Page 148 of Psycho Devils: Aran's Story 2

I pushed my fork slowly back and forth across my plate.

“Eat, Arabella,” Scorpius ordered.

I jolted at the name.

“You’re so terribly weak.” Mother tsked and clacked her nails against her chalice. “How sad that you’ll never amount to anything.” She smirked, and blue flames engulfed me.

I sobbed. Drooled onto the floor as agony ate my nerves.

Why did her blue fire have to be so unique? Why did it hurt so badly without burning? Why was she so powerful, yet I was so weak?

Malum’s gruff voice broke through the mirage. “Arabella, are you listening to him? Pay attention when your betters address you.” His voice was warped and distant. “Don’t test us, because we’ll gladly shove food down your throat.”

I dug my fork into the eggs.

Mashed them into my lips beside my pipe and smacked my gums loudly. Held the food in my cheeks.

Time bled away like sand in an hourglass.

My teammates talked.

I forgot that I was supposed to listen.

“Meal’s over,” Malum said loudly.

He clapped his hands in front of my face. I jumped, where was I?

Malum gestured to the door. “Lothaire will come by our room and tell us who’s competing soon. Everyone needs to be ready.”

Chairs pushed back with a loud scrape.

I leaned forward, stuck out my tongue, and spat out all the gross eggs. They tasted like baby chickens.

In my periphery, Malum lunged for me, but Orion held him back. I didn’t mistake his action for kindness.

Scorpius sneered something about me being the problem.

Obviously?

John wrapped his arm around my shoulder and dragged me forward.

Three blue-haired students bowed to me as we passed them in the crowded halls. I saluted them and mumbled, “Thank you for your service.”

One of them burst into tears because I’d addressed them.

I tried not to laugh.

Students jostled one another as they tried to make a pathway for the legions, but everyone had exited the hall at once, and it was cramped.

Lightning flashed, and someone screamed because they didn’t move fast enough away from the wall. Electric.

John yanked me forward as he scoffed at my bowing supporters, and the momentum made me bump into some students.

A woman whispered loudly, “What’s wrong with her? Why is she stumbling like that?”

The man next to her grimaced. “She’s clearly not well. How embarrassing.”

I was tired of pretending to heal, I was going to start traumatizing everyone back. I blew a cloud of smoke in their direction.

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