Page 27 of House of Demons and Bones

While Bea sat down and guarded our schoolbags, I made a beeline to grab food. The whispers started up, all hush-hush conspiracy style.

Sy’s super-hearing caught the gossip train.

“She spread her legs for every heir,” Fake Blonde said with disdain but failed to hide the envy underneath. That witch, who’d banged half the less powerful players and now kissed Grace’s feet, couldn’t get within five feet of an heir herself. “She might sleep her way to the middle, but she’ll never sleep her way to the top!”

“She dodged punishment for every crime,” Bellona said bitterly. “But mark my words, justice is coming. The second trial will be her reckoning. She can beat one of us, but she can’t beat all of us!”

My heart skipped a beat and ice crawled up my spine. They planned on ganging up on me to take me out in the next trial. Headmistress Ethel had mentioned something about arena-style combat for trial two—only the survivors would make it to roundthree. I didn’t want to kill anyone, but if they forced kill-or-be-killed, I’d bloody my hands.

My steps dragged as I thought of Bea. How could I push her clear of the blast zone? I chewed my lip. I needed to figure out how to keep my friend alive.

I loaded up a tray at the buffet. I’d be back for a second serving. With a heavy tray on my arm, I breezed past Jinx and her new crew without a glance, dropping the tray on our table with a grin for Bea.

Grace’s table kept firing toxic energy my way, their whispers carrying across the hall.

“Is it true Ugly Barbie never washes her bottom?”

“Eww, that’s disgusting.”

Bea bit into her sandwich, a brow quirked at my murderous expression.

“What did they say, Barbie?” She knew I could hear everything.

“What the fuck?” I spat. “They’re calling me Ugly Barbie now. Apparently, they also found out that I don’t wash my butt.”

Sy slunk into a corner, guilt rolling off her, before she made a show of yawning. Then she pretended to be asleep, dead to the world, yet her ears pricked, listening to every bit of the conversation.

Cami strode in our direction, two of her friends flanking her. She’d defended me during the first trial and gotten me out of the corrupted ivory tower, but I’d been her housemate back then, and Killian had been my shield.

Was she going to turn against me now that I’d switched houses? Whatever. One more enemy wouldn’t kill me. I’d dealt with worse.

I put on my game face as Killian’s cousin approached. Her blank expression told me Killian hadn’t spilled about the truemate bomb he’d dropped on me. I was still reeling from the shock of the truth.

“So, refusing to wash your bottom these days?” Cami asked, narrowing her eyes at me. “Or just forgetting?”

“Look who’s talking,” I said defensively.

Cami snickered at my pissed-off expression. Her friends dragged chairs over, surrounding our table. Bea stayed quiet, but her fingers curled around her wand, ready for shit to hit the fan.

Then Drusilla rolled up with enough garlic fries and ice cream for a small army and joined us too.

“That’s a new low, even for you, Ugly Barbie,” the dhampir said, her blue eyes glinting. “Remember when you played Little Bob in the House of Vampires? I practically had to shove you into the shower.”

Drusilla had it bad for Louis. She’d quit being his assistant to join the Brides Selection, just like I’d ditched being his squire. Weird that she didn’t hate me, considering how the vamp prince drooled over me. Then again, she’d watched him screw around plenty—right in front of her.

Everyone except Bea and I cracked up as Drusilla nodded at Cami before she took a seat next to Bea.

“Yeah, as Little Bob, I got mocked and abused over rumors about my tiny dick, which no one had seen since I never showered in public.”

The table erupted in laughter, but I wasn’t amused. I caught Dixie’s eye across the room. The hatred had faded from her gaze, replaced by something sadder, more nostalgic. For a second, we connected, both remembering when I’d snuck into her lover’s apartment for a private shower and gotten busted.

That was when the small-dick rumors started—not that anyone had seen the goods. Luna had collapsed in Dixie’s arms, both of them dying of laughter at my expense. That was the lasttime I saw Luna alive. A Shrieker got her when I failed at my job of keeping everyone safe.

“But you don’t have a cock, even a tiny one,” Cami said in amusement. “Or do you?”

“She fooled everyone with her boy act, even our princes.” Drusilla flashed me a grin. “Pretty shrewd of you. Had me convinced too.”

I didn’t smile back. “It’s not my fault that everyone ran withLittle Bob. I bathe daily and wash every inch, kind of, just not in public. And this stupid rumor about my unwashed bottom is worse than the dick joke. Who started it? I don’t usually duel, but I’ll make a fucking exception!”

---