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Chaston opened her ure it out on her own" She opened the door "Good luck surviving Hecate, Sophie You'll need it"

If that wasn't a dismissal, I didn't knoas

I was so distracted thinking about ht into theover the candle as I did I hissed as hot wax spilled over le

I limped to the door Before I left, I turned to Elodie She atching ain "I didn't realize turning down a coven was such a big deal"

For a second I thought she wasn't going to reply Then she dropped her voice and said, "I spent years in the huets to look at reen eyes narrowed "Certainly not a loser witch like you"

Then she slammed the door in my face

I stood there in the hall, very aware of the sound of

Had I looked at her like she was a ht of how I'd felt when she said she'd irl disappear

Yeah, I'd probably looked at her like that

"Okay, that is IT!" someone shouted

A door flew open across the hall, and Taylor sto an oversize nightshirt, and her hair was tangled around her face Once again her s

"Get OUT!" she cried, pointing down the hall Through the open door I could see Nausicaa and Siobhan, along with a couple of other faeries, sitting cross-legged on the floor A green light glowed from the center of the circle, but I couldn't tell what it was

The group stood "You cannot keepthe rituals of my people," Nausicaa said

Taylor pushed her hair away from her face "No, but I can tell Casnoff that you four were trying to coie"

Nausicca frowned and bent down to pick up the glowing circle of green glass "It is not a 'ht-bloohest hill in--"

"WHAT EVER," Taylor shouted "I have to be in Classifications of Shapeshifters at eight, and I can't sleep with your stupidin my face"

Siobhan leaned over, her blue hair obscuring her face, and whispered soestured to the other faeries "Come We may continue this somewhere lessprimitive"

Taylor rolled her eyes

The faeries glided past lance, and then they transforhly the size of tennis balls, and drifted down the hall

"Good freaking riddance," Taylor said under her breath before turning to one now, but her eyes were still golden "Hi again"

"Hi," I said weakly, giving a wave

"So what are you doing up and about?"

I nodded

Shouldn't you be outside, running in the woods orwhatever?"

Taylor looked confused "No, that's only the weres"

"There's a difference?"

The friendliness vanished from her face "Yes," she snapped "I'm a shifter That means I become an actual animal Weres are somewhere between animal and person" She shuddered "Freaks"

"Don't listen to her," a voice growled froer than Justin had been, and her fur was reddish instead of gold She was standing at the opposite end of the hallway, near the stairs

"Shifters are just jealous because we're so ainst the wall It was a very human posture, and it ulped and shrank back against Elodie's door Taylor didn't look scared, just annoyed "Keep telling yourself that, Beth" To me she said,

"See you tomorrow, Sophie"

"See you"

The olf stayed put at the end of the hall, her tongue lolling out and her eyes bright I would have to pass her to get to led to keep my face i fro anymore

When I reached the olf, she startledclaws For a second I thought she was trying to disembowel me But then she said, "I'm Beth," and I realized I was supposed to shake her paw

I did, gingerly "Sophie"

She s, but that wasn't her fault

"Nice to meet you," she said, her voice thick

Okay, this wasn't so bad I could handle this So she had eaten soed her snout intobreath

A war of drool dripped from her open maw onto my bare shoulder

I forced myself to stay very cal a bashful shrug, she said, "Sorry Werewolf thing"

"Hey, no probleh all I could think was, Slobber!

Werewolf slobber! On my skin!

"See you around!" she called after !" I said over my shoulder