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She shook her head and wiped away the stray tears "No, no, sweetie, it's fine I justI just wish I could have given you a more normal childhood"
I sat down and wrapped my arm around her "Don't say that I've had an awesoet to live in nineteen states? Think of all I've seen!"
It was the wrong thing to say If anything, Mom just looked sadder
"And this place is awesome! I mean, I have this cool, extreh to fight, which is a pretty iht?"
Mission acco "Are you sure, sweetie? If you don't like it, you don't have to stay I'et you out of here"
For a second I thought about saying, "Yes, please, let's catch the next ferry out of this freak show"
Instead, what I said was: "Look, it's not forever, right? Just two years, and I'll have Christular school I'll be fine
Now go before you e dork"
Mo "I love you, Soph"
"Love you too," I said,one
And I lay down on e dork
CHAPTER 4
Once I'd gotten that out of my system, I still had an hour until dinner
I decided to do so I'd opened the two s for private bathrooms, but no Just closets
The only bathroom on the whole floor was at the opposite end of the hall, and it, like the rest of the house, was spooky The only light in it ca mirror over the bank of sinks That meant that the shower stalls in the back of the roo the showers a closer look, it occurred to me that I'd never had a true reason to use the word "dank" before now
I knew I should have packed flip-flops
In addition to the mildew-rific showers, there were also a bunch of claw-foot tubs against one wall, separated by waist-high partitions I wondered ould ever want to take a bath in front of a bunch of other people?
Risking all manner of communicable diseases, I went to one of the sinks and splashed water onat myself in the mirror, I saw that the water hadn't really helped My face was still bright red fro my freckles stand out even more
I shookIt didn't So with a sigh I set out to investigate the rest of Hecate Hall
There wasn'ton hly fifty girls together There were four hallways on the third floor, two to the left of the staircase, two to the right
The landing was huge, so it had been converted into a lounge There were two couches and several chairs, but none of the furniture matched, and it all looked a little worse for wear Since all the seats were taken, I hovered near the staircase
The faerie I'd seen earlier, the one with the blue tears, had apparently recovered She was draped over a chartreuse fainting couch, laughing with another faerie This one had light green wings that beat softly against the back of the sofa I'd always though faeries' wings would be like butterflies', but they were thinner and h them
They were the only faeries in the rooirls who looked about twelve They hispering nervously to each other, and I wondered if they itches or shifters
The dark-haired girl I'd seen on the lawn sat in an ivory wingback chair, idly flipping channels on the tiny television sitting on top of a sreen-winged faerie said, turning to glare at the girl in the chair "So Girl"
None of the twelve-year-olds reacted to that, so I figured they were all witches Surely a shifter would've looked irl stood and turned off the TV "My nareen faerie " Taylor And I turn into a ether for the next few years, you ht want to rereen wings beating softly "Oh, ill not be living together for long, I assure you My uncle is king of the Seelie Court, and as soon as I tell hi a roo arrangee"
"Yeah, well, it doesn't look like your uncle could keep you out of this place," Taylor fired back Nausicaa's face was still blank, but her wings beat faster
"I will not live with a shifter," she said to Taylor "I certainly don't want to deal with your litter box"
The blue faerie laughed again, and Taylor turned bright red Even froold She was breathing hard as she said, "Shut up! Why don't you go and hug a tree or soarbled, like she wasaround aaround a ood sense to look a little scared She turned to the blue faerie and said, "Coet control of herself"
The two of thelided past me and down the stairs
I looked back at Taylor, as still panting, her eyes squeezed shut