Reckless Souls (Saints Academy, #1)(19)

foot into the darkness, followed quickly by the rest of me. I haven’t even finished blinking when I find

myself at the foyer to the main building I was in yesterday.

Huh, so the portal didn’t bring me out exactly where I entered last time. Noted.

There are a few people around, a couple stepping out of other portals around the room, but

overall everyone seems to be heading in the same direction, toward the smell of food. My stomach

grumbles again as my phone pings in my hand.

Financial Aid meeting rescheduled for 7:30, confirm?

Fuck, that’s like, right now.

Food will have to wait, although it might be better to get the financial aid stuff out of the way first

so I can understand how it all works anyway because I have no clue how I can pay for Saints

Academy.

I click accept, taking another step out into the open space at the bottom of the grand staircase,

trying to figure out where I should go next, when I notice the plaque on the wall to my left.

Arrows point in every direction, floors labeled next to different rooms, and I scan through it all to

find where to go for the Financial Aid, but it’s not listed.

Fuck.

What am I supposed to do?

Brushing a loose tendril of hair back off my face, I open my phone and press to the meeting invite

again.

Financial Aid meeting confirmed for 7:30

It doesn’t state where, but when I scroll down the notes section, I catch sight of the button labeled

‘directions’. Jabbing the screen quickly, I expect it to tell me which room to go to, instead it turns into

a little GPS on my phone, telling me to head in the same direction as Noreen took me yesterday.

Thank the Gods for technology.

Moving to the left of the staircase, no one pays me any mind as I walk by, the few people hovering

around lost in their own world as I follow the blue arrow on my phone. It leads me to the door next to

where I was yesterday.

The door is slightly ajar, and as I lift my hand to knock, the woman on the other side meets my

gaze. “Oh, come on in. You must be, Rhea, Rhea Harrington? I’m Beverly,” she says, rising to her feet

as I push the door all the way open.

Ginger curls frame her face as she fixes the glasses on the bridge of her nose. In a pair of black

pants, and a thin white sweater, she looks artsy compared to everyone else who have been all

business and well put together. When I say all, I mean the guard and Noreen. They’re the only two

people I’ve actually seen apart from other students. Well, and the people back at the Town Hall.

Which was only yesterday.

Only. Yesterday.

“Hi, yes, I’m Rhea Harrington. I’m here for a 7:30 am appointment,” I finally reply, extending my

hand as we meet in the middle of what seems to be her office, and she offers me a warm smile.

“Pleasure to meet you, Rhea. I’m sure this whole thing is quite a shock. I mean it is for us so I can

imagine it is for you too, but we’ve made sure to put everything necessary in place for you. It’s just a

matter of your finances that requires our attention,” she states, getting straight to the point as she

guides me to the seat in front of her desk, and I like her approach.

I’d prefer her not to flower everything up and beat around the bush when there’s so much to learn.

I just need to know everything, and I need to know it now, or preferably yesterday.

“What financial information do you need?” I ask, placing my satchel at my feet as I smooth my

skirt down and take a seat. My new attire is going to take a minute to get used to.

“Well, to pay for anything on-site at Saints Academy, we use thumbprints, linked to accounts that

are held by the families of the pupils attending. Like a parent, grandparent, that sort of thing, but we

have little information coming through on your family background.” Her tone is gentle, like she knows

she may be touching on a difficult topic, but has to ask nonetheless, and I appreciate it.

“I never knew my parents, all of my memories are from the orphanage. I was always told I was

left on their doorstep as a baby,” I explain, clearing my throat as sympathy shines in her eyes. I’m so

fucking glad it’s not pity because I can’t handle that.

“I’m so sorry to hear of your challenging upbringing,” she murmurs, and I offer a tight smile in

response. I can tell she’s sincere but it doesn’t make the situation any better. “Don’t take this the

wrong way, Rhea, but I’m going to assume that living in Phoenix Valley hasn’t lined your pockets the

way things are expected up here.”

I hear what she’s not saying, and I nod, nibbling on my bottom lip as embarrassment threatens to

take over. “I live paycheck to paycheck,” I say, but her smile doesn’t change, and I don’t feel small or

inadequate. If anything, my statement seems to spring her into action.

“That’s usually the case on the rare occasion that earthlings join us,” she says, rising to her feet

and moving around to sit on her desk in front of me, her ginger curls bouncing as she moves. “In that