I let my towel drop and gaze at my reflection in the full-length mirror, more specifically at the markings that now cover my body. I’ve always wondered where my markings would appear, how many I’d have, and what they’d look like on my skin. I can’t help but think of them being more than just pretty ink on my skin. The meaning behind all of the symbols is clear. From the fire and water symbols on my wrists, to the earth and air symbols on my ankles. On my thighs on one side is pain, and on the other is healing. My hip bones, one is technomancy, the other transmutation. On my ribs is the symbol for protection, right under my heart on the left side.

I turn around and look over my shoulder, looking at the symbols on my back. Divination near the top, spirit on the base of my spine. Mark number twelve is on my neck, the one nobody knows about; I’m not even sure what to call it. I sigh and pick my towel up from the floor, wrapping it around myself. A knock hits the door, startling me, so I almost drop my towel again.

“Kenzie?” I hear Kelly’s soft-spoken voice calling.

“Yeah?”

“Are you gonna take all day? I wanted a shower and breakfast starts in ten minutes.” I cast a guilty look between the shower and the door. She’d have luck getting any more hot water out of there.

“Can you have one later? I’m almost done, but I wanna go get food now. I’m starving,” I call back through the door. I can see her eyes rolling in my mind as she sighs loudly and dramatically.

“Fine, Kenzie. But, if I get sat next to a hottie, and he thinks I’m a weird, non-showering hobo, I’m blaming you.”

“Fair,” I call back. I quickly pull on some clothes and towel dry my wet hair, forgoing makeup. I make my way back out into the room where Kelly is just brushing her own hair, already dressed and ready to go. She’s looking stylishly dressed, and her makeup is perfectly done. Non-showering hobo my ass.

“You only said you wanted a shower to hurry me up, didn’t you,” I accuse.

“Maybe . . . but it worked, right?” she replies with a smirk, clearly much cheerier today.

“What classes do you have today?” I ask, slipping my shoes on.

“Just the one. I haven’t had the chance to sign up for electives yet, and I only have two required classes,” she says, her voice losing its previously cheery tone.

“Hey, it’s okay, at least you can pick some fun electives! I’ve got eleven classes of boring,” I answer.

“Yeah, I guess,” she says, her eyes not meeting mine.

“Well, you can just pick whatever electives the hot guys sign up for, is that not a great idea? Suss out your boyfriend options early?”

“Ugh, I don’t think I’ll find a boyfriend here, Kenzie. Who would want me, a weak two-powered marked?”

I roll my eyes. Pity parties were not going to help her out of this funk. “Kelly, you’re beautiful, kind, smart, and have boobs for days,” I say gesturing to her sizeable chest area. “I’m sure you will have no troubles finding as many boyfriends as you’d like.” She smiles deviously.

“What if I wanted ten?” she asks, the grin growing wider.

“Then, you get yourself ten. Although, I don’t know what you’d do with ten . . . what would they do . . . just stand around you in a giant circle?” I wink at her, and then pull a face. Her eyes widen, and her mouth drops open as she picks up on my undertone.

“Kenzie!” she spits out.

“What? What do you think marked woman are doing with their multiple husbands behind closed doors, playing scrabble?” I chuckle at her mortified expression. Then her expression turns calculating, a smile takes over her face.

“I have two dads, you had four. Whose mum had a circle going?” she laughs, as my own face mirrors her previous mortified look. Not what I want to picture. I shudder.

“Okay, okay. That’s enough talk about man circles for now.”

“Yes! Does that mean breakfast?” she asks, clearly as excited by the prospect of food as I am.

“Let’s pray there is bacon,” I mumble back.

We make our way out of our room, locking it behind us. I’m so glad I have Kelly as my roommate. It would have sucked to have been stuck with some bitch for three years. Instead, I get my best friend. We race down the steps of the dorm building and out into the chilly, morning air. I instantly regret forgoing a jacket. Hell, even one of the stupid ceremony robes would be great right now. It’s fucking freezing.

We make our way through the courtyard and towards the main building, where the dining hall is located. Breakfast is served between 7:30am-9:30am daily, and we were going to be some of the first there at this rate, but fuck it, I’m starving. Neither of us could bring ourselves to eat last night, so it only makes sense we’re both eager to make our way to breakfast this morning. We walk through the already open front doors, and turn left towards the dining hall. A quick walk down a corridor, and we’re there.

There are tables set to one side covered in hot plates with food on them, and trays, plates, and cutlery at the start. Despite being here bright and early, there is already a line. We walk across the room and join the orderly queue. I’m about to say something when I notice a petite, blonde girl, sashay across the room, and directly to the front of the queue. At just a look from the girl, the guy in the front just backs away and lets her in without a word.

“Oh no,” I mutter, giving Kelly the look.

“Guess we spotted the bitchy girl nice and early,” Kelly mutters.

“Hey, let’s not judge too quickly. Maybe she just has an aversion to queuing. I say we suss her out first,” I reply.

Hearing a deep, throaty chuckle behind me, I turn around to spot Easton standing there. His messy hair looking like he just woke up perfect.

“Hey, East,” I say softly, trying not to drool. Men shouldn’t be that attractive. Kelly’s eyes widen, and she turns around, too. Every girl crushed on Easton back in our small town, Kelly included. Although, I’d wager my crush was far more intense and embarrassing. The fact he was always in my house didn’t help.

“She is,” he says simply, breaking my train of thought.

“Who is what?” I ask confused.

“The bitchy girl. That girl has claws,” he answers.

