Chapter One

I knew it'd happen. Even before I saw the death trap I had just walked into. But I knew I'd be cornered. The stench of beer should have forced me to turn around and away from the less crowded street, and still be safe. But no, me being me, I absolutely have to go the entirely wrong way.

Stupid, stupid, stupid girl.

"Hey sweetheart! Wait up!" They called, their whistles filling the air.

I quickened my pace. Why did I have to walk this way? I never liked crowds, but really, I should have just stayed with them, safely away from these drunken idiots. I cast a quick glance behind me. They were close. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"Hey, where are you going, love?" Another one called. I felt his footsteps behind me and a hand shot out and grabbed me by the wrist. I was wrenched around to come face-to-face with a tall brunette man, the stench of beer and whiskey on his breath. "You... are HOT!" He announced, swaying toward me. I swear, the world is against me!

"Look, I am NOT –" I scowled and wrestled my arm from his grip. But it was too late. I was surrounded. There were six of them – big, tall, brainless and drunk.

Really, who got drunk before dark? It was only six o'clock!

The first one stepped forward, seeming to be the leader of their little group. "Aw, c'mon, baby... we just want a good time." He said, licking his lips. This was a split second before those very same lips were crashed against mine roughly.

I bit down and pulled away, my hand coming up to slap him across the face with a resounding smack. He reeled back in shock, clutching at his cheek.

I held my hand against my chest, throbbing in pain. I'd hit him pretty hard. Pride filled me.

A glare settled on his handsome face, long hair framing his high cheek bones. "You BITCH!" He spat. I flinched. He grabbed me by the arms, harder this time, and pulled me toward him.

My knee automatically lifted and connected with his nether regions. He doubled over in pain, clutching himself and I took a step back, allowing my school bag to fall to the ground and prepared to run.

A hand connected with my face, sending me backwards a few steps, clutching at my own cheek. My back found the cold brick wall and they closed in on me, the first one limping slightly.

I slipped my hand in my pocket, searching for my phone and pulled it out. I dialled the emergency number, 911, and held it to me. "Get away! I'm calling the police!" I screamed. They all faltered, scowls on their faces. I was beginning to think they weren't all that inebriated.

A tall blonde laughed. "Yeah, right, you little slu-"

"Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?" The voice silenced them and I felt hope spread.

But that hope was stolen right from my hand as the blonde snatched it away, throwing it against the wall – hard. It smashed into pieces and I felt the lump in my throat grow. "What now?" They jeered.

My fists balled, the feeling of untrained power filling me and I lunged for one of them, determined not to be the victim. My fist fell on the face of the nearest guy, the crunch of his nose underneath it giving me a sickening sense of victory. He reeled back, blood spurting from his nose, a yell flying from his large mouth.

Another one grabbed me around the waist, swinging me around. My nails dug into his arms deeply and I swallowed the scream at my lips, just as my face scraped against the bricks. I felt the warm trickle of blood on my cheek, as pain numbed it.

I fell to the ground on my hands and knees and wiped away the blood, only causing sting to myself.

"Not so tough now." One of them spat.

Just as I thought I was going to have to unleash a little more of the one thing that could destroy me, a police siren sounded in the distance and they looked up panicked as it came closer. There were shouts for retreat and they were gone within the second.

I pulled myself up by the wall and silently collected my things, including the smashed phone. I decided that I'd block it out. Stupid, I know. But I seem to have a lot of that.

Swinging my bag over my shoulder, I winced, carefully making my way home to the apartment I shared with my mum. It was only a few blocks away from the train station, but Manhattan was always dangerous in these parts, no matter how short a distance you had to travel.

She'd be furious. Furious that my Grandmother would see it. She's always been dead set that my Grandmother had to see us as perfection. And having her stay with us only made it worse. Which is why, despite the fact that I'd been attacked, I would be in for it when I got home.

I was right, of course. When I entered the lounge room, they were both sitting in front of the T.V, watching some show I had never really liked, talking like they were simply wonderful. Then they looked up. They weren't so wonderful.

"Jane!" My mother gasped, standing from the comfy leather couch. "What happened?" She demanded.

"Nothing, mum. I-I just..."

"You've been fighting again, haven't you?" She demanded, looking at me angrily.

I sighed and nodded numbly. They didn't need to know the truth. "She started on me."

My Grandmother tutted at me. "You are supposed to be a lady, Jane. Ladies don't bash people. They act civilly." Her English accent held American influences, and I found myself cringing as she gave me that disapproving look. "Honestly, Amelia, you should not let your daughter get herself into situations like these. If you'd moved to Massachusetts, like me, then you wouldn't have to put up with this."

I rolled my eyes. "Really, Grandmother," I used the same I'm-so-much-better-than-you-commoners tone on her. "You should keep your nose out of –"

"JANE!" My mother gasped, oh-so mortified.

"If she wasn't going to a public school, she wouldn't get herself into these situations." The old woman I almost despised continued as if I had never spoken. "You brought her over from England to get her away from trouble and now –"

"That was different trouble, Grandmother." I cut her off. Hah! Take that! "My father has nothing to do with me now. Stop bringing him up!" I shouted at her, my skin crawling at the mention of my bastard father.

