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“That’s what the boys thought, too,” I say.
“She wouldn’t hurt them.”
I snap the book shut. “Are you serious? She’s hurting them right now.”
Her features tighten. “I don’t believe you.”
I sigh. Put the book back on the shelf. “Look, Vanessa… I need you to train me.”
“What?” She lets out an incredulous laugh. “Why would I do that?”
Good question.
“You mean what’s in it for you?” I rack my brain for an answer that actually makes sense, but she’s already turning her back to me. “Do it for the greater good, Van.”
“That never works,” she says. “Whoever tried that paid dearly for it.”
“Come on, Van. You are a good person. I know you.”
“You know jack shit and you certainly don’t know me. Have fun with your omens. May they smile on you.”
“See? You’re good,” I whisper but she’s already gone, vanishing among the rows of shelves.
I sigh again.
Well, it had been worth a try. The only other person who could train me is Ophelia and we all know how likely that is…
It takes forever to check out the stack of books on symbols I’ve found. I have to leave two behind as apparently there is a set number of books I can take out and so on and so forth, but in the end, I trudge to my room barely seeing where I’m going, a tower of books filling my arms.
Someone is waiting outside my door and I tense until I realize it’s Brianna.
“Mia. Got a minute?”
“Sure, as long as you can hold these babies while I open the door,” I say.
“You use endearments for books?” She accepts my tower without complaint so I can fish out my key to unlock my door. “I hate books.”
“How are we even friends?” I whisper, appalled, letting her enter and then remember that our friendship is shaky at best. “Put them on the desk, thanks. Books are everything. Magical portals into other worlds where the good always wins. Be gentle with them.”
She shrugs. “Then they are stupid books. Good doesn’t win, not most of the time.”
“But how can you find hope to get up every day without stories where it does?”
She gives me a long look that says I’m nuts and flops on my bed. “Whatever.”
God, I’m so tired. Not sure I can cope with her attitude. “So what’s up?”
“I came to warn you. Something fishy is in the works.”
“You mean, Zoey?”
She nods.
I sit on my bed beside her to take off my shoes. “I saw Zoey earlier today. She didn’t even insult me too badly.”
“Which is why you should be careful. You know what they say about Greeks bearing gifts.”
“She brought me no gifts.” I kick the shoes off and sigh in relief, wiggling my toes in my socks.
