STEVIE
I’ve always hated parties.
Probably has something to do with Luke’s whole scorpion-down-the-pants thing, but I just never saw the appeal after that. Bunch of people standing around outside, freezing their asses off, sucking down booze and doing stupid dares so they don’t have to really talk to each other.
As Ani and I make our way to the red river behind the Blood and Sorrow dorms, and I spot the unmistakable glow of a bonfire, I’m starting to worry this party will be no different, and that I’ve made a terrible mistake.
I slide my hands into my back pockets, finding a Tarot card there—not one of the big cards Ani and I were playing with before we left, but one of my mysteriously appearing messages.
It’s the Eight of Swords. At the center of the card, a woman stands barefoot in a circle of swords, the blades stuck into the ground like a cage. She’s blindfolded, her hands and body bound with ropes.
Watch your back, Stevie. Don’t give away your power.
Great. Not ominous at all.
“You want a drink?” Ani asks me, and I nod, hating myself for defaulting so quickly. It’s not that I don’t like drinking, it’s just that I prefer doing it in smaller groups, with people I actually know and trust. Out here, standing around in a magickal desert with a bunch of strangers, I feel like I’m just looking for some liquid courage. Or better yet, a wall to keep people away.
As Ani goes on the hunt for beer, I work my way through the crowd, looking for someone I know. Baz, maybe. Or Kirin, unless Ani was serious about him never leaving the library.
I recognize a few people from my classes—mostly the younger crowd—and everyone is all smiles and laughter. A few people are sitting near the fire strumming guitars and playing bongos, and another group is engaged in what sounds like a deeply philosophical discussion about the pros and cons of using mind-altering substances during rituals. I’m just starting to relax, to think maybe I was a little too quick to judge the scene before really getting a read, when a commotion next to the river catches my attention.
My stomach sinks like a rock when I spot the source, and I know without a doubt that my assessment of parties won’t be changing anytime soon.
The Claires are holding court by the water, regaling a few other party-goers with displays of their magickal prowess. Carly is juggling multiple streams of water, while Blue does the same with balls of fire, which actually looks pretty cool. Emory is straight-up levitating. Amelia is standing off to the side, staring at her phone, looking like she’d rather be anywhere but here.
Across the crowd, Carly catches my eye.
Shit. So much for pretty cool.
“Hey Carly,” I say, approaching them and trying my best to smile. “Blue. That whole water-and-fire thing is actually pretty awesome.”
Carly almost smiles. Well, either that or she’s about to sneeze, but I’m pretty sure that’s a budding smile making her lips twitch.
But then Blue rolls her eyes and says, “Look, girls. It’s Starla I’m-too-good-for-the-coven Milan.”
“Twinkle, twinkle,” Emory says, gazing down at us from her perch five feet off the ground.
Carly casts aside the water and immediately resets to her default factory setting of uber-bitch. “I didn’t knowyouwere invited.”
“Really?” I feign concern. “For a self-proclaimed clairsentient, it’s weird that you’re always the last to know things. Maybe you should, like, have your aura cleansed.”
A few people snicker, but inside, my gut turns hot and prickly. I’m not about to let anyone walk on me, but I really, really hate this petty, pissing-contest bullshit. We have a hard enough time making our way through life as it is. Shouldn’t we be supporting each other? Lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down?
“Professor Phaines doesn’t seem to think there’s anything wrong with my gift,” Carly says, raising her voice to ensure maximum distribution and attention, though by this point most of the crowd is dissipating, moving on to some new entertainment. “And Phaines would know. He’s a powerful seer, and a personal friend of our family.”
“How nice for you all.”
“You’re not the only special little snowflake he’s taken an interest in, either. The girls and I are doing a group independent study with him. He’s helping us enhance our natural psychic abilities. He says our gifts are among the strongest he’s ever seen, especially among first-years.”
As Carly continues to blather on about her most wonderful qualities, I turn away from her, desperately seeking Ani and our drinks.
I don’t see him, but it looks like there’s a line and a crowd milling over by a big boulder across the way. That’s probably the beer spot.
I’m about to make my way over there when I feel a hand clamp around my arm.
“Isaid,” Carly says, spinning me back around, “what kind of tricks canyoudo?”
I snatch my arm back. “Excuse me?”
