Page 8 of A Drop of Anguish
There are nearly ten major sections of food, three of which are entirely inedible for humans. I don’t even want to know what that green gunk is. I’ve seen it on trolls’ plates. Another tray has what looks like glowing tar. Then, there’s a whole section of raw meat and a blood dispenser.
In the humanesque food areas, there is a Mediterranean section, authentic Asian food, a whole section of pasta with many kinds of sauce, a salad bar, fruit bar, and piles of at least a dozen different kinds of bread.
I opt for a pile of mac and cheese and breaded chicken strips. Again with the simple. I almost always choose some kind of chicken with either pasta or salad.
Oh well, I know what I like, and I stick to it.
When my plate is full, I finally cast my gaze out to the still very full lunchroom. Maybe my tactic of feigning confidence worked, or because I’d entered halfway through the lunch period maybe everyone was distracted, but no one seems to have noticed me up here alone.
It’s kind of nice to be able to watch the different social groups converge without nasty glares in return.
Some are quiet and to the point. Others laugh and give exaggerated expressions. There are pixies who dart about the whole room in swarms.
I never paid much attention to the way pixies interact, but based on what I’m seeing now, they keep in small packs, fluttering around here and there.
“Hey, ascension seeker,” someone yells. I flinch and look up to find a set of three shifters who’ve noticed me lingering with my full tray in hand. “Your Minor Hall friends finally abandon you?” a redheaded boy says with a snide smile and piercing predator eyes.
“I’m surprised they let you back in their group to start with,” a short fae girl says with a cruel smirk. “Knowing you were willing to kill them in a desperate attempt to get a little magic. How pathetic is that?”
I clench my tray tightly.
I begin marching toward my seat, but several eyes are darting my way now. So much for flying under the radar.
I’m fully willing to set them straight and tell them I had no intention of entering the games, but it wouldn’t matter. Even if they’d pause long enough to actually listen to my words, they wouldn’t believe me. They’d take my outburst as an opportunity to “set me in my place.”
For those of us with little power, it’s best to keep our heads down. Even when we’re being verbally attacked.
“What’s pathetic,” a chipper voice drawls from behind me, “is that you feel the need to insult a lovely young woman to make yourself feel taller. Grow a few inches, would ya?”
I suck in a breath and spin to find Stassi pulling to a stop in front of me, arms crossed. His insult is a little ironic, considering he’s not exactly tall himself.
The other wolf growls but turns his attention back to his heckling friends. Stassi smiles big and broad. “Is it possible you actually look hotter than usual today, Candice?” He’s an Elite wolf shifter himself, but apparently from a different pack than my hecklers.
I snort. “Shut up.”
He shrugs and winks.
“Thanks. I appreciate the backup.”
“Don’t worry about it. I never turn down the chance to help a beautiful damsel.”
As Stassi walks away, a little pixie with black skin and purple wings comes fluttering up and lands on my shoulder.
“Hey, Lola!” I say with my first sincere smile in hours.
She stays with me the rest of the way to the Minor Hall table.
Janet bounces in her seat as I sit across from her. “Oh my gosh, what happened? I was worried the new headmaster was gonna kick you out or something.”
I laugh. “She probably would if she could come up with a valid reason.”
“So, what was the meeting about?” Lola asks as she settles on her perch in the middle of the table.
“She’s making me change my whole schedule.” I sigh.
“Really? Why?”
“Too easy. If I want to stay here, she’s gonna make me work for it.” I shrug because as much as I’m annoyed at the forceful hand and I’m not sure how much I trust the woman, she does have some valid points.
