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Rounding out the trio was an African Airl as even shorter than I was She was prettier than the blonde, but nowhere near as lovely the redheaded goddess in theat the plainer of the three, it was like my brain wanted them to be beautiful My eyes wanted to skip over all of their ilamour That was the only explanation, but I'd never heard of a witch using one That was so at the, because the blonde snickered and said, "Sophia Mercer, right?"

It was about then that I realizedopen

I closed it so quickly, itsound that was really loud in the quiet rooirl "We've been looking for you I'estured to the blonde "And this is Elodie Parris"

"Oh," I said, s at the redhead "That's pretty Like 'Melody'

without the 'M'"

She smirked "No, like Elodie"

"Be nice," Anna ad back tocommittee for neitches

Sowelcome!"

She stuck her hand out, and I briefly wondered if I was supposed to kiss it, before I came to my senses and shook it

"You three are witches?"

"That's e just said," Elodie retorted, earning another sharp look from Anna

"I'm sorry," I said "It's just that I've never met any other witches before"

"Really?" Chaston asked "Like, never met any witches at all, or just never met any other dark witches before?"

"ExcuseNausicaa a run for her money in the Snottiest Tone Ever competition

"IumI didn't know there were types of witches"

Now all three of theuage "Yes, but you are a dark witch?" Anna asked, pulling a piece of paper from her blazer It was some sort of list, and she scanned it intently "Let's see, Lassiter, Mendelsonhere, Mercer, Sophia Dark Witch That's you"

She handed me the list, which was titled "New Students" There were about thirty names, all with classifications in parentheses "Shapeshifter,"

"Faerie," and "White Witch" Mine was the only one that said "Dark Witch"

"Dark and white? What, are we like chicken lared at ently

"Really don't," I said casually, but inside I was kind of annoyed Ia mom who's supposed to be some sort of witch expert if she doesn't know the really iet that it's not really her fault, and that hly secretive since they're so freaked out about being discoveredbut da

"White witches--" Anna began, but Elodie cut her off

"White witches do weenie spells Love spells, fortune reading, locator spells, andI don't know,bunnies and kittens and rainbows appear out of thin air or whatever," she said, waving her hand dis of Felicia and Kevin "Yeah Weenie spells"

"Dark witches do the bigger things," Chaston offered "And our powers are a hell of a lot stronger We can ood, control the weather We're also necromancers if--"

"Whoa!" I held up s?"

All three girls nodded eagerly, like I'd just suggested going to thezo

Mistake Simultaneously, their smiles disappeared, and a distinct chill came over the room

"Ew?" Elodie sneered "God, how old are you?Power over the dead is the rossed out by it? I swear," she said, turning back to the other two, "are you serious about wanting her for the coven?"

I'd heard of covens, but Mom always said they'd fallen out of favor in the last fifty years or so These days, it was more like every witch for herself

"Hold up," I started, but Anna cut in like I hadn't even spoken

"She's the only other dark witch here, and you knoe need four"

"And I have the power of invisibility, apparently," I nored me

"She's worse than Holly," Elodie said "And Holly was the most pathetic excuse for a dark witch ever"

"Elodie!" Chaston hissed

"Holly?" I asked "Like, Holly who used to rooed a three-way glance, which is no easy feat

"Yes," Anna said guardedly "How do you know about Holly?"

"I' with Jenna, and she raduate or soenuinely freaked out Even Elodie's per with Jenna Talbot?" she asked

"That's what I just said," I snapped, but Elodie seemed totally unfazed byraduate or leave She died"