Page 12 of Demon Found

My fingers connect with the door handle and pain explodes down my arm. Flames engulf my hand, licking up my arm toward my face, burning bright and hot.Shit. Shit. Shit.

Yanking myself free, I drop to the ground, rolling around, smothering the flame.

Howls of laughter shred the air as the flames sputter and die out. These crazy bitches just set me alight, and now they’re laughing? What the hairy hell is wrong with people here? The flash of a camera phone brings me to my senses.

My hand doesn’t hurt. I stare at it wildly. The skin is perfect. It should be a charred mess.

Shit. An illusion.

“Good one, Belinda.”

The blonde grins at Camille’s high-five. The posse of girls traipse past, smirking down at me while I scrabble in the dirt gathering up my things. I’ve become a target for Queen Bee Camille and her sidekick within hours of arriving. Great.

I slog up the five floors to my room, past countless unfriendly faces. Tears sting the backs of my eyes. I don’t do this. I don’t cry. But I’m so done. I’m done with today. I want to get into my room, curl up and hide. These posh snobs can get lost. I’ll deal with them tomorrow. Tonight, I need time to come to terms with how freaking different my life has become.

Thankfully the key card from my induction pack opens the door and I fall through, slamming it behind me. Forehead pressed to the cool wood, I let out a relieved sigh.

Chapter Seven: Lorelei

“Thereyouare!Getover here and let me get a good old look at you!”

Shit a brick. The weirdo.Whirling around, I press my back to the door and glare at the intruder.

“Who the hell are you?”

The mousy-haired girl in front of me tuts and crosses her arms. “A blasphemer! I don’t know. They let just about anyone in here these days.”

“Not you too? I’m a crossbreed, not an alien.”

She frowns, pushing wayward straggles of hair back into her messy bun. “I’m well aware of that. Iwasn’taware you’d have a tongue like a guttersnipe. Oh well, never mind, we’ll soon get you up to Fates Academy standard.”

A guttersnipe. Who talks like that?

“We’ll be best buds in no time, you’ll see. This is your side of the room.” She gestures to the plain single mattress, desk, and wardrobe. “I like things calm and tidy, just so you know.”

I edge around her. Just as I squeeze past, she claps a hand to her mouth and lets out a wail of distress right in my damn ear.

“Oh, my goodness gracious goddesses! I completely failed to introduce myself. You must think me so terribly rude. I do beg your pardon.”

Is she taking the piss? No. No, she can’t be. Her face just crumpled like someone shot her grandma. Please don’t let her cry on me too.

“Uh. It’s fine. I didn’t introduce myself either, did I? Lorelei . . . Lorelei Smith. You’re my roommate?”

“Naeve Naiades Nereirds Haliai. Delighted to make your acquaintance . . .roomie.”

It’s like she’s trying out the word roomie for the very first time. This is one uptight chick. She marches toward me, arms outstretched, and I shuffle backward, alarmed.

“Oh. No. No, I don’t do—” Her embrace is so tight I can’t finish the sentence. Pushing fiercely away from where I’m being swallowed by her damn boobs, I let out a low growl. “Hugs. No hugging, Naeve Naiades Ner—”

“Oh, don’t be a big silly, you can call me Naeve. And everyone needs hugs.”

The hell I need hugs. Not from her. Or anyone here. Subtly I try to brush her cloying talcum powder smell from my clothes. Is she secretly an old granny?

Naeve breezes to her side of the room, gathers a bundle of things and presses it all into my arms.

“Here. I brought up your supplies. Your school tablet, uniforms, sports kit, and your books. You lucked out with your sponsor—this stuff costs hundreds!”

I nod slowly, but a wave of white noise echoes through my head. I’ve no freaking idea what she’s saying anymore. If she would just shut up for two damn minutes. My vision blurs and my fingers tingle.Shit. Am I going to pass out? What’s happening?

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