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My stomach squirms. It’s clear I’m not wanted here, not even by my new roommate. But what else can I do except sit down at Laila’s table and eat? I get out my phone and browse to try and mitigate the awkwardness. If Cooper would walk in, I’d at least have a familiar face and someone to talk to.
Still, the pastries are delicious, so the morning isn’t a complete disaster.
I peek over at my soon-to-be roommate. “So, um, Laila, wasn’t it?” I flash her my best smile, hoping I can charm the frost from her heart. Or darkness from her soul, or whatever.
That thought reminds me to check with Cooper whether my witchy powers are evil or not. Maybe all auras are evil… but that seems like something they really ought to tell us.
Laila removes one of her earbuds—though she leaves the other where it is—and regards me with half-closed eyes. “That’s right. And you’re Kira Belvedere. The new girl.” Her eyebrows raise.
“Is that a bad thing?”
She shrugs. “Only if you know your history.”
“I’m a little out of the loop.” I bite into a chunk of croissant.
“Your family and my family don’t get along,” she says with an air of explanation.
“Oh. Then why did Octavia put me with you?”
“Probably because my last roommate died, so it was easier.” She frowns and turns away.
If I’m not mistaken, Laila is holding back tears, which means this ice-queen performance is just an act.No wonder she’s being standoffish.I’d be triggered if my friend died and I got stuck with a replacement.
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” I say.
“Well, it wasn’t you or your family that did the killing,” she says. “Not this time, anyway.”
I take that as a dig about the war and decide I’m not ready to learn whatever awful things my ancestors did. Instead, I focus on the dead girl. “She was murdered?”
Laila draws a finger across her throat. “There was blood everywhere.”
“You found her?”
Laila nods. “In my—our—room. Dina’s body was on the floor. Her neck was open.” She shivers. “Look, this isn’t story time, but I will say this about Dina. Werewolves are pretty hard to kill, but someone went to town. Like, they seriously wanted to tear her apart. Which means this place isn’t safe. The academy has always trained auras how to be killers, but we’re not supposed to turn on each other. It’s the one rule.”
She pauses and looks around. “Some sicko is in this building right now choosing who else to kill. I know one thing for certain. It’s not going to be me. I’m going to be looking out for myself, and I don’t need some doe-eyed newbie dragging me down.” Her gaze narrows on mine. “Got it?”
Hot blood fills my veins, and I meet her hard expression, staring her down, pissed about all of this. Having to come tomonster school, no one wanting me here, being separated from my family.
“I’ve got it, all right,” I snap, grabbing my tray and standing. “You’re having a little pity party for yourself, and no one else is invited. Message received, bitch.”
Her jaw drops open as I walk away.
Nine
That went about as terriblyas it possibly could, and now I want to cry again, which is the fucking icing on the cake at this point.
I dump my half-eaten croissant in the bin and pause near the food table. I don’t even know where my room is. Laila is supposed to show me around, but it’s clear she’s not planning to do that. I could head back to Octavia’s office, but that would probably involve admitting what happenedandgetting another student—my roommate—in trouble on my first day. We’re not seven years old, but I still don’t fancy dobbing on anyone. That wouldn’t be the best way to make friends here.
Instead, I wander aimlessly out of the dining hall and decide to show myself around. Maybe I don’t even need Laila.I can find my way around this sprawling Gothic castle. Easy peasy.
At first, I follow a group of students down a long, echoing corridor, but when one of them turns and stares at me, I not-so-subtly spin on my heel and head in the other direction.Damn.I’m already starting to sweat.
Then I find what appears to be a common room with a pool table, a big TV, comfy sofas, games, and blankets. Okay, this is better, and much fancier than my old school. Yet another thing to ask Cooper—who pays for this stuff? No one asked my dad for any money, and he wouldn’t be able to afford private-school tuition even if they did.
Maybe funding comes from the government to help keep the demons away from the human world. But if that were so, surely, the school wouldn’t be this fancy. Donations from the other families?
The next hallway takes me through to what I assume to be dormitories. A long line of impressive mahogany doors stretches down the entirety of the corridor. Pretty much every one is decorated in some way, whether with posters or stickers or nameplates.
