Bones and Ashes by Gemma Holden

threatens them with going to one of the parties here if they misbehave. Apparently, it’s proved quite a successful way of deterring them.”
    They stood in silence for a moment, watching the party. “I think I shall make my escape.” He paused. “Although, I can stay if you wish. I’m sure Xan would not want me to leave you on your own.”
    “I’ll be fine. I’m sure Cassade will be back soon.”
    He made a short bow. “Goodnight then, Lady Feralis. Give my regards to your godfather when you see him next.”
    Deegle always used her title when she was alone with him, but she had never heard him address any of the other girls by their titles. “I will. Goodnight.”
    She was on her own again.
    She hugged her arms to her chest, not caring who might see how uncomfortable she was. She felt conspicuous standing alone. She willed Cassade to hurry up and come back.
    A maid walked by carrying a tureen of lemonade to the table. Raiden stepped back out of her way. The maid stumbled and the tureen slipped from her hands. Lemonade poured down the front of Raiden’s dress as the tureen crashed to the floor.
    Conversation in the hall broke off as everyone turned to see what had happened. No one made a sound. The maid pressed her hand to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. Raiden stood there with her skirts soaking wet and sticking to her legs. She didn’t know what to do. People looked at her with expressions of pity, and then Blaize began to laugh. The rest of Blaize’s group joined in until it seemed like everyone in the hall was laughing.
    The maid stood there, her body shaking. “Oh, miss. I’m so sorry. Please, I never meant to.” 
    Raiden took a deep breath. She had to get away from them. “It was an accident,” she said to the maid. Although she knew it wasn’t. She had seen the ice that had formed on the floor as the maid walked by. She turned and, keeping her head high, she walked to the door, which now seemed so far away. She caught the heel of her boot in her wet skirts and she tripped and stumbled. She managed to gain her balance before she fell. She got to the door and pulled it open. As soon as the door closed, she leaned against it and closed her eyes.
    Laughter and voices from the hall echoed through the door. “How embarrassing. I would die if that happened to me...Did you see her dress? It’s completely ruined.”
    She pushed away from the door and started to run, the wet skirts slapping against her legs. She had to get away. They were all laughing at her. She couldn’t do anything right. She ran down the hall, past the classrooms. She didn’t know where she was going; she just had to get away.
    She came to a heavy wooden door set in the wall. She turned the iron handle and pushed it open. It led into the courtyard. Outside it was dark; no one would see her here. She sank down against the wall, the rough stone at her back. She rested her head on her drawn up knees and pressed her face against her sodden dress to stifle her sobs. Why couldn’t she do anything right? Of all the girls there, it was her who ended up being humiliated. It was always her. She had no magic. She didn’t belong here. She didn’t belong anywhere. 
    The anger drained out of her and she was left feeling numb. She started shivering; her shoulders were bare and the night was cold. She breathed raggedly. It wasn’t just the dress. It was everything that had happened to her today; her grandmother, the ghost, the mirror.
    She huddled in the dark. She didn’t feel anything now, just empty.
    Hearing a noise, she raised her head from her knees and wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand. She stared into the darkness. Someone else was out here. It could be a demon or a creature.
    A shape - a human shape - detached itself from the shadows and stepped into the moonlight. She couldn’t make him out clearly in the dark, only that he was wearing black evening clothes. His white hair glowed in the moonlight. It was the boy she