PROLOGUE

"Dad is waiting." my brother Jacob informed me.

My only response was a short nod.

I closed my dull, grey locker silently, walking down the large cement stairs, finding my dad's parked silver Volvo.

Dark Academy was a private school filled to the fourth floor of hormonal, rich teenagers. I was here because my father was the headmaster─James Dark.

I walked sluggishly out of the building, watching the ivy that crawled through the brick walls breathe with the wind. My lips itched in a smile at the thought.

A harsh shove on my shoulder made me lose my balance, breaking me from my thoughts as I stumbled clumsily into Jacob's arms.

"This is why I hate the Darks," a student muttered in front of me.

Jacob stiffened beside me, fingers curling in balls of anger. I glanced at him once, a silent plea to leave them alone. He glared at their back but said nothing.

Once we reached the Volvo, I stepped into the seat behind my father's, forcing a small, dry smile before closing the door.

"Hey, dad."

He grinned back warmly, but I could see the tension behind his bright blue eyes.

"Hello, Isabella. How was school?" he asked lightly.

I shrugged, causing him to toss Jacob a knowing look, who only cursed under his breath. He popped in his earbuds angrily, still watching the student who made the remark from earlier.

Rain began to fall onto the car slowly at first, until it drummed steadily.

We drove through the familiar bend of the road, the water causing a slight haze to the windows.

A dark figure stood in front of the car.

It was a wolf.

Despite the rain, it's rough black fur was dry, almost statue-like on all fours, its paws the size of my face. It reached close to my father's height.

He swerved, narrowly avoiding the strange animal. In a few moments, the car remained steady, and the wolf was gone.

He turned back to look at me.

"I wonder what that-"

A split broke through the sky.

Lightning.

It was as bright as the moon at midnight, flashing beams of white through the sky.

Then all I felt was falling.

I turned my head to the burned, broken rail at the side of road that was supposed to keep us from dropping down into the large, forest-covered cliff.

And so we fell.

Once my dad looked at me, time seemed to slow. He smiled sadly.

"I love you," he mouthed. I couldn't hear him over the harsh pulse of my hearbeat that pounded though my skull.

Then all I saw was white.