“Surprise,” said Never, taking the seat beside Omen in the Dining Hall and flicking the hair out of her eyes. “Someone is actually sitting beside you for breakfast. Wonders – will they never cease?”

Omen frowned. “People sit beside me all the time.”

“Rarely by choice, though. Admit it, Omen, you’re delighted to have someone to talk to this early in the morning, aren’t you?”

Omen didn’t answer. But he was.

“However, the truly amazing thing,” Never continued, “is that I’m sitting beside you even though you’ve been avoiding me all day.”

“It’s … first thing in the morning.”

“Don’t deny it, Omen. When you deny a truth, a kitten dies.”

The din in the hall – chattering voices, clinking utensils, the heavy tread of feet and the tortured scrape of chairs – had not yet reached deafening proportions, so, when Never leaned in and lowered her voice, Omen could hear her perfectly.

“You better tell me what’s going on and you better not lie. You’re a terrible liar. I always know when you’re lying because your ears go red. Are you going to eat that?”

“It’s my breakfast,” said Omen.

“I know. Are you going to eat it?”

“I’m eating it now.”

Never sighed. “Then are you going to finish it?”

“Probably. Where’s your breakfast?”

“In my stomach, where all breakfasts belong. Can I have that sausage?”

“The one on the end of my fork? No. It’s mine. Look.” Omen took a bite. “See?”

Never turned her head, so she was looking at Omen out of the corner of her eyes. “You’re definitely acting weird.”

“No, I’m not,” said Omen. “I’m acting normal because I am normal.”

Never flicked her hair again. She liked flicking her hair. It was one of her things. “You couldn’t be normal if you tried. Not with your family.”

“Well, I don’t know what you want me to say. But I’m not acting weird.”

“You were walking around yesterday, peering at everyone and trying to listen in to their conversations.”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Whatever.” She used the air to lift a bread roll from the basket. Even though teleportation was her natural gift, and she was the only one in Mr Renn’s class who could actually teleport, Never was pretty good at everything, Elemental magic included. She was definitely better at it than Omen.

Omen hesitated. “Do you, uh, do you think they noticed?”

“Who?”

“Everyone.”

“That you were spying on them? Naw.” She dropped the bread roll back. “People tend to ignore you. It’s a gift you have. So what were you up to?”

“I can’t tell you.”

Never glared. “Since when do we keep secrets from each other?”

“We keep loads of secrets from each other,” Omen said, frowning. “Literally, loads.”