Page 45 of Demon of Dreams

I frowned again. “That’s still only seven. But Romero said there were eight, didn’t he?”

“Oh.” Ash laughed. “Well, yeah. Technically. But I don’t think anyone applies to Horizon. I think if that’s where you’re going to end up, everyone knows it from the minute you arrive at Vesperwood. There are like, three students total in there right now.”

“Why? WhatisHorizon?”

“Hierophants,” Felix said, cradling the green book in his arms.

“Haunts,” Ash said a moment later.

“Which are…”

“Seers,” said a voice behind me, and I turned to see Professor Romero walking up to join our little group.

I blinked. “Seers? Like…psychics?”

“Not exactly,” he said, “but that’s close enough for now. You’ll have a chance to learn more about that haven over time. Who knows, you might even find you have an affinity for it.”

Ash snorted delicately, but when Romero gave him a questioning look, he ducked his head and said, “Sorry.”

“We try to avoid stereotypes here,” Romero said, his smile telling Ash he was forgiven. Then he turned to me. “You must be Cory. The dean told me you’d be joining us.”

He shook my hand, and I wondered why the other professors couldn’t have been as nice as he was.

He smiled again. “I hope you know—”

“That I have a lot of catching up to do,” I finished wearily. “Yeah, everyone’s been saying that. Trust me. I know.”

Romero laughed softly. “Actually, I was going to say how happy we are to have you here. It’s always good to have new students.”

“Oh.” I flushed, feeling pleased, and then silly for being pleased. “Um. Thanks.”

“I see you’ve made some friends already,” Romero said, nodding at Felix and Ash. “Would you be comfortable working with them for your first paper?”

“Oh, God, yes. Please. And thank you,” I said gratefully.

“Wonderful. Then that’s settled. And Cory, please know you can come to me with any questions you have, alright?”

“He’s great, isn’t he?” Felix said as Romero walked away.

“Yeah.” I turned to him, wide-eyed. “He’s like, the nicest person I’ve met here so far.”

“Hey, what about us?” Ash said. “Me and Felix don’t count for anything?”

“I’m shocked and deeply saddened by this lacuna in your affections, Cory,” Felix said in a perfect, stentorious impression of Professor Gallo.

That sent Ash into hysterics, and I couldn’t help laughing too. This was the most comfortable I’d felt since I’d arrived at Vesperwood. I still had no idea what was going on, and felt massively out of my depth, but at least I had some friends, and one professor who didn’t see me as a burden. Maybe this wouldn’t be so terrible after all?

I should have known better than to get my hopes up.

10

CORY

Iwas starting to feel pretty tired by the end of Haven Selection—all the old books and dust were threatening to send me into an eternal slumber—but we had one more class before I got to rest, and it was the one I’d been dreading ever since Felix had mentioned it this morning: Combat.

I’d never been athletic, strong, or even particularly coordinated. I’d hated gym class, ever since we’d stopped using those little scooters to roll around and play crab-soccer—which was to say, ever since second grade.

It hadn’t helped that my dad had hated how skinny and short I was. He couldn’t believe he’d ended up with a kid with no athletic prowess, and he made sure I knew it. Even the bullies at school had been nicer than he was.

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