Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
~ Shade ~
After class, Kenzie and I make our way to the dining hall for lunch, and I lick my lips as I conjure up a large slice of Lemon Meringue Pie.
The piece is huge, and the top is like a fluffy white cloud that’s been charred a little.
I’m pretty sure if Thane were here, he’d be lecturing me about eating protein and a balanced diet or something, but luckily for me and for my grumbling stomach, the table where the professors sometimes sit remains empty.
Elgen and Tarlaz watch from the rafters, wide eyed as they keep their gazes glued to my pie.
“Stop teasing, girl, and taste it already,” Elgen rasps in my mind impatiently, even though this one is for Tarlaz.
I’m about to comment on her grouchy attitude, but I stop myself.
I mean, if I was trapped in an academy and could never have sweets, I’d be grumpy, too.
The thought makes me feel a little sad for my shadow friends, and I pause when I pick up my fork.
“Hey, how did you guys get stuck in the academy again?”
“We told you. We were trapped when the academy was built,” Elgen replies haughtily.
“Yeah, but how? And why? Is it because your house was on this land or something?”
There’s a beat of silence, and I don’t think they’re going to answer me, when Tarlaz croaks, “We don’t know, child.”
“Wait. What do you mean you don’t know?” I press, surprised by his admission.
“It means, we can’t tell you any more than that,” Elgen snaps. “Now, are you going to taste the pie or not?”
Yikes. Getting the hint that my questioning is going to lead nowhere, I’m about to stab my fork into the pillowy top of my pie, when someone slams into my shoulder.
My fork goes flying, clattering onto the table, and I jerk my head to see Satine giving me a saccharine sweet smile.
Stepping to the side, she removes her elbow, and in the second it takes me to realize what’s happened, her expression changes.
She pouts as she rubs her arm dramatically, like I’m the one who just ran into her.
Before I can say anything, Ian is there. “Watch it, Token,” he spits at me as he takes Satine’s arm, directing her away.
I gape after them. “I swear, everyone is losing their minds around here.”
“It always gets like this before the graduation games,” Elgen comments.
“That girl should just be thankful the pie is unharmed,” Tarlaz comments dryly.
My lips twitch. “Or what? It’s not like you could do anything.”
Elgen scoffs indignantly. “You underestimate us.”
That piques my curiosity, because I still hardly know anything about the shadows. I start wondering whether they have secret magic abilities, when Tarlaz says, “She wouldn’t be using the washroom again by herself in the foreseeable future.”
It takes me a moment to understand what he’s talking about. I open my mouth and then close it again. “The washroom?”
“Yes. Every time she pulled her pants down, I would be there,” Tarlaz replies seriously.
I press my lips together and fight to hold in my laughter. “Okay, that sounds entirely creepy and on a whole new level of petty. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
Tarlaz grunts in my mind, and I shake my head in disbelief.
“Oh my god, Shade,” Kenzie blurts, forgetting about her bowl of noodles. “You okay?”
“Never better,” I mumble back, still stifling my smile from Tarlaz’s threat toward Satine. I can’t help imagining the look on Satine’s face if Tarlaz popped up out of nowhere every time she went to pee. It’d be like always having to use a haunted toilet. I shudder.
Realizing I’m fine, Kenzie glares at Ian and Satine as they find their seats across the room. “I hate when they call you that.”
“Call me what? Token?” I shrug. I graduated from ‘new girl’ to ‘Token,’ days ago.
It’s the equivalent of being called ‘weakling’ around here, but it doesn’t really bother me.
I mean, he’s not wrong. Honestly, I’m more concerned about the fact that Ian is staring at me like he’s imagining sticking his fork in my eye. What is his problem?
“Yes, he shouldn’t be calling you that,” Kenzie answers, replying to my response from earlier. “You’d think that everyone would try to get along so we can survive the games, but it’s like the students have turned into animals.”
“Well, that’s insulting,” I say, retrieving my fork. “To the animals, I mean.”
She gives me a look. “You know what I mean.” Leaning closer, she lowers her voice. “I don’t get why you don’t just ask them to help you out.”
I don’t have to ask to know who she’s talking about. “Because, somehow, I don’t think letting the students know about my connection to them will help me,” I whisper back.
“Yes, it would. Then everyone would be too scared to touch you,” she counters.
“Maybe in class. Behind closed doors it would probably be worse.”
