Chapter 2 Who The Hell Was He

Aurora's POV:

I stared up at the mail carrier in disbelief. "Sir, you've got to be kidding me."

There was no such place as Norden Academy of Magic. Even if a school like that somehow existed, I had never applied to it.

And magic wasn't real. It couldn't be.

"I'm serious."

Then he shoved the envelope into my hands and drove away without saying anything else.

I lowered my gaze to the envelope. Sure enough, the words "Norden Academy of Magic" were written across the front.

I couldn't tell what kind of material it was made from, but somehow, the rain hadn't left so much as a mark on it. A dragon had been stamped into an antique gold wax seal in the center. Everything about it looked carefully made, almost like something that had come straight out of the Middle Ages.

I hesitated for a few seconds before hurrying into a convenience store to escape the rain. Once I was inside, I opened the letter.

"Dear Ms. Purwett, we're pleased to inform you that you've been accepted into Norden Academy of Magic. Once you receive this letter, please get in touch with your assigned guide, Connor Lancelot. He'll help you purchase everything you'll need for enrollment and take you to the academy on your scheduled arrival date. You can find him on the top floor of Lancelot Tower."

A faint rosemary scent rose from the paper. I frowned. This had to be some elaborate joke.

Lancelot Tower served as the headquarters of the Lancelot family's massive business empire. People would do almost anything for the chance to work there because getting inside could open doors to opportunities most people could only dream about.

Someone like me probably couldn't even get past the lobby. Reaching the top floor was completely out of the question. From what I'd heard, only the people in charge of the family's empire were allowed up there.

I nearly tossed the letter into the trash, but I stopped myself. Whoever had made it had clearly put a lot of effort into it, so I slipped it into my bag instead.

I stayed inside the convenience store until the clerk finally gave me an annoyed look and said, "We're closing. You need to head out."

It was already past midnight when I finally left. When I got home, I crawled into the cramped storage room that doubled as my bedroom. I held my community college acceptance letter against my chest and cried until the sun began to rise. Exhaustion finally caught up with me, and I fell asleep.

I hadn't been asleep for long when the door flew open after someone kicked it.

"Get up, you lazy brat, and make breakfast!" my aunt, Diane Kingsley, snapped. "Oriana and Charles are going out to buy their college stuff today. If you make them late, you're going to regret it!"

I slowly pushed myself upright. My entire body felt heavy from lack of sleep, but for once, I didn't immediately obey her. "No. I need to work on applications for other colleges. I don't have time to make breakfast for them, and I shouldn't have to."

"What the hell has gotten into you?" She sounded genuinely stunned that I had dared to tell her no. "After everything we've done for you, this is how you act? Keep it up, and you can forget about us paying for your education."

"I'll figure out how to pay for school myself. And I'm not going to that community college." I made myself get to my feet. "I'm done with all of you."

I grabbed my identification documents and the letter from the magic academy out of the drawer, brushed past her, and headed for the door.

Oriana and Charles moved in front of me before I could leave.

"You really think you can just walk out of here, Aurora?" Oriana sneered. "My parents spent a fortune raising you. You're not leaving until you pay them back. You signed those IOUs, remember? Every cent they spent on you is written down."

Charles looked annoyed, as if I were the one making things difficult. "Can you stop making such a big deal out of this, Aurora? What's so terrible about community college? You're an orphan. You should be thankful you're getting the chance to go to college at all. Just stay here and help the people who raised you. Once Oriana and I graduate and get our company running, maybe we'll even let you clean the office."

Anger shook through me at the nerve of them, but I had no way to pay back the amount they claimed they'd spent raising me.

They knew I couldn't pay them back. That was exactly why Diane looked so pleased when she grabbed my hair and pulled me toward the door. "You little bitch! No money? Then you can forget about sleeping in a bed from now on. The doghouse is good enough for you. I'll call Rocco. He can put you to work today. If you're going to live under my roof, then you'd better start bringing money home. And you'd better learn fast how to keep a man happy."

My whole body shook as I fought against her grip and tried to tear myself free.

I knew exactly who Rocco Wood was. He was a pimp who worked in the red-light district, and plenty of young women had fallen into his hands. He had tricked them, exploited them, and forced many of them into prostitution.

If Diane really gave me to him, there was no telling whether I'd ever get away.

I needed help. I couldn't let this become my life. I didn't want to spend years being used by men and barely managing to survive from one day to the next.

Diane kept pulling me across the room until we reached the front door. The second she opened it, I lost my footing and fell forward. Someone caught me before I hit the ground. My body pressed against a firm, warm chest, and strong hands kept me upright.

I froze. Then I raised my head and met the stranger's eyes.

He towered over me in a perfectly fitted suit. One of his hands was still around my waist, holding me steady. A gold dragon earring gleamed against his right ear.

For a second, I forgot what was happening. He was ridiculously handsome. The girls my age were always obsessing over celebrities, but even the most popular actors I'd seen didn't look like him. His eyes were sharp and clear. His features were so striking that he almost didn't seem real.

Sunlight fell across his face and left a faint shadow beneath his thick lashes. When our eyes met, my heart gave a sudden, stupid jump.

Who the hell was he?