Lilly's Pov
Before I could figure out how to respond to that, there was a sharp knock on the door. It opened before anyone could answer, and a girl stormed in like she owned the place.
She was beautiful in that expensive, high-maintenance way—perfect blonde hair that caught the light, flawless makeup that probably took an hour, designed everything. But her expression was pure venom.
"Zayn, we need to—" She stopped short when she saw me, her blue eyes going icy. "Oh. You."
"Victoria," Zayn said, his tone cooling several degrees. "I'm in a meeting."
"A meeting with her?" Victoria looked me up and down with obvious disdain. "The scholarship girl who showed up today? What could you possibly have to discuss with her that's more important than—"
"Victoria." There was a warning in Zayn's voice now. Clear and unmistakable. "Leave."
"But—"
"Now."
For a moment, I thought she might actually argue. But something in Zayn's expression made her think better of it. She shot me one last murderous look—the kind that promised retribution—and swept out, slamming the door behind her.
"Well," Nix said into the awkward silence. "That was Victoria Ashford. In case you couldn't tell, she's not your biggest fan."
"She's not anyone's biggest fan except her own," Ashton added. "But she's particularly territorial about Zayn. You might want to watch your back."
"Is that a threat?" I asked.
"It's advice," Ashton said. "Victoria can make your life very difficult if she decides she doesn't like you. And she's already decided she doesn't like you."
"Join the club," I muttered. "Beauty's already planning my demise. What's one more enemy?"
Zayn moved back to his desk, his expression thoughtful. "You're going to need allies here, Lilly. The social dynamics at Ravencrest can be... complicated. Especially for scholarship students."
"I have Sage."
"Sage Moonwhisper is a good person," Nix said, "but she's not exactly powerful. No offense to her, but being your friend isn't going to protect you from people like Beauty and Victoria."
"And you three are offering to be my protectors?" I asked skeptically. "Why? What do you get out of it?"
"Nothing," Zayn said. "Yet. But like I said, I think you're going to be interesting and I want to see what you do here."
"So I'm what, entertainment? A social experiment?"
"You're someone who doesn't fit the pattern," Ashton said. "Patterns that get disrupted tend to reveal things that were hidden before. We're curious to see what gets revealed."
I shook my head, equal parts frustrated and confused. "I don't understand you people. Any of you. Is there anything else, or can I go now?"
Zayn studied me for another long moment, then nodded. "You can go. But Lilly? Be careful. You've made some dangerous enemies today, and being interesting won't protect you from all of them."
"I'll keep that in mind," I said, turning toward the door.
"Oh, and Lilly?"
I paused, looking back.
"For what it's worth," Zayn said, that small smile returning, "I'm glad you're here."
I left before I could do something stupid like ask what he meant by that.
The hallway seemed longer on the way out, my legs shakier. What the hell had just happened? I'd gone in expecting to be chewed out for the coffee incident and came out feeling like I'd been evaluated and found... what? Interesting? Useful? Entertaining?
I found Sage waiting outside the building, practically vibrating with anxiety.
"Oh thank God," she said, rushing over. "You're alive. You're okay. Tell me everything."
As we walked back toward the residential building, I filled her in on the meeting, watching her expressions cycle from shock to disbelief to concern.
"He gave you the scholarship slot?" she breathed. "Lilly, do you understand what that means?"
"That he's arrogant and thinks he can just rearrange people's lives?"
"That he's interested in you. That he sees something in you. That is huge. No one gets on Zayn Blackthorne's radar unless there's a reason."
"Well, he can get me off his radar," I said. "I didn't come here for drama with rich boys."
But even as I said it, I knew it was too late. Whether I wanted it or not, I was already in the middle of something I didn't fully understand.
We'd just reached our building when something sailed past my head—a shoe, expensive-looking with a designer heel. It clattered against the wall behind me.
"What the—" I started to turn, but Sage grabbed my arm.
"Don't," she said urgently. "Don't pick it up. It's a challenge."
"A what?"
"Just leave it. Trust me."
I'd never been good at following advice, especially when it didn't make sense. I walked over and picked up the shoe, turning it over in my hands. "Someone just threw a perfectly good shoe at my head. I'm not going to—"
The hand closed around my throat before I could finish the sentence.
One second I was standing, the next I was slammed backwards into the lockers with enough force to knock the air from my lungs. Stars burst across my vision. Pain radiated through my spine and wrapped around my throat was a hand that felt like iron, squeezing just hard enough to make breathing difficult.
I looked up into eyes that were the color of a frozen lake—pale blue and absolutely merciless.
Nix smiled down at me, and there was nothing friendly in the expression. "You picked up the shoe," he said conversationally, as if he wasn't currently choking me. "That's against the rules, new girl."
I tried to speak, couldn't, settled for glaring at him with as much venom as I could muster while fighting for air. His smile widened.
Then something changed.
His expression flickered, confusion replacing the cruel amusement. His grip loosened fractionally, and I felt it again—that electric shock, that sense of connection that I'd felt with Zayn. But this was different. It was wilder and more chaotic. Like touching a live wire during a storm.
Nix jerked his hand away like I'd burned him. "What the hell?" he muttered, staring at his hand, then at me.
I slid down the lockers to the ground, gasping for air, my throat burning. Sage rushed over, trying to help me up, but I waved her off, too focused on Nix.
He was still staring at me, that confusion deepening into something that looked almost like fear.
"Welcome to Ravencrest, new girl," he said finally, his voice lacking its earlier menace. Then he turned and walked away, leaving his shoe abandoned on the ground.
"Are you okay?" Sage asked, her hands fluttering nervously. "Oh God, I told you not to pick up the shoe. I told you!"
"What the hell was that?" I croaked, my voice rough.
"That was Nix Stormweaver. He's... he's dangerous, Lilly. More dangerous than Zayn or Ashton. There are rumors about him, about what he's capable of. You need to stay away from him."
I touched my throat gingerly, already feeling the bruises forming. "Little late for that advice."
"Come on," Sage said, helping me to my feet. "Let's get you back to the room. You need ice, and I need to make sure you don't have a concussion."
As we walked, students parted around us, whispering and staring. Great. My first day, and I was already the subject of gossip.
I'd made enemies of the mean girls, caught the attention of the Elite Council, and been assaulted by a guy who apparently had serious anger management issues.
And somehow, despite the pain and the fear and the overwhelming sense that I'd made a terrible mistake coming here, part of me felt more alive than I had in years.
What the hell was wrong with me?