I grimaced. “The darkest of the dark, you mean.”
Selene nodded. “The administration and all the teachers will know, but not students.” Then her expression hardened. “Not that I blame him for wanting to keep it secret. Stops people from judging you based on your kind.”
I didn’t say anything, understanding her bitter tone all too well. Nightmares had been hunted to near extinction all because the rest of magickind feared we would suck their souls out through their dreams. And everybody assumed sirens were manipulative and vain and that their only value lay in their beauty.
We walked along in silence for a couple of minutes as we navigated the crowd of students making their way to the cafeteria. The pre-lunchtime ruckus seemed at a fever pitch today despite the presence of the Will Guard watching from alcoves or trolling the hallways, their red tunics like warning flags.
But once we reached the underclassmen cafeteria, Selene said, “So why were you late to class?”
I looked around to see who was nearby. It didn’t seem like anybody was listening in, but you never could tell with magickind. Used to be I didn’t have to worry about people paying attention to me. I was just a nobody, a halfkind and a Nightmare, the lowest of the low. But after all the stuff with Marrow, my classmates had started taking more of an interest. I didn’t think it was a good idea to risk it. I shook my head as we stepped into the lunch line.
A hurt look crossed Selene’s face. For a second, I didn’t understand, but then I remembered our argument from the night before. “It’s not like that,” I said. “I just can’t tell you here. It’s secret and a pretty big deal.”
Selene pursued her lips. “Does it have to do with Eli?”
I paused, caught off guard by the question. Then I remembered English class. “What’d you hear?”
“That he stole someone’s wand and tried to kill Miss Norton with it and almost succeeded.”
I rolled my eyes and then relayed the honest, unembellished story about our English class. I resisted the temptation to point out that she would’ve seen it for herself if she hadn’t ditched this morning. She listened, intrigued as we traversed the line.
“I wonder how he was able to do it,” Selene said when I finished.
“No idea.”
Selene readjusted her ball cap. “Maybe it has to do with The Will being gone. He could have witchkind blood somewhere far back in his family.”
“I guess it’s possible,” I said.
Starving after my skimpy breakfast, I decided on a hamburger and a heaping mound of fries. To my surprise, Selene chose the same, forgoing her usual soup and salad combo. Maybe she needed to refuel after her busy night with Lance.
Ew.
We sat down at our usual table, side by side to make for easier whispering. Then with our heads practically touching, I told her about my meeting with the sheriff and Lady Elaine.
“I can’t believe they’re letting him go,” Selene said when I finished. She drummed her fingers on the table, each hard tap emphasizing her dismay.
Nodding, I picked up my water goblet and took a drink.
“And how dare they ask you to go all femme fatale on him. Minus the fatale, of course, since he’s the bad guy.”
I choked as an image of me in an exotic stripper getup flashed in my mind. Water dribbled out of my mouth, and I wiped it away. “Ugh, don’t describe it like that.”
Selene huffed. “And I can’t believe you agreed to it.”
“Like I had a choice with so much at stake. You know how dangerous he is. How dangerous all of Marrow’s supporters are.”
Selene gave a little shiver. “I guess you’re right.”
Wanting to change the subject, I told her about last night and all the stuff with Britney. When I got to the part about seeing Eli in the dream, she didn’t react at all. I nudged her with my elbow. “Don’t you think that’s a little odd?”
Selene shrugged. “Weird, maybe, but I definitely don’t think he had anything to do with it if that’s what you’re suggesting.”
I picked up my napkin and wiped the salt from my lips. “Even after what happened in English?”
“Oh, come on, Dusty.” She wrinkled her nose. “This is Eli you’re talking about. He would never hurt Britney, and we know he’s not a Marrow supporter. His presence was just coincidence. I bet Britney has a crush on him.”
“She’s got a funny way of showing it.” I popped a fry into my mouth and chewed dejectedly. The idea of Britney liking Eli hadn’t occurred to me, but it was definitely possible. Eli’s attractiveness transcended all the kinds. I’d even seen Irene Stark checking him out once, the same person who believed so strongly in the superiority of her kind that she often refused to talk to someone if they weren’t a fellow fairy.
“It’s not as if most of us can control what we dream about the way you can,” Selene said. The note of reproach in her tone distracted me from my jealous musings about Eli.
I supposed she had a point. But then the image of that plinth and the unreadable letters rose unbidden in my mind. She was wrong about my ability to control my dreams, at least lately. I shuddered, remembering the deep, empty feeling inside me from the need to reach that plinth and discover those hidden words. I felt it even now.
Fortunately, a distraction appeared a moment later as Lance Rathbone walked into the cafeteria. He paused, surveyed the crowd, and then approached our table. Right away, I could tell there was something off about him. His clothes were in disarray, one pant leg stuck halfway inside a black kneesock while the opposite leg sported an untied shoe and a blue sock. One side of his shirt hung lower than the other from the misaligned buttons.
I looked up and saw his face was puffy and that two dark circles rimmed his cheekbones. His light brown hair lay plastered against his skull on one side and stuck straight out on the other. He peered down at Selene, blinking a couple of times as if in a daze. His green eyes, usually bright, seemed dull.
“Rough night?” I said, smirking. I winked at Selene, but she frowned back at me, her expression confused.
She stared up at Lance. “What happened to you?” she said with no trace of irony in her voice.
It was my turn to be confused. I examined Lance more closely, guessing my assumption had been wrong. The puffiness and bruises were too extreme to have been brought on by a sleepless night. He looked like he’d been beaten up. I knew Selene could be a feisty one, but I didn’t think she was into the kind of stuff that would leave her love interest looking like he’d had a run-in with a pissed-off gorilla.
Double ew.
Lance didn’t answer as he rubbed his eyes with his knuckles, leaving them even redder and puffier than before. “You seen Eli?” he finally asked, directing the question at me.
I shook my head. “Not since English. He got sent to the principal’s office.”
Lance surveyed the cafeteria. “And he’s not back yet?”
Selene and I exchanged a look. He was really out of it. If Arkwell had been a normal ordinary high school, I would’ve assumed he was stoned or something.
“You haven’t heard?” said Selene.
Lance slid a leg over the bench opposite us, whacked his knee on the table, and then plopped down, groaning.
I considered him a moment, shocked to find myself actually feeling concern. I’d never seen the guy looking so disoriented and clumsy.
“Heard what?” Lance said, rubbing his knee.
Selene relayed the story about Eli doing magic in English class.
“Huh,” Lance said when she finished.
Selene reached across the table and whacked him once on the top of the head.
“Hey.” He winced, putting a hand over his brow.
“What’s wrong with you?” said Selene.
Lance’s mouth opened but no words came out. It was as if what little part of his brain he normally used had a short in it. He closed his mouth, knuckled his eyes again, and then glowered back at us, looking more like himself than he had so far today. “Nothing’s wrong with me. I found this note and I wanted to show it to Eli.”