Evergreen Academy - The Complete Series

by Ruby Vincent

  I trailed off as I finally caught the look he was giving me. I groaned. “And I should have stopped talking five minutes ago.”

  Maverick laughed, tossing his head back. I liked his laugh. It started low and rolled out of his chest, deep and honest for how rare it was. I knew when I heard his laugh, it was because I earned it.

  I leaned against the cold metal of the door. “I liked the painting you did of me.” Maverick hadn’t gone with the one he drew of me the first day we met. When he ripped off the blanket, my eyes widened at the strokes and colors that came together to show me the night of the sleepover—my hips out and hair flying as I danced in my bunny slippers. There was no one else in the painting, as though I had been the only person he had seen.

  “I don’t know how you do it,” I breathe. “You make me look beautiful; I wonder if you’re actually painting some other girl.”

  “I did not make you look that way.” He spoke so softly the wind almost took his words away before it reached my ears. “You are beautiful.”

  I bit my lip as the bubble machine in my stomach turned up to maximum. I felt them growing, bursting, popping, and spreading out into my body and making me float. Or at least, that’s what it felt like.

  I hip-checked him again, but this time I didn’t pull back, letting my hip, and then the rest of my body fold into his side. I feared Maverick might pull away. It was obvious to everyone that he didn’t like people in his space, and he liked them touching him even less, so a soft gasp escaped my lips when an arm wound around my shoulder.

  I held completely still as though even a twitch could break the spell. Maybe it would have. Maybe it should have. I should pull away, go inside, and dance the night away in my four-thousand-dollar dress. I had no business being out here in Maverick’s arms.

  Taking a deep breath, the smell of him filled me up instead of a blast of courage. A sharp, woodsy scent that mixed in with something that was purely Maverick. It blew away all my thoughts of leaving. I rested my head on his chest as the arm around me moved up until his fingers found my chin. I didn’t fight him as he tilted my head back and pressed his lips to mine. Kissing him in that moment was the only thing I could have done.

  This kiss was nothing like the one I shared with Ezra—chaste and sweet under the watchful eyes of a crowd. Maverick had no reason to hold back and he didn’t.

  He crushed me to his body, tangling his fingers in my hair as our mouths moved feverishly. He nipped my bottom lip and I gasped, giving him all the invitation he needed to deepen the kiss—his tongue teasing mine to play.

  I wasn’t on fire. I wasn’t burning. No, with Maverick I flew. I was cresting, soaring, spinning as sunbursts exploded in my mind.

  Something was poking me in the side, disturbing one of the best kisses of my life. I shifted to get away from the doorknob...

  ...and went down.

  “Ahh!”

  My ankle folded like tissue paper, ripping our lips apart as I crumpled to the ground.

  “Shit!” Maverick dropped to my side. “Val, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” I laughed. “I don’t wear a lot of heels at home. I guess this was destined to happen. Hmm, why didn’t Madame Shari predict that?”

  “What?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing. Just help me up.”

  “No, stay here. I’ll get ice.”

  Maverick was up and running before I could stop him, leaving me alone in the darkness.

  I climbed to my feet. My ankle was okay, but I wasn’t feeling the eerie silence of the woods. At least there was light, stars, and cozy chairs on the roof.

  I turned to go. I can catch up with Maverick inside and—

  “...no...”

  I froze. What was that? Did I just hear?

  “...no...”

  That was a voice. I twisted around looking for who spoke. Nothing but woods and rolling grass met my eyes. The wind brought another word to my ear.

  “...stop...”

  My eyes flicked to the woods. Someone is in there? But why would they be there in the middle of the night?

  I took a step, then stopped. It was probably nothing. A couple of kids hooking up or—

  But they said stop.

  I was off and across the lawn before the thought was complete. What if someone needed help?

  The trees whispered to me as I ran, calling me into their depths. I passed through the tree line and skidded to a halt, listening closely.

