I didn’t want to go to breakfast, but after skipping dinner yesterday, I was starving. I stayed by the wall as I entered the Dining Hall. I felt like an idiot, stuck in corner with shaking legs. I should probably find a Fae table rather than risk sitting at another species’ table, but I was so hungry I walked toward the nearest empty table. How did they even remember which table was what species? Was there a map somewhere?
“Are you kidding me, Rusty?” someone said.
I inhaled—deeply— exhaled, and then looked up. Artemis stood over me, her expression somewhere between incredulous and amused.
No, are you kidding me?
“Let me guess, this is a Witches’ table?”
She whistled. “Sort of. It’s their table.”
Their table? I started to ask, then decided I didn’t care. “What are you even doing here? Are you just following me around, waiting for me to screw up?”
“I don’t have to wait,” she said. “You screw up every two seconds.”
“Look, if this more of that Witches don’t like Fae thing, then—”
“You really don’t get it, do you?” she cut me off.
”Don’t get what?” I threw my hands out while several people looked at me in alarm. “I’m sorry I keep sitting at your precious table. But guess what? I’m the new girl. And you know what you should say to the new girl? You should say, ‘Hey Billie, this isn’t your table, because here at Alpha, we don’t believe in modern ideas like integration. But over there’s a nice table with ‘your kind.’” I made exaggerated quotations over me hand. “You could say that instead of being a—”
“Easy there, Rusty,” said a cool female voice from behind me. I whirled around and saw Sedna looming over me. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s not polite to shout?” She fake-pouted, her hazel eyes flashing.
I had a much better look at her tattoo now. It was the most realistic tattoo I’d ever seen, and when she moved, the tattoo moved through her skin. The girl on her right had a pixie cut and about a million piercings. Oh yeah, and her skin was blue, making her a Warlock just like Sedna. The one on her left had waist-length blond hair, but what really stood out were her eyes. It was like someone had shoved fire in there, making them glow. She must be a Witch, though I had never seen a Witch mark like that.
“So,” Sedna leaned down toward me, and I resisted the urge to lean away, “this is the Misfit. What are you, anyway?”
“Does it matter?” Artemis said. She was staring at Sedna with wide, glowing eyes. “She’s just a—”
“I was asking her.” Sedna pointed to me, silencing Artemis.
“I … uh … what?” I stuttered. I didn't like being thrown into the spotlight.
“I said,” she repeated, slowly, like she was talking to a mentally handicapped person, “what are you? As in, what are you?” Behind her, the blond girl snorted.
“A … a Faerie.”
“Faerie,” she repeated, then shouted over her shoulder. “Did you here that, Maeve? She’s a Faerie.” The blond girl’s eyes narrowed as she looked me over.
“Maeve here’s a Witch, in case you didn’t know.” Sedna smiled. “She doesn’t like Fae.”
Maeve smiled, rotating her wrist like she was about to perform a spell. I flinched, and they laughed.
“Are you sure she’s a Fae?” The pixie-cut girl eyed me. “Because she’s the ugliest Fae I’ve ever seen.”
I gritted my teeth. I already knew I didn't look like the typical Fae, but it would be nice if someone didn't point it out every five seconds.
“Daphne, you can’t blame her for that,” Sedna said. “She hasn’t had her whole life to turn herself into a fake, porcelain doll like the rest of them.”
So, I was guessing Warlocks didn’t exactly like Fae either. That would be a good thing to remember.
Artemis laughed again, but it dried up at the look Sedna gave her.
“You know, Rusty, I haven’t had the chance to thank you for your contribution yesterday.” She stepped closer, and I had to make a conscious effort not to step back. “That was a pretty brave thing you did.”
“Not really,” I said, not daring to look away.
She smiled. “Sure it was. After all, you’re a little Misfit who’s getting tangled up with some of the most powerful Magi in Alpha.” Her smile darkened. “Something like that has consequences.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Are you threatening me?”
She chuckled darkly. “You’ll know when I’m threatening you. Besides,” she folded her arms across her chest, like this had all suddenly become very boring for her, “I’m a busy girl, but I have a feeling there are others who could—educate—you about how things work in the Realm.”
She gave Artemis a pointed look. I thought Artemis was going to collapse out of excitement. A part of me knew I should be worried. Sedna had basically just put a hit out on me, and Artemis was her hit man. Or hit girl. Or hit whatever. But I knew I had one advantage. They would all assume I was some weak, little Misfit. I couldn’t wait to see the look on their faces when I proved them wrong.
“What’s going on here?” Arthur appeared out of nowhere. That was twice now.
“Aw, isn’t it cute.” Sedna took on a nasty, sing-song baby voice. “Arthur, here to help the poor little Rusty in the big, bold magic world.” Never mind, she sounded like an evil Marilyn Monroe.
“Leave her alone,” Arthur said, his jaw twitching.
“Does Gwen know you’re off your leash?” She crouched down and patted her legs, speaking in a high-pitched dog voice. “Where’s Gwen? Where’s your owner?”
Arthur turned red, but didn’t say anything as he turned to me. “Come on, Billie,” he muttered, steering me away.
“Go on then, we all know how you got to be Gwen’s vice anyway,” Sedna shouted, while the girls laughed. Arthur’s face reddened again, but he didn’t say anything. Assuming she was implying what I thought she was, it was probably better not to ask.
Artemis was watching me as I walked away, that same confident smile on her lips. Despite the pounding in my chest, I smirked back. This was going to be the last time she ever smirked at me like that.
