My apartment is located in the lead primary of the left wing of the raven. Tall, sturdy oak trees flank the building, their heavy boughs providing shade for a handful of picnic tables. Several students cluster at the tables, sharing lunch and passing papers around. Chancellor Dredgeworth nods to them and approaches the heavy black door of the dormitory; he opens it, gesturing for us to enter. Amos and Rhian eagerly skip ahead, much to the surprise of the young rose-colored demon girl seated at a short green desk. She jolts, dropping a book on the floor as my brothers scream "Hello!" while jumping up and down.

"Boys!" Mama barks exasperatingly. Giving up all pretense of decorum, she grabs them by the collar and yanks them backward. "I told you to behave!"

"But Mama ..." Amos whines, twisting in her grasp.

"Enough," Papa states sternly, wings rising over his shoulders. "Either you calm down and act like proper little boys or you're returning to the car."

Rhian sniffles, popping his thumb into his mouth. "But we wanna see Siah's 'partment."

"Well, you won't if you keep this up," Papa tells them, folding his arms. "People are living here, so you must be respectful. Are we understood?"

"Yes, Papa," the little hellions mumble, scraping their feet against the grey tile in unison, wings sagging in repentance. Mama sighs and releases them, sharing a look with my father. Both boys retreat behind her, holding onto her dress.

"Good." My father turns to Chancellor Dredgeworth. "I apologize for the outburst." He nods at the pale rose-colored female demon. "I hope my boys didn't scare you too badly."

Her dark gold eyes widen and she presses a hand to her mouth. "Oh, no, sir—not at all."

I lean forward, reading her name on a small brass tag on her lavender blouse. "Talna? Am I saying that right? What a pretty name."

Talna's eyebrows vanish beneath a fringe of ink-black hair. "You can read Chthonian?"

"I can." I'd be a poor exchange student indeed if I couldn't. It's not a difficult alphabet to learn, as it shares similarities with Old Seraphic. "Do I sign this book?" I ask, pointing to a heavy brown ledger on the left side of the desk.

The demonic female blinks in confusion and looks to the chancellor. "Uh ...?"

Chancellor Dredgeworth leans over the desk. "This is Siah Umbrath, the angelic ambassador's daughter. You should have received an updated residents' list this morning."

"Oh!" she exclaims, hands flying beneath the desk. "Yes, I've got her keys and temporary student ID here." She fumbles around before producing two keys on a thin black ribbon—one silver, the other bronze—and a small piece of paper the size of a business card. "Apartment 3C. The silver is your apartment key, the bronze is your room key. You'll use this card until your formal ID is processed."

I pick up the items, weighing the keys in my hand. They're small and light; I wonder if I should wear them around my neck. The black card has the university logo and the words TEMPORARY STUDENT ID on one side in silver and white and the number 0016 on the back.

"You'll have your picture taken tomorrow at Administration," Chancellor Dredgeworth says. "Until then, keep this on you at all times."

I nod and slip the card into a hidden pocket in my dress. The chancellor leans over and opens the brown ledger, flipping pages until he gets to today's date. "Ambassador, Lady Umbrath, would you please sign in?"

Papa accepts a pen from Talna and scrawls his name on the first line, followed by Mama. I notice Amos tugging on her skirt from the corner of my eye. "Can we sign, too?" my brother asks in a small, quiet voice.

Skies and seraphs, he can be annoying, but I can't help but grin at Amos's request.

My mother's face softens and she smiles, handing over the pen. "Do it neatly, just as we practiced."

Amos steps up to the desk and stands on his tip-toes, the tip of his tongue poking between his lips as he carefully, and in block letters, writes his name in the ledger. Once he's done, he passes the pen to Rhian. Papa has to hold the book in place so my youngest brother can scribble an approximation of his name.

"See!" he exclaims to the pale rose female. "Rhian Umbrath!"

To her credit, the girl plays along. "Very good!"

Rhian puffs out his chest, wings flapping. I reach out and pat him on the back; he looks up at me, beaming.

"Thank you, Talna," Chancellor Dredgeworth says. "Now, if you will kindly follow me ..."

The dormitory stairs are solid stone, their edges lined with frayed rubber strips. A warped wooden handrail is the only thing keeping us from falling to our deaths. I make a mental note to stick to the wall side whenever possible.

I take the first set of stairs with gusto, eager to see the place I'll call home for the upcoming academic year. By the second set, I wonder if a room is open on a lower floor. Upon reaching the third floor, the only two people not discomfited by the climb are my brothers, who beg our parents to let them keep going.

"No," my mother says—although by the look on her face, I suspect she would allow it if we weren't on official business.

The boys open their mouths, but close them in unison as Mama raises a finger. Amos frowns and scuffs his shoe on the floor. Rhian pouts, then turns to rest his forehead on the wall.

I lean against the cool stone wall and stretch out my right leg, rolling my ankle so the bones pop and crack—a satisfying sound. Mama frowns; she hates it when I crack my joints. I know it's a bad habit, but I can't help myself.

Skies—my calves ache! And here I thought I was in relatively good shape.

Apparently not.

At least I'm not on the fourth floor. That would be a disaster.

"Ugh," Papa grunts, his cheeks slightly flushed. "Are there no elevators, Chancellor?"

Chancellor Dredgeworth's face is the color of ripe cherries. "Unfortunately not, Ambassador," he gasps, pressing a hand to his chest. "The board of trustees has not approved the funding."

