“…But just because Marcus-bloody-Ribaldi didn’t get his dick sucked when he wanted it, he felt the need to spreadher private life all over school. He’sstilltelling anyone who’ll listen how she’s not a witch at all, how all her sexual ‘parts’ are magical, so not actually ‘real,’ and on and on. The whole thing is just so unbelievably stupid. It’s like we’re all back in kindergarten, only it’s going to actuallyhurther, most likely, with jobs and whatever else.”
“How did he even find out?” I asked. “Marcus? Mir didn’t tell him?”
“No.” Jolie shook her head. “He’s a bloody royal, of course, and was complaining about her at one of his royalist gatherings over the summer when someone from the America set told him how Monique Rook’s kid used to be male. Marcus has been holding court over all the other pricks spreading this shite ever since. It’s all wrapped up in their disgusting Dark Cathedral ideology, which again, is ridiculous, since Mir’s as female as you and me now.”
My jaw hardened more.
I’d felt horrible before. Now I felt like a monster.
“Gods, Jolie.” I combed a hand through my hair. “I really,reallydidn’t know.”
When I looked over at my roommate next, her eyes had softened.
“I can see that,” she said apologetically. “I’m sorry for assuming you did.”
“Sorry?” I looked at her incredulously. “Why in the gods areyousorry? I feel like the worst friend imaginable. I had no idea she’d been going through this. I’d noticed some of the mages and witches were different to her this year, but I honestly thought it was pettiness and jealousy, and maybe even association with me.”
I saw the last of the tension leave Jolie’s expression.
“Draken and I really thought youdidknow,” she admitted. “We thought maybe you were being hyper-considerate by notmentioning it, since Mir never really came out andtoldany of us. Draken’s known for ages, of course. They’ve been mates since before she made the change, which is one reason she’s so fiercely loyal to him. She’d kill anyone who hurt Draken, and I’m pretty sure I mean that literally.” She continued to look sheepish. “We didn’t realize none of this had gotten back to you, Leda, or we would’ve talked to you about it.”
“You shouldn’t have had to,” I muttered.
“Nonsense,” Jolie said, a touch more vehemently.
When I looked over, she smiled at me, her eyes bright. She nudged my shoulder when I remained silent, taking my cold hand in both of her warm ones.
“Whywouldyou have known?” she asked, gripping my fingers tightly. “Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I realize how dumb we were to assume it. After everything you’ve had to deal with around Strangemore and his expulsion, of course you’d avoid gossip, not to mention the wankers spreading it. Because of that indescribableknob,you’ve not gone to even one Skyhunt match, have you? You’ve skipped most of our pub crawls, and even the Magical Village Display in Bonescastle a few weeks ago. You’re always either in the library or Frumpy’s, revising, or lately, locked in one of your sadomasochism sessions with Bones.”
I didn’t say anything as I turned over her words.
Honestly, I had no idea what to say.
She wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t make me feel any better.
Anyway, it didn’t matter who or what was to blame, did it? I hadn’t been there for Mir. I even turned over the idea of canceling with Bones. I could wait for another broadcast, ask him to summarize this one for me tomorrow. Was I really going to learn anything so world-shattering by being there for that one missive?
In the end, though, I abandoned the thought.
How could I even explain my sudden change of heart to Mir, after telling her I absolutely couldn’t change the plans I’d insisted to her that I had?
Of course, that wasn’t my only reason.
Things felt fragile with Bones, too. Somehow, after what happened between us earlier in the week, I didn’t think he’d react well to a last-minute cancelation, either. He hadn’t said anything in the time since, not even during our fight training, but I strongly suspected I was right about that. I also couldn’t pretend that it didn’t matter to me, not anymore.
I could lie to myself about a lot, apparently, but not about that.
I descendedthe last steps of the central staircase of Malcroix Mansion, and entered the main lobby. I passed the darkened coffee kiosk and the bookstore, and entered the corridor leading north past a number of classrooms, teacher’s offices, supply closets, and meeting rooms.
I hung a left when I reached the outer wall of the mansion, and the doors out to the northern balconies, which stretched across most of the main structure.
I headed for the far western wing.
I forced myself to walk slower than I normally would, my head held high, partly because of the heels. They clicked noisily on the polished stone as I walked, something I hadn’t considered while I’d been changing upstairs. During the day, I’d scouted out and found a mostly unused toilet in a small, dark hallway where I’d be unlikely to run into other students.
I figured I should dress the part.
If I was supposed to be one of Bones’s witches, I couldn’t go over there in joggers and an oversized jumper, like I was going to Frumpy’s to revise while I overdosed on tea and biscuits. I had to at least make alittlebit of an effort.
