House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)(17)

I could see lots of other students zipping past, some ahead of me on my particular path, others jumping on and off via small gaps in the side. I wasn’t sure I’d be very good at that part. Most likely I’d fall flat on my face and give everyone here a good laugh. Thankfully, for my first solo ride I only had to step off the end, which was easy. Then I was jogging past the administration office and onto another moving path. I kept an eye out, counting the classroom doors as we passed them, and when mine was next I braced myself for the exit.

There was nothing graceful about my leap and the “ouch” that burst from me as my right knee collided with a poor student who had been just standing there minding his own business. By the time I’d untangled myself and stepped back, Cara was right there at my side.

“Emma! Dude, we need to work on your dismount. You would not even be close to medal contention.”

With another groan I rubbed my knee, lifting my head to the guy I’d smacked. “I am so sorry,” I said rapidly. “I hope you’re okay!”

The first thing I noticed were his eyes. Seemed everyone in this school was blessed with pretty eyes. His were the lightest of green, sparkling as he grinned down at me. “I have to say, beautiful women throwing themselves at me is not my usual thing, but I’m going take it as a sign that you and I need to become friends.”

He stuck his hand out, that smile growing even wider. “Ben Witchard. Senior. Performing arts major. Your new BFF.”

Ben was tall and lanky, his stunning eyes surrounded by dark-as-night lashes, skin a pale ivory, and hair a mess of brown corkscrew curls. Everything about him screamed warmth, and I immediately liked him. I placed my hand into his and he shook it with a firm grip.

“I’m Emma Walters. Senior. Bookworm. Poor and on a scholarship.”

Might as well give him the dirty truth straight up front. That way he could retract his BFF statement. Instead of backing up as I expected, he wrapped an arm around me. I waited for the urge to wrench myself free, but for some reason it didn’t come.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Emma Walters. My family has more money than God, so we balance each other out. Although, since I decided to tell them I bat for the team who likes boys, things haven’t been so happy in the Witchard house. I’d rather be poor. Can I live with you?”

I snorted, my hand covering my mouth by instinct. “I’m not sure you’d like it all that much. I live on this weird gated street and they have security—” I was cut off as Ben let out a low hoot. “What?” I asked, blinking at him like he’d just lost his mind.

When he didn’t answer immediately I couldn’t help glance around, worried an elite was about to ambush me, but there didn’t seem to be any exceptionally tall and beautiful people in our vicinity.

“You live on Daelight?” His voice was just above a whisper, each word said slowly, announced with perfect clarity. Like he almost couldn’t believe what he was saying.

Throwing both hands in the air, I shrugged out of Ben’s hug and faced them both. “What’s up with this street? Honestly, the way this town acts, you’d think it was where the Queen of England resided.”

That would certainly explain the royal abode.

Cara leaned in closer. “Sooo much better than the Queen of England, girl. It’s the kings of Astoria.”

Clearly Cara had taken our history class before and was now another person putting Astoria and its history above an entire country. Before I could remark on that though, Ben joined her crazy-party-for-one: “All of the elite live there, those descended from the founding fathers. They make my family look destitute with their money and power. They literally run this school and the town.”

“The entire state,” Cara added. “I have heard they have an in-line to the president himself, and can get pretty much anything they want or need.”

For God’s sake, next thing they were going to tell me they peed gold and breathed fire, like magical, mythical creatures. “Look, even though I live on Daelight, I haven’t seen any elites. They live on the rich mansion side and we aren’t allowed to cross over there.”

Cara gave me a look, like the one she had given me on the bus when she mentioned the things she had to tell me later. “Be careful, Emma. They are very serious about their rules in that place. The stories…” She trailed off, shuddering a little.

I expected Ben to laugh also, but instead he also got strangely grave. “My family have these huge parties and sometimes they make an appearance. Don’t trust them.” He didn’t elaborate, but his warning was clear.

I forced out a strangled laugh. “Don’t worry, guys, I have no plans to play with the heavy hitters of Astoria. I can barely keep cereal in my house and shoes on my feet. My concerns trump my interest in them.”

Their twin looks of worry faded into something which resembled sadness, and since the last thing I wanted was anyone’s pity, I opened my mouth to change the subject. Before I could, though, the teacher arrived and ushered us into the classroom. This time I stayed close to my new friends, and was relieved to see that the same back corner was off limits here. That made it much easier for me to know to avoid that area in all classes. As I took a seat next to Ben, I realized that none of the elite were in this class yet, and I wondered if those seats were left empty even if no one came.

Right as the final bell rang, two unnaturally perfect specimens of humans entered the room and headed for the back corner. I recognized one. It was Lexen, the extra huge, extra intriguing part of the Darkens’ trio. With him was a petite brunette. She did not have the legs of the redhead, but she was probably even more beautiful, if that was possible. Long, silky hair as dark and glossy as a raven feather cascaded in thick waves to her mid-back. She had ivory skin, and full pink lips, which were pressed together hard as if she was fighting to hold back a scream. Her eyes, shaped to indicate a heritage somewhere in Asia, were almost as dark as the guy’s beside her.