“I knew it,” Kelly mutters.

“Really, what did she do to you?” I ask.

“She asked me out,” he answers, smirking.

“And, that makes her a bitch?”

“No. But, when I said no, she decided to tell the girl I used to be interested in, that I was sleeping with her. Stella is just like that. If you’re not serving her needs, your only use to her is for a fuck, or she will make your life hell.” He laughs, but it’s hollow. I frown, both mad at Stella for her actions, and super happy that it seems like Easton doesn’t currently have a girlfriend. What can I say? I’m petty like that.

We reach the front of the queue, and I waste no time piling my plate with food. Fuck, I’m starving. I catch a bemused look on Easton’s face as I turn to find a table.

“What?” I ask him.

“You’re gonna eat all of that?” he questions.

“Maybe seconds too, ya know, if I feel like it.”

“You never used to eat that much as a kid,” he says.

“Like you ever noticed me,” I mumble.

“Should we sit over there,” Kelly interrupts, gesturing to the furthest table, the one out of the way of everyone else. Typical Kelly.

“No, we’re gonna sit there,” I answer, nodding my head in the direction of the table at the centre of the room.

“What?” Kelly snaps in shock.

“Come on, Kells,” I say in my most cheery voice. I will not let her hide herself away. We take seats around the table, and I’m pleasantly surprised when Easton joins us.

“What classes have you girls got today?” he asks around a mouthful of toast.

“Divination, and fire,” I answer.

“Just Divination for me,” Kelly answers.

His eyes roll at the mention of Divination.

“I still don’t know why that’s counted as a power, it’s not like anyone ever sees anything useful. There are a few people who get good at seeing the past, but so few actually have a good skill at seeing the future. Even when they do, it’s never clear or predictable. I don’t get why they teach it as a class,” he says. I see a frown take over Kelly’s face. Fuck’s sake. Did he have to put his foot in it?

“It’s a power, the same as any other. It’s a hard one to master is all. I’m sure Kells will kill it, though. You’ve always been good at guessing what’s going to happen when we watch films and stuff.” I shoot her a smile. “I bet that was your powers shining through early.”

“Yeah, whatever,” she mutters, huffing. “So long as I can actually see something. I’m more interested in my healing class later this week, to be honest,” she adds.

“See now, healing, that’s one of the best powers. It may not be cool or flashy, but it’s certainly one of the most useful. Healing people is good.” I roll my eyes at East’s mansplaining. Like we don’t already know that.

“It’s a good thing you’re pretty, East,” I tease, flicking some of my orange juice at him.

“Huh?”

“Nothing,” I chime in a cheery tone. He narrows his eyes and opens his mouth to say something, when two guys suddenly sit on either side of him. I blink my eyes, thinking I must be seeing double, when it hits me, they’re twins. Hot twins at that. They both have short, blond hair, which is styled similarly and big, muscular bodies. The twin on the right has a clean-shaven jaw, and the other has a slight five o’clock shadow.

“And, how do you know Easton here?” one of them asks, slamming his tray down onto the table.

“Yeah, Easton doesn’t often bring pretty girls to join us for meals,” the other adds, placing his own tray on the table.

“She’s Ryan’s sister,” Easton answers.

“Really?” they both ask at once.

“She looks nothing like him,” the one on the left says.

“A good thing at that, she doesn’t,” the other on the right adds.

“Are you calling my big brother ugly?” I snap, and glare at them both. They both look taken aback and start to apologise.

I lose my stern face and smile. “Good, he is an ugly fucker,” I tease.

They’re both stunned into silence for a moment, before both relaxing and laughing. East smiles at me. “You have to lower your humour to the basics around these two, Kenzie. Sarcasm is above their level of understanding.”

“Shut up,” leftie snaps.

“We’re much funnier than you, pretty boy,” the one on the right adds. East just twirls his hand in a circle by his head. Cuckoo. His sentiments on the matter are clear.

“I’m Mackenzie, that’s Kelly,” I say, properly introducing us.

“I’m Locke,” leftie introduces himself, the one with the five o’clock shadow.

“And, I’m Logan,” righty adds.

“And, if you didn’t already guess,” leftie begins.

“We’re twins,” righty finishes.

“Nice to meet you both. I’m guessing you’re in the year above then?” I ask, hedging a guess.

“Yup, second years now,” Locke says.

“East is in his final year, though,” Logan adds.

“I knew that. He’s a year younger than my brother,” I reply and eat some more of my food, I look at the twins trying to work out an easier way to tell them apart. Locke’s hair is slightly longer, and a little messier than his twin’s.

“Did you hear about that chick with twelve marks?” Locke asks, and I freeze with a piece of bacon in my mouth.

“Yeah, I mean, that’s a shit-load of powers, but no one thinks she will last a week without killing herself accidently,” Logan says.

“Shut it, Logan,” East snaps, whacking his arm, and I slide my chair out as I stand up.

“Kenzie,” East starts, and I wave a hand.

“It was me that got all twelve, and I have a class to get to,” I say, and both the twins lean back in their chairs in shock. I can’t stop my eyes tracing over their blue shirts and the muscles that I can see on their arms.

“Let’s go, the library is next door to your class by the looks of it, and I have to pick my electives,” Kelly says, standing up with me.

“Wait, I’m your guide, and I’m meant to show you to your classes for the first week,” East says.

“I don’t need your help,” I reply and turn around before he can say anything. We both walk out, and I look back to see East staring at me. His face is a mixture of concern and something else.

Like he is seeing me for the first time.