My parents exchange a look. "I see," Mama murmurs, lightly patting her hair. There's a slight sheen of sweat on her brow.

The chancellor inhales deeply, his complexion slowly returning to normal. "Miss Umbrath, apartment 3C is at the end of the hall."

I look back at the stairs, then down the long hallway. I'm certain I'll get used to it after a few weeks.

Several posters are on the walls and I take note of those offering special classes and extracurricular activities. I'll have to come back later and look them over. As we pass the first two doors, I notice they're covered in colorful cut-out letters, spelling out the names of the girls who live there.

Oh—this is adorable!

Chancellor Dredgeworth is silent until we reach apartment 3C. There are three names on the door: Kesiray, Aspen, and Celyse.

"When will the fifth girl be arriving, Chancellor?" I ask, pointing at the paper cut-outs.

He pauses, hand upraised to knock. "There are only four of you this year," he replies, rapping sharply on the door.

Oh. Well, that seems like a waste of a room.

The apartment door opens, revealing a tall, curvy female demon with skin the color of polished brass. Her long silver hair is artfully curled and pinned up on her head, a few strands hanging on either side of her face. She's wearing a white blouse, an unbuttoned pale pink cardigan, and a too-tight grey skirt. "Chancellor!" she exclaims energetically, white teeth flashing. "Is this our new roommate?"

Fangs. She's got fangs. How did I not notice this before? I sneak a glance at the chancellor's mouth as he replies, "This is Miss Siah Umbrath, the angelic ambassador's daughter, Miss ...?"

"Kesiray!" she fairly shouts. "Kesiray Lorimbar. Oh, I'm so pleased to meet you!" Her hands shoot out to grab mine and she jerks me forward into a hearty embrace. "A real, live angel!"

"Skies," my father remarks over the roar of blood in my ears as I'm slowly crushed to death. "Someone more enthusiastic than Siah."

"Ouch!" I shout as Kesiray's hand grinds the fragile bones of my right wing against my shoulder blade. I jerk away, tucking my wings firmly against my spine. She's stronger than she looks.

"Oh!" she cries out, lifting both hands to her mouth. "They're attached to you."

I chuckle softly, reaching up and back to smooth my pinions. "Very much so."

Chancellor Dredgeworth sighs. "Miss Lorimbar. Might we come inside? The ambassador and his family would like to see the apartment."

Kesiray's orange eyes widen in surprise. "Oh! Yes, Chancellor. Of course!" She gives a girlish giggle and backs up. "I'll be in the living room." She turns and gives me a wave over her shoulder before bouncing away, long tail swaying.

"She seems nice," I say to my parents as we enter the apartment.

"Mm," Papa says, sharing a look with my mother. She shrugs and herds the boys inside.

Directly to our right is a bathroom and two bedrooms. One of the doors is closed, a handwritten sign proclaiming it to be Celyse's room. The other is wide open, the room completely bare except for a bedframe and simple dresser. We meander past a small sitting room and kitchen occupying the center of the apartment. I take note of the tiny hob, icebox, and dining table with four chairs. It'll be a tight fit if we're all up at the same time, I think, biting my lip. It's not something I've ever had to deal with. Well, that's the university experience, isn't it?

Kesiray lounges on a plush blue couch, flipping through a magazine. A lavender female with long white hair tied up in a messy bun sits stiffly in a white and blue upholstered chair, watching us curiously. She wears a pair of wide-legged brown trousers with suspenders and a long-sleeved white blouse. Her bare feet tap restlessly beneath a brown coffee table piled high with books, magazines, and mugs.

"Hello, there!" I call out to this second roommate. Her eyes widen and she immediately ducks her head, eyes fixed on the coffee table. Shy, I determine.

At the far end of the apartment are three bedrooms and one more bathroom. "And this is your room," Chancellor Dredgeworth announces, pushing open the last door. Like the other unoccupied room, there is a single bed arranged beneath the window and a dresser pushed up against the left wall.

Amos and Rhian tumble inside, immediately jumping on the bed. Mama sighs and shakes her head, turning her back on my brothers' chaos to survey where I'll be living. I watch her expression, trying to determine if she's pleased or concerned. But Mama maintains a thoughtful expression, not giving anything away while the chancellor is here.

"This room has its own bathroom," the chancellor states, folding his hands and nodding at the plain grey door.

I drift in that direction, opening the door and peering inside. There's a clawfooted tub, toilet, and sink. A pile of fluffy white towels is stacked on the toilet lid.

"What do you think?" the chancellor asks, puffing out his chest. "And you have a great view of the courtyard."

I slowly pace the room. With five other people crowded inside, I can only turn in a circle. It's small—much smaller than my room back home. My head swims with ideas on how to arrange everything to my liking. Skies, will it all even fit?

I turn to the chancellor. "It's very nice, thank you," I tell him, cracking the knuckles on my right hand.

Mama's foot slides out and taps me in the ankle. I flush and grab my hands, holding them tightly.

Papa's hand rests on my shoulder. "Well, I think we should go back to the cars and get your things," he says, squeezing gently. "We don't have much time to get you situated before we have to leave."

"All right," I tell him, voice trembling slightly. Oh, skies and seraphs. I told myself I wouldn't cry! I swallow hard and lift my chin.

My father smiles and gives my shoulder another squeeze. "We're only a call away, remember that, Siah."

I nod. I can do this.