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Murmurs went up from the assembled students

"I don’t like bullies," Ivy said, her lips curling back Shedown the hall Her hand clenched the air and jerked The lycan slid back toward her She leaned over his prostrate forain" Ivy raised a fist and ranite stone to the left of the student’s head cracked, even though her fist never ain, and the invisible force pulverized the stone to dust Teeth bared, her face red with rage, Ivy clasped both hands together and held theain!" she screaht her arms "Ivy, don’t!" I said "Please, don’t"

She seemed to snap from a trance Looked up at me Tears burst into her eyes, and she slumped "I hate thes they say aboutup at me with tear-stained eyes "I hate them!"

A crowd of students surrounded us The lycan scrah the about how Ivy wasn’t normal Heard another say ere all freaks Another asked ere hanging out with a traitor

I caught Morgana’s tear-filled eyes

"Show’s over," I said to the crowd "Get out of here!"

The crowd dispersed rather quickly, probably concerned Ivy ain and kill theana said, wiping her face

I led them down a quiet hall Ivy took a deep breath and closed her eyes When she opened them, her face could have been htly "I’uess I need to work on my temper"

"You didn’t seem fine Don’t repress your es worse when they break free again"

"Oh, that silly boy juston her toes

Ivy was pulling a Shelton on me, I realized, except she didn’t hide her eruff exterior, but fake sunshine I turned to the other girl "Are you okay, Morgana?"

She nodded

"Do they bully you a lot?"

She looked away fro up

"I was bullied a lot in school, too," I said "I knohat it’s like"

Her eyes widened "You were?"

"Football players beat hi ana said "Did--did your parents…" she trailed off as if unable to finish the sentence

"Didto drive"My parents split up," I said "My mom is an Arcane, and my dad, well, he’s a Daemos"

"He’s not our dad, Justin," Ivy said in a fierce voice "It’s a lie, a lie, a lie!"

Morgana and I gave her an uneasy look

"Unless you know for sure who our dad is, can we just pretend he is?" I said, exasperated "I mean, it’s really cool if you think about it We’re the best of both worlds"

Ivy pursed her lips, and narrowed her eyes at me "It’s cool to be half evil?"

"No, but it ic and super strength"

"I don’t know…" she trailed off, eyes losing focus "I’"

"But wouldn’t it be cool if you could pick up bullies without ht have my foot in the door on her dislike of our father

"I suppose" She toed the floor "Whatever We’ll pretend he’s our father so Morgana doesn’t get confused"

I fought back a siven uess ana said "I mean, at least my parents love each other, even if they are traitors"

I stared at her for a moment "Traitors?"

"Traitors?" Ivy said an instant later "What did they do? Tellfree fro for the Red Syndicate They’re in jail now"

"I’ana" I touched her shoulder, unsure how to console her