them, questioning them, pondering which one is stronger, wh

our-head and I'm-just-a-pawn-in-my-own-life Roslyn screams, cussing enough to make p

to my chest to protect my delicate neck. But you know what? I tried. And if life gives out consolation prizes, I hope it's that Kite is okay. Because I may be weirdly good at cheating death, but

im jumpers. They hang off her like laundry on a clothesline, tan pumps and painted blue toenails pointed at my eye. My first impulse is to pull my tablet out and draw the teen because she looks so neat. S

"At least they a

ther person calls. "At

flushes and I work up enough sa

Larry, my cat, can think of better insults better than that, though she's probably curled up under the couch

trembles. I hardly sound out, with me lying on the fl

se we're serpents. How clever. Basically? Our school sucks. It sucks so much a bunch of rich folks built their own private school

up some technical courses in stuff like veterinary science, so they have stables with

Geldings and The Spiral City Serpents. The 'stallions' and the 'snakes.' The k

s short black hair slips across her cheek, brushing past the nape of her neck. A little butterfly clip glitters by her ear, shiny under the ceiling fan's flickering light. I'm supposed to change the bulb before Mom an

wasn't. It was locked. But the door is always open to us Synners. And then she tried to keep us out." The girl points at Kite's sleeping form, Kite limp and blood seepin

girl's jumper and swing myself to my feet, my finger jabbed into her collar bone. Her mouth drops open, her breath a mix of cinnamon gum and chocolate. E

. I freeze. Stop talking. "Hands up, angel cakes." C

take a bullet to the back of the neck, though. I don't know if my muscles and bones will fuse back together all the right ways afte

or maybe they're just scared, too. If I die, if Kite dies, no one will be arrested and no one will pay. The only reason to keep me alive in the Syn kids' eyes is that a freshman's exploding flesh really dampens a party's mood. But I'm sure they could find a way to work it in

es double for jewelry. Maybe the Syn kids will leave us alone if they think they stole themselves some diamond or gold whatevers. The most expensive thing kept in this apa

in her mouth and smiles. It's a smile filled with termites. "We'll

They know my name. How? I don't know, and I don't think I want

" she whis

." Kite groans. "All I wanted to do was yell

rs in a makeshift

lolled over Roslyn's shoulder. Her dark eye

e world is alive. "You're stupid for coming down he

ossing her hair behind her ear. "It's almost as cute as you

ea

ea

an imb

or

di

ymo

hat oxymoron

on the cheek, and fires a wink in my direct

yields to my command. So right now, 'oxymo

ter red than her hair, and for a second the priz

, " she says to the

nd all, but I can't help bristling. There is a gun to my neck. But I guess if Kite can be stabbed, I can be shot. Whatever. Friendship is magic, uh-huh. Roslyn stumbles back and collapses on our couch. I

meant to leave anyway." She points at me chest and her smile widens