* * *
“Addy!”
I’ve just stepped into the mess hall and my heart is in my throat. I had a warm reception this morning, but that doesn’t mean I’ll have one again today.
I follow the sound of my name to Kaia, who waves me over to the same table we sat at this morning. It’s crowded with the same people, except Celeste has joined in and is sitting close to Maxon, picking food off of his plate.
Kaia takes a bag of books off the seat next to her, moving it to the floor with a heavy thud.
“Hey!” she says excitedly. “How’s your first day going?”
“Pretty good,” I tell her, and start dishing food onto my plate. Today’s lunch is some sort of honey glazed chicken, steamed vegetables, fresh salad, mashed potatoes, rich gravy, and what has to be the most decadent-looking chocolate cake I’ve ever seen. There’s ice water, tea, milk, and something that looks suspiciously like sangria—but I don’t think I’m that lucky—in glass pitchers on the table as well, and this is all pushed up around the black lantern located in the center of the table.
“You’re not feeling overwhelmed?” Celeste asks, picking a tomato from her salad. “A lot of first years end up crying for their mothers.”
“My mother has been dead for over twenty years,” I quip, and silence falls over our table. I give Celeste my best side-eye as she purses her lips at me, and plop a big spoonful of mashed potatoes on my plate.
Celeste returns my glare and reaches for her tea. But as soon as Celeste’s slender fingers wrap around her tea cup, Cassandra pops through the middle of the table, startling Celeste into sloshing tea all down her front.
“Hey, Addy!” She floats above the table, ignoring Celeste’s shrieks of outrage. I stifle a grin as she reaches down and uses her ghostly energy to stir the sangria-looking juice, causing ice to clink against the glass. “How’s it going?”
“How dare you!” Celeste jumps to her feet, looking down at herself. Light brown stains dot her white shirt. “Max! Do something!”
“What do you want me to do?” he asks, and I almost feel sorry for him. He’s going to be married tothatfor the rest of his…er…afterlife.
“Get that hell-bound creature out of here!” She stomps her foot down hard on the ground. “Send her to Soul City with the rest of them!”
Max sighs. “The professors already tried getting her to leave and she wouldn’t.”
“I don’t care! Make her!”
A shadow falls over the table and Cassandra floats up to the ceiling, perching on one of the large wooden beams that stretches across the room.
“Is there a problem?” Professor Dal asks politely.
“That ghost,” Celeste huffs, pointing up at the ceiling. “It shouldn’t be here.”
Professor Dal looks up. A smile crosses his face at the sight of Cass. “Hello, Cassandra. How are you today?”
“Juuuuust peachy.” She gives him a toothy grin as she does a somersault through the air.
“Are you serious?” Celeste looks like she’s ready to breathe fire. “Why is it allowed to stay here, Professor? Can’t you get rid of it?”
Professor Dal shrugs, looking down at Celeste. “While her presence is highly unorthodox, I see no harm in letting her stay.”
“Ugh!” Celeste looks down at her shirt. “I need to go change now.” She storms away, and it’s only then I realize half the students in the mess hall have turned to look at us.
“Perhaps, though,” Professor Dal goes on, flicking his gaze toward me, “the ghost should refrain from popping up from tables during meal times.”
“I’ll make sure she does,” I assure him, raising my chin to meet his gaze. My heart speeds up—his gaze is so warm, so intense, that it makes me feel as if he only has eyes for me.
But that’s ridiculous. Professor Dal doesn’t see me that way. He’s a teacher, and I’m his student. Right?
“I’m sure you will.” Professor Dal smiles and pats my shoulder before leaving.
“Cass,” I grumble once I’ve pulled myself together, and she jumps down from the beam, falling to the ground in graceful slow motion. “I’ll meet you in the common room later, okay?”
“Fine,” she huffs. “I’ll go wander the halls some more. This place is endless, you know.”
