Even though we've only just met, I'm starting to get the impression that it's going to be difficult for me to play it cool when I'm around the demon prince.
Chapter 4
LOTTIE
The corridor is full of students as Sophia and I make our way from our classroom to the dining hall for lunch. It's noisy enough to drown out the rumbling of my stomach. It's definitely time to eat.
"I'm ready for lessons to start properly," Sophia murmurs as we turn the corner.
"I'd have thought you'd be more excited about the party on Friday night," I say.
She laughs. "Do you know where it is yet?"
I nod. "It's in the secret room behind the statue of the weasel and the owl who are either fighting, or doing something a bit more fun."
She snorts in a very un-princesslike way. But having spent more time with her over the past couple of days, I'm starting to realise that she's not as prim and proper as I'd expect from a princess. Maybe it's the demon in her.
"I know exactly the statue you mean," she responds. "I had no idea there was a secret room behind it."
"They're everywhere, I think."
"Do you think your friend knows all of them?" she asks.
"Hardly. I'm sure Rosewood has many more secrets than the ones he knows. I don't even know how he knows about this one."
"Well, I hope we get a chance to discover more of them. Maybe I should ask my siblings about them too." A thoughtful expression crosses her face.
Even though I know she's not talking about Archie, my mind drifts to him, and I find myself hoping that he's at the party.
The thought is interrupted by a frustrated sigh from Sophia as she spots one of her demon followers heading towards us. "Let's hurry up and get inside," she mutters.
We enter the dining room, and the scent of mass-cooked food fills the air, along with the sounds of hundreds of students chattering away to their friends. Despite there being more people in the room, the sound is dispersed differently and it makes it a lot easier to actually hear myself think.
Sophia waves in someone's direction, and I know who I'm going to find before I turn around. My heart races as I take in her brother. He sees me looking and adds a wave that I know is for me.
"I see you're getting on well," Sophia says with a curious expression.
"He said he'd help me in Art History," I respond.
"Ah, yes. That's his favourite subject," she says. "Maybe we should head over."
"Erm..." I can't come up with a reason not to before she starts heading over there. Mostly because I don't want to have a reason not to go over there.
Sophia pulls out a chair and takes a seat, wrapping her tail around her waist so it's out of the way and isn't at risk of getting stood on by someone passing through. I might have only been at Rosewood for a few days, but I've already seen it happen a couple of times.
I take a seat next to her, lifting my wings so I can drape them over the back of the chair. I could lean on them, it wouldn't damage them, but it would make them stiff when I got up again.
"Oh, it's sandwich day," Sophia says as she looks at the food spread over the table in front of us.
"There are hot dogs," Archie says.
Her face lights up as she spots the platter of them and puts one on her plate.
I wrinkle my nose.
"Not a fan?" Archie asks.
"They're not for me," I respond as I pick up what looks like some kind of chicken salad wrap instead.
