I’d say it wasn’t a big deal, but I knew how much of a big deal it could be. I’d been her all my life—lonely, friendless, eating my packed lunch in the washroom to avoid Veronica Blastenbury, the Arcanus bitch and self-proclaimed queen bee of the school. I’d have happily drowned her in honey if I could.
Uncertainty flitted across Cami’s face. “Are you okay?”
Dammit, I had my murder smile on again. “I’m fine. Come on.”
She hesitated, shuffling from foot to foot. “They might mind.”
“If they do, then they’re dicks. But I don’t think they are.”
Cami trailed behind me.
Dori beamed up at me as we approached. “How was class?”
“Good.” I slipped into the seat opposite her, my back to the exit so that I was facing the epic windows. Cami dithered and I scooted over, indicating for her to join us. “This is Cami. She adopted me in class today.”
“Hi,” Benedict said. “I’m Benedict, and this is Dori.”
Dori lifted her chin in greeting, her gaze assessing. “You’re Jay’s cousin, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Cami said. “I’ve seen you at the barracks. Before you got in trouble.”
Dori snorted. “Shit happens. But I’ll be back. Trust me.”
“How did things go with the Weave Watchers?” Benedict asked.
Dori elbowed him, her gaze darting to Cami.
Cami ducked her head. “Maybe I should go…”
“It’s fine.” I sat back in my seat. “It was weird…” I filled them in on my visit to the catacombs, leaving out the strange riddle. I wanted to think on that myself for a bit. “And then I got shoved through a portal and ended up outside the wards in the north border.”
“What!” they said in unison.
I filled them in on the ratakan and the chase, how the wards repelled me, and how I’d repelled the ratakan in turn. “But then they sprayed me, and if Drayven hadn’t shown up, I’d be ratakan food.”
Benedict and Dori sat back in stunned silence.
“That’swhy you were late for class,” Cami said.
“Yeah, but don’t tell anyone, okay?”
She made a mouth zipping motion.
“Food will be here soon,” Clary said, joining us. “Onyx hot pot, since we didn’t get to eat it last night.”
“Who pushed you?” Benedict’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“Pushed who?” Clary asked.
Dori replied, “Someone pushed Ana through a port and into the north borderland.”
“What?” Clary’s eyes went round. “What happened?”
“Ugh, bitch patrol is here,” Dori groaned.
I twisted in my seat to see who she was referring to, a wicked smile curling my lips at the sight of the prima incantors. Viola caught sight of me first, her mouth falling open in shock, arm whipping out to halt her companions. The trio stared at me, clearly stunned at seeing me alive and unscathed.
I wiggled my fingers in a mock wave, then blew them a kiss.
