ally with a zero bullshit tone. “I’d hate to see you have an accident of your own.”
Ally’s smile fades in the face of an obvious threat.
“Aww, come on Archer. Don’t be like that,” the girl sitting next to her seductively whispers, and she reaches out, placing her hand on his thigh. Way too high for a stranger. “It’s just a bit of fun, you know? We all went through it when we first started at the Academy. We only want to know what Ivy’s like, find out if the new Archaic Head Girl is worthy of the position.”
“She is born to lead,” Archer says, picking her hand off his thigh like it’s poisonous. “Not her fault you’re jealous, Taylor.”
He turns and kisses me full on the lips like he owns me. Too stunned to react, I stand there, the tray in my hands making it difficult for me to do much else as his lips move across mine. Demanding. Craving. Possessing. He takes everything with one single kiss. Making it impossible for me to forget him. Archer gives me another light peck, winking at me before he pulls away.
“Let’s go, sweetheart,” he says, walking over to sit opposite Milly in one of the spaces she has saved for us.
I tightly smile one last time at Ally and her friend before following after him. I can’t help but enjoy the sick look on both their faces. Like a bug has flown into their garden of perfect flowers. I don’t know what Archer’s issue is with them, but clearly he knew the kiss is the best way to get under their skin. While I don’t appreciate someone taking advantage of me like that, I loved the effect it had.
I loved the kiss.
Fuck my life, no one has ever kissed me like that. And I suspect no one ever will.
“Wow, Ivy,” says Milly, as I sit next to Archer in a bid to maintain the charade there is something going on between us. “I didn’t realise you are dating my brother. You kept that quiet, Archer. How did you two meet?”
“We’re not-”
“It’s a long story-”
Archer and I start to speak at the same time before he gestures to me to go ahead.
“We’re not dating,” I tell Milly. Her face falls.
“Really? But you two would make such a cute couple. And Archer deserves someone like you after the way Ally treated him. Oh, and Taylor. Really, I should make a list of girls-”
She jolts as no doubt Archer kicks her under the table.
“Ahhh.” I nod slowly. “So that’s why you kissed me. You wanted to get back at your ex.”
Archer shrugs expansively. “Can you blame a guy, especially now I’ve got the honour of being the first one to taste you? I figured you’d enjoy seeing Ally and Taylor being put in their place. You’re swimming with sharks at the Academy. It’s eat or be eaten here and I aim to be a top predator. Tell me you don’t love seeing how pissed off they look.”
“It is fun,” I grin.
“Something tells me you and I are going to have a lot more fun together.” Archer looks at me as if he is hungry for more than the food being served up. A desire bounces between us as we stare at each other. I will admit it might be fun and dangerous to start something with Archer.
But right now? I need to focus on surviving King Academy and not letting my hormones take Archer for a ride.<
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“See?” Milly claps her hands, breaking the mood. “I said you’d make a cute couple! So how did you two meet? You didn’t actually say.”
“No, I didn’t.” I take a sip of my lemonade, side eying Archer. “Why don’t you tell your sister the story? I think you’d tell it better than me.”
“If you’re sure…”
“Of course,” I smile. “I think Milly should hear it from you.”
“Okay, well, I was out on my bike when I saw Ivy. I didn’t know who she was at the time, but there was something about her, so I pulled over to talk to her and things moved quickly from there. I suppose you can say I swept her off her feet.”
“That’s certainly one way of describing it,” I agreed, impressed by Archer’s audacity. The way he tells it is almost exactly what had really happened but spun to make him look like a charismatic charmer instead of the kidnapping sleaze he really is.
“That’s so romantic,” Milly sighed, tilting her head to one side. “I wish someone would sweep me off my feet.”
“They will one day, little sister. You wait–once you get out of this place, you’ll have men falling over themselves to date you.”
“You really think so?” The sad hope in Milly’s eyes almost breaks my heart.
“Absolutely. Don’t you agree, Ivy?”
“Sure,” I nod. “I mean, look at you, Milly. You’ve got those gorgeous big blue eyes and a figure most girls would kill for. Once you’re out of that crappy uniform and in something more flattering, I reckon you'll have boys throwing themselves at you. I will help you however I can.”
Glancing at her brother I think, boy problems are something I know a little about.
“You’d do that for me?”
“Of course. That’s what friends are for, isn’t it?”
And just like that, Milly became my first true friend at King Academy.
Chapter Six
Ivy Archaic
Somehow, I survive my first day of school. When the final bell rings to signal our release from confinement, hundreds of pupils stream out of classrooms and out to the front of the building where drivers are waiting to ferry all the rich kids home to their mansions.
It is a very different world to what I am used to. What would my life have been like if my father hadn’t faked his death? Would I be as jaded and spiteful as girls like Ally and Taylor? Or would I somehow have managed to stay as innocent as Milly seems to be?
Standing in front of the entrance to the Academy, I’m not sure how to tell which one is my car and driver. They all look exactly the same. All black, shiny, and expensive.
I bite my lip, scanning the line of cars to see if I can pick out which one of the identically uniformed drivers is mine.
A car pulls up in front of me and the rear window rolls down to reveal a boy with floppy blond hair and a smattering of freckles over his nose. The boy from earlier with the girls.
“Hey, Ivy,” he smiles, running a hand through his hair to push it out of his face. “You seem a little lost. Need a ride?”
“I’m sorry,” I say with a frown. “Do I know you? You certainly seem to know me.”
“Everyone knows who you are, Ivy,” he tells me with a smirk on his pretty bowed lips. “You’re Ivy Archaic, Slayer of Bullies, Champion of the Weak. Even if being the new girl isn’t enough to make you the centre of attention right now, everyone’s talking about how you stood up to Ally. Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you.”
