“It’s Stevie,” I say. “And there will be no using anything against me later, or I shall be forced to use my most devastating form of torture on you—singing karaoke.”
“You told me you love karaoke,” Kirin says.
“Yes, but as you might well learn, there’s often a wide, wide world of difference between loving a thing and being good at it.”
“That sounds like a dare,” Baz says. “Kirin, don’t you think that sounds like a dare?”
“Now that you mention it…” Kirin taps his lips. “We might have to make a mental note of this for future reference.”
I crack up. “Fine by me. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Which house are you in?” Baz asks.
“Iron and Bone. You?”
“It must be fate.” Baz spreads his arms slowly, grinning like he’s showing off his personal domain. “Welcome home, Little Bird.”
I glance over at Kirin, who offers another apologetic frown. “Baz, you know we have a strict anti-harassment policy, right? Perhaps you should re-familiarize yourself with it before Stevie moves into the house.”
Baz flashes an exaggerated frown, then turns to me and whispers conspiratorially, “He’s always trying to ruin our fun.”
At the sound of our laughter, a trio of women ahead of us on the path looks up, simultaneously narrowing their eyes. One of them—a tall, willowy beauty with waist-length raven hair—whispers to the cute redhead standing next to her, both of them giggling. Then Raven shakes out her hair and marches toward us like a woman on a mission, the other two trotting along behind her.
“Hey,” she says when she reaches us, her eyes on Baz and Baz alone. Wrapping his hand in a possessive grip and turning her back on me in a way that tells me pretty much everything I need to know about her, she says, “You’re supposed to take me to Brew Burger for dinner.”
Baz, who seconds ago was cracking up and standing around like he owned the place, is suddenly tense and ornery, his energy taking on a prickly edge. “That’s tomorrow night, Carly.”
“It is? Oh, right! Sorry! Guess I just couldn’t wait to hang out.” She tries to lean her head on his shoulder, but he turns away, a movement that leaves her bobbing her head like a chicken.
“Carly,” he says, “this is Stevie. She’s new here, so, you know. Maybe be… less you?”
“Who?” she asks still not looking at me, even though it’s obvious the bitch knows Kirin and I are standing right here. Behind them, her two groupies titter and bounce without speaking, and I can’t help but think of those bobblehead hood ornaments.
Baz glares at Carly. “What did I just say, Car?”
She makes a show of rolling her eyes, then turns to me as if she’s doing me the world’s biggest favor. I’m already trying to think of a way to shut this whole thing down when her eyes go wide, her jaw dropping to her chest.
“Oh my Goddess,” she breathes. For the last few minutes, she couldn’t spare me a single glance, and suddenly she’s staring at me like I’m the last Louis Vuitton bag at a half-price sale. “You’re… you’re spirit-blessed.”
Baz raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn’t say anything.
“Sure am,” I say with a shrug, as if it’s no biggie. As if I have any idea of what itreallymeans. Everyone else seems to be either impressed, astonished, or both. “How did you know?”
“I have my ways,” she coos. “We should totally hang out some time. Get my number from Baz, okay?”
Behind us, her minions frown. I’m beginning to wonder whether they need her permission to speak. Maybe they do—maybe her Tarot affinity is the Queen.
I don’t respond, but Carly offers me a blindingly insincere smile anyway, then turns to Baz, pushing out her perfectly pouty lips. “Can you help me with something in my dorm?”
He blows out an annoyed breath. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.”
I didn’t think it was possible to be jealous over a guy I’ve known all of seven minutes, but when he turns to follow her, there’s a nasty little ping in my chest.
Why, little ping? Why are you doing this to me?
Carly collects her friends and moves on, and Baz turns to look at me over his shoulder, his smile bright once again. “See you around, Little Bird.”
“Sure thing.” Then, waiting until they’re several yards down the path, I call out again. “Hey Baz!”
