Chapter 1

Avery Willows

Everything is pitch-black when I wake up. I don't care that I can't see a thing, because this happens every morning.

See, my school, which is actually an esteemed academy that's preparing us to be assassins (so very cliched, I know), is really big on the whole be-comfortable-with-death thing, hence the darkness.

And, also, the fact we're underground in a bunker.

I grab my glasses (they glow in the dark and only you specifically can see them, because fancy technology stuff, and they basically make you able to see in the dark) and put them on. I can see that pile of baggy shirts I was supposed to have thrown out ages ago but instead threw on the floor sitting in a little clump on the cold stone floor. I can also see a small bottle of poison on my dresser.

I smooth the wrinkles out of my black long-sleeved shirt. Thankfully, skirts aren't allowed—something about "not being able to kill people in them"—anyway, we all wear pants. Or dresses, but long ones, because you can hide weapons in them.

Yeah. That's my school.

I shove on boots and hurry to the cafeteria. Technically the cafeteria is supposed to be us eating quietly, but it's the opposite. Barely anybody eats even half the time we're supposed to, and we talk and sing and laugh and make fun of the trainers.

I'm the first one here. It's depressingly lonely, but that's life.

I shuffle over to the salad bar-like buffet line. They're serving cold cider, cold cooked and partially mashed brown potatoes, and cold oatmeal. Ew.

I take a small cup of cider, a petite bowl of potatoes, and a lump of oatmeal. I sit down at the table nearest to the food bar and gulp down my cider. Other assassins-to-be flood in as I refill my drink.

I sit back down, only this time at my table, furthest away from the lunch bar. Star, Sonia, Callie, Lily, and Vika are there already.

Star and Callie both have cinnamon-brown skin, medium brown hair, and brown eyes. The only difference is that Callie's hair is pulled back into a sharp ponytail, and she's short and thin, while Star has dreadlocks, and she's pretty big for her age (fifteen, like all the rest of us). Sonia is pale, skinny, tall, green-eyed, has elbow-length reddish-orange hair, and is extremely awkward. Anna and Lily are slightly tanned, and both have dark brown hair. Streaks of Vika's hair are dyed pink, and cut shoulder-length. Lily has a short, choppy haircut that is a little longer than mine, but much cooler. They use they/them pronouns but just identify as "not female". All in all, they're a pretty cool group of friends.

There's a stage in front of the room, a few yards away from the nearest lunch table. The Head Trainer makes announcements there sometimes.

"Ugh, that was absolutely the worst week ever," Star groans. She spears a potato with her fork. "Five reruns on the obstacle course because my form was slightly sloppy."

"Oh my God, did they actually make you do that?" Callie asks.

"Yep," Star sighs. "Everything hurts now."

"Yeesh," I grimace.

"That's an oof," Lily says, trying to hide a laugh.

"That's a lot more than an oof," Star rubs her shoulder.

"So, do you know if there's anyone new arriving here?" Anna says hurriedly.

"I dunno, who would you like to have as a fellow student?" Callie asks, blinking her eyes innocently. "Oh, I know. . ."

"Isabelle Lightwood," we all say at the same time.

Isabelle Lightwood is from the Mortal Instruments, and since that focuses heavily on death, we get to read it. It's not Head Trainer-approved, but the other Trainers let us read it.

"What about you, Sonia? Who are you looking forward to training with?" I ask.

Cue record scratch.

As if we're in a cartoon, everyone's heads turn sharply towards me, their eyes staring into my soul.

"We're about to find out," Lily says, pointing to the platform, where a huge hooded figure stands. Five smaller figures stand off to the side of the stage.

"Ladies and not-so-gentlemen," the Head Trainer announces, "it is time to meet your fellow students!"

"First!" he says loudly. "Snap!" The first figure walks onstage.

Let me explain the code names. When you join, you get a code name. You are called that when you join and when you graduate—and, if you do, get expelled.

"Snap" pulls back her hood, revealing a dark brown face with caramel-colored eyes and dozens of tiny black braids that swish around. "Hi!" She smiles cheerily.

