racing through my veins. “Eh, Italy was getting boring. Figured I might as well see what you ladies were up to. Jenna,” he said, nodding across me.
I could feel Jenna stiffen slightly; The Eye had killed Jenna’s first girlfriend, who’d also been the vamp that made Jenna. Needless to say, she wasn’t exactly Archer’s biggest fan. Still, she gave a curt nod. “Archer.”
“So, were you covered in golden light and sucked through some kind of vortex to get here, too?” I asked Archer, trying to keep my mind on the task at hand and not the way his fingers were softly stroking my palm.
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, golden light, then it was like someone was using my body to do origami. And then, bam, back at Hex Hall. Any idea what’s going on?”
It was Jenna who answered. “None. Do you see anybody you remember?”
“I ran into Evan, the warlock I used to room with, while I was looking for you. He, uh, wasn’t too happy to see me.”
Archer winced a little as he raised a hand to his cheekbone. It looked a little swollen, and a bruise was already forming. “Oh, right,” I said. I’d nearly forgotten the various rumors about Archer after he left the school. “People think you killed Elodie. And tried to kill me, so maybe we should stop with the hand-holding.”
I wasn’t sure if Archer was confused or pissed or some combination of the two, but he dropped my hand, and said, “Why do—”
But whatever he was going to say was cut off as the front door of Hecate Hall slowly creaked open. All heads swiveled toward it, and I swore I could hear footsteps coming from inside. I held my breath and wished I hadn’t told Archer to let go of me.
Mrs. Casnoff stepped out into the dim light, wearing the same suit she’d worn the day I’d met her. That was the only thing that was the same.
She looked a good ten years older than she had the last time I’d seen her, and her hands, as she spread them wide in welcome, were shaking. Her royal blue skirt and jacket seemed to hang on her bony frame, and there was some kind of dark stain on her silk blouse.
But most disturbing of all, her dark blond hair, that hair that she always teased, threatened, or enchanted into ridiculously ornate updos, was now completely white and streaming down her back. It fluttered around her head like spiderwebs.
“Students of Hecate Hall,” she said, her voice wavering like an old lady’s. “Welcome to a new semester.”
CHAPTER 14
“O h my God,” Jenna murmured, just as I said, “Holy hell weasel,” under my breath. I won’t repeat what Archer said.
Someone in the crowd—I think it was Taylor—shouted, “But the school is closed. Everyone was saying…”
Her voice trailed off, and one of the faeries piped up, her voice high and clear. “You have no right to bring us here. The Fae are no longer in alliance with the rest of Prodigium. On behalf of the Seelie court, I demand you send us home.” Ah. That was Nausicaa. She was the only one of the faeries that talked like she was rehearsing a play.
Next to me, Jenna leaned in closer and said, “The Fae broke their alliance? Did you know that?”
I shook my head just as Mrs. Casnoff pinned Nausicaa with a glare. No matter how feeble she seemed, she could still throw one heck of a dirty look. “Alliances and treaties have no meaning here at Hecate Hall. Once you’ve been a student here, your allegiance is to the school. Always.” She gave a smile that was more like a grimace. “It was in the code of conduct you signed when you were sentenced here.”
I remembered that, a thick pamphlet I’d barely read before scrawling my name on the dotted line. I suddenly wished I had of power of time travel so that I could go smack Sophie From A Year Ago around, and tell her to read things first.
“Now, I’m sure there are many questions,” Mrs. Casnoff continued in what had to be the understatement of the year. “But for now, report to your rooms. All will be explained at
I could feel Jenna stiffen slightly; The Eye had killed Jenna’s first girlfriend, who’d also been the vamp that made Jenna. Needless to say, she wasn’t exactly Archer’s biggest fan. Still, she gave a curt nod. “Archer.”
“So, were you covered in golden light and sucked through some kind of vortex to get here, too?” I asked Archer, trying to keep my mind on the task at hand and not the way his fingers were softly stroking my palm.
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, golden light, then it was like someone was using my body to do origami. And then, bam, back at Hex Hall. Any idea what’s going on?”
It was Jenna who answered. “None. Do you see anybody you remember?”
“I ran into Evan, the warlock I used to room with, while I was looking for you. He, uh, wasn’t too happy to see me.”
Archer winced a little as he raised a hand to his cheekbone. It looked a little swollen, and a bruise was already forming. “Oh, right,” I said. I’d nearly forgotten the various rumors about Archer after he left the school. “People think you killed Elodie. And tried to kill me, so maybe we should stop with the hand-holding.”
I wasn’t sure if Archer was confused or pissed or some combination of the two, but he dropped my hand, and said, “Why do—”
But whatever he was going to say was cut off as the front door of Hecate Hall slowly creaked open. All heads swiveled toward it, and I swore I could hear footsteps coming from inside. I held my breath and wished I hadn’t told Archer to let go of me.
Mrs. Casnoff stepped out into the dim light, wearing the same suit she’d worn the day I’d met her. That was the only thing that was the same.
She looked a good ten years older than she had the last time I’d seen her, and her hands, as she spread them wide in welcome, were shaking. Her royal blue skirt and jacket seemed to hang on her bony frame, and there was some kind of dark stain on her silk blouse.
But most disturbing of all, her dark blond hair, that hair that she always teased, threatened, or enchanted into ridiculously ornate updos, was now completely white and streaming down her back. It fluttered around her head like spiderwebs.
“Students of Hecate Hall,” she said, her voice wavering like an old lady’s. “Welcome to a new semester.”
CHAPTER 14
“O h my God,” Jenna murmured, just as I said, “Holy hell weasel,” under my breath. I won’t repeat what Archer said.
Someone in the crowd—I think it was Taylor—shouted, “But the school is closed. Everyone was saying…”
Her voice trailed off, and one of the faeries piped up, her voice high and clear. “You have no right to bring us here. The Fae are no longer in alliance with the rest of Prodigium. On behalf of the Seelie court, I demand you send us home.” Ah. That was Nausicaa. She was the only one of the faeries that talked like she was rehearsing a play.
Next to me, Jenna leaned in closer and said, “The Fae broke their alliance? Did you know that?”
I shook my head just as Mrs. Casnoff pinned Nausicaa with a glare. No matter how feeble she seemed, she could still throw one heck of a dirty look. “Alliances and treaties have no meaning here at Hecate Hall. Once you’ve been a student here, your allegiance is to the school. Always.” She gave a smile that was more like a grimace. “It was in the code of conduct you signed when you were sentenced here.”
I remembered that, a thick pamphlet I’d barely read before scrawling my name on the dotted line. I suddenly wished I had of power of time travel so that I could go smack Sophie From A Year Ago around, and tell her to read things first.
“Now, I’m sure there are many questions,” Mrs. Casnoff continued in what had to be the understatement of the year. “But for now, report to your rooms. All will be explained at
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