**Evaline's POV**
The sun had barely risen, its gentle light cascading through the thin white curtains of the cottage window, when the students began packing their things. The final test was over. The air buzzed with quiet excitement and fatigue. One by one, the other candidates were preparing to leave, heading back to their packs before the new semester officially began in three days. Forty-two of us had made it—accepted into Silver Moon Academy. And somehow, *I* was one of them.
Not just one of them—*the* one.
My name, Evaline Rivers, sat at the top of the final result sheet.
Top score.
Highest ranking.
Recipient of the *Privilege Award*, the highest honor given to new students during the first week of term.
The irony of it all hit me like a punch to the gut.
Me—an orphan, a rogue, the daughter of their greatest enemy.
I wasn't supposed to make it this far.
I wasn't supposed to make it at all.
*
