“Well,” Janet says slowly, “when you put such a large mix of magic levels together, some beings take advantage of others. With potions or spells or glamours. And yeah. It’s obviously frowned upon. By making students go through the archway every day, they can make sure that’s not actively happening.”
“Right,” I say, but my stomach twists. I may not be able to keep any food down today. This new information does not increase my confidence in this place.
The little green boy rejoins us with a bowl of soup and a roll.
“Thank you,” I tell him, as he slides the plate in front of me.
“That’s it?” Janet exclaims. “She’s gonna starve.”
“It’s perfect,” I chime in quickly. “My stomach couldn’t handle much more than this anyway.”
Janet examines me. Then, she nods sharply. “I’ve got a ton of snacks in the dorm. I’ll hook you up later when we’re safe from all this.” She waves vaguely.
“And we have dinner in the dorm common rooms, so we’ll be safe there.” Lola wiggles, and her wings tinkle just slightly. My lips twitch. She’s adorable.
“You’ll love Minor Hall,” Janet says. “We’re kind of the outcasts, but it’s perfect for people like us. You’ll feel safe there, trust me.”
I give her a small smile and allow that spark of hope to grow.
“This is my half-brother, Stevie, by the way. He’s a freshman.”
“Nice to meet you, Stevie.” His gaze drops to the floor, and he doesn’t at all respond to my greeting. But I don’t take it as an insult. He’s shy; I’m cool with that.
Slowly, I force myself to take a sip of the reddish-brown stew. It’s salty and bland, but I suppose that’s not a bad thing. It’ll go down easy, which is all I need.
Janet and Lola chat away about some of the school drama, and I zone it out entirely. The bread, unlike the soup, is delicious. Soft and buttery. I devour it quickly.
Janet scarfs down a sandwich with some kind of dark slimy meat—I don’t dare ask what it is—as she chats about the flings this summer. So-and-so dumped so-and-so. Some girl got mad that her ex hooked up with someone else. Seriously, basic high school drama. It’s almost comedic how normal it all feels.
Around the lunchroom, there are myriads of different species. Some are massive, some are tiny. Some appear entirely human, just really pretty, and some definitely could not pass for normal if they went out in public—scales and horns and unnaturally colored skin.
Now that the attention isn’t on me, I do find myself curious about it all. I know a lot of details about the supernatural world. I’ve lived in and around my parents’ successful business as potions masters. I’ve seen trolls and witches and fae and pixies. It’s just that, with the exception of Jarron’s family, I haven’t spent much time with them.
A cold chill drops over me suddenly. I release a quick breath and a puff of white comes out. I freeze. Did me thinking his name call him or something? Can he read my mind? Dammit, maybe hecanread my mind.
“What are you doing here?” His low voice is smooth as fresh snow, but the bite is just as cold.
I sit up straight, and I brace myself for what I know I’ll find.
Lola and Janet stare over my shoulder, as if the big bad wolf himself were standing behind me. And he is, kind of. I spin to find dark brown eyes, so damn hypnotizing it should be a sin. I lick my lips and immediately hate myself for it.
Three students stand beside our table.
Two guys, gorgeous as hell itself, and a girl that could be walking anime. But it’s the tallest of the three that snags my attention and won’t let go.
Jarron’s face is sculpted like a golden statue, perfect cheek bones and smooth bronze skin. His hair is longer than the last time I spoke with him several years ago. The curls dip down over his forehead, almost reaching his lashes. There is no kindness in his severe expression. No longing, no hopefulness. Only the look of a predator with prey in its sights.
“Awww, look. A pretty lost lamb,” Bea says.
I wrinkle my nose at the girl clinging to Trevor’s arm.
Bea, short for Beatrice.
Her hair, black as night, is braided down her back, and her skin is pale. She may as well be a gothic snow white, with a button nose, and full red lips. She probably doesn’t even have to put on makeup—the magic makes her that beautiful.
She’s technically non-royalty, from the same world as Trevor and Jarron, but she’s been courting Trevor for so long most consider her a princess. We’ve met, but she doesn’t seem to remember me.
“Candice is anything but a lost lamb,” Trevor murmurs. My attention shifts to him. His skin is several shades darker than his brother’s but they share the same sharp cheek bones and deep dark eyes. He crosses his arms, but then peers up at his brother who’s predator gaze has not left me for even an instant.
