Monster Academy for the Magical (Monster Academy for the Magical 1)

I want to take over his mind and devour it.

Those crazy thoughts are the last I have before darkness takes over my mind and sweeps me away.

Haven

My new foster mother won’t stop telling everyone that I’m tainted. I’m not even sure what tainted means, but everyone seems to be afraid of me whenever she tells them this.

I wish she’d stop it, wish she'd see that there's nothing wrong with me.

Sure, I look and act a bit different. My eyes are really dark, and I always feel disconnected whenever I'm talking to someone. I don't know why I'm this way, but I don't do it on purpose. I just don't know how to act.

But I’m trying, like right now.

I'm sitting in the kitchen with one of Mia's friend's daughter. Her name is Lea, and she has blond hair and blue eyes; normal blue eyes that I'm envious of. Everyone is always afraid of my eyes.

“Your eyes are really scary,” Lea tells me as she stuffs a handful of candy into her mouth. “It’s probably why your parents didn’t want you.”

I swallow hard, wanting to scream at her, but if I do, I know I’ll get in trouble. “No, that’s not why.”

She smirks. “Really? Then why did they get rid of you?”

I lift a shoulder, staring at the linoleum floor. I hate talking about my parents. It hurts for some reason.

She laughs. “I bet it was because of your eyes. And you’re really weird. My older brother said he heard my mom and your fake mom talking about how you’re like probably possessed by some sort of evil spirit.”

I say nothing and part of me likes it that way, likes not talking. But the other part of me wants to yank on her hair hard enough to make her cry.

“Are you?” she sneers as she stuffs another handful of candy into her mouth.

“Am I what?” I ask.

She grins and candy is stuck to her teeth. “Are you evil? Maybe that’s why your parents didn’t want you. Because you are. And you’re ugly, so maybe that’s why too. Or maybe they’re just bad people… Or maybe they hate you. Or maybe they’re killers—”

Something snaps inside me, and I reach out and pull her hair.

She lets out a scream. “Get away from me!”

I immediately let go of her hair. “S-sorry,” I sputter.

But she keeps screaming.

A few seconds later, my foster mother and Lea’s mother come rushing into the kitchen.

Lea is in tears by then, and all I want to do is run.

“What did you do?” Mia snaps, glaring at me.

I open my mouth to admit what I did, but Lea cries out, “She tried to beat me up! And she said she was going to kill me!”

“I did not!” I cry out, shaking my head, tears burning in my eyes.

Mia's glare deepens as she grabs my arm, her fingernails digging into my skin as she yanks me to my feet. "I should've listened to my instincts about you." She drags me toward the living room. "I should've told them to take you back the moment I saw you."

Tears sting in my eyes. “I didn’t do anything!” I shout, trying to defend myself.

“Liar!” she shouts, shoving me down on the sofa. “You’re nothing but a liar.”

“No, I’m not—”