Page 73 of Ella's Masquerade
Regardless, he wasn’t acting like the Dash I knew and loathed, and that perplexed me a bit.
With a shake of my head, I wandered into the girls’ locker room, deciding to contemplate him more later.
He was next on my list after I finished fucking with Carmen.
Tray had suggested I use her as target practice for my magic. A “two birds with one stone” sort of deal whereby I familiarized myself with some of the Midnight Fae texts and spells, then applied them to my wicked stepsister.
Such as the one I evoked two days ago that induced hair loss.
It’d been a tricky spell that required a strand from her platinum blonde head, but I’d managed to snag it during lunch after pretending to bump into her.
I had used that moment to also sprinkle some dust onto her skin.
Hence the hives she’d broken out in recently—an intense case that would cause scarring if she didn’t stop scratching herself.
Her appearance was the subject of conversation by all the girls in the locker room. Some felt bad for her. Others claimed karma. Most were just happy to watch her suffer.
“She’s gained a ton of water weight, too,” one of them was saying.
“Stress.”
“Oh, totally. I mean, if my face looked like that, I’d be stress eating, too.”
“Totally deserves it.”
“Wish it happened to her bitch of a twin.”
“Gretchen,” the girl beside me warned.
“What? Ryan’s a cunt. I’d love to see her suffer.”
Several rounds of agreement rang through the locker area. No one would have dared hold a conversation like this a month ago. But today? Several were participating.
Down crumbles the queen,I thought, pulling my shirt over my head.
The discussion continued while I put on my skirt, socks, and shoes. It was as I put up my hair that I realized the room had fallen silent with several sets of eyes on me.
I checked my appearance, noting everything was in place.
“What?” I demanded, glaring at them all.
“Didn’t you, uh, hear the announcement?” a petite junior asked. Her name began with aT. Taylor. Tiffany. Tia. Tribeca. Something.
“No.” I had tuned out their conversation. I mean, yeah, it entertained me, but I also just wanted to get the hell out of here. “What about it?”
“You’ve been nominated for Winter Queen,” Junior with aTwhispered, her eyes rounding. “A-against Carmen and Ryan.”
I swallowed. Well, that hadn’t been part of the plan.
“Tray and Dash are up for Winter King,” she continued, her voice growing a little stronger. She listed the other nominations—two senior chicks who functioned as Ryan’s personal minions, and three other dudes I knew from my classes.
The typical court.
Minus me and Tray.
Did you do this?I asked him, sensing his presence in the hallway, waiting for me.
If bythis,you mean the Winter Court assignment, no.
