Page 21 of A Heart of Bluestone

Hide.

I’m tucked away in the shadowy corner of the classroom, right at the back, with a double table all to myself.

James and Courtney have taken a table at the front, and though I’m sometimes tempted to join them, it’s best to keep as much distance between me and Dray as I can.

He’s some desks down from me, and beside him, Landon Barlow picks at his neat fingernails with the tip of a sharpened pencil. His sleek black hair is combed back, but looks like it was done in a hurry, so some strands have fallen into the deep mahogany hues of his face. His tie is pulled loose, his sweater discarded on the floor with his satchel, as though those two items don’t cost more than a car. His dazzling white grin is aimed at the desk in front of his, right at Mildred who just throws him a withering look over her shoulder.

He kicks out for the back of her chair.

And that does it. She flings a pencil at him. Knocks him right off the head.

Landon just laughs.

He and Mildred have been good friends since our first year at the academy.

They are on the same snow-rugby team, which ties in their weekends together, especially when they aren’t spending their time in teams, they go off to the slopes instead, hit the perma-snow enchanted to stack there.

But Landon is…

Well, he’s not terrible. A Snake, sure, and his friendships are questionable. But I suspect he hasn’t got much malice in him. He’s more the type to go along with it, laugh, make fun, join in here and there. But I don’t think I have seen him instigate, not with me or anyone.

We are both in Star Theory together. No other Snakes but Serena in that lesson. And he hasn’t spared me a moment’s glance in those classes.

He’s only a threat if the other Snakes are around.

Mainly Dray and my brother.

Well, shit.

My face shutters.

Glinting diamonds for eyes, Dray is turned in his chair—and looking right at me.

The heat burns my face, and I look down at my textbook.

Still, I catch his movements out the corner of my eye.

Slowly, he drags his books into one arm, then slips out of his chair.

I fix my wide eyes on the blurred pages of my book.

My heart drops like lead to my stomach.

Dray advances on me.

I glance up as he kicks away the empty chair, then drops into it.

He tosses his books onto the table.

I blink at him, stupefied.

With a worried glance over at the master, I don’t see any objections and movement is rippling through the class.

I turn my now-furious stare on Dray.

“What are you doing?” I hiss at him.

Dray spares a dull look on me. “He told us to partner up,” he drawls, disinterested.

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