Page 35 of Reckless Witch

Muzzle girl whirls on me. “You bitch. Do you know who I am?” She starts toward me.

“Tut, tut,” I say in a low voice. “The next muzzle won’t be so pleasant.”

She halts, eyes wide. Then fury returns in full force and she spins toward the teacher. “Mr. Cornwall, I demand satisfaction.”

“Satisfaction?” I repeat. “What, like a duel?”

“Be careful,” someone whispers, and I realize it’s the thirteen-year-old kid.

I look at him. He’s giving me a pleading look and shaking his head almost imperceptibly. What’s wrong with the kid?

“I don’t want to have to talk to my father about this,” the girl snaps.

“Have a seat, Jennifer,” Mr. Cornwall says. “This is a magic class. Magic will sometimes run amuck.”

The girl’s eyes narrow. “Either report her or I will. Olympia will not be pleased to learn her favorite niece was attacked by another student.”

“Attacked.” I snort. “You want to see attacked—”

“That’s enough,” Mr. Cornwall cuts in. “Ms. Hanson, take your seat. You, too, Ms. Crowe.”

There is no mistaking the steel in his voice. Wow, the short bald guy has balls. I like that.

“Please sit, Ms. Crowe.”

I drop back into my seat. Jennifer looks from him to me, then sits back in her seat. The glare she throws my way says her grudge against me has gotten very personal. So this is what it’s like to be popular?

Chapter Fourteen

LEILAH

Jailbreak

That afternoon, I start down the maze of garden paths that leads to the dining hall when Thomas emerges from the tall hedges to my right and blocks my way. He’s bigger than me, but lean from strenuous exercise, not because he’s a fighter.

“You recognized them, didn’t you?” he accuses.

“Them?” I repeat.

His face darkens as the delicate Ariel from Reaping Preparedness class steps out from behind the hedgerow. “She ought to recognize them,” Ariel says. Hatred radiates from her. “You know where they got those Shadows Miss Mack showed in class, don’t you?”

“We all know,” Thomas says before I can ask what they’re talking about. “They came from Crowe Potionary.”

His words hit me like a punch in the gut.

Ariel steps closer to Thomas. In the afternoon light, she reminds me of a shrew more than a delicate fairy. “You were talking to them, weren’t you?” she hisses. “I heard you. You called them beautiful.”

I want to reply, but all I can think about is the accusation. The Shadows from Grams’ Potionary?

“She was probably chanting black magic.” Thomas rakes his eyes down my body. “What else can you expect from a Crowe?” He looms over me. “You’re dangerous.”

Anger whips through me. “That’s right.” I clench my fists. “And you’d better fucking remember that the next time you spread lies about my grandmother.”

Ariel’s eyes flick to my clenched fists and she pulls Thomas back a step. “You’ve been warned, Crowe. We don’t allow black magic here.”

“Leave,” Thomas says. “If you want to survive.”

Survive? I keep my gaze locked on them as they step around me and head down the path. The instant they vanish from view, the hedges to my left shake.