Chapter One Wednesday morning at the Silvermist School of Magic for Girls started just like any other.

Please tell me you did the potions homework. Ill swap you for a look at my history

essay.
That bracelet is gorgeous! A present from Zane? Mr. Ryan is seriously unhinged. Im so glad I dont have practical defense today. Ooh, yum, pancakes.

Girls chattered, gossiped, crammed in last-minute study sessions, and picked at their food. From a loft above the main seating area, the Silvermist teachers carried on conversations of their own. Occasionally, one of them might look down to make sure everyone was behaving, but generally they were oblivious to what their students were doing. In the food line, a lazy second-year student decided she didnt really want to take the time to butter her own toast. She put a simple spell on the knife to make the butter spread on its own, then turned back to her friend to discuss the previous nights episode of their favorite TV show. Neither noticed when the big-screen TV in the corner turned on unprompted. The screen filled with the image of a brunette reporter, who had a particularly grave expression on her face. Breaking news: authorities on Alpha have just confirmed there was a breakout at the prison last night. A couple of girls in earshot of the TV gasped, and the attention of people all over the room started to turn to the screen, including that of the second-year with the toast. The knife kept going, and butter began to drip off the oversaturated bread in fat droplets. For those unfamiliar with the name, Alpha is a maximum-security prison planet designed to hold the absolute worst criminals. Most kingdoms in the magic dimension have done away with the death penalty, choosing to send those worst offenders to serve life sentences in Alpha instead. The escapee in question is a man named Valentine, convicted twenty years ago of conspiracy to commit treason and Crash! The sound of breaking dishes made heads turn once more, this time to a dark-haired woman at the end of the food service line. The shattered remains of a teacup lay in a puddle of green tea at her feet, which stained her shoes as it slowly spread out, but she didnt seem to notice or care. Her gaze was fixed on the TV screen, all the color drained out of her face. Headmistress Kingsley? a brave third-year asked, reaching out a hand toward the older womans arm. Are you okay? Before the girl could make contact, the headmistress turned and fled out the open door, leaving behind a very confused student, her hand hovering in midair. Slowly, the cafeteria began to revive. A hum of conversation grew all over the room, though more subdued than before. The newscast continued to play in the background with the reporter warning viewers about the dangerous situation. Faculty members leaned down over the railing and looked toward the open door, concerned for their friend and colleague.

The second-year girl, finally realizing what had happened to her toast, hastily cut the spell and grabbed the slice of bread out of the air as a red flush crept into her cheeks. And in the hallway outside the cafeteria, Tamara Kingsley braced her back against the wall and struggled to breathe. It cant be true Alpha is supposed to be inescapable. How could this have happened? She hadnt realized it before, but as long as Valentine was in Alpha, millions of miles away and secure in the most maximum-security prison in the dimension, Tamara had felt safe. But now he was out there somewhere. And eventually he would come for her to get his revenge. She was, after all, the reason he had gone to prison in the first place. *** Thats it for today, class. Dont forget to do your reading homework and come prepared to talk about the spells theory tomorrow. There could easily be a pop quiz A chorus of groans joined the regular clamor of students zipping their bags and all the other sounds that marked the end of class. Spirits were generally high as the last-period Basic Spells and Hexes class at the Ravenwood Academy of Dark Magic exited the classroom, chattering and planning the afternoon in tight-knit groups of friends. Only one girl walked out alone, her head down so her long black hair hid her face. Tamara had held high hopes for her social prospects at the beginning of the year. She wanted to make friends, she really did, to have the kind of close relationships she read about in all her favorite books. But it was hard to unlearn sixteen years of antisocial behavior. Growing up as the oldest of five, it had always been her job to take care of all her siblings, which left little time for anything else but school. So now, close to the end of her first year, she was just as friendless as shed been when she arrived in September. She followed on her classmates heels, perking up a bit when they made it outside Chimera Hall. It was a beautiful day, and as the sun warmed her skin, she decided to go to the library before heading back to her dorm. Tamara didnt mind walking alone because it gave her opportunity to admire the beautiful Ravenwood campus. It had always reminded her of something out of a Gothic novel with its huge, sprawling grounds and intricately detailed buildings. After almost a year at the school, she was mostly immune to its beauty, but every so often she would catch herself marveling at the fact that she was really here in this amazing place. Wait a minute, I dont think this way goes through to the library, she realized, snapping out of her daydream when she found herself surrounded by unfamiliar buildings. After a second, she placed her location as being near the boys dorms. Quickly turning around, she was heading back to the main path when she heard a loud rustling noise followed by an electrification of the air, like the aftermath of a strong spell. There was a small clearing in the shadow of a dorm, partially shaded from view by tall trees. A boy stood in the center, whirling about and shooting magic from his fingertips;

as Tamara watched, he made lines of fire swirl and dance in intricate patterns, then shot off what looked like colored lightning in different directions, which ignited in sparks like fireworks. It was a beautifully artistic use of magic, like nothing shed ever seen her teachers do in class, and very cool to watch. His back was mostly to her, so she couldnt tell who he was, but when he stopped for a moment and turned a bit, she recognized him instantly. There wasnt a soul on campus who wouldnt have. His name was Valentine, and he was one of Ravenwoods biggest mysteries. A year ahead of Tamara in school, his story was an unusual oneabandoned by his parents at a young age, hed grown up bouncing between planets in foster care, teaching himself what magic he could. Then two years ago, the Ravenwood headmaster happened to come across him doing tricks on a street corner for money and, impressed by his raw talent, offered him a full scholarship. The whole story had been passed around like any good piece of gossipthrough whispers and word of mouthbecause Valentine, like Tamara, was a loner. Unlike her, his isolation seemed to be of his own choosing, as though he was above needing companionship. It only made him more of a topic of public discussion, but he didnt appear to notice or care. Tamara had heard all the stories, but shed only ever seen him in flashes across campus. Up close, she could see at least some of the stories were truehe was very talented. Taking care to be quiet, she started to tiptoe away before he saw her but had only made it about five steps before he turned and caught her gaze head on. Hey, what are you doing? His tone was sharp, body language defensive as he took a few steps toward her. I dont want an audience, so why dont you go find some other form of entertainment and leave me alone? Tamaras first instinct was to curl up into a ball and hide, but something pushed her to speak up. Im sorry, I got lost heading to the library and I happened to see you practicing. I stopped because I thought it was really cool. Sorry if I bothered you. As soon as she finished, she regretted having said anything at all. Why couldnt she have just walked away and pretended it had never happened? She must have said something right, though, because his face softened. He stared at her sideways as if seeing her for the first time. You know, I could teach you how to do that if you wanted me to. Really? The words slipped out before Tamara could think about them. Why would you? That earned her an actual smile from him, and it transformed his entire face. Having had the opportunity now to study him at length, she thought she could definitely see why the Ravenwood girls were drawn to him like moths to a flame despite his standoffish reputation. He wasnt the textbook definition of handsome, but between the high cheekbones, strong jaw, and unusually colored eyes that looked almost gold, like a cats, there was something about him that was undeniably attractive