Between Fire And Gold

Chapter 1

Ten Months To Freedom

Olivia Walsh

The air in Wellington Academy’s chemistry lab always smelled of stale coffee and desperation. I kept my head down, focusing on the rhythmic scratching of my pen against the lab manual. Ten months. That was all that stood between my and a life that didn’t involve bowing to the children of CEOs and senators.

"Walsh, try not to breathe too hard on the equipment. It’s worth more than your tuition."

I didn’t need to look up to know who had spoken. Chloe Vance was leaning against the mahogany-trimmed counter, her blonde hair perfectly tousled as if she hadn’t just spent the morning terrorizing the freshmen. She was the sunlight that blinded everyone else, but to me, she was just the shadow that made my life miserable.

I forced a tight, polite smile. "Don't worry, Chloe. I wouldn't dream of touching anything that might ruin your pristine aesthetic."

She flicked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her blue eyes narrowing. Before she could launch another round of verbal artillery, the double doors at the front of the classroom swung open. The heavy thud against the wall echoed like a gunshot, silencing the room instantly.

Ethan Brown had arrived.

He wasn’t supposed to be back. The rumors had been circulating for weeks, that he’d been sent away to some reform school in Switzerland, or maybe a private island where the rich hid their inconvenient heirs. Seeing him walk through those doors felt like watching a predator return to its hunting grounds.

He didn't bother apologizing for the noise. He walked with a lazy, predatory grace, his uniform shirt unbuttoned at the collar and his tie hanging loose. He looked exactly like the trouble everyone warned me about, the kind of arrogance that came from knowing you owned the school, the city, and everyone in it.

Mr. Henderson cleared his throat from behind his desk. "Mr. Brown, glad you could grace us with your presence. Take a seat. Anywhere you can find space."

The room seemed to shrink. Ethan’s gaze swept across the desks, lingering on the students who scurried to look anywhere but at him. Then, his eyes locked onto mine. There was no recognition in that stare, just a cold, analytical appraisal that made my skin crawl.

He didn't head for the empty desk next to Chloe. Instead, he pulled out the stool next to me, dragging it across the floor with a screech that set my teeth on edge.

"Is this taken?" he asked. The question was a formality, he was already sitting down, invading my personal space with the scent of ozone and expensive cologne.

I gripped my pen so hard my knuckles turned white. "The rest of the lab is empty, Ethan."

"I like the view from here," he murmured, pulling his lab manual toward him. He didn't look at me, but I could feel the heat radiating off him, a stark contrast to the sterile chill of the room.

Across the aisle, I saw Daniel stiffen. He was sitting at the front, his posture rigid as he glared back at the two of us. Daniel was the only thing that had kept me sane for the last three years, the golden boy who was perpetually in my corner. Seeing his jaw tighten in silent warning made my stomach churn.

"Don't," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if I was talking to Daniel or myself.

Ethan smirked, his eyes tracking my gaze. "Your protector seems a little tense today, Olivia. Did he forget to do his daily check-in?"

"He’s not my protector," I snapped, turning back to my worksheet. "He’s my friend."

"Friends don't look at each other like they’re waiting for the world to end," Ethan countered, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous register. "Whatever you’ve got going on, it looks exhausting."

I didn't answer. I couldn't. Every instinct I possessed screamed at me to pack my bag and bolt, to hide in the library until graduation day. But as Ethan reached over to pull a beaker toward us, his hand brushing against my sleeve, I felt a jolt that had nothing to do with fear.

The storm wasn't coming, I realized as the lab began to buzz with the whispers of a hundred students watching us. It was already here. And for the first time in years, I wasn't sure if I was going to be the one to walk away unscathed.