Lexi grins. “It’s mermaid blood.”
Amrita immediately does a spit-take. Lexi doesn’t seem to notice.
“Well, I should really be making the rounds!” Lexi says, turning on her painfully-high heels. “A host’s job is never done!”
“Don’t tell me what mine is,” Renata hisses, as Lexi disappears into the crowd. “I’m guessing shifter. If I turn into a panther or a bear tonight, I’m ripping her head off.”
“You would have to drink a lot to absorb shape-shifting abilities,” says Tudor, joining our circle. He wears an elegant robe to match Amrita, and gives her a polite nod. “High Priestess.”
“Evening, Tudor,” she says, holding her glass up to him. “Lovely party.”
“Not lovely enough for the Hecate witches, it would seem,” Tudor says, his pale eyes shining. “Lavinia Cox snubbed my invitation.”
“Well, you know how good witches are about drinking blood,” Amrita sighs. “They made me institute a ‘no-blood-sharing rule’ at Elmwood. They’re soboring.”
Tudor sneers. “Someone should knock Lavinia Cox down a peg. The Hecate witches are becoming far too powerful for their own good.”
“Careful, Tudor,” Amrita tilts her head toward him. “You wouldn’t want anyone to hear you speaking like that.”
“Now who’s boring?” Tudor asks, with a wry smile. “I can’t believe you’re letting those kitchen witches dictate what you do at your own school, Rita.”
Amrita frowns. “You remember how things were before, Tudor. It’s better for all of us to go along with the Hecate coven and the TripleCouncil, at least for now. Keep the peace.”
I don’t like the simmering tension between them. Renata and I share an uneasy glance.
“Here, Rita,” I say, taking her glass of mermaid blood and replacing it with another, this one adorned with a pink-coloured charm. “Try this bloodwine instead. It is a party, after all. No more talk of politics.”
“How are things going at Elmwood Academy?” Renata asks. “Hallie says she enjoys her classes.”
“She’s a wonderful student,” Amrita says. “But it’s a little slow right now. Classes have ended for the term, and most of the students are home for the winter break. I’m surprised more of the witches didn’t want to stay. They all went back to Hemlock Haven for the solstice. Now it’s only Lydia, Tudor, and myself, and a few students who chose to stay at Elmwood for the holiday.”
Something flashes in Tudor’s eyes.
“Amrita,” he says, taking me by the elbow. “It was so lovely to see you, but I do need to borrow Celine for a private conversation.”
Amrita frowns. “During the party?”
“There’s so much business I’ve missed while I was away,” my Creator says smoothly.
“I’ll catch up with you both later,” I add.
Renata shoots me a concerned look, and I respond with a tight smile. I hand my full glass of bloodwine to one of the servers as Tudor pulls me away. He takes me to a dark corner of the event hall, away from where any supernaturally enhanced ears can hear us.
“What’s going on?” I whisper. “I didn’t do anything else to provoke Cedric, if that’s what you-”
“This isn’t about your useless brother,” Tudor responds. “It’s about Elmwood Academy.”
“Aboutwhat?”
“We have the perfect opportunity! I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. The Hecate witches are expecting us to attack Hemlock Haven. It’s their stronghold, their seat of power, so of course it’s well-defended. They wouldneverexpect us to go for the school!”
I give him an incredulous look. “Why would we attack Elmwood Academy, even if we wanted to?”
He glares at me. “You’ve always lacked imagination, Celine.Elmwood is an incredibly powerful magical site. The hotel is flashy, yes, but it doesn’t have the same…prestigeas Elmwood. It will give us a leg-up on the witches, while showing them that they can’t underestimate us. The wolves will jump at the chance to get revenge on Lavinia and the panthers, and reclaim their young. They’ll help us take the academy.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “We’re going to take out Amrita Vyas? Why would we do that?”
“Rita will come around, once she realizes that we’ve got the upper hand. We can overpower her easily, if we have the element of surprise. You heard what she said, it’s only her and Lydia Craft defending the academy right now.”
