flowing, blonde hair was tucked behind her ears—she was definitely one of the most beautiful girls at the school.
“You do look awfully thin, Kat,” she said in her usual soft tone, her sky blue eyes studying me in concern.
From beside me, Loire cleared his throat. “As heart-warming as this reunion is, can we get a move on before I gag?”
I wrenched my eyes away from my friends to glare at him. “Do you have a single nurturing bone in your body?”
Loire ignored my question and began walking down the corridor. “Hurry up or I’ll tell the headmaster you tried to run away.”
I was so angry that I wanted to hit him on the back of the head with my bag, but the loops of fire around my wrists tightened as if sensing my emotions. Scowling, I glared down at them instead.
Misha followed my gaze and her eyes widened. “Oh, what are they for?”
“Ira bands,” Anna answered immediately, “A level three fire demon is capable of creating them in order to restrict someone’s movements. In Kat’s case, I assume they are used to ensure she won’t escape again. They are linked to her and the caster’s emotions so they will always be able to locate her.”
Misha stared at Anna open-mouthed. “How the hell do you know so much about demon powers?”
“It’s called a book, Mish. I read them.”
The look on Misha’s face was priceless. Her aversion to books, reading, and the library was no secret. If you asked her what her greatest fear was she would say the librarian, Mrs. Padena.
Clearly trying to shut out Anna’s words, Misha placed a hand on my arm eagerly. “Did you find-?”
Anna jabbed Misha with an elbow and shot her a meaningful look. Misha had nearly blown our cover by asking me about Valeska within earshot of Loire. His advanced hearing would easily pick up on our conversation.
“I’ll tell you guys everything when I can,” I said in a whisper, glancing down the corridor to where Loire had stopped and was watching us warily.
They both nodded back at me, solemn, but then Misha brightened up. “Hey, at least I’m not stuck with Anna anymore!” she said, much to Anna’s chagrin. “She is such a bore. I practically lived in the library for the last month.”
“Every time Mrs. Padena walked past, she hid under the table,” Anna said, quite seriously, with a glint in her eye.
Laughing, I linked my arms with my friends’ and followed Loire down the corridor, a sense of familiarity and peace settling around me.
In the back of my head, I wondered how long it would last.
Chapter Six
When we stepped into the dining hall, I felt like a celebrity as hundreds of heads swiveled in our direction. But not an Oscar award winning celebrity; more like a celebrity who’d just returned from a brief stint in rehab.
I probably looked like a recovering drug addict, anyway. My friends were right—I had lost weight, plus the bags under my eyes probably weren’t helping my cause. Honestly, I hadn’t bothered with my appearance like I normally would. I just didn’t care today.
Everyone’s gazes probed into me, taking in every part of me, as though they weren’t quite sure if I was really there or just a product of their overactive imaginations. Some students were even standing up to catch a glimpse of me.
Whispers of, “Oh, my God!”, “Did she really do it?” and “Where was she?” reached my ears.
I’d never been used to this sort of attention before and it was definitely something I didn’t like. If anything, it was making me feel claustrophobic and nauseous. Would I still be as infamous if I threw up all over the dining hall?
“…So then Penelope left and now everyone is sure she’s pregnant and that Orwell is the father. It’s like an episode of Gossip Girl ,” Misha was saying from beside me.
I had only been half-listening to her gossip, so I wasn’t sure who the topic had shifted to now. It was hard to focus on the conversation when everyone’s eyes were on
“You do look awfully thin, Kat,” she said in her usual soft tone, her sky blue eyes studying me in concern.
From beside me, Loire cleared his throat. “As heart-warming as this reunion is, can we get a move on before I gag?”
I wrenched my eyes away from my friends to glare at him. “Do you have a single nurturing bone in your body?”
Loire ignored my question and began walking down the corridor. “Hurry up or I’ll tell the headmaster you tried to run away.”
I was so angry that I wanted to hit him on the back of the head with my bag, but the loops of fire around my wrists tightened as if sensing my emotions. Scowling, I glared down at them instead.
Misha followed my gaze and her eyes widened. “Oh, what are they for?”
“Ira bands,” Anna answered immediately, “A level three fire demon is capable of creating them in order to restrict someone’s movements. In Kat’s case, I assume they are used to ensure she won’t escape again. They are linked to her and the caster’s emotions so they will always be able to locate her.”
Misha stared at Anna open-mouthed. “How the hell do you know so much about demon powers?”
“It’s called a book, Mish. I read them.”
The look on Misha’s face was priceless. Her aversion to books, reading, and the library was no secret. If you asked her what her greatest fear was she would say the librarian, Mrs. Padena.
Clearly trying to shut out Anna’s words, Misha placed a hand on my arm eagerly. “Did you find-?”
Anna jabbed Misha with an elbow and shot her a meaningful look. Misha had nearly blown our cover by asking me about Valeska within earshot of Loire. His advanced hearing would easily pick up on our conversation.
“I’ll tell you guys everything when I can,” I said in a whisper, glancing down the corridor to where Loire had stopped and was watching us warily.
They both nodded back at me, solemn, but then Misha brightened up. “Hey, at least I’m not stuck with Anna anymore!” she said, much to Anna’s chagrin. “She is such a bore. I practically lived in the library for the last month.”
“Every time Mrs. Padena walked past, she hid under the table,” Anna said, quite seriously, with a glint in her eye.
Laughing, I linked my arms with my friends’ and followed Loire down the corridor, a sense of familiarity and peace settling around me.
In the back of my head, I wondered how long it would last.
Chapter Six
When we stepped into the dining hall, I felt like a celebrity as hundreds of heads swiveled in our direction. But not an Oscar award winning celebrity; more like a celebrity who’d just returned from a brief stint in rehab.
I probably looked like a recovering drug addict, anyway. My friends were right—I had lost weight, plus the bags under my eyes probably weren’t helping my cause. Honestly, I hadn’t bothered with my appearance like I normally would. I just didn’t care today.
Everyone’s gazes probed into me, taking in every part of me, as though they weren’t quite sure if I was really there or just a product of their overactive imaginations. Some students were even standing up to catch a glimpse of me.
Whispers of, “Oh, my God!”, “Did she really do it?” and “Where was she?” reached my ears.
I’d never been used to this sort of attention before and it was definitely something I didn’t like. If anything, it was making me feel claustrophobic and nauseous. Would I still be as infamous if I threw up all over the dining hall?
“…So then Penelope left and now everyone is sure she’s pregnant and that Orwell is the father. It’s like an episode of Gossip Girl ,” Misha was saying from beside me.
I had only been half-listening to her gossip, so I wasn’t sure who the topic had shifted to now. It was hard to focus on the conversation when everyone’s eyes were on
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