Mark of the Dagger (The Marked Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

the way at the end of the second floor on the left. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find that she would have the room to herself. She quickly turned to the Headmaster. "Won’t I have a roommate?"
    "No, this campus is big enough and allows for most everyone to have their own rooms."
    "Oh," Dani said and even to her own ears, she sounded dejected.
    "Well, I will leave you all to unpack and get settled. Since it's just staff members and only a few other students on campus, dinner will be at six in the common room in the main hall," he said to the room in general. He turned to Dani. "Danielle it is a pleasure to have you with us and if you ever need anything please feel free to come to me." With that, he turned on his heel and was gone.
    "Why aren't the other students here?" she asked Joe.
    "They should start showing up again tomorrow. Summer break is just getting over for them and school starts in two days.” She nodded and stared around her room as if in a daze.
     
     
     

Chapter Four
     
    Dani had been at the school for a week now and felt incredibly alone. Knowing that her focus should be on training and learning what she could, she tried not to let that bother her. But the truth was she hadn’t made any new friends here at Mount Claussen.
    Scared of inadequacy, and to keep her mind of being friendless, Dani pushed herself hard.  She woke up two hours early every morning and ran the outdoor track around the pond, followed by weights in the gym.  All of this was done while everyone else was still sleeping.  There were a few nights when she couldn’t sleep that she snuck out and did it all over again.
    She found the physical activity to be peaceful and wondered why she never tried it before.  With the cool breeze against her face, her hair whipping behind her she had never felt more wild and free.  Watching the wildlife in the distance with the mountains and trees surrounding her, Dani decided that solitude wasn’t as bad as she thought.  At least, not when she chose it.
    With the first weekend since school started came talk of parties around the campus.  Some were in common rooms, others the woods, there was even a rumor about one being held on the top floor of the library after closing time.  Dani told herself that she didn’t mind not being invited to any of them, but it was a lie.  She wasn’t the most popular girl at her old school either, only having a select few friends she felt comfortable with but no one likes being excluded. 
    The whispers flowing around campus involving her were ludicrous to say the least.  It seemed that the majority, ok all of her fellow trainees were of the same mind.  They believed that she would never be good enough to do what Hunters were meant to do, bringing up all of the insecurities she felt before she got here.  The first couple of days people would stop talking upon entering the same room, making it known they had been gossiping about her.  She heard different variations of ‘she’ll end up getting killed or get someone else killed’, ‘we don’t need any more tainted blood’ or ‘I can’t believe they let her in’.  Though what they meant about ‘tainted blood’ she had no clue as she was the first with mixed-blood to be marked.  So even though the exclusion was unwarranted, at least she took comfort in knowing why they did it.
    Trying to ignore them as best as she could, she kept her head high and her shoulders back, not allowing their hatred get to her.  She’d be damned if she let them know how their words affected her.  But in the privacy of her own room with nothing but silence and the echoes of their venom drifting around her, she let herself feel.  Before coming to Mt. Claussen, Dani couldn’t remember ever crying herself to sleep.  Yet every night this week, that’s exactly what she did.
    Hearing the rumors and knowing why she didn’t fit in or hadn’t made any friends really didn’t make adjusting any easier.  Being