14

I curled my hand around my backpack. Rhi packed me cheese sandwiches. I denied her but mother placed them in my bag. I was nervous. I would be alone. There would be no guard if anyone thought to bully me.

"Nervous?" Dad asked.

"Um, a little." I glanced out as our car entered the academy. Henry pulled into the parking lot.

"If you don't wanna stay here. Call your mother, she'll send someone to pick you up."

"Will do." I turned to the handle. "Good luck with your project."

"Thanks, my doll." I got out of the car. Sometimes I saw a strange kind of pain in his eyes. It was clear from the conversation with Mother that I wasn't cursed and I wasn't going to die. Then what was troubling my family? I know all this is related to one person, Emersyn Nelson Dawson. I need to dig for information about her. What could be a better place than this academy where she was a student. In my old school, they kept records of all students. I wasn't certain. I