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Dean Buckley’s jaw tightened "The filth should stay at the Science Acade" He spun on his heel and strode toward a set of large ornate doors which presumably led into the pocket dins stood in a roped-off area to the right of the doors, shouting slogans and waving at a long line of people who appeared to be waiting for adh the doors The dean strode past the line and the shoutingpuffy hats and red uniforuards opened the door for hireen vista with snow-topped uards closed the doors and took up positions again

The arch operator asked us a dozen ed us not to tell Eliza Conroy about the incident "I’ve never seen sowith disbelief at the quiet arch "We ht have to shut down operations until we find out rong"

The people at the front of the departures line groaned when they heard the operator’s words One h the arch so he’d be home in time for dinner The operator held up his hands and waved theruntled travelers Fro our way I turned and saw severalhat looked like exciterabbed my sleeve and pulled me well away from the creepy mind twisters

"I take it you don’t like Dean Buckley?" I asked

He chuckled "That jackass is not only in charge of educating kids, but he’s one of the old bigots on the Arcane Council"

Thinking of Dean Buckley reminded me of the term Shelton had used to turn the dean from an admirer into a total hater "What, pray tell, is a bloomer, besides an old style of wolance "Itdifferent to everybody, but to the elitists, itand caed "There are plenty of nom kids in the world who have abilities, but don’t even know it"

"Uh, I don’t mean to be nitpicky, but I’m not human, so I was never a noe to say that aloud, but it was true Supers called normal humans "noms", not only because of their normality, but because to supers like vampires, normal humans were nom-noms--self-aware snack packs

"Yeah, well there’s a reason I told him that"

"Because you want me to be an outcast?"

He shook his head "I don’t want people like hi an interest" Shelton’s eyes narrowed "Believe me, when those kind of people are interested in you, it’s usually gonna end up bad"

I rolled my eyes "You’re one of the most anti-social, anti-establishment people I have ever met"

"If you knew about my past, you’d understand"

My curiosity lit up like a beacon "I’d love to hear that story"

He snorted "Maybe so from how my every day went, I’d likely be dead before someday ever arrived

Chapter 7

I took in the scene near the door to Queens Gate--the dwindling line of people entering and the roped-off crowd to the right I read one of the signs soht!" it exclaimed in red letters Another read, "Arcanes Don’t Own Queens Gate!"

"What in the world is this about?" I said as Shelton and I stopped next to the rat h the line to the entrance Thankfully, the line had shrunk considerably since our arrival A entlerunted, and tapped the wand to the papers before waving the man toward the doors

The man in the suit looked us up and down Raised an eyebrow "You have business here?"

Shelton’s jaent tight "Yeah What’s it to you?"

The man’s eyebroent up a notch "The Arcane Council is restricting access to all relics dominated by Arcane school zones As you may or may not know"--he sniffed as if ere complete idiots--"vampires attacked two novice schools" He held up a wand "Therefore, you ot to be kiddingward outside the entrance?"

The ed "The council plans to, but the Overworld Conclave is balking" He sighed and looked at the crowd of protesters "The bloody vaht back to the last time I’d actually walked the cobblestoned streets of the Grotto I’d seen plenty of vah any of the Arcane school zones I assumed they considered the entirety of Queens Gate a school zone "So you’re not letting any va any chances" He held up his wand "Who’s first?"

I shrugged "Me, I guess"