“Maybe I would if I had a clue who you are,” I reply coldly. I have about reached my fill of being nice to people, even attractive boys with enchanting green eyes.
“Sorry. It’s terribly rude of me not to have introduced myself. I’m Romeo Navarre, but everyone calls me Romy. I’m the Head Boy of House Navarre, so we’ll be working closely together on speeches and presentations.”
“Sounds like fun.” I roll my eyes. I’m sure he plays this game with every girl. I’m not stupid enough to fall for a guy that looks like a damn Greek god and clearly has the charm to match.
I hope.
“Can I give you a lift home?” he offers, undeterred by my attitude. “You look like you’ve had about enough of this place for one day. I can get my driver to take the long route back, show you all the sights of Kings Town, not that there’s all that much to see.”
“Tempting as that is, I suspect my father would kill me if I disappeared off with some boy I’ve only just met,” I say, just as my driver pulls up behind Romy’s car with his head stuck out the window, glaring at me for not magically finding him. “And my ride’s here, so thanks anyway, but I’ll pass this time.”
“Not a problem. Maybe next time, then, Ivy. Something tells me you and I are going to be friends. Good friends.”
He pushes the button to close his window, the mirrored glass sliding up to hide him again. His car drives off, clearing the way for my driver to come and pick me up. The driver gets out of the car and comes to open my door for me, a gesture which is always going to weird me out. Can’t rich people open their own doors?
Climbing in, I jump when I realise there is someone already sitting in the car waiting for me.
“Dad!” I gasp as our driver started the engine to take us home. Sitting in a crisp grey suit, a whiskey glass in his hand, he smiles at me.
“Hello, Ivy,” he says. “How was your first day at school? No major incidents I need to know about?”
“No. Not that I can think of.” I shake my head slowly, sticking out my bottom lip as if I have considered his question seriously.
“So you didn’t bitch slap another Archaic then? Your very distant, bastard cousin who would be happy to rival the house for the place of heir if you disappeared?”
My eyes widen. How did he know about my fight with Ally? And I’m related to that bitch? Fucking great.
My father laughs. “I have spies everywhere so you better get used to it. This is your life now. You represent House Archaic at all times and everything you do sends out a signal about who and what we are. Given that, I have to commend you for tackling a potential threat so quickly. I always knew you’d have the Archaic instincts, and this confirms it. A girl like Ally needs to be shown who’s boss right from the start or she’ll only take advantage of you. I don’t think you’ll have any problems with her now that she knows you’re not afraid to exercise your authority. However, I’m not convinced that your alliance with Millicent Knight is wise. She is of little value to us. I would rather you focus your attention on Archer. A union between our two houses would be of immense strategic value and Archer has other brothers who can lead his house when he becomes your consort.”
“Wait–are you telling me you’re marrying me off already?” Talk about bat shit crazy parenting.
“Not at all, my child.” My father pats me on the hand, a gesture which I think he means to be reassuring but feels awkward and forced, only reinforcing the fact we barely know each other. We have a long way to go before any real dad/daughter bonding can happen.
“But as the sole Archaic heir, it behoves you to consider all angles,” he continues. “As a woman, many will view you as weak and seek to take advantage of you. Someone like Archer can act as a guardian, letting would-be assassins know that if they are to come after you, it’s not just House Archaic they’d have to worry about but House Knight as well. There’s a good reason I asked him to bring you to me. I figured the two of you would be able to bond over a shared experience. Are you telling me you don’t feel a connection with him?”
With my kidnapper? Sure, Dad. I got instant Stockholm Syndrome the second I saw those baby blue eyes and that sexy, sexy ass.
“I don’t think I have a connection with anyone right now,” I say. “I mean, my whole life I thought you were dead and not only were you here all along, you're the head of some weird gangster cartel.”
“I’m not a gangster nor do I run a cartel.” My father is quick to correct me. “My business interests are completely legitimate until prov
en otherwise. However, I’ll let your attitude slide–once. The way this town works is a little unorthodox, I’ll grant you. But I think you’ll soon find yourself fitting in. It’s in your blood after all. It won’t be long before you discover your ruthless side. Now if I recall, we had a deal. I am happy with the reports I’ve received about your behaviour, so true to my word you may speak to your foster mother.”
“You’re giving me my phone back?” I sit up a little straighter, excited at the thought of being able to contact the outside world again.
“Oh, no,” my father chuckles. “I think we’re a long way away from my being able to trust you with your phone. No, you may use this burner to have a brief conversation with your foster mother. Tell her you’re staying with friends but do not mention anything about me or I’ll be forced to take action. If I’m happy with the way you speak to her, we can make it a regular event.”
He passes me a phone with Katy’s number already programmed into it. He nods, encouraging me to press the button to make the call, like he is doing me a huge favour instead of giving me the bare minimum.
Still, Katy must be going out of her mind with worry by now. Much as I wanted to defy my father and throw the phone out of the window, I owed it to her to let her know I was okay.
She answers the phone within three rings.
“Katy?”
“Ivy! Oh, thank goodness. Where are you? Why did you disappear like that? When I went looking for you, I found your rucksack near the shop and I was imagining all sorts of terrible things. I called the police, but they said you are old enough to do what you want and to come back to them in a few days if I hadn’t heard anything.”
“I’m sorry, Katy.” She sounds terrible, like she had been crying for hours. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I met up with some friends and lost track of time.” I cringe as soon as the words leave my mouth. Katy knows me better than that. She knows I don’t have many friends, and certainly not any I am close enough to want to run away with them. But what else was I supposed to say?