Page 83 of House of Vampires and Flame

A blink, and Bea gasped, returning to normal. The whiteness cleared from her eyes.

“What happened?”

“You said to beware of the hanged and something about the bride,” I said, still a little freaked out. “Wtf?”

“I don’t know what those mean,” she said, face paling and worry knotting her eyebrows. “I’ve been having episodes like this, and I don’t remember what I said afterwards.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I said, putting my hand on top of hers to ease her anxiety. “I’m here for you.”

She nodded, her eyes glowing a little before they dulled. “I saw you again in my tealeaves last night. I think there’ll be power plays in the realm, and you’ll be a key player, despite your current low position. Be careful, Little Bob. Don’t trust anyone.”

I smirked to lighten the mood. “Including you.”

“Yes, including me,” she offered, her voice a little rough. “Things change. People change. Alliances change as well. No friends are forever, and no enemies are forever.”

“We’ll be friends forever. I know it.”

“Could you tell me what else I said when I wasn’t myself?” she asked.

“You said—” I started.

“Here you are, you little shit!” Javier stalked across the dining hall toward our table; more students filed in for coffee and breakfast.

“Shit,” I said, swallowing a buttered bun without chewing much. “That big shit is coming our way. You’d better move along.”

“I’ll stand by you,” Bea said, pulling out her wand. “If he hurts you, I’ll turn my wand on him.”

Javier stopped by my table, his small eyes narrowing on me.

“You’re summoned to attend to His Highness at the ice skating rink. Right now!” he barked.

“What for?” I asked, swallowing a big mouthful of milkshake, and Javier growled at the burp I made. “I don’t know how to skate.”

“Little asshole, not everything is about you!” Javier grated.

“I need to finish my breakfast first. I don’t like to work on an empty stomach.” I gave him a slanted look. “Why didn’t Luna come to fetch me? She likes me, and she smells better.”

“No one likes you!”

“You wound me, man. And that’s not true! Even you like me in secret. Anyway, where’s Luna?”

“No one has seen her since yesterday morning. I’m going to help Dixie track her down after the princes’ hockey sport.” He then shook his head in disgust. “Why did I tell you that, you little shit?” He didn’t know, of course, that I could compel people to answer my questions. It was just part of who I was.

“I know where the ice rink is, man,” I said. “I’ll head there as soon as I finish my second milkshake. Deal?”

“Get your ass up. You aren’t going to finish your shit,” he snarled and raised his hand to backhand me.

I ducked, tore the plastic lid off the milkshake cup, and tossed the contents at his groin.

Several bystanders laughed.

I broke into a run.

A hair-raising snarl sounded from behind me. A panther spilled out of Javier, his ruined trousers in shreds, pink milkshake dripping from his rear legs.

I called for Sy to give me speed and pumped my legs faster. It was only several blocks between Jubilee Haven and BattleStar stadium. I covered the campus grounds like the wind, then shot across the training field, where students carried heavy equipment into the oval-shaped stadium.

When I looked over my shoulder, it seemed Javier was nowhere in sight. He’d probably given up chasing me. It wouldn’t look good on him that he couldn’t catch up with a servant boy. I slowed down to catch my breath, smiled, and jogged through the door of the stadium as if I belonged.

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