  “...you did...”

  My head whipped to the left. There.

  I didn’t run. This time I stepped lightly over the earthen path.

  “...everyone will know,” came the hushed voice, “what you really are.”

  The darkness was thicker under the entwined branches of the pines. I could barely see the hand in front of my face as I felt my way.

  “Keep your mouth shut!” That snarled reply stopped me dead. I sensed the venom, the anger... the familiarity... in that voice as though it was my own.

  I took one more step, and I saw them.

  In the distance, I made out two figures in the scant moonlight. They were upset—arguing from the way their hands were waving. I squinted trying to see through the shadows to their faces.

  “...isn’t a game.”

  “...won’t stop me.”

  I edged closer. That voice. I think I know... that voice.

  Suddenly the bodies collided, as if one had thrown themselves on the other. I saw them grappling—struggling with each other as I desperately tried to make out a face.

  “Argh!” A shout and then something went flying through the air. I couldn’t see what it was.

  “I promised you would regret this!”

  “Oh no,” I breathed. Of course, I knew that voice. “Ryder.”

  No sooner had the name passed my lips than the bodies sprang apart. I tried to find Ryder, and my eyes fixed on one of them in time to see metal glint in the gloom as they raised their arm high.

  A scream ripped from my throat. “Ryder!” I surged forward, racing toward him, and screamed for the third time that night as an unseen root snagged my foot. I fell hard, crying out as pain exploded in my knee.

  I heard a muttered curse, the thud of retreating footsteps, and then “Valentina!”

  Wincing, I dragged myself through the dirt and grabbed on to a tree. Rough bark scraped my palms as I heaved myself up.

  “Ryder?”

  I looked around frantically. I couldn’t make anything out now, not even shadows. “Ryder!”

  Nothing.

  Carefully, I stepped further in, my eyes scanning the trees for a flicker of movement. What if Ryder was still in here with the person who had the knife?

  What if Ryder was the person who had the knife?

  I shivered at the chill that thought sent up my spine. Who was I in here with?

  I took another step.

  Crack.

  Something broke under my heel that was not a twig. I reached down and my fingers brushed against a smooth surface. I held it up.

  A red and white mask stared back at me.

  Chapter Eight

  I dreamed of blood that night.

  Hoarse screams ripped me out of sleep. I rose with a groan, giving up any chance of going back to bed that night. A glance at the clock told me it was five a.m.

  I kicked the tangled covers away from me and scrabbled for my phone. Moments later, the dial tone was ringing in my ear.

  “What the hell, kid?” Olivia griped by way of hello. “Do you have any idea what time it—”

  “M-Mom,” I sobbed.

  “Val?” Mom’s voice changed in an instant. “Baby, what’s wrong? What happened?”

  “I had the d-dream again.”

  “Okay, well, what do you do when you have the dream?”

  “Mom—”

  “What do you do, Val?” she repeated, tone soothing.

  My jaw worked and I tried to reply. “I... turn on all the lights.”

  “That�
�s right. Are the lights on?”

  “No,” I admitted. I hated how small my voice sounded.

  “Okay, get up, turn on the lights, and I’ll be right here.”

  It took a few times of her repeating that for me to finally slide one leg off the bed, then another. I crossed the room with quick steps and flicked on the lights. The tightness in my chest eased the moment it chased away the darkness.

  “Okay, they’re on.”

  “Good, baby, then what’s next?”

  “I call you.”

  “Check. Best mom in the world is right here. So only one more thing to do. What is it?”

  I climbed back into bed and huddled between my pillows. “I remember that... it’s just a dream,” I replied as I pulled my knees to my chin. “But that’s it, Mom.” A tear rolled down my face and soaked into the sheet. “It’s not a dream.”

  “It is,” she said firmly. “It’s only a dream.”

  I shook my head. “Tonight was so awful.”

  “Why? Tell me what happened.”

