Lunchtime was always a relief. Getting the first few bites down was hard, though. I was usually so

hungry that once I forced myself to start, things went okay, but those first few bites might as well’ve

been sand.

“Jeez, where are they?” I went up on tiptoe as djamphir boys stepped around me, their ranks parting

like waves.

Leon said nothing, just folded his arms. He was probably hungry, too.

And even though I knew he wouldn’t, I made the offer, like I did every time. “Well, go on. Go get

something to eat. I’m in front of a million djamphir; nothing’s going to happen.”

“Please.” It didn’t even merit a shrug from him. “Will you stop saying that?”

Which was kind of nice of him, unless he was on Anna’s side. Whatever weird side that was. I wondered, each time I saw any of my so-called bodyguards, which one—or ones—it was. All of them?

None? Just a few?

I gave an aggrieved sigh, rolled my eyes, and saw Benjamin across the lunchroom. His face was set,

mouth pulled down, and Graves was right beside him. Graves actually leaned in, his mouth moving

as he said something fierce and low in the djamphir’s ear.

Benjamin’s mouth twisted wryly. He made some sort of response, and if I was better at lipreading I

might have been able to catch it. As it was, I only caught my name and a shrug with hands spreading. Then something about Anna.

I stiffened.

Graves caught Benjamin’s shoulder. For a moment I thought Ben was going to round on him. But

no, Benjamin just looked down at Graves’s coppery fingers, then up into his face. They stared at

each other for a long, tense-ticking ten seconds. Then Benjamin shook Graves off and nodded. Said

something else, but Graves’s gaze had come up and latched onto mine.

I realized I was clutching my mom’s locket, warm silver metal under my fingers. My eyebrows

went up, and my entire face must have been shouting, What the hell is going on?

“They won’t agree,” Leon said quietly. “It’s not in Benjamin to listen to a wulfen, even a prince like

the loup-garou.”

“What are they arguing about?” I had a right to know, didn’t I?

Leon just shook his head. “Let’s get something to eat. I’m starved.”

And what could I say to that? He could give lessons in polite rudeness, just like Babbage.

I hitched my bag higher up on my shoulder. “Fine.” And stamped for the steam tables.

It should have weirded me out, but the Schola Prima was like the other one. The food appeared

from behind a fog of something weird, a billowing vapor hiding shadows and suggestions of shapes.

Lunch monitors took the pans to the steam tables. Everyone had a turn working during lunch.