their shiny, pale hair reflecting the colored lights.
In the very middle of the dance floor, a guy wearing a purple velvet smoking jacket was dancing, surrounded by several witches. He looked familiar, and when he turned around, I realized it was Lord Byron.
Yeah, the Lord Byron. He’d been our English teacher at Hecate before all the attacks started. Since he was a vampire, people had been suspicious of him. Even after he was cleared, he still hadn’t wanted to come back to Hex Hall. Not like I could blame him.
I thought about going over to say hi, but then he spotted us. I’m not sure, but I think he flipped us off before limping away.
Neither Jenna nor I had been exactly stellar students.
Nick jerked his head toward the back. “Let’s go grab a seat.”
We moved away from the dance floor, to where it was dimmer and less crowded. The music also seemed a good deal softer, so my brain no longer felt like it was leaking out of my ears. Daisy led us to a booth in the back and flopped down on a velvet banquette. Nick sat next to her, leaving Jenna and I to scoot into the seat opposite them.
Daisy pulled out yet another cigarette, this time offering the pack around. Nick took one, but I shook my head when he held the box out to me. “No thanks. Don’t smoke.”
“Fair enough,” Nick replied.
A tall woman with auburn hair came up to the table. She was wearing a bright purple dress that was so short, I thought it might have started its life as a shirt. She would’ve been pretty if her face hadn’t looked like she’d just taken a big swig of sour milk. “You two again,” she said.
Daisy rolled her eyes, but Nick looked totally unruffled. “Ah, Linda, my sweet. I was hoping you’d be our waitress tonight. I’ve missed that sunny smile of yours.”
Linda folded her arms across her chest. “Bite me, freak.”
Nick grinned, and for just a second, he looked so much like Archer that I clenched my teeth.
“Who’s to say I won’t, Linda?” Nick asked, raising his eyebrows. Daisy elbowed him in the side. Linda just glared until Nick waved his hands. “Truce, truce,” he said. “All right then, Daisy and I will have our usual.”
I wondered what that might be. Evil Juice? Some kind of demonic energy drink?
Linda’s surly gaze flicked to Jenna, who uncharacteristically blushed.
“They have any kind of blood you could want on tap,” Daisy offered.
I really didn’t want to think about what that meant.
Jenna gave a nervous smile. “Then a, uh, glass or whatever of O-negative.”
“Fine,” Linda said. “And you?”
“Uh, water is fine,” I said.
“Oh, come on,” Nick said, draping his arm across the back of the banquette. “At least let me buy you a drink.” He flashed that unsettling grin again. I scooted a little closer to Jenna.
“I don’t drink.”
As Linda stalked off, Nick laughed. “Oh my God, a straight-edge demon! I freaking love it!”
“Yeah, I figure occasionally ripping people’s internal organs out is vice enough for me,” I quipped.
It was the wrong thing to say.
Nick’s laugh abruptly ended, and even Daisy bristled.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean—” I blew out a breath. “Self-deprecation is like my second language. It was nothing against you guys.”
Daisy seemed placated by that, but Nick was still watching me with an unreadable look.
“We’ve never hurt anyone, Sophie,” he said. “Neither has James, neither have you.”
“Yeah, but we could,” I replied. “Mrs. Casnoff said that demons can be fine for years, and then suddenly monster out.”
Nick’s gaze flicked away from mine. “Isn’t that what they’re hoping we’ll do?” he muttered darkly.
“What does that mean?” Jenna asked, but Daisy leaned forward, cupping her hand around Nick’s knee.
“Let’s not get into all of this tonight,” she said. “We have the whole summer to teach Sophie about demon-hood.”
Nick grumbled, but Daisy caught his chin and
In the very middle of the dance floor, a guy wearing a purple velvet smoking jacket was dancing, surrounded by several witches. He looked familiar, and when he turned around, I realized it was Lord Byron.
Yeah, the Lord Byron. He’d been our English teacher at Hecate before all the attacks started. Since he was a vampire, people had been suspicious of him. Even after he was cleared, he still hadn’t wanted to come back to Hex Hall. Not like I could blame him.
I thought about going over to say hi, but then he spotted us. I’m not sure, but I think he flipped us off before limping away.
Neither Jenna nor I had been exactly stellar students.
Nick jerked his head toward the back. “Let’s go grab a seat.”
We moved away from the dance floor, to where it was dimmer and less crowded. The music also seemed a good deal softer, so my brain no longer felt like it was leaking out of my ears. Daisy led us to a booth in the back and flopped down on a velvet banquette. Nick sat next to her, leaving Jenna and I to scoot into the seat opposite them.
Daisy pulled out yet another cigarette, this time offering the pack around. Nick took one, but I shook my head when he held the box out to me. “No thanks. Don’t smoke.”
“Fair enough,” Nick replied.
A tall woman with auburn hair came up to the table. She was wearing a bright purple dress that was so short, I thought it might have started its life as a shirt. She would’ve been pretty if her face hadn’t looked like she’d just taken a big swig of sour milk. “You two again,” she said.
Daisy rolled her eyes, but Nick looked totally unruffled. “Ah, Linda, my sweet. I was hoping you’d be our waitress tonight. I’ve missed that sunny smile of yours.”
Linda folded her arms across her chest. “Bite me, freak.”
Nick grinned, and for just a second, he looked so much like Archer that I clenched my teeth.
“Who’s to say I won’t, Linda?” Nick asked, raising his eyebrows. Daisy elbowed him in the side. Linda just glared until Nick waved his hands. “Truce, truce,” he said. “All right then, Daisy and I will have our usual.”
I wondered what that might be. Evil Juice? Some kind of demonic energy drink?
Linda’s surly gaze flicked to Jenna, who uncharacteristically blushed.
“They have any kind of blood you could want on tap,” Daisy offered.
I really didn’t want to think about what that meant.
Jenna gave a nervous smile. “Then a, uh, glass or whatever of O-negative.”
“Fine,” Linda said. “And you?”
“Uh, water is fine,” I said.
“Oh, come on,” Nick said, draping his arm across the back of the banquette. “At least let me buy you a drink.” He flashed that unsettling grin again. I scooted a little closer to Jenna.
“I don’t drink.”
As Linda stalked off, Nick laughed. “Oh my God, a straight-edge demon! I freaking love it!”
“Yeah, I figure occasionally ripping people’s internal organs out is vice enough for me,” I quipped.
It was the wrong thing to say.
Nick’s laugh abruptly ended, and even Daisy bristled.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean—” I blew out a breath. “Self-deprecation is like my second language. It was nothing against you guys.”
Daisy seemed placated by that, but Nick was still watching me with an unreadable look.
“We’ve never hurt anyone, Sophie,” he said. “Neither has James, neither have you.”
“Yeah, but we could,” I replied. “Mrs. Casnoff said that demons can be fine for years, and then suddenly monster out.”
Nick’s gaze flicked away from mine. “Isn’t that what they’re hoping we’ll do?” he muttered darkly.
“What does that mean?” Jenna asked, but Daisy leaned forward, cupping her hand around Nick’s knee.
“Let’s not get into all of this tonight,” she said. “We have the whole summer to teach Sophie about demon-hood.”
Nick grumbled, but Daisy caught his chin and
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