Page 10 of A Drop of Anguish
“Oh, plenty. It’s just nearly impossible to interpret them correctly. That’s the hardest part.”
“That’s so fascinating.”
“I’m in spell crafting and art casting.”
“Ahh. It sounds like all the best subjects will have a magical requirement.” I purse my lips into a stupid pout.
“I also took human anthropology and runes my freshman year. They were okay.” Janet shrugs.
“There’s also cryptozoology, which is a really neat subject too!”
My eyebrows rise. “That’s a thought. Do you get to ride unicorns or something?”
They both laugh. “More like take an acid slug home and keep it alive.” Janet grimaces.
“Hey!” All three of us look up to find Marcus, Janet’s boyfriend, approaching with a big grin on his face. He’s a skinny, gamer-looking boy with pale skin, buzzed hair, and a spiked bracelet. He doesn’t talk much, but his smile is kind. She blushes every time he’s around, and it’s absolutely adorable.
“Hi!” Janet squeaks.
I smile at her bashfulness.
“Hey, Marcus,” I say. Lola soars in circles around his head, and by the time he takes a seat next to Janet, his eyes are unfocused.
“You’re making him dizzy, Lola!” I laugh, and she darts to her perch in the middle of the table.
“Whoops. Sorry.”
“No problem.” He waves casually. “Hey, so did you guys hear about the new shifter?”
My eyebrows rise. “No.”
Marcus leans in to spill. “We don’t usually get new students mid-year so that’s weird enough, but he’s also a wolf shifter from a pack that’s never been to this school before.”
“He’s alone?” Janet asks, eyes wide.
Marcus nods.
“Is that super out of the ordinary?” I ask, unsure why she sounds so shocked.
“Very,” Janet says. “Shifters always come in groups of at least three. To leave a pack and join a school with no one else? It’sveryunusual. Do you think he’s an outcast? Looking for a new pack? Or a spy or something?”
“Those are the only options?” I ask incredulously.
“It’s very unusual to find a wolf shifter alone for more than a few days.”
“Well, maybe he has pack members coming next week or something,” I offer.
She shrugs. “I guess that’s possible. But either way, it’s big rumor news, which is good for you.” She grins at me, like I’m supposed to know what she means.
“It is?”
“Yep. A new shiny thing for the masses to obsess over. It’ll take some of the heat off of you.”
“Oh, right.” I twist my lips. That’s true, I suppose. Being the ex of an MIA demon prince is super annoying. Having something new for people to obsess over is a good thing.
Case in point, heads of all shapes and sizes turn to stare at the entrance of the cafeteria, where a dark-skinned boy walks in. He’s tall, with grey eyes and a sharp jaw.
“Is that him?” I ask.
