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I held the books out "I had some questions about these"

She frowned a little, but closed her ledger and gestured for me to sit down

"Is there a reason you're researching demons, Sophia?"

"Well, I read that they soht, you know, maybe that's

what happened to Chaston and Anna"

For a long moment Mrs Casnoff studiedanymore

"Sophie," she said It was the first time she'd ever called me that Her voice was tired "I kno much you want to exonerate Jenna"

I knehat she was going to say: the sa she'd said about The Eye I rushed on "I can't read any of these books because they're all in Latin, but there are pictures in them that show demons who pose as humans"

"That's true But it's also true that ould know if such a thing was on school grounds"

I stood up, slapping one of the books on her desk "You said yourself that ic is broken Maybe soot in"

Mrs Casnoff rose froe in the air, and I was suddenly--painfully--aware that Mrs Casnoff was much more than just a principal She was an extre lady While it's true thatis not possible I'm very sorry for you, but you have to face the fact that in the three weeks Jenna has been gone, neither you nor Elodie nor any other student at this school has been attacked You made a poor choice for a friend, but it cannot be helped"

I stared at her,in and out in a harsh rasp, like I'd just run a race

Mrs Casnoff ran a hand over her hair, and I saw that her hand was treize if I seem blunt, but you have to understand that vampires are not like us; they are et that"

Her expression softened "This hurts me as well, Sophie I backed your father's decision to let vampires attend this school Now I have a dead student, two more who ry atto do with any of this, but the evidence strongly suggests otherwise"

She took a deep breath and pressed the books intoto find a way to clear her, but in this case, I' anymore research on demons, is that understood?"

I didn't nod, but she acted as if I had "Now, I believe you're late for your cellar duty, so I suggest you hurry on to that before Ms Vanderlyden coh a film of tears, I watched her sit back down at her desk and open her ledger I was angry with her for refusing to ad at Hecate she didn't know about I also felt a bone-deep sadness

It didn't matter what I found, or what theories I tried to work on; the easiest explanation was that Jenna had killed Holly and tried to kill the other two, so that was all anyone was ever going to believe Anything elseor, worse than that, not oone when I reached the cellar They'd been replaced by a dull steady ache just behindfor me at the door I expected her to bite my head off-- in ive ht push toward the stairs

As she locked the door behind me, Archer looked up from behind one of the shelves "There you are Did the Vandy send out the hellhounds after you?"

"No" I picked up the clipboard and headed to the farthest corner of the cellar

"What, no witty retort? No standard-issue Sophie Mercer coht this second, Cross," I said as

"Huh," he said softly "What's up with you?"

"Let's see, shall we? The only real friend I have here is gone and will probably never come back Everyone is determined to think she's a monster, and no one will listen to any other ideas"

"What other ideas?" he asked "Sophie, she's a vampire It's what they do"

"So you believe that too?"

He tossed his papers down "Yeah, I do I know she was your friend, and that it sucks, but she wasn't the only friend you have here"

I was so angry, I felt like I was vibrating I crossed the roo you're my friend, Cross? Because I could swear you've barely talked to ht of the ball"

He looked away, and I could see thein his jaw

"You've been coht"