Reckless Souls (Saints Academy, #1)(21)

“Yeah, me too.”

Dante must end the call from his side because he disappears before my eyes in an instant. Beverly

is suddenly rushing back into the room.

“All sorted?” she asks, a wide smile on her face, and I offer a short nod.

I’m expecting her to ask how he knew my name, but she’s not as nosey as I assumed. Taking her

seat again, I grab my satchel off the floor and turn to face her.

“Is that everything you need from me?” I want to get out of here, the sooner the better. I need to

clear my mind a bit after the truth I just learned about my ex.

“Let me grab your thumbprint and you're good to go. Zellus has advised that your meeting isn’t

required as he will see you in the assembly this morning instead, since it’s starting now.”

“Zellus?” I ask, confused as she scans my thumb, but she just looks up at me with her glasses

slipping down her nose.

“Yes, the Dean.”





Chapter 7

Rhea

B everly leads me to the hall where the assembly is taking place, leaving me at the open double

doors near the entry into the main building, before quickly disappearing as I stand and gape at

the room before me.

Reds, oranges, blues, and greens stain the glass that fills the arched windows around the room,

counterbalancing the dark and gothic walls and intricate carvings around the edge of the ceiling. It

feels like a cathedral in here, the ones in the movies that were demolished in the war all those years

ago.

I have to pick my jaw up off the floor as I focus back on the people in the room and the layout.

Rows upon rows of pews are to the left and right, facing the large podium at the front. Dark mahogany

wood is everywhere, and not a light hanging anywhere with the glass-domed ceiling, letting the sun

shine in.

Students enter the hall around me, as well as through a few entry points toward the front too, and

when I’m nudged one too many times, I join them. Moving with the sea of the crowd, I put one foot in

front of the other, holding my satchel close to me as I fumble over where I’m supposed to sit.

I notice the end of the pews have different words engraved.

Gi.

Fotia.

Aeras.

Nero.

Agion.

Earth. Fire. Air. Water. Saint.

Agion? That’s what it said at the top of the board yesterday, when my name was inscribed on the

wood by my room number. But more importantly, how the fuck do I know what it means? I wasn’t

aware I’d suddenly learned to read a foreign language. What even is it?

I glance around again to see if I recognize any faces, more specifically Harmonia, but I come up

blank among the uniform-clad students everywhere.

“Rhea, hey.” The sound of someone calling my name fills me with a mixture of relief and tension,

but when I look over my right shoulder, I find Harmonia rushing toward me, weaving her way through

the crowd, with a bright smile on her face.

My shoulders sag, my body relaxing as she comes to a stop before me. Her white hair sweeps

over her shoulder, and she holds something out between us.

“I didn’t see you in the dining hall, so I grabbed you a protein bar, just in case,” she states, and my

stomach grumbles at her words. She’s officially my hero.

“You’re a lifesaver, thank you so much,” I murmur, taking the chocolatey snack from her hand and

opening it immediately. “I didn’t eat yesterday, and then by the time my meeting ended this morning,

Beverly brought me straight here,” I admit, glancing around me. “And now I have no idea where I’m

supposed to sit.”

Harmonia chuckles, linking her arm through mine as she pulls me to the very front. That was not

where I expected to be dragged to sit but since she’s the only student I know, I’ll just roll with it. “The

names on the end of the rows are for each house, and ours is the front row to the right since there’s not

many of us compared to other houses,” she explains, and I nod like it all makes total sense to me

because of course it does… not.

I take the lead, walking all the way to the far end of the pew since no one else is here yet, and not

actually wanting to sit so central in front of everyone. Being a new student is bad enough. I don’t want

to draw any more attention than necessary. Harmonia is right behind me as I quickly eat the protein

bar.

For the first time since I’ve arrived, I can sense eyes on me. People unfamiliar with my presence,

and their curiosity getting the better of them.

Placing my satchel on the wooden seat to my right, I take my spot, Harmonia doing the same. As

soon as I get comfortable, I look to my left, around Harmonia, to find the people sitting on the other

side of the front row glaring at me like I’ve got five heads.

Excellent.

The girl sitting on the end, with wide blue eyes and perfectly styled blonde hair is drilling holes

in my head with her glare alone.

Harmonia must sense where my attention has drifted, and follows my line of sight, before