Prologue

I stared out the window of the taxi, tears streaming down my face. My uncle, Tanner Sounde, placed a hand on my shoulder. The car was silent, except for the gentle hum of the engine. As we neared the airport, I could hear the sound of planes taking off.

“Do I have to go?” I asked Tanner.

He nodded.

“Why? I can stay with you and go to a public school in Chester.” I said hopefully.

“Your parents would have wanted you to go on with your life. Enjoy your friends.”

“Why do you talk about them like they’re dead?” My voice cracked.

“Gwen, it was night. It was in the middle of a storm. They had no supplies, no weapons, no food. There is no way that they survived out there alone.”

“They could still be alive!” I shouted.

He gave me the saddest look I had ever seen, and shook his head. “Just try to move on.”

Twenty minutes later, I waved to Tanner as I boarded my flight back to Seattle. After touching down in the Seattle airport at two in the morning, I took a taxi to Harrow’s Boarding School For The Gifted, careful not to wake anyone while I walked through the halls.

Once I got to my room, I silently crept past my best friend, Piper St. Claire, and onto our balcony. I cried myself to sleep, still sitting on the padded lawn chair.

The sunrise woke me, vibrant red, blue, and purple. I heard Piper’s deafening scream as she woke up and saw my luggage. She ran outside onto the balcony, tackling me in a bear hug.

“Hi! I am so glad you’re back!” Piper jumped up and down.

A guy exited the room below us onto his balcony, looking up at us. “Hey Gwen. Did you have a good time in England?”

I rolled my eyes. “Hello Flynn.”

Flynn Sanders was Piper’s almost boyfriend. They’d gone on a few dates, and I thought she was in love.

He waved to me, then walked back into his room. Piper squealed, then her voice faded back to its usual bright chatter.