something nasty far back in the other svetocha’s eyes.

Sometimes you meet a girl and it’s like matter and antimatter. You just hate each other for no damn

reason. I already knew I didn’t like her. Besides, she hated Christophe.

Why did I care so much about that?

Anna lifted her pointed chin, and her blue eyes widened just the tiniest bit. She was in a different

red silk dress than the one I’d seen last time, something with a full skirt and a bodice that was just

short of indecent. A cameo on a thin gold chain rested in the hollow of her slim white throat, and

long delicate golden teardrop earrings trembled as she halted. And, God help me, she actually

chirped at the roomful of boy djamphir. “Well! Late again, but I see you’ve started without me.”

“You’re safe.” Bruce didn’t sound surprised. “We worried needlessly.”

A taffy-stretching silence ticked by. Kir’s chair scraped against the floor as he stood slowly, and the

rest of them followed suit. I stayed where I was.

I stayed because my knees had gone mooshy, and the muffled beat of feathered wings filled my ears

like a heartbeat. Cold little prickling fingers skittered over my skin, and I was suddenly very sure

something was Not Right. A draft of warm perfume dipped in spice marched down the table toward

me.

Why did she smell like that? And Christophe, why did he smell like a warm apple pie?

The scalding flush that poured through me at the thought of Christophe being here met the icy consciousness of danger, and they both fought over me. I began to wish I hadn’t drunk so much coffee.

Why is it that the only thing you can think of when you’re terrified is how much you need to pee?

Maybe that’s just me, though.

“I was en vacances; you know how I lose track of time. Perfectly safe, with my boys watching over

me. And it’s Dru!” She sounded oh-so-happy to see me, a candy-coated voice and a wide dimpled

smile. “When did you come in? I’m glad they didn’t keep you at that second-rate Schola for very

long.”

They? Who was she talking about, they? The guys in this room, who didn’t seem to have any clue

about where I’d been or what I’d been doing?

The standing djamphir were completely motionless, but I could feel the tension running through

them. Hiro’s fingertips rested on the tabletop, half an inch away from his silver fork. I had a sudden

Technicolor vision of him picking up the fork and launching himself at Anna. Blood spurting,

screaming, the fork making a popping sound as it buried itself in one pretty blue eye.

I sucked in a small breath. Hiro’s head moved the slightest fraction, and I was suddenly very sure he