Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 53: Thief among us

Ruelle stood at the front of the room, her back straight, hands loose at her sides, while the guard turned her bag inside out. She had nothing to fear. And yet—her chest felt tight.

The guard’s hands rifled through Ruelle’s belongings, flipping through her parchment and quills thoroughly.

"I have done nothing wrong," she reminded herself, though her fingers curled slightly. A whisper cut through the silence—

"Watch, they will find it in her bag."

She ignored those words and instead, her gaze flickered to the back of the room, where she caught a figure at the doorway.

It was Ezekiel. His arms were crossed, his face composed—but the look in his eyes was different. The guard tugged at a stubborn zipper. The old fabric of Ruelle’s bag groaned under the force before it tore clean.

A few students snickered. Ruelle’s face burned in embarrassment, heat radiating from her flushed cheeks.

The guard’s hand reached inside, feeling along the frayed seams. He then paused, as if finding something, and then stated, "Clear."

It was a single word. And yet, the weight that lifted from Ruelle’s chest felt like an entire mountain crumbling away.

From the doorway, Ezekiel’s stance remained unchanged—but his fingers twitched. A minuscule movement. A reaction so small, it would have been unnoticeable—if not for the tightening of his jaw and the flicker of disbelief in his darkening gaze. That wasn’t supposed to happen, he thought to himself.

Ruelle accepted her bag, going out of the room to keep her bag and then returning to her seat.

"Margot Anderson," the guard called the next Groundling in the room.

Unlike the rest of the students who were interested in seeing who the culprit was, Ruelle began to focus on answering the questions.

Across the room, a chair scraped against the floor. It was Alanna, who rose smoothly to her feet and announced, "I have completed my test."

"Already? Even though she came in last?" one of the students remarked in awe.

A smug smile played on Alanna’s lips as she left her seat. But Mr. Mortis’s voice cut through the room, and he instructed, "Remain seated until dismissed."

Alanna stopped mid-step. She protested, "But I finished—"

"And I said no one leaves until every student is searched," Mr. Mortis snapped curtly.

For the first time, a flicker of unease crossed Alanna’s face. Her fingers curled around the edge of her desk. Slowly, she lowered herself back down.

Ruelle finished answering her paper after going through it twice. Once she laid the quill down on her desk, she sensed someone’s eyes on her and looked at the front, but everyone was busy. It was then that she caught Alanna staring at her.

The search continued. One by one, bags were checked. One by one, students were cleared. But Alanna’s nails dug into her desk. She wasn’t worried about the search. She was worried about what she had done earlier this morning.

Alanna walked toward the examination hall, Gwendolyn at her side.

As she placed her bag down, her gaze flickered—pausing on the pile of discarded bags outside the hall. One stood out among the rest which was tattered and she knew it belonged to the pathetic Groundling.

A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Are you coming?" Gwendolyn asked.

"You go ahead," Alanna replied, feigning a warm smile. "I need to find my quills."

As soon as Gwendolyn stepped inside, Alanna moved with no one else in the corridor. She plucked up Ruelle’s bag, her fingers quick as she unfastened the bag. She was about to tear the bottom such that the bag could be of no use.

But then something cool and delicate touched her finger. She pulled out the silver chain, around which hung a pendant. Deep blue, the gemstone shimmered under the morning light, expensive, elegant. This... belonged to the lowly Groundling? Alanna’s grip tightened.

"How did it come under her possession?"

A gift? A favour? Some Elite fool taking pity on her? The Groundling didn’t deserve this, and it belonged to someone more worthy, someone of class... someone like herself. With a quiet, calcuative move, she placed the pendant in her handkerchief, before slipping it in her pocket.

Alanna couldn’t sit still. Her fingers were tapping impatiently against her thigh. She needed to get out of here.

"Alanna!"

Her head snapped up.

Forcing a calm, composed smile, she rose and made her way to the front, her every movement controlled. She and her bag were checked. Nothing.

"Now that I’ve been searched, I assume I’m free to go?" Alanna declared, a smirk returning to her lips.

Mortis barely looked

sheets to hand it over, her mind already drifting to how to place the pendant back to that stupid

stopped her before she could leave

twitched. She turned, arching her eyebrows. "Do you

didn’t flinch and requested, "Your

smother the rising panic, but her throat tightened.

the guard repeated. "It needs

sapphire pendant hit the ground with a soft clink.

from the ground, where the pendant sparkled. The whispers continued

wonder why Alanna had to steal it. She had everything—money, power, reputation. What did she

forward, his sharp gaze locking onto the

but laced with disappointment. "I must say,

turned to Ruelle, pointing her finger and exclaiming, "It was her! That

rippled

her? Her fingers curled into her palms, but she kept her voice steady and said to Mr.

hissed. "You must have known the guards would

or touched that

the one who took it! You set me up!" Alanna exclaimed

first year Elite interjected, standing up for Ruelle. "I mean, let’s be honest—it wouldn’t be the first

darkening. "Y–You

my scarf," Ruelle replied in the moment. A wave of whispers spread through the

"That’s true—"

yeah, I remember. Didn’t

voice, "But this is ridiculous! Why would

let me get this straight," Mr. Mortis raised an eyebrow. The room stilled, students hanging onto his next words. "Are you saying that you, an

Someone whispered, "That’s

opened, but no

my office, Miss Alanna." The vampiress froze. He didn’t wait for her to move. His voice was final, "And don’t bother making excuses. Your parents will hear about your

visible shudder passed through the vampiress at the mention of her parents hearing about it. The colour drained from her face, her usual arrogance crumbling into something close

stiffly, trying to maintain some dignity as she walked towards the door. But that was not before glaring at the Groundling which was filled with unspoken promises

out of the room. Her fingers clenched around the edge of

dirt. If Mr. Mortis had been the slightest bit more skeptical, if there had been

her

an unseen force, her gaze moved across the room—Lucian’s eyes

caught for a

her like the others. There was no curiosity, no amusement, no ridicule. Just that same unreadable, detached

into trouble, Belmont,’ she could hear his

the eye contact first. But the weight of his gaze lingered, even

Ezekiel stood stifly while gritting his teeth. He watched Mr. Mortis

she should have left Sexton. Instead, Alanna had been the one to fall. How? His plan had been flawless.

bag, it hadn’t been there. A bitter taste coated

desk, trying to focus on her

returned

day, Ruelle found

test, her mind and eyes wandered in the room to notice him missing. It

first, had turned relentless now. The numbing sound of it against the window filled the silence of her room, its rhythmic patter pressing against her thoughts. The storm outside felt endless, the kind that made the academy halls feel

creeping into her mind. But her gaze flickered toward his desk. The books on his shelf

Where was he?

the world outside in a curtain of water, the wind howling and the academy grounds

she heard

dormitory door creaked

her breath catching as a

Lucian.

to his well built frame, soaked through from the storm. He shut the door

cast sharp shadows on his face, accentuating the sharp line of his jaw, the shadows under

through hell with his shoes leaving footprint on the

her voice softer than she intended,

then, his gaze lifted. His deep, unreadable dark red eyes met

the first time, she felt

or cold. It was heavy. Something unspoken lingered behind it, something fractured. A drop of water slipped from his jawline,

Ruelle asked him

The rain roared

with