Kenzie doesn’t look too sure about my comment, but she leaves it alone. Ignoring Ian, I finally scoop off a piece of pie and stuff it into my mouth. Immediately, I moan, sagging in my chair. It’s sweet and tangy, and absolutely incredible.
“That good, huh?” Jensen grins as he takes the seat opposite me. He has an orange mohawk today, and he winks, slouching in his chair. In no time at all, he conjures up a sandwich that has so many layers I have no idea how it’s not falling over.
“You know, you shouldn’t sit there,” I say, indicating to him with my fork.
His brow furrows in confusion. “Why, expectin’ company?”
“Well no, but I mean.” I gesture to myself as an explanation. As usual, my magic didn’t give me the outfit I wanted, and my top half is only covered by a feathery black bra.
“Yeah, smokin’ as always,” he comments.
I roll my eyes at his smooth response. I can’t exactly say that I don’t think he should sit there because if a certain four professors keep seeing us together, they might get jealous, and they’re a little possessive and not to be messed with, so I simply say, “I was the Token, remember?”
Jensen’s grin grows broader. “Yeah, I bet that was wild. Glad you made it.”
I shake my head. “I’m trying to say, do you really want to keep being seen sitting with me?”
He just gives me a look like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
“I’m not sleeping with you,” I blurt, because I hate the idea that he might think I’m still leading him on.
He huffs a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m only here for the entertainment.”
“What entertainment?” I stab my fork back into my pie with a little too much force, and a piece breaks off, flicking me in the face.
Jensen laughs, and it’s a hearty warm sound. “Like I said. The entertainment.”
I laugh along with him, wiping my face with the back of my hand.
“Stop flirting with pumpkin hair, girl,” Elgen rasps in my head.
“I’m not flirting.” I’d given up on the idea of scratching any itches with Jensen a while ago. The guy is nice enough, but he could never compare to my professors.
“Then tell us what it tastes like already,” Elgen urges.
Oh, right. I’d almost forgotten they were still waiting to hear about the pie.
Oops. “Sorry,” I mumble. Successfully shoving another forkful into my mouth, I focus on the explosion of flavor on my tongue.
“Mmm, okay it’s got this tart but tangy flavor.
You’ve got the zestiness of the lemon, but it’s kind of creamy, too.
The crust is buttery and flaky, and… mmm… the meringue is so fluffy and sweet.”
“Oh, it sounds as good as I was hoping,” Tarlaz says like he’s imagining he’s the one devouring it.
“How did you even know about this pie?” I ask.
“A boy who perished during the last graduation games had this as his final meal,” Tarlaz replies.
I’m not expecting that answer, and the sweetness of the pie dulls in my mouth. I swallow my mouthful, and laughter from across the room has me lifting my gaze. Ian has conjured up the largest bowl I’ve ever seen, and he grins like a maniac as he eyes the steam billowing from the top of it.
“What is that?” I hiss, leaning toward Kenzie.
“Beats me,” she replies. “Soup, maybe?”
Oblivious, Jensen wolfs down his food, somehow managing to devour his sandwich while hardly chewing, and miraculously, not choking.
I’m still staring at the giant bowl when Ian’s gaze flicks my way. There’s a sinister look in his eyes that has the hairs rising on my arms. I’m not sure why, but I’ve got a really bad feeling.
“Best you leave now, child,” Elgen says, her voice softer than usual.
“What are you talking about?”
“We see this time and again,” Tarlaz replies. “As we near the games, the students become desperate to start proving themselves and there are always…casualties. Best that you’re not among them.”
Standing, Ian rests one foot on his chair.
Beside him, Satine, Ed and Paiton move from their seats, exchanging glances like they’re a pack of hunting jackals.
Casualties? My heart rate kicks up. Usually, I’m glad when the professors don’t attend mealtimes, because I hate having to wait to eat, and I swear Knox always takes his time just to spite me, but now, I’d be glad to see any of the professors.
Kenzie tenses, her food forgotten like she’s thinking the same thing I am, and the dining hall grows silent.
“We should go,” Kenzie says, grabbing my elbow. “Something about this isn’t right. Let’s—”
Before she can say another word, Paiton and Ed split apart, curving around away from their table. I freeze as Ian holds my gaze. Ed walks amongst the tables, drumming his fingers on the tabletops as he passes them.