“I’m sure you must be feeling proud of yourselves.” The headmistress was glaring at the door Chief Winston had exited through as she addressed us. “Come to think of it, I was pretty pleased. But your actions were reckless. Don’t let this happen again. Miss Pearson, if you sense any danger again, find a professor first. You have an hour to get ready and attend your first class.”
We knew a dismissal when we heard one. I grabbed the coin and pocketed it on the way out. The three of us walked in silence. Our footsteps echoed through the deserted hallways. The January sun was bright as we made our way across campus.
“How did someone get—”
“What are they hiding—” Mine and Drew’s words were scrambled as we both started talking at once. We stopped and laughed.
“That was a night well spent,” Drew joked. Hudson just grunted.
“Oh, come on,” I said. “You have to admit, it was pretty exciting.”
He shook his head but couldn’t hide the grin that was plastered across his face. “Let’s just not make a habit of it. Sophie, why didn’t that blast of magic touch you?”
“I don’t know how, but it was like my necklace absorbed it.” I pulled it out from under shirt and showed it to them.
“Did you notice Headmistress Adiana didn’t answer my question about the room?” Drew asked. “She knew she couldn’t lie with me in the room, so she just avoided it.”
“I know!” I grabbed Drew’s arm. The mystery had my brain working in overdrive. It was all I could do to keep myself from skipping down the cobblestones.
“And how did he get in? I thought only people who were approved were supposed to be able to get on campus. The alarms did go off, but can you believe none of the adults, not even the headmistress was able to figure out he was there?” I stood a little straighter. My ability to sense people and feelings was proving handy.
“Hudson what do you—” I turned to talk to him, but he was gone, already halfway to the boy’s dorm. My good mood evaporated. How stupid was I to think things would get back to normal?
Drew’s light touch tickled my shoulder. He spun me around to face him and gave me a peck on the cheek. The negative thoughts racing through my mind disappeared. In fact, all the thoughts did.
“You sure are full of surprises, little dragon. I’m looking forward to Friday.”
Chapter Fourteen
I couldn’t look away from the stranger standing before me. From the soft brown curls, to the artfully done makeup, she was unrecognizable. I touched the mirror with a shaky hand.
“Penelope—it’s wonderful.”
“I know!” Penelope had insisted on giving Kylee and I the works for the dance. From our dresses, to our masks, to our hair and makeup. At first, I’d protested. I actually liked picking out clothes and doing my hair and makeup. But as I stood and looked at the sweeping sea-foam tulle with lilac flowers that traveled up my waist and across one shoulder, hugging me in all the right places, I was thrilled I’d let her. I fastened my necklace with the dark teal alexandrite stone around my neck before moving out of Kylee’s way as she finished tying the back of her dress.
“You really have a knack for this,” Kylee said. She was dressed in a true ballgown in a deep purple color. All week, I’d been a bundle of nerves thinking about the ball. But now that it was here, I was oddly calm.
“It was fun. I wish they’d let me redesign those annoying uniforms.” As she strapped a mask made with her own white pegasus feathers over her eyes, Kylee helped me tie my intricately designed green and gold disguise. With that, we were ready. Penelope draped her arms around both of our shoulders as we stared at ourselves in the mirror.
“We are gorgeous, ladies. Those boys won’t know what hit ‘em.”
The stars were already twinkling in the sky as we left the dorms. There was a tingle in the air as more students were leaving both dorms to head to the ballroom. Butterflies danced in my stomach as I looked around for Drew. The night was alive with color as students whisked past in colorful dresses and dark tuxedos. Magic of a different sort weaved its way through me as I watched all my fellow students hidden behind their masks. Tonight, I could be anyone.
“Excuse me, my lady.” Drew had snuck up on me in the dark. He stood behind me on the cobblestones. He looked like he stepped out of a story book. His outfit was pitch black with intricate silver embroidery of branches and leaves running through. The suit was complete with an old-fashioned overcoat. The black horns on his mask twisted around his head. He held his hand out to me and bowed. Handing me a corsage that matched the flowers on my dress.
I curtsied and let him slide the corsage onto my wrist. As he did, more flowers bloomed and wound their way up my arm.
“Flowers for a lovely lady. You look amazing tonight.” Warmth filled my body and spread to the tips of my fingers as his eyes trailed from my face to my low neckline to the high slit in the skirt. My mother would have never let me out of the house in a dress like this. Good thing she wasn’t there.
“Shall we?” Kylee walked past us on the arm of a guy I didn’t recognize in a raven mask. Kylee adjusted her own feathered mask and they led the way to the ballroom. Drew offered me his arm, and we melded into the throng of students.
I had only been in the ballroom when
