Page 32 of Switching Graves

As a person who is directionally challenged, I gladly accepted the kind gesture.

I glance back down at the folded sheet of paper I’ve been carrying around in my bag with all my class information on it. “Um . . . Dr. Whitlock?”

She and Ava share a wide-eyed look that has my stomach dropping.

My eyes flit between them, brows pulling together in a frown. “Oh, god. What is it?”

“He’s just not the easiest, that’s all,” Ava assures me, tilting her head.

“Yeah, that, and he’s a total weirdo,” Beatrix scoffs. Ava jams her elbow into Beatrix’s side, and she howls in pain.

“He’s one of the few Nocturnians allowed on campus,” Ava supplies, as if that explains anything.

“He’s also a Null,” Beatrix adds.

Shoving a huge bite into my mouth, I mumble, “Wha’s a Nuh?” around a wad of bread and nearly choke from the rude gesture.

Beatrix pauses, watching me through squinted eyes. Ava, thankfully, answers the question. “A Null is someone without gifts.”

“You didn’t know that?” Beatrix asks skeptically. “My parents taught us about Nulls as soon as we could walk.”

Slowly setting my sandwich on its wrapper, I roll my lips and drop my gaze to the table. “Yeah, so . . . about that.”

“She’s a Null!” Beatrix exclaims, bumping into Ava. “I told you.”

“No, actually,” I start, shaking my head. “I had no idea that any of this,” I hold out my hands toward the crowded room, “even existed.”

“No one told you about Ravenshurst?” Ava asks slowly.

I realize then that Beatrix has never said what her gifts were. Could she be trying to read my thoughts right now? To manipulate me into telling her the truth? Why else do I feel so compelled to tell them about this?

“No, no. I’ve always known about Ravenshurst. I just didn’t know about all the . . . giftedness.”

Beatrix’s eyes pop wide open and Ava sits back in her seat.

“That makes more sense,” Beatrix says after a moment, pointing her fork at me.

“So, you’ve never experienced your gift?” Ava wonders, pouting her lips in pity.

“No, I mean . . . I’ve always noticed there was something different about me, but my parents never mentioned anything.”

“Interesting,” Beatrix mutters.

“That must have been so isolating.” The lines between Ava’s brows as she frowns, and the way she leans in toward me with her arms crossed on the table tell me that she’s genuinely hurt for me. And not in a way that feels like pity or shame, but like she truly cares.

I shrug, a little uncomfortable beneath her stare. “It wasn’t too bad.”

Nothing as isolating as losing my parents or living with guardians who didn’t really want anything to do with me. Definitely not as isolating as when I left Aunt Divina’s to live alone above Flower Power.

But I don’t say any of that.

“So, what? You got here and realized we’re all a bunch of freaks?”

“Beatrix,” Ava hisses.

“I thought I was only coming here for a psych degree. Turns out, I’m learning a whole lot more about myself along the way.”

Ava’s brows tip upward compassionately. “If you have any questions, we’re more than happy to answer them as best as we can. I mean, we don’t know much about the other bloodlines outside of what’s already public knowledge, but that’s pretty normal. We don’t share secrets across lines.”

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