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"Deal," I said as Archer nodded

"Are we all going to high-five now?" Jenna asked after a pause

"No, but I can make up some kind of secret handshake if you want," Archer said, and for a second, they smiled at each other

But just as quickly, the smile disappeared froo I want to see if our room is as freakified as the rest of this place"

"Good idea," I said Archer reached out and brushed his fingers over mine

"See you later, then?" he asked His voice was casual, but my skin was hot where he touchedthat even a girl who has to stop evil witches froe in there somewhere

He turned and walked away As I watched hied with a dramatic roll of her eyes

"He's a little dreaently in the side "Thanks"

Jenna started to walk to the stairs "You coht up I just want to take a quick look around down here"

"Why, so you can be even more depressed?"

Actually, I wanted to stay downstairs just a little longer to see if anyone else showed up So far, I'd seen nearly everyone I reed here, too? Technically he hadn't been a student, but Mrs Casnoff had used his powers a lot last year

Would she still want him here?

To Jenna, I just said, "Yeah, you knowbruises"

"Okay Get your Nancy Drew on"

She jogged up the stairs I waited in the foyer for about fifteen n of Cal, or either of the Casnoffs Curious, I wandered in the direction of the cell ar It was down a narrow hallway just off the foyer, and while the corridor had always been dim, noas completely covered in shadows I could barely make out the wooden door and had to move my hands over it for a while before I found the iron doorknob I twisted it, but it was locked Of course

"I already tried it," Archer said frolad it was dark, so that he couldn't seein castles and Applebee's from now on" I turned so that my back was to the door

He walked forward "Ah, but this is technically outside the cell ar," he murmured as he pulled me into his arms

CHAPTER 15

As soon as our lips ainst the door My knees were in definite danger of failing hter as I clutched the front of his shirt and poured all that I'd been feeling for the past feeeks into that kiss-the despair I'd felt when I'd thought he was dead, the relief I felt now, pressed between him and the cell ar door

When we finally parted, I rested my forehead on his collarbone and took deep breaths It was a few ht you said we'd do this 'later'"

He kissed my temple "It's been like, twenty , I raised my head to look at hih it was dark, I could see him smile "I kind of et upstairs now"

"You probably should," hehis mouth to mine

By the time I finallyBut as soon as I walked through the door, s evaporated so quickly, I practically heard the pop

"Oh,surprised when everything turns out gross and depressing?" Jenna was sitting in the ht the as the worst," she said quietly "Or, you know Evan getting eaten But now I really feel like crying"

Our room had never been what anyone would call luxurious, but thanks to Jenna's obsessive love for pink, it had beenokay, I was going to say "coht" and "maybe a little insane" were probably better descriptions Still, it had been ours, and I'd never really realized how hts, scarves, and Electric Raspberry comforter had made that tiny dorhts now Just two beds, shoved to opposite walls; one battered desk; and a dresser that listed heavily to one side Theour reflections Maybe it was that gray light fro, or maybe it was just that this room, like the rest of the house, seemed to have had all the color bled out of it Whatever it was, this dorm room was not home anymore In fact, it felt an awful lot like a cell

I started to say that to Jenna as I moved out of the doorway But the second I did, the door slah to make me jump