  The words poured out of me with no more prompting. “There was this Halloween dance, and a fortune teller. She told me the story of a student who went to Evergreen, and she said that he used to live in my dorm. Mom, he was murdered here.” My skin crawled as I thought of his presence in this room—of his body on my floor.

  “I’m sure that’s not true.”

  “But she said—”

  “She is a know-nothing fake who gets a kick out of telling scary fortunes. She was messing with you, love.”

  “Maybe.” I swallowed. “Maybe you’re right.”

  “Of course I’m right.”

  “But after when I went outside...”

  “What, Val?” Mom prompted when I trailed off.

  What do I say? I ran into the woods and saw Ryder fighting with someone I couldn’t see. Yelling about them paying for what they did, and then the glint of what I’m sure was a knife. But who was holding it?

  I ran back into the party after I found the mask, searching for a teacher that would raise the alarm and start a search of the woods. But when I skidded inside the gym, my eyes landed on him right away.

  Ryder was there. It was impossible to mistake him. Those silver eyes pierced me as he stood harmless in front of the punch bowl, sipping his drink with one hand while a blue mask hung from his fingertips. No expression graced his face. Nothing to give away what I had just witnessed.

  I took a step toward him and Ryder turned and disappeared into the crowd. Filled with confusion, I stared after him until I realized everyone was staring at me.

  My dress was ruined—covered in leaves, dirt, and broken twigs. I didn’t look for Sofia, or attempt to chase after Ryder. At that point, I left the gym, racing back to my dorm.

  “It’s nothing,” I finally said. “I didn’t have as much fun at the party as I thought I would.”

  “There will be more parties. I remember they were endless when I was in high school.”

  “They are here too despite them being banned.” The tension leaked from my body and I curled into my pillows. I reached for my blanket and pulled it to my chin. “Even with cameras and security guards, they find a way.”

  “I’m not surprised. You find a way too. Get your head out of those books, my little egghead, and have some fun.”

  I smiled. “Aren’t you supposed to tell me the opposite?”

  “Nah. I want you to live like a teenager. It’s past time you did.”

  I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “Then you’ll be proud to know I was very irresponsible and shelled out four thousand dollars for a dress. A dress that I ruined in one night.”

  She whistled. “Wow, kid. You’re not talking about the way I used to ruin dresses, right?”

  “Mom!”

  Her laughter echoed through the phone. “Just checking.”

  “I shouldn’t have spent so much,” I continued, “but it was so pretty and I was practically dared to buy it.” I chewed my lip, wondering how mad Mom would get at what I was going to say next. “Mom, if you need—”

  “No.”

  “Just to help with the bills—”

  “No!” I snapped my mouth shut. “We talked about this, Val. I got my job at the daycare. Good pay. Free childcare. Adam and I are doing fine. You just focus on getting that diploma, going to college, and getting a good job.” Her tone softened. “Then you can set me up in a nice house and pamper me in the way that I deserve.”

  I chuckled. “Alright, Mom. So how is Adam?”

  “The boy’s got teeth.”

  “Seriously?” A thread of warmth went through me. “Already?”

  “Yep, and he knows how to use them. Yesterday, he...”

  I pushed away thoughts of Walter McMillian and the lingering fear from my dream. It had been a long, confusing, terrifying night, but I was safe here. Everything would be okay.

  “I SWEAR THAT’S WHAT I saw,” I whispered to Sofia as we crossed the quad Monday morning. I had spent the whole weekend locked in my room, worrying about what to do, and fighting sleep. I had texted Sofia everything that happened that night, but with the nightmares and Madame Shari’s warning throwing me off-balance, I asked her to give me space to process. My time was up.

  “He was arguing with someone and it got heated. Then one of them pulled a knife.”

  “Are you sure it was a knife?” she asked. “Are you absolutely sure? You were in pitch-black woods.”