I turn to Sonia. Oof, poor girl; her eyes are practically hearts.

"Second! Glitch!" The second figure comes onstage, and throws back her hood, showing black-blue hair and greenish-blue eyes. I turn to Vika, and my god is she blushing. A short giggle escapes her lips, but I don't think anyone else heard her.

"Third, Blitz!" This time, it's a boy who removes his hood. He's got tan skin and black hair, and looks incredibly nervous. Poor guy. I doubt anyone would think he's cute because of the way he's shaking.

"Fourth, Shadow!" A white girl with straight black hair, dark gray eyes, and wearing heavy black makeup steps forward.

"Aaaaand fifth, Bright!" Another boy, this time with pale skin and hazel eyes, whose spiky hair is a neutral shade of brown, joins Snap, Glitch, Blitz, and Shadow onstage. He crosses his arms and smirks.

"We are thankfully done for today," Heady Trainer says, sighing.

The cafeteria comes back to life, but then—

"I have another announcement!" Head Trainer says sharply.

We shut up and turn to look at him.

"There will be changes made to the dormitories and who lives in them. As you know, we are exactly six months from our next graduation. Which means those of you who are eighteen will leave us. But our dorms are nearly full.

"So I am put in a position where I must refuse admittance requests. We have no place to put those desperate parents' sons and daughters, so why take them?

"These new recruits will be dispersed among dorms, as best to my ability. And I must tell you who, if any of these apprentices, will be staying with you.

"Sonia—Anna—Lily—Avery—Star. You will each have someone staying with you."

Anna sighs, and Lily scoffs. Sonia blinks dreamily, and Star yells, "What is this?" "Seriously?" I add.

"Snap, who goes by Alicia, will be staying with Sonia."

Sonia's eyes widen and she emits a small shriek.

"Glitch, who goes by Lacey, will be staying with Anna."

Anna blushes.

"Blitz, who goes by Jay, will be staying with Lily."

Lily shrugs. "I mean. . ."

"Shadow, which is in fact her name, will be staying with Avery."

I moan. "Another angsty emo teenager!" I whisper to my friends. "Really?"

"How many do you know?" Lily whispers back.

"You. Callie. Anna." I grin.

"Bright, who goes by Alastair, will be staying with Star."

No comment from Star.

"And that is the real end of the announcement," Head Trainer sighs, and leaves the stage.

I have a sudden interest in my potatoes. One of them shouldn't sit here, much less two or more, they should not sit here, they can't sit here, I think to myself.

Alastair immediately comes over once he's walked off the stage. "May I sit here?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

He is kind of cute, though.

Lacey, Shadow, Alicia, and a blushing Jay join him. Lacey waves and Alicia smiles. Jay and Shadow are still as statues.

"I mean," I start. I look over at another table, and empty one, and tell Star, "Drag it over so they can sit?"

She makes what can only be described as an "angry pterodactyl noise" and helps me.

Once we're done, my friends and I sit down and rearrange ourselves so that we're all squished together on one bench.

The newbies sit down on the other.

"So, how long have you been here?" Alastair asks curiously.

How in the world is he that cute?

"Since I was ten, so about five years?" I say nervously.

"Around ten," Star and Lily both reply.

"Three," Anna smiles.

"Eight," says Callie.

"I just got here a few months ago," Sonia points out.

"So, my new friends, do you know of any boys—not for me of course, for my dear friend Lacey"—she affectionately punches him in the arm—"ow!—any boys that would be interested in someone? Like, to date?"

I nearly spit out my cider. "They're all taken, and any form of. . . not-straightness will get you expelled."

"That's harsh," Jay observes.

"No duh," Alicia says.

"Very," Lacey adds, "and extremely unfair."

"He allows not-cisgender students but not. . . not-straight students," I confirm. "That's why he lets me and Lily. . ."

". . . exist," Lily finishes.

"Ah," Alastair nods.

Lacey starts to say something, but it's drowned out by the sound of a Trainer announcing that "Breakfast is over! To the gyms!"

"Well," Shadow says, speaking for the first time, "I guess I'll see you at dinner."