Lock and Key (Nocturne Academy 1)

“Yes, Mrs. Wainright?” I said, trying to appear anxious to please when I really just wanted to run as far and as fast as I could to get out of there.

She frowned at me, her many wrinkles spawning new creases and crevices with the gesture.

“I wanted to ask you, dearie, about what you were saying earlier. Something about being in a different English class in your old school?”

“Oh…oh yes…” I hardly knew what to say. I looked down at my hands and when I looked up, Griffin was suddenly standing there, right behind the teacher who was obviously oblivious to his presence.

How had he moved so fast and so silently? It should have been impossible.

The key flared to life between my breasts, throbbing and burning, reminding me of those pictures you see in Catholic schools where Christ’s heart is painted outside his body with a crown of thorns wreathed around it.

“So do you want me to try and get you switched to a different class?” Mrs. Wainright asked patiently.

Griffin lowered his dark glasses and gave me a smirk.

What was that supposed to mean? Was he inviting me to stay? Daring me to go? Would I ever see him again if I quit this class we had together? I knew I shouldn’t care one way or another but the key throbbing between my breasts told me I had to care.

Somehow he and I were connected.

Just inside his collar I caught a glimpse of the heavy, dull black lock studded with Blood stones. It taunted me far more than his mocking sneer.

“I…I guess I’ll stay in this class for awhile and see how I do,” I blurted at last. “Is that…will that be all right?”

“Certainly.” Mrs. Wainright nodded vaguely and out in the hall I heard a bell chime. “Now then, you’d better run along. You don’t want to be late for third period.”

“No, of…of course not,” I somehow managed to get out.

With Griffin still smirking at me and the key burning the tender skin of my chest, I turned and fled the classroom as fast as I could.

8

The rest of the morning passed in a daze. I had no other classes with Griffin, at least during the early part of the day, which made me feel I was right in keeping the remedial English class, no matter how awful it was going to look on my college aps.

Besides, once I got the strange matter of the key sorted out, I could always reopen the subject of getting switched to another class with Mrs. Wainright. Clearly she wasn’t all there mentally, but she was at least willing to help and I was sure I could get it worked out.

At least, that was the excuse I gave myself for staying put.

Most of my classes seemed to be normal ones—World History, Biology, Algebra Two—which I hated. I have never been good at math, which I will freely admit. It’s just not my area.

After lunch, though, I had a stranger class listed on my schedule—Elementary Casting—whatever that meant. Probably it was just another way for Mrs. Vernon, the school secretary, to get back at me for having the temerity to argue with her about getting into honors English.

I had missed gym, which was my first period. That suited me just fine—I wasn’t looking forward to starting my day with that particular class. Although I supposed at least it would be early enough in the morning that it wouldn’t be as horribly hot as it got in the afternoon. As it was now.

Florida is called “The Sunshine State” but I was beginning to think they ought to change that to “The Godawful Heat and Sweating all the Time State.” I wished more than once that I could have worn the short-sleeved uniform blouse—the stone hallways were really way too warm.

Why couldn’t they keep it cooler if the Academy was so swanky? How much did it cost to go here for students who weren’t on scholarship, like I was? Whatever it was, I wished they would put some of those tuition fees into the AC bill and crank it down a little.

Before I knew it, it was time for lunch—a good thing because I hadn’t gotten breakfast due to Aunt Dellie’s last minute news that I was coming to Nocturne instead of going to Frostproof High. So I was really hungry. After a few twists and turns, I found the Dining Hall located in the corridor between the North and East Towers.

The minute I walked into the vast lunchroom, however, I felt all eyes were on me. A big part of me wanted to turn around and walk back the way I had come. But then I saw Griffin again, sitting at the far corner of a long table by himself. He lowered his sunglasses and gave me a mocking smile which made one half of his sensuous mouth curl up.