Sighing, I took another sip of the tasteless tea. I wished I didn’t feel so tired and worn out. I’d had severe anemia for a while, when I was in the Burn Unit of the hospital, recovering after The Fire, and that was how I felt now—like I was about a pint low on blood.
But it didn’t matter how run down I felt—the day wasn’t over yet. Above us, the bell chimed politely but insistently, letting us know that lunch time was over and it was time to move on to our next class—which for me was Trigonometry.
“Oh—time to go,” Megan remarked, jumping up with abundant energy I couldn’t help envying. Finding true love seemed to really agree with her
“Off to Elementary Casting?” Avery asked her, lifting an eyebrow. “I don’t understand why they don’t move you out of there. Anyone with enough power to destroy the Edict should not be in a class for beginners.”
Megan made a face.
“It’s the same reason I can’t get myself switched out of Remedial English or Home Ec—because the school secretary hates me. And it’s not like I can use my magic to change her mind, either,” she added, when Emma opened her mouth to protest.
“That sucks, Megan,” she said, apparently stowing the idea of telling Megan to use Blood magic to change the school secretary’s point of view. “It’s really not fair, either. Why don’t you appeal to the Headmistress and get her to change your schedule?”
Megan shook her head as we all got up and gathered our books.
“I’ve bothered Headmistress Nightworthy quite enough lately, thank you—what with blowing up the most important rule of Otherkind in my very first week here. Right now I’m just trying to fly under her radar and keep a low profile. Besides…” She shrugged. “I’ve heard that Nocturne Academy is in the process of hiring a new guidance counselor. As soon as they come on board, I’ll ask about a change. And in the meantime, at least I have one of my Coven-mates to keep me company in Home Ec.”
She shot me a smile and I smiled tiredly back.
“I’ll be there today,” I told her. “I’m officially in Home Ec for sixth period now.”
“What?” Emma frowned at us both. “How did you manage that?”
“Because the school secretary—a woman composed entirely of bile and iron filings—apparently likes Kaitlyn, though she loathes all the rest of humanity,” Griffin remarked dryly.
I nodded apologetically as Emma and Avery stared at me in disbelief. All of the rest of my Coven-mates had had run-ins with the awful Mrs. Vernon from time to time but she did, in fact, seem to like me. I think she just felt sorry for me, actually, but I wasn’t above using that to my own advantage.
“I asked her to let me switch from Classics of the Occult to Home Ec so I could be with Megan,” I told them. “I thought Classics would be really interesting, but it turns out it’s just Ms. Sojourn reading to us from her many, many journal entries.”
Ms. Sojourn was a Null—a person of magical lineage with no actual magical abilities of her own—who also had literary aspirations. I think she hoped that if she polished her material enough, she would eventually get published and she could stop teaching but so far that hadn’t happened.
Her collected journals—which she had entitled “Diary of a Witch” had yet to be picked up by any major—or minor—publishers. It wasn’t too surprising considering most of her entries were nasty-sounding vegan recipes featuring mashed mung beans and the rest were complaints about how awful her life was.
“Ugh—I’ve heard of her class!” Avery said, shivering. “They say it’s worse than watching paint dry!”
“It’s not far off,” I admitted. “Anyway, I thought it would be nice to keep Megan company and bake some goodies at the same time.”
“You’re coming at just the right time, too,” Megan said enthusiastically as we all made our way towards the high, arching, Dining Hall exit. “Today is our final baking exam and we’re going to make the biggest, ooiest-gooiest chocolate cake in the world!”
“Sounds delicious and extremely fattening,” Avery murmured. “Be sure to save us some of it for us to have for dessert tonight in the Norm Dorm. After my excellent roast beef, of course.”
“It’s a deal. Hey, we’d better get going,” Megan said. “The second bell is going to ring at any second.”
With a wave goodbye, we all went our different ways—or tried to anyway.
Because after Avery and Emma and Megan and Griffin left, I found my own way out of the Dining Hall blocked.
6
Ari
I watched her during most of our lunch period, though I tried not to be obvious about it. Well, aside from the one moment she met my eyes, anyway.
Kaitlyn was seated at a small table in the corner of the vast Dining Hall with another human, two witches, and a Nocturne. They made an odd group, considering the Edict which declares that all Others must remain separate, but they seemed happy. I was glad my little human was so content with her group of friends, but I couldn’t help wishing I was one of them.
Or maybe I just wished to be part of any group at all.
Since my Sire was the Alpha Drake, I had grown up and been educated exclusively in the Sky Lands until this year, when I had demanded a taste of freedom. My Sire had—reluctantly—let me go.
“The human world holds nothing for you, my son,” he’s said, speaking in the deep, sonorous voice of his Drake as he often did. Being older than me and more powerful, he and his other half were much more integrated than I was with my own Drake.
“I know you think that, Father,” I told him, looking up to meet his blazing golden eyes. “But I don’t
