Crave

After a rough landing, Grace arrives in the airport and meets her cousin, Macy. They didn’t spend much time together growing up, though Macy has always been kind. Grace is taken aback by Alaska’s gigantic mountains and frigid temperature—especially compared to her balmy hometown of San Diego, California. Macy gives her winter gear, like snow pants, a helmet, and goggles, before strapping her suitcases on the back of a snowmobile. Uncle Finn is excited to see Grace; he’s the principal of the boarding school she’ll be attending.

Grace is entranced by Katmere Academy, the Gothic-looking, elite boarding school. Grace thinks it’s like a castle, with its elegant, sprawling grounds, buttresses, gargoyles, and ornate architecture.

Going up the many steps, Grace becomes dizzy and panics. Macy lets her take a break, assuring her that the altitude sickness will pass and there’s no shame in feeling sick. Once Grace feels stronger, Macy leads her through the school with its stunning high ceilings, black chandeliers, stone walls, and murals.

As the girls walk, Grace notices other students staring at her. Macy tells her to ignore them and asks whether she’d like to share a dorm room or be alone. Macy apologizes for Grace’s loss (her parents have died), and Grace agrees to share a room. She feels sick again from the altitude, so Macy tells her to sit down while she goes to get Grace’s school schedule.

Grace plays with a chess set nearby, which features vampires, dragons, and mythological creatures as the playing pieces. A handsome boy approaches her, and Grace is immediately attracted to his high cheekbones, porcelain skin, red lips, and deep, mysterious eyes. Grace tries to avoid his gaze, determined not to swoon over him since she can tell he’s a “little wicked, a lot wild, and all dangerous” (28).

The boy is arrogant and snaps at Grace: “I warned your uncle you wouldn’t be safe here, but he obviously doesn’t like you much” (30). Grace retorts that he’s a jerk. The boy says she’ll be eaten up soon and that the monsters are inside the school, not in the wilderness.

Grace argues with him but is attracted to him at the same time. When he asks what Grace is afraid of, she responds, “There’s not much to be afraid of when you’ve already lost everything that matters” (33). He admits he knows about her parents’ deaths but doesn’t show her pity, which Grace appreciates. Suddenly, he moves closer and pulls one of her curls while Grace touches a scar that runs down the side of his face. He leans in to her touch, then backs away. The boy warns her to watch her back and leaves.

After the dark-haired boy leaves, Uncle Finn welcomes Grace to her new home at Katmere Academy. He says they have something important to discuss tomorrow, but that she should rest tonight. Grace can suddenly barely walk from the altitude sickness, so Uncle Finn asks a tall, ember-eyed student named Flint to help her and Macy.

Flint flirts and chats easily with Grace, as he shoulders her to her room. Macy eyes Flint, her voice going up an octave when she talks to him. Grace suspects she has a crush on Flint.

On the way, the rude boy brushes past Grace in the hallway without a glance, as if they hadn’t argued minutes before. When their skin touches, Grace’s body rushes with longing for him.

Grace collapses into the dorm room’s bed with dizziness. Once Flint leaves, Grace states that Macy likes him, but she denies it. Macy is happily dating Cam and assures Grace she’s in love with him. Macy tells her Jaxon Vega is the most popular boy in school. From Macy’s further descriptions, Grace realizes Jaxon was the rude boy who warned her to leave. She doesn’t understand her feelings for Jaxon, so she doesn’t tell Macy about their encounter.

Macy ordered everything Grace needs to get started at the school. Grace tears up at Macy’s thoughtfulness and thanks her for the school-appropriate outfits, bedroom decorations, and cold-weather gear. Macy hugs her and tells Grace she can talk to her anytime. Macy understands a bit of what Grace is going through, as Macy’s mother abandoned their family.

Grace wakes up in the middle of the night thinking about Jaxon. She wonders how he got his scar and if he’s experienced loss and trauma like she has. She wonders if he’s actually scary or if he’s endured so much pain that others avoid him. Many people drifted away from her after her parents’ deaths. Only her closest friend, Heather, stayed by her side. She texts Heather to confirm she’s safe but has altitude sickness.

All her recent life changes overwhelm Grace, and to calm her nerves, she walks around the castle. When exploring, she meets two boys near the front doors. They are outside in the freezing cold without coats, which Grace finds unbelievable. The boys, Quinn and Marc, know her name and bully her as the new girl. They imply they’ll throw her outside in the snow; Grace blows them off, but she knows she’s in danger.

Grace turns to run. Marc grabs her and yanks her, and Grace screams for him to let go: She will catch hypothermia in minutes outside in her pajamas. She kicks and flails against the bullies as they drag her. Suddenly, Marc drops her and flies across the room, slamming into the wall.

Unsure how Marc was hurt, Grace rushes away. Quinn flies into the wall next, as if hit by an invisible force. The boys recover and chase after Grace, but Jaxon grabs her wrist. He pulls her closer and intimidates the other boys, charging them with attempted murder. Jaxon’s voice is ominous as he admonishes the boys, who plead that they were joking. He forces them to apologize to Grace. Quinn states that “the moon is doing its thing” (62), which doesn’t seem like an explanation. After the bullies leave, Jaxon tells Grace that Marc and Quinn won’t bother her again.

Grace thanks Jaxon, but he says she is just a pawn in his game. They argue briefly, but then Jaxon notices her lip is bleeding. He touches her lip, then licks the blood with a sound of intense pleasure. Grace can’t control her attraction to him. He tells her that she needs to go, insisting she stay in her dorm room for safety.

Grace feels shell-shocked from the night’s experiences. Macy wakes up, and Grace tells her about Marc and Quinn. Grace doesn’t share that Jaxon saved her, just that someone heard the fight and calmed the situation. Macy believes her father will figure out why the boys targeted her. When Grace asks how Marc and Quinn could be outside without coats, Macy looks uncomfortable and suggests they likely weren’t outside for long.

Macy tells her about a welcome party for Grace the next night if she’s feeling well enough. She promises that not everyone is like Marc and Quinn, but nice like her and Flint. Grace agrees to attend to appease her cousin. They watch a show about supernatural creatures, but Grace’s mind drifts to Marc and Quinn talking about the moon like werewolves. She thinks that Jaxon is right about Katmere Academy’s strangeness.