Page 8 (1/2)

I'd read so about that in one of Mom's books It was this really intense ritual that took away iuh it voluntarily

"Why would he do that?" I asked

She pushed her food around on her plate "He and Holly were

really close, and he was in a bad place after she died A couple of people said they heard hi Casnoff that he hated what he anted to be normal, stuff like that"

"Huh," I said "So he and Holly were a couple?"

"You could say that"

I clearly wasn't going to get any more out of Jenna about that, so I said, "Well, apparently he didn't go through the Reot powers"

"Yeah, powers over your pants," Jenna said with a giggle

I threw a roll at her, but before she could retaliate, Mrs Casnoff rose from her seat She raised her hands over her head and the rooht she'd just cast a silencing spell

"Students," she drawled "Dinner is now concluded If this is not your first night at Hecate, please exit the dining hall The rest of you are to reave me a sympathetic look and cleared our empty plates

"Sorry in advance for what you're about to see"

"What?" I asked as the dining hall began to e to happen?"

Jenna shook her head "Let's just say you ret cake? Whatever was about to happenout when Mrs Casnoff's voice rang out "Mr

Cross? Where are you going?"

Archer was only a few feet from me and about to head out the door I also noticed that he was holding hands with Elodie Interesting Of course it made total sense that the two people who already see

Archer stared down the length of the ballroom at Mrs Casnoff "This isn't my first year," he said The line out the door had frozen, everyone's curious faces turned toward Archer Elodie placed her other hand--the one that wasn't clutching Archer's like he was a prize she'd won at a carnival--on his shoulder

"I've seen all this crap before," he insisted

The shifter teacher, Mr Ferguson, rose to his feet "Language!" he bellowed

But Archer's eyes were on Mrs Casnoff, who looked calm and cool

"And yet I don't believe it has sunk in," she told Archer She gestured to the Jenna's now-empty chair "Kindly have a seat"

I' of words as he grabbed the chair across froritted my teeth "Hi So what is this?"

Archer settled into his seat, a gri went black

CHAPTER 7

As soon as the lights went out, I expected that usual thing that happens when a teacher turns off the lights: laughter, oooohs, and the rustling of clothing and squeaking of chairs that tells you people are scooting closer together, probably to make out Instead the room was silent Of course, there were only about twenty of us in there