She glared at me, scowling darkly. "Your father has everything to do with your behaviour. You need someone strong in your life. Amelia, you are not strong enough for her, and she takes her frustrations out in fights. I'm sorry to say, but Jane will come and live with me, now." She finished.

I stood up quickly. "NO!" I shouted.

My mother stood up and pulled me back roughly. "Jane, you are to go with your grandmother." She was so calm. I looked at her, pleading. She stared back, as if it made no difference to her whether or not it made me suicidal. She was cold. "Get up stairs and clean up that face. Then, you can pack your bags." She instructed coldly.

I gaped at her. "But you can't –"

"Do as your mother says, young lady." Grandmother butted in again.

I stared between them, my eyes watering. "Fine." I gritted out, my blue eyes set on glare mode. I trudged upstairs wearily in defeat to do as my cold-hearted mother had instructed.

~ His fist is of iron, his heart, of stone. The father of The Power will hunt for her and destroy all in his path. There is no hope, bar in the form of Lady Fate's good will. ~

It was pouring with rain. Yup. I'd been here an entire hour, and it had been drop after stupid, infuriating drop of water hitting the window of the limo.

I sat across from my Grandmother in stony silence, attempting to ignore her every word. But believe me, it was almost impossible. She has this thing. She has to pick and pick at everything. And I mean everything.

"You need to cut your hair. It's too long." She said, apparently fifteen minutes from our destination.

I snorted. There was nothing wrong with my hair. It ran just past my shoulders in red curls that were often out of control. Just like me.

"And perhaps dye over the red; it makes you look... wild."

"I am wild, Grandmother." I said just as we pulled in to the overly decorated driveway.

She gave me a disapproving look as we were helped from the limo and I gaped. Surely this wasn't her house. I knew my Grandmother was rich, but this was a... well, basically a castle.

"Welcome to your new home." She said stiffly. "Spenser Academy."

I blinked at her and finally looked around a let out a breath of relief when I spotted the sign that told me I wasn't quite mad. "A boarding school?"

"Yes, you will live here for the remainder of your senior year." I was here for six months. "Every Sunday you will be escorted to my estate, where we will have lunch and I will teach you to be a lady. Despite your condition I think we can still manage." She was cold, but I was used to it.

"My condition, Grandmother, has no relation to my mannerisms." I responded coldly. She rolled her eyes and I did it right back.

We continued onward toward the main building, my grandmother holding herself tall under a black umbrella. I chose to walk in the rain.

"Come along, Jane. Provost Higgins is waiting." I made a face behind her back as she stalked toward the school entrance, all high and mighty – like she was the effing queen of England. Well, she looked like some sort of Queen.

I followed behind numbly, looking up at the stormy sky, dark, despite it being just after six. I huddled into my jacket, pushing my hands as far down as possible. Of course, I wasn't Mary Poppins and my pockets weren't magically deep. I sighed and kept following.

In a blur of halls and doors, we made our way to another big door and Grandmother knocked before we entered.

"Provost Higgins, I'm Gertrude Willows, Jane's Grandmother." She said in her clipped tone.

The greying man stepped forward and took her offered hand. "Welcome to Spenser Academy, Mrs. Willows. I can only assume this is Miss Jane Hollice." He said warmly. I smiled politely. "Right, well, Miss Hollice, I assume you do not wish to sit through all the paper work, so I'll summon someone to show you where your room is." I nodded and he picked up a piece of paper, quickly scanning it. "Ah, you are in room seventy-eight, sharing with Cassiah Delvin."

I nodded. "Thanks, sir." He smiled and pressed a button. A woman with blue eyes and blonde hair entered and was ordered to take me to my room, where I was told my bags would be along shortly.

I sighed and followed the woman out of the main building. "I'm Penny, by the way." She smiled.

"Jane. Do you work for Provost Higgins, then?" I was curious.

She nodded and smiled. "He's my uncle. I'm just his secretary for a few months to get on my feet, then I'm off." She explained as we walked across some sort of miniature forest. "Are you from England?" I nodded and curiosity sparked. I could just see it. "Why'd you move here then? And with your Grandma?"

I felt like I owed her the truth. She was so nice, after all. So I told her. "My father is a conniving little bastard who wants me dead. I was living with my mum in Manhattan, but my Grandmother dearest, decided she'd rather I learnt to be a lady under her watch. So, here I am."

She was flabbergasted. She gaped at me as we walked and suddenly smiled. "You and I will get along fine, I think." She said, clapping my shoulder lightly. I returned her smile, grateful that someone didn't really care to make a big deal of it.

We passed a group of girls, who smiled fakely at me, the leader obvious by the way the other four crowded around her.

"Trust me; you don't want to go there." Penny said, looking at them darkly. "I have never seen so many girls who need the morning-after pill." She scowled. I snorted and she smiled at me just as we came up to a two storey building. "Okay, so this is the girls' dorms. The first floor is reserved for the junior girls, and the top floor is for the senior girls. Guess where you are." I raised an eyebrow at her and laughed. "What? Tough crowd?" She joked, making me let out a laugh.

She led me to a room on the fourth floor, the simple black writing on the small white board reading 'Cassiah D'. Penny handed me a key and I thanked her. "I'll see you later." I said politely to her.

She smiled brilliantly. "Of course. If you need anything, just ask Cassiah, she's pretty awesome. See ya." And Penny was gone with a wave.