ia's

ill humming like a music box, and the glow was still on my skin as if I swallowed a galaxy. I was sure I didn't make

of ch

like one of those sad, abandoned dogs you see on shelter

onestly, was almost more suspiciou

the door, cracked

e sh

pace buns like she just stepped out of a cartoon. She was holding a suitcas

h you. This place is huge, right? You're so pretty, by the way. I love your hair. And your lips! And yo

fr

lly gl

ergency lockdown mod

alking. And I realized she wasn't even reacting to the

ee it? Or was she just so ex

stepped aside. "Room's all yours. Don't tr

been homeschooled most of her life, how her dad ran a spell-cleaning business for werewolves, and how she

ame. She didn't

inging her legs, asking me fifty questions i

eople say? What's up with the teachers here? Why are the w

lin

his. Like I wasn't invisible. Like

project or some school-wide joke. She didn'

y pretty," sh

lmost shor

ce Grandma died. Not my father

" and turned away before

she didn't mention it. Maybe i

ready f

erything I had was now too thin, light and revealin

y. I needed to cover it up. So I did what any

ck pants. Long-sleeve

s the tundra?" Soraya joked as I walked out of

old,"

Augu

ld in th

d didn't ask a

ing and I couldn't afford to skip it. Missing this would af

r gave me a weird look like she was trying to figure out if I was hid

Kyren. The

whole walk back to the dorm, she talked nonstop-about teachers she hated already, wo

ned and

, it fel

t her ex who tried to impress her with fire magic and nearly burned his eyebrows off. I told her

s asleep. Sprawled diagonally acros

ow, looking out a

*****

en's

stranger to me for

school, the Royal Council's latest drama. It was the mate thing. The one thing I had been trying to ignore since I tu

I've got no face, scen

hrew on a hood

I walked past the training f

ent near the cafeteria. Someone was sneakin

and not just any girl. T

she looked around-checking her surroundings-and walked off fast. I don't blame her. The bullies won't let her eat in peace during the day, so she had t

o the dorm, but she wasn't. She was heading deeper. Past the las

owed q

just wanted to make sure she didn't get eaten. And it could be

she was used to hiding and stopped in a small clearing-bare dirt, wi

bit, like this, was her moment of peace. She drank wat

her skin gl

skin like fire in reverse. Like i

e hell

stop myself, I

acked, maki

when our

k because I lost words. Instead, I walked closer, slowly and s

ence between us was heavy as if some

red and her famil

sible!" My e