Thankfully, Headmistress Wake requested that we sit quickly, which I did, and Headmaster Ezra took the reins once again.
“Wonderful! Wonderful!” The headmaster rubbed his hands together. “We’re so pleased to meet all of you, and we look forward to the Games starting bright and early tomorrow! For now, let us get to know one another, as friendly competitors should.”
He clapped, and a deluge of servers darted into the room carrying trays weighed down with food.
The headmaster threw his arms up and tossed his head back. “Let the Spy Games Feast begin!”
I waddled sleepily to my room after the feast, alongside the other witch champions. It had been a long three hours of small talk with other magicals who had been either attempting to suss out our weaknesses or intimidate us. I’d met both tactics with the same response. Eating more. Now my belly was so full, I regretted stuffing myself; although, truth be told, I wouldn’t have been able to stop.
Any fears I had about vampires not being able to cook were very misguided. All the food I’d been served at Nightdwellers was on par with Michelin-starred restaurants.
“Oh my God, I hope all that cake doesn’t weigh me down tomorrow,” Sam moaned as we reached our rooms.
“Same,” I agreed. “Why couldn’t I have stopped at two slices?”
“What time is everyone getting up tomorrow?” Diana asked, ever the business-oriented witch, as she leaned against the door to her room expectantly.
“The games start at ten, so eight?” I suggested. “To eat and prepare?”
“Don’t even talk about eating,” Sam quipped.
A few minutes later, we decided that we’d all wake at eight and breakfast together. Putting on a united front was important, and that would give us time to discuss last-minute strategy.
We said our goodnights, and I locked myself in my room, put on my pjs, and brushed my teeth. I was about to wash my face and crash when a knock came on the door.
Turning off the tap, I went to check who it was and found no one was there.
A moment later, Sam poked her head out of her room, then Andre, and lastly, Diana. Everyone looked as confused as I felt.
“Did someone knock on your doors too?” I asked.
They all nodded, and then Sam gasped. “Look! Under the rug!” She pointed to her feet.
I glanced down, and my lips parted in surprise. Tucked beneath the hallway runner, almost out of sight, was an envelope bearing my name.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Idon’t think this is a good idea,” Diana said as we tiptoed through the halls of Nightdwellers Academy. “What if it’s a trap?”
“Or what if it’s a party, like the invitation said?” Sam retorted.
I wasn’t sure what to think. Diana could be right, but then again, the vampire champions might actually have invited us to a party. All I knew was that it would look chickenshit not to go.
“I hear voices up ahead,” Andre said.
I tilted my head. I heard them too.
When we reached a T in the hallway, we discovered that the voices belonged to the fae champions. They’d obviously received the invite too, and even more apparent was the fact that they were walking the wrong way.
“Hey! Guys!” Sam waved her arms as if the fae weren’t twenty-feet away.
The champions spun around, and the twins beamed.
“Did you guys get invited to a party too?” One twin asked as their group jogged over to meet us.
I nodded and upon taking in her outfit, I wished that I’d brought something cuter to wear. The sisters were decked out in short navy dresses and tall brown boots that hit mid-thigh. They looked hot as hell, and even though I’d felt confident in my shiny black leggings and tight-cut sweater before, now I felt frumpy.
“I’m surprised that you guys are going,” Diana commented. “Didn’t those vamps want a taste of you earlier?”
