Chapter 100 A very rugged plan

Chapter 100 A very rugged plan
Chapter 100

RAVENNA

Coach Bonn stepped forward with his hands raised in a calming gesture. "Please do not take this decision to heart, Ravenna. It was not my choice or the team's choice. The board of directors approved Theodore's permanent placement whilst you were in a coma. Nobody knew if you were going to make it. We had to prepare for the tournament, and we could not wait indefinitely."

Pain and bitterness exploded inside me, so intense it felt like my chest might crack open. "You are all terrible," I yelled, my voice echoing through the rink.

"Heartless. Every single one of you. You could have refused as a team. You could have stood together and told them no. If all of you had united against the decision, they would not have been able to force Theodore onto the team."

"You need to understand the position we were in," Bonn tried again, his tone pleading.

"I will not understand," I cut him off sharply. "I refuse to understand. You have all failed me completely. Every single person standing on this ice right now has betrayed me, and I will never forget this. Never."

My gaze swept across the team, landing on each player one by one. "You wanted me gone from the moment I joined this team. I could feel it every single day. The hostility and resentment. So I am sure you all jumped at the opportunity when it presented itself. A perfect excuse to get rid of Ravenna, the pain in your collective asses."

"That is not fair," Dorian protested, stepping forward. "We did not want you gone. We were worried about you and thought you were going to die."

"Keep quiet," I snapped at him, fury making my voice shake. "I do not want to hear anything from you, Dorian. I am highly disappointed in you most of all. I thought you were different. I thought you were my friend. But you are just like the rest of them."

The hurt that flashed across his face should have made me feel guilty, but I was too angry to care.

I turned and walked towards Theodore, who had been standing frozen this entire time watching the scene unfold. I stopped directly in front of him, looking him straight in the eye.

"Nature really blessed this team with another red-headed player," I announced loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Maybe seeing him on the ice will help you never forget the first red head you had. The one you threw away like rubbish."

I moved to walk past him, but paused when we were close enough that only he could hear my whispered words. "Last room on the third floor of the west building. Meet me there this evening. We need to talk. Do not be late."

Theodore gave the tiniest nod, his expression unreadable.

I walked out of the rink without looking back, my hands clenched into fists at my sides to stop them from shaking with rage.

The fury burning through me needed somewhere to go, some outlet before it consumed me entirely.

I made my way directly to the dean's office, not bothering to make an appointment or wait for permission. I just pushed through the door and confronted him.

"I want to know who approved Theodore's permanent placement on the hockey team," I demanded without preamble. "I want names."

The dean looked up from his paperwork with mild surprise. "Miss Ravenna. I heard you had returned to campus. I am glad to see you have recovered."

"Answer my question," I pressed, not interested in pleasantries.

He sighed and set down his pen. "The decision was made by the board of directors. I was not directly involved in the approval process. You would need to speak with them if you want more specific information."

"That is not good enough," I shot back. "Someone specifically chose Theodore. Someone pushed for him to replace me permanently instead of temporarily. I want to know who."

"I am afraid I cannot provide that information," the dean replied calmly. "Board deliberations are confidential. I am sorry."

But I could see it in his eyes. The discomfort. The way he avoided looking at me directly tells me there's a bigger picture here.

And I could smell Richard's fingerprints all over this entire situation. His influence, money and determination to remove me from his son's life by any means necessary.

Rage simmered hot beneath my skin, but I forced myself to swallow it down. Screaming at the dean would accomplish nothing except getting me in trouble.

"Thank you for your time," I managed through gritted teeth before turning and leaving his office.

I was halfway down the corridor, still seething, when someone suddenly appeared in front of me. My heart stopped for a moment before recognition set in.

Asteria.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed, shock making my voice sharper than intended.

Before she could answer, I grabbed her arm and pulled her quickly from the busy hallway into a nearby storage closet. The small space was cramped and dark, but at least we had privacy.

"You cannot just show up at the academy like this," I whispered urgently. "Someone might recognize you. Might connect us."

Asteria pulled her arm free from my grip. "I went to the hospital to visit you after I heard you had woken up. But when I got there, you were already gone. Apparently your father had come to collect you."

My blood ran cold. "What"

"You have known about your father for a while but refuse to tell me anything." She waved her hands. "That is a story for another day. We have more important things to discuss right now."

"Like what you are doing here at my school?" I pressed.

"What are you going to do now that someone else has replaced you on the team?" Asteria countered, ignoring my question. "Are you just going to give up? Walk away? Let them win?"

Frustration made me snap at her. "If it is so easy for you to get information about what happens at this school, then why do you not just send people to deal with Darius directly instead of constantly troubling my life? Why am I the one who has to do your dirty work?"

Asteria shook her head slowly. "Because you are already in position to cause the most damage."

"I am done with your revenge schemes," I stated firmly. "This has cost me too much already. I nearly died because of this."

"There is a new reason for you to get revenge on Darius now," Asteria insisted, leaning closer.

"He played with your heart, Ravenna. He made you care about him, made you think maybe there was something real between you. Then he humiliated you publicly with that engagement announcement. He let you get hurt and replaced. Do you not think he deserves to be taught a lesson for all of that?"

Her words hit harder than I wanted to admit. "What are you suggesting?"

"I know a better way to hurt him now," Asteria continued, her voice taking on that manipulative tone I had learned to recognize. "A way that will cut deeper than anything we have tried before."

She paused for dramatic effect before revealing her plan. "Selene. If you cannot reach the king directly, you destroy the queen instead."

I frowned in confusion. "What does Selene have to do with anything?"

"She will be joining the academy tomorrow," Asteria explained. "She is registering immediately for the female hockey team. Apparently she wants to take over as captain, just like Darius captains the male team. They are trying to create this perfect power couple image."

My mind started racing, seeing the possibilities even as I hated myself for it.

Asteria moved towards the closet door, preparing to leave.

But she paused with her hand on the handle and turned back to look at me one final time.

"You know what to do with this piece of information," she stated confidently. "Use it wisely."

Then she was gone, slipping out into the corridor and disappearing before I could stop her or ask more questions.

I stood alone in the dark closet for a long moment, trying to sort through my tangled emotions.

Part of me wished desperately that I could turn back the hands of the clock and could go back to before I ever listened to Asteria's poisonous stories. That I had never come to this damned academy in the first place.

But it was too late for regrets now. Too late to undo the choices I had already made.

And Asteria was right about one thing. I did have a new reason to be angry at Darius now. Multiple reasons, actually. The public humiliation. The engagement. His failure to visit me even once whilst I was fighting for my life in hospital. The ease with which he had let me be replaced.

Maybe I was not done with revenge after all.

I finally emerged from the closet and made my way across campus towards the building at the far end of the east side.

This was where the female hockey team practiced, separate from the male team's schedule.

I pushed open the door and stepped inside. The team was in the middle of practice, skating through various drills whilst their coach observed from the sidelines.

They all turned to look at me when they heard the door, their expressions ranging from curious to hostile.

I recognized a few faces from classes, but most of them were strangers to me.

I walked in fully, my chin lifted with determination I did not entirely feel. "Could you do with a new team member?"