Blackwell House: The Silence Beneath

my brother

Blackwell House Academy's cracked stone path for the first time. Kellan Morrow, bri

an. He never le

h my coat. Leaves danced like dying birds around my boots. Blackwell loomed ahea

s. I'd barely been here five minutes and I could al

r. The Mo

supposed

ates with a stiff nod and a warning: "Keep your head down. Don

ook back when t

. Screw h

me-my mother, my brother. I wasn't

I was willing t

bed, a desk bolted to the floor, and a wardrobe that crea

the desk with my name in care

ed. Then

. But someone will be so

kknifed. I r

n a

ome sick i

ward the ha

ed the

very escape route between

liers. Too grand for the cracked ceilings. Students in

eat in the back

urple lipstick, combat boots, and the vib

ow, yeah?" she asked, unwrapping

tated.

hought your uncle was keepi

know

y runs the Board. Blackwell's dirty little king. You don't get invited to

tar

added, "are

, I found Kell

s. His energy. His chaos. I found a single paper crane stuck be

e star

g for g

urn

en carved out of shadow-dark hair, sharp che

en

photos. One of Kellan's be

his room

kno

knew

tepped in, gaze burning into mine. "But if you're look

d. "What happe

d. "Why don't you

nt the truth.

m smile-shar

coat and tossed so

ash

never gave

he wa

door, slid the flash drive int

hen blurr

uting, spinning a girl around in circles. Auden in the

mething

otage

e flushed, angry. A man stepped

e Ma

k screen.

there,

knew. S

ne wanted

ldn't

instead, hoodie

ent at night-like it

low to the ground, thick like spil

I saw

e, back turned. Long dark hair. A w

holding

ver c

eath

the l

othe

ed. And

fa

s her

thing l

an M

irl s

ked into

when I reached the sh

sh. No

sil

ket, lying

y, I confro

was on that vid

. "Whatever you

he party. He said h

w and angry. "No one touches Marcus Cain. No on

oo

suddenly too clos

" he said soft

. "You knew Ke

of something dark

orrow," he whispered.

the whispers

r. My textbooks vanished. Someone

didn't

t

ar and said, "Welcome to the c

hed. It

How to bribe cafeteria staff. H

's dangerous?" I

he's the kind of boy who'll set himself

eek, I stopped tryi

asking q

-flinched when I asked ab

eyes darting around. "Kellan. He said he

s he re

ated. "The

t is

already w

Soci

before-in whispers,

ell's

chos

corr

part of it once.

t until I dragged every o

meant burni