Novels by Jane Darcy

Katherine’s Point of ViewThe following morning started like any other. Mark arrived promptly to pick me up for school, his usual stoic demeanor firmly in place. I got into the car with my bag under control, but did not notice it.Logan's words from yesterday still buzzed in my head. You're in deeper than you think. And if you’re not careful, you’re going to drown.What did he mean by that? What was so insistently wrong with me getting within any range of Kai's attention? It was as though everyone around me was playing a game, and I was the only person with no rule book.“Miss Katherine?” Mark’s voice broke through my thoughts.“Hm?”“We’re here,” he said, gesturing to the school building.“Oh. Thanks,” I mumbled, stepping out of the car.By walking through the campus I felt the weight of things observed and described verbally. It was not quite as bad as the initial day, but it still lingered, a constant reminder that I did not belong.I managed to make it through my classes without a

Kai’s Point of ViewThe room was dimly lit by a candle, and the dull hum of the old fireplace echoed through the stillness as I sat in my armchair with my fingers crossed before me. Lex stood in the doorway, patiently waiting, as he always did.“She spoke to Logan again today,” Lex said, breaking the quiet.I made no outward reaction but the chill of fury raged beneath the surface. Logan Volkova has been pushing the limits for weeks and his determination was starting to thin.“How much do you know?” I asked, my voice calm but laced with steel.“He approached her during lunch,” Lex replied. “Their conversation didn’t seem casual. He’s planting seeds, trying to turn her against you.”Of course he was. Logan thrived on manipulation, and Katherine was his perfect target—new to this world, unsure of her place, and still searching for answers.“Do you think she believed him?”Lex hesitated, a rare show of uncertainty. “She seemed... conflicted. But she hasn’t acted against you.”Not yet. Bu

Katherine’s Point of View.The house was unnaturally quiet the next day, in a creepy and suffocating kind of way. Kai had missed breakfast without a word. His absence wasn’t unusual, but after last night’s conversation, I couldn’t shake the unease that lingered.I’d replayed his words over and over in my head. You’re in my world now. And in my world, trust can get you killed. He made it sound like I had a choice, like I’d willingly stepped into this chaos instead of being dragged into it.Yet by the time Mark picked me up to head to the campus, I'd pushed the images out of my mind. I didn't have to worry about Kai's vague prediction.Going to school was pretty mellow, but as soon as I stepped off the school bus, I could sense the air change in moods. Whispers followed me, just like they had the day before, but this time they felt more pointed, more deliberate.I caught snippets of conversations as I walked by.“...heard she’s involved with him...”“...Kai Rossi’s girl...”“...you don’

Kai’s Point of View. The journey home from the restaurant was quiet. Katherine sat beside me, her gaze fixed out the window, lost in thought. She hadn’t said much after we left, and while I appreciated the silence, I couldn’t ignore the tension radiating from her.Something had happened when I left to answer the phone call. I could see it in the way she carried herself—her posture slightly rigid, her expression more guarded than usual.“Something on your mind?” I asked, breaking the silence.She glanced at me briefly, her eyes unreadable. “No.”A blatant lie, but I didn’t push her. Not yet.When we returned to the mansion, however, the snow had begun falling, again, and covering the grounds in a soft light of white. Katherine left the car without waiting for me, the sound of her feet on the snow as she approached the front door.I went in after her, and watched her disappear up the main staircase, without even a look at my way. My jaw tightened. Whatever was bothering her, I’d find

Katherine’s Point of ViewThe hours went by in endless whispers of rumors and gossip. The gossip around Kai and me just hadn't gone away; in fact, it seemed to be growing louder and louder. By the time, it was reasonable to assume that everyone thought that I was either his girlfriend or mistress, at least half of the campus thought I was.When the final bell of the day rang, I rose, walking away from my hideout and towards the main gate. As usual the sleek, black car was already parked somewhere waiting for me. Mark leaned against it looking at the onlookers with his enigmatic eyes.“Ready?” he asked as I approached.“Yeah," I mumbled, climbing into the back seat.The drive home was quiet, save for the imperceptible sound of the engine. I would peer out from the window, and see the lights of the city fade one at a time down. It wasn’t until we took an unfamiliar turn that I realized we weren’t heading back to the mansion.“Where are we going?” I asked, glancing at Mark in the rearvi

Kai’s Point of View.Logan Volkova's name was a source of annoyance that had gone unseen for far too long. Listening to it again, in association with her, brought a chill to the blood colder than the Siberian snows. I walked away back to Lex, taking a breath and into the doorway to my office but satisfied with no answers.With a slam of the door, I inhaled a bracing breath, the sort of breath that contained both anger and frustrated cries that I held back. Control was everything in my world. As soon as you lost it they attacked your throat with the wolves.Logan. Of all people.I picked up my desk and grabbed a shot of vodka, and the stinging sensation pulled me back to reality as I leaned against the side. Lex followed, his face tight with tension. He also knew, as did I, that it was not a coincidence. Logan’s sudden appearance in Katherine’s life wasn’t random. It never was with him.“You knew this was coming, Kai,” Lex said, breaking the silence. His voice was soft, controlled with