  “It... looked like a knife. I mean it was dark, but...” Uncertainty crept into my mind. “They ran when I called out for Ryder. Whatever was going on, wasn’t good.”

  “And you didn’t see who it was?”

  I shook my head. “I barely made out Ryder. I only knew it was him because I’ll never mistake that voice.”

  “But you found that mask.”

  “Yes, and it must have belonged to who he was fighting with because Ryder still had his when I saw him afterward.”

  “One of the freshmen then if they were at the masquerade.”

  We stepped into the hall. I kept my voice low as we dodged students. “I felt sick thinking that I should have tried to find out who they were—where they were. Ryder is a monster. It must have been him who started the fight.”

  “If a student had been knifed or went missing, security would be swarming the place.” We stopped in front of my locker, leaning in close. “You said Ryder got back before you so he must have rabbited out of there when you showed up. No time to chase that person down and finish what he started.”

  I bobbed my head. “Right, of course.” I needed to hear this. Her logic was talking me down. “So you don’t think I should tell someone? A professor? The headmaster?”

  She shook her head firmly. “You don’t have anything to tell them and it would be your word against Ryder’s. He could tell them it was just Knight business, and they would swallow it. The point is we don’t know what was going on, and the only one who could tell you is Ryder.” She squeezed my hand. “So don’t freak, Val.”

  “Okay.” I squeezed back. “Thank you.” With my free hand, I spun my locker dial.

  “Good. So if you’re really okay now...?”

  I nodded.

  She grinned. “Then you can tell me all about making out with Ezra and Maverick in the same night?”

  “Wow.” I removed my lock and palmed it. “That almost feels like a different night and another girl.” I threw open my locker, then shrugged off my bag to riffle inside for my books.

  “But it was Friday night and you. I want every... single... detail...”

  “I don’t know if you want every detail. The truth is I messed it up both times and I still haven’t changed my mind about not dating. What do you think I should do?”

  There was no answer.

  “Sofia?” I lifted my head. “Hey, are you okay?”

  Sofia had gone sickly pale. Her jaw trembled, and I saw her eyes were wide as she stared at something over my shoulder. She took a st
ep back.

  “What’s up with you?”

  I turned to look. Hanging from the top of my locker was a single card. Frowning, I reached for it.

  “Val, don’t—!”

  I snagged it and pulled it out. “What is this? How did it get in here?”

  There was a red “A” stamped onto solid black. I flipped it over. The man adorning the card wore brightly colored clothes, a two-bell hat, and a grin that looked almost sinister.

  “A joker card.”

  “Look...”

  I glanced up as the first whisper reached my ear. A crowd was forming around me, students pausing in their rush to homeroom to gather—all eyes were on the card.

  I raised a brow. “There’s nothing to see here, guys. You can keep moving.”

  No one did.

  “Anyway,” I said to my best friend, ignoring the growing crowd. “We should talk about all of this tonight, but— Sofia, are you okay?” She was starting to worry me. Her chin trembled and beads of sweat were collecting on her forehead. I rested my hand on her arm. “You look sick. Let me walk you to the nurse.”

  In a blink, her face twisted.

  “Sofi—”

  Smack!

  I let out a small scream as the slap snapped my head around. My bookbag slipped through my fingers, crashing to the floor and scattering its contents everywhere.

  I gaped at her, clutching my stinging cheek. “Sofia! What the fuck?!”

  Gone was the ever-present bright smile. Her lips were curled into a snarl so fierce I took a step back, banging into my locker.

  “I’m not your friend, bitch!” she spat.

  The words struck me as hard as her slap. I jerked as they pierced through me and rebounded through my skin.

  Sofia spun on her heels and elbowed through the crowd. She stomped off without another word—without looking back.

  After she left, my silent audience broke apart too, leaving me standing alone.

  I STUMBLED INTO HOMEROOM late. My head was spinning with what just happened. Sofia hit me. Why would she do that? Why would she say that?