Girl of Fire and Shadow

Chapter Four

"THIS IS YOU." Ella and Jade finally released me in front of my locker.

I fumbled with the combination, too overwhelmed by what I had just been dragged through to be of much use to myself. I'd spent so much of my life in home school, I'd forgotten what it was like the have corridors.

Not to mention the entire building smelled of private school luxury.

"Make sure you bring your sports uniform on Thursday," Ella was saying as my mind spun. "Our netball coach wants you to come to training before she puts you on the team. The season ends with the term, but you could still get some games in."

Jade and Ella played for Redwood's senior division. It was an expectation for me, too, even though I wasn't a very good player. "If she puts me in Centre, I quit."

"Got something to say?"

The venom in Ella's voice had me glancing up, but she wasn't talking to me.

A green and white boy leaned against the row of lockers on the opposite side of the corridor, along with two others. They could have been in casual conversation, only their heads were turned directly to stare at us. At me.

Even disguised in that uniform, he wasn't someone we could easily dismiss.

Ella's lips pulled back from her teeth in a wolfish snarl. "Speak your mind or move on, August."

August Murdock was said to take after his mother, the fragile-hearted woman who had been seen around Darkwell in years. Though, when he pushed himself away from the lockers, it was as he felt the world would stand still for him, a trait he had no doubt inherited from Lukas Murdock—one of the last of his Descending Family line, and, of course, August's father.

His two friends flanked him, distinctly recognisable. The lanky redhead was Elliot, and the one with the sour expression was Isaac Hall. Wherever August was, they were never far away.

"Ladies." August inclined his head, before fixing me with his unforgettable mismatched eyes—one green, the other blue. "We couldn't help but notice your new recruit."

Jade took a huge step, angling herself in front of me. "Not that she's any of your business. Hands. Off."

"Said you to no guy ever."

The hallway went quiet, all traffic slowing to a stop, basking in the awe of August Murdock inadvertently calling Jade a slut.

Jade sucked in air through her teeth. "You're not half as funny as you think you are."

He shrugged. "And you're not half as attractive, but what can we do?"

Isaac cleared his throat, nudging his friend. "Let's not start something," he muttered under his breath.

"Yes, children. Let's not."

Heads whipped around at the sound of the new voice. Heels clicked across the floor and students parted like the biblical ocean.

Mrs Ophel's bun was the size and shape of a chocolate-glazed doughnut. In long strides, she click-clacked between August and Jade and planted herself, daring anyone to interfere. "Unless I am mistaken, this is a school, meaning everybody should be on there way to homeroom." Her gaze swept the corridor. "Now."

Students scattered like beetles under torchlight. Only Ella, Jade and myself remained. And August, who indicated for his two friends to follow the others, and they reluctantly obeyed. Five seconds later, the morning bell rang.

Our principal brushed her hands down her creaseless pencil skirt, securing August with a raised brow. "Again, Mr Murdock?"

"I don't know what you mean," he replied smoothly, swiping a lock of hair from his forehead—dark, like coffee beans or chocolate. Something from his mother. "I only wanted to wish Parker good luck for her first day."

"He was creeping, Mum," Jade said. "He and his guard dogs were staring, and then he called me a slut."

August rolled his eyes. "You'll find I never uttered the word. If anything, she's the one who insulted my aspiring comedy career."

Mrs Ophel was so done with our crap. "If you can't agree, then peacefully disagree and leave it at that." She titled her head, gracing us with her dark glare, one we often saw on her daughter. Even Jade inched back a fraction. "I don't want a repeat of last week's incident. Miss Pierce doesn't need to witness a spectacle of that nature."

"What happened?" I asked.

Nobody answered. In fact, everybody simply looked to me in surprise. I realised I hadn't uttered a word since Ella had snapped at August, and my cheeks warmed.

"She speaks," August said, but his tone was thick with sarcasm. He shoved his hands into his blazer pockets and turned on his heel. "If I'm not being punished, I should get to class and engage in my prosperous education. See you around, soul-suckers."

"Language, Mr Murdock!" Mrs Ophel warned, but he was already out of earshot.

I watched him disappear with a curiosity more intense than I would have liked. His attitude struck me—his attitude struck everyone, really—but that was his way. For reasons unbeknownst to me, August had been separating himself from the Descending Families in every way possible, including applying for a scholarship to avoid the red and black uniform.

His existence was one, big question mark.

"Homeroom. All of you." Mrs Ophel straightened and flashed her glare once more, before striding back down the corridor.

We released out breath in unison.

"What are we going to do about him?" Jade almost ripped open her locker to retrieve her books. "He gets worse with age."

"We do nothing," Ella replied, but the tension in her shoulders betrayed her urge to march up to August Murdock and wring his neck. "If we get into it with him or his backup dancers again, we'll get suspended."

"What was your mum talking about?" I asked Jade, repeating my earlier question. "What did you do last week?"

"We didn't do anything," she muttered. "The green and whites just enjoy stirring things up."

"We're not discussing that," Ella said swiftly. "Jade's mum is right. Parker doesn't need to get involved in this playground argument. Just focus on getting through today."

I made a reasonable effort to do as Ella instructed, but it was hard to focus when August Murdock's green-blue eyes were all that occupied my mind.