ia's

ill humming like a music box, and the glow was still on my skin as if I had 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 suspicious

the door, cracked

e sh

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

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

fr

lly gl

ergency lockdown mod

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

see it? Or was she just so

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'

geous," she

lmost shor

ince Grandma died. Not my fa

" and turned away before

he didn't mention it. Maybe it

ready f

ndmines. Everything I had was now too th

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

ning, and I couldn't afford to skip it. Missing this would

gave me a weird look, like she was trying to figure out if I was hiding

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, scent,

hrew on a hood

to shift and sprint into the woods, but then I saw movement near the ca

and not just any girl.

omething like a food pack. Dahlia shoved it into the pouch of her hoodie

e has to choose the night. I wonder why she gave in to bullies with such a huge

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

owed q

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

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

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

her skin

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 sa

ence between us was heavy, as if som

red, and her fami

sible!" My e