Page 91 of Savage Hope

“My sigil,” she whispers, disbelief morphing her voice as she holds out the necklace.

“Your sigil is free, Miss Gloom.”

“Oh my gosh!” she cries, knocking her chair backward as she rushes to her feet. “I’m free. I’m really free.”

“Well, freedom is also subjective, Sian. You now will fall prisoner to your lineage. You will now feel both the pros and cons of being a vampire.”

“Which means I no longer need this class, right?” She’s too busy staring at the necklace hanging from her fingertips to even look at Sommers, and the second the professor speaks her agreement, Sian’s out of the door, leaving all of us behind.

“Good riddance,” Danica mutters under her breath, but it’s clear everyone at the table hears her, and she quickly finds herself on the end of a deathly glare from Terence.

“Watch your tongue, witch,” he snaps, and Danica cackles, her head falling back with glee as she mocks him.

“Watchmytongue. Maybe you should watchyourtongue because last I recall, you don’t know what to do with it.”

I gape in a mixture of horror and disbelief before a laugh bubbles in my stomach, impossible to hold down as it parts my lips, and I clap a hand over my mouth. My cheeks heat as others chuckle too, while Sommers and Terence both splutter to redirect the conversation. Terence’s eyes find mine, a snarl on his lips, but it only amuses me more.

Apparently, Danica is more fun than I thought. I’d love to tell her who Iknowis excellent with his tongue, but I would never want her to find out for herself.

“Let’s remain focused, shall we?” Sommers calls out, drenching the space in silence. “Polaris Beauchamp,” she calls out, and I freeze, feeling all eyes at the table swing my way. “It shows here that you’re linked to the Marshlands as well. Use your last name and the location to begin your research,” she orders, waving her hand dismissively, and I rise with a sigh.

She could have delivered such news a little gentler, but it seems that’s not her priority, I guess. Her job is to give us the tools needed to remove the sigil, and I’m more than ready to break these bands around my wrists.

Rising from my seat, I take the slip of paper from her hand and head toward the corner where everyone else is gathered, face buried in a book as they desperately read through page after page, hoping for something.

The bookcase behind them is lined with so many books I don’t know where to begin, but starting somewhere is better than starting nowhere, so I head for the top left corner and decide I’ll make that my beginning.

Running my finger down the spine, I note the title of the book,Witches and Their Bloodlines.

It seems like a good enough place to start.

With my heavy book in hand, I find an empty seat and open it to the first page. I only make it five pages deep before the bell rings, pulling me from the sheets of finely typed information.

“Whatever book you are holding, take it with you. Your assignment for the week is to complete it,” Professor Sommers explains, twisting her hair into a messy bun on top of her head as she addresses us.

With the leather-bound book pressed against my chest, I head for the exit, looking left and right before I step out into the hall. Keeping my back pressed against the wall as I exit, I regret not knowing exactly which direction Bryony is in so I can head toward her.

“Are you heading to the dining hall?” Danica asks, and it takes me a second to realize she’s talking to me.

Gulping nervously, I nod, and she rolls her eyes as she tilts her head to the right. “You can walk with us if you want to meet your friend there,” she offers, already walking away. It takes me a split second to make a decision before I relent, hurrying after her and Helena, who don’t offer up any conversation as we head toward the dining hall.

I balance my new book with one hand as I slip the other into my pocket to retrieve my cell phone, tapping out a message to Bryony as I try to keep up with them.

Polaris: Meet you at the dining hall.

Polaris: Don’t worry, I’m not alone. Danica and Helena are here.

The little dots appear on the screen immediately, followed swiftly by a message.

Bryony: Who?

I roll my eyes at her but quickly tap out an answer before I slip the device away.

Polaris: The two other new witches from Florentine’s. I just learned that Danica is quite funny, so if I die, hopefully I’ll have a laugh along the way.

I’m sure I’ll pay for that. It’s probably not a subject to make fun of, but it’s amusing nonetheless.

The dining hall quickly comes into view and the two seem to speed up to grab their preferred seats. They don’t bother toglance back to see if I’m still here, but I almost appreciate it. I don’t need to try to understand their motives right now, either.

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