Damian Desmond

Damian Desmond is a student at Eden Academy and the second son of a powerful political leader, Donovan Desmond. Because of his father's status, Damian grows up surrounded by respect he never had to earn, which makes him arrogant and a little full of himself at first.

When a new classmate, Anya Forger, stares at him one day, Damian jumps to the conclusion that she has a crush on him. When she instead smiles at him without the reaction he expects, his pride gets hurt, and he responds by insulting and teasing her. Over time, though, his attitude toward her softens. He works hard in his studies, especially History, partly out of a real wish to earn his distant father's approval rather than just inherit respect through his family name.

Damian's closest friends at school, Emile and Ewen, tend to follow his lead, and his older brother Demetrius has already made a name for himself as a scholar, adding pressure for Damian to prove himself too. His growth becomes clear during a dangerous bus hijacking, when he puts himself at risk trying to protect Anya and is later honored for his bravery. What begins as a one-sided rivalry slowly turns into one of the story's most touching changes of heart.