Page 6 of Vicious Knight

As we walk down the corridor I balance my mind with the reminder of my dream to become a classical concert pianist. I want the world to love me as much as they love the great composers and pianists of all time. That starts now.

So I have to shove my worries about omens, the Knights, and the Ivanovs to the back of my mind.

One thing my father told me that I’ll never forget is this:

When you walk in the dark you have to take one step at a time. If you don’t, you’ll get lost and never find your way back to the light.

That’s what I have to do now.

Take one step at a time, so I don’t lose my way.

If I do, I’ll lose myself too.

I can’t let that happen.

Chapter 2

Ivy

Shit. I’m lost.

I’m actually lost.

I’m already late as fuck because my flight was delayed by several hours and now I’m… I don’t know where the hell I am.

After the day from hell, I arrived at Raventhorn about an hour ago.

I missed orientation and the campus tour, so I don’t know where to find my dorm, Myrrdin House.

When I pulled up on the campus grounds I went straight to security, where I was issued a map and given directions to follow the red route.

I thought I was doing exactly that, but here I am again, in the same spot I stood not ten minutes ago.

Frantically I look around the dark surroundings of the campus. At the vast expanse of the Science Building and the cluster of oak trees on its left. Next to that is the river with a bridge going over it and more trees.

I’ve circled this area five times and followed the map exactly as it directs, so why the hell am I still lost?

I glance at the tiny silver face of the watch around my wrist and frown when I see it’s nearly one in the morning.

Damn it. This is not how I imagined spending my first day.

Things started off so well with Mom and Levgen taking me to the airport. We even had time for breakfast together in our favorite café.

Everything was so nice, and the quality time gave my nerves a much-needed break. Then things went straight to hell the moment they left me. That was when the announcement came up that my flight was delayed.

It was only by forty minutes, which was bad but not so bad. But then forty minutes turned into an hour, which swiftly became two, then finally four.

It was nearly four p.m. when I eventually boarded the plane, then the flight from L.A. to Boston took just over five hours.

When I got out of Boston Logan International I was thrust into the gridlock of traffic in my town car. There was simply no hope of getting here any sooner than I did.

Now I have no one I can call and nowhere to turn to.

And where the hell is everyone? The campus holds the silence of a mausoleum.

With over eight thousand eighteen to twenty-four-year-old residents on this campus there’s no way I can be the only person wandering the grounds at this hour of the night. Yet it seems I am.

The only sign of life I’ve seen so far was the guard at the gates, who was actually rude and barely wanted to help me.