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Then she turned around and hurried down the hallway.

“We should go too,” Julie suggested, looking around the slightly busy hallway.

When I spotted Noah, Hunter, and Cody in the distance, I quickly nodded, and Julie and I headed toward the main corridor of the west wing.

“The main corridor starts right here,” I reminded Julie cautiously that neither of us were human and that she was under immense pressure because of her family and this messed up circle. “You can go first.”

“No need to worry.” Julie's gaze focused on the stone floor in front of us, and then we turned into the massively crowded, wide, Gothic corridor. “We can go to the lecture together.”

I raised an eyebrow and straightened my leather backpack, ignoring the gawking students, who were probably just jealous they didn't have the confidence we had to not give a damn about the uniform.

“And the Quatura won't want to rip my throat out?” I asked cautiously, keeping an eye out for witches. “I don't want to be cursed or whatever else you crazy elementalists are capable of.”

As if I had summoned them, the first ones appeared. A group of girls who looked familiar to me, but with whom I had never had anything to do. Fortunately. Because they stared at me as if they wanted to boil me in one of their cauldrons on the highest flame.

“First of all, elemental magic has nothing to do with curses, which is why a Quatura reacts tensely when compared to a witch.”

I looked at Julie, who was walking beside me with her head held high, as if someone had replaced the old one. Her straight, smooth, almost shoulder-length hair contributed significantly to this.

She seemed confident, steadfast, and as if she didn't care what others thought.

The group of staring Quatura girls walked past us without taking their eyes off her, and she didn't even bat an eyelid.

What had happened?

“And secondly, no one will attack you. Quatura don't like to go on the offensive unless you plan to make me your snack.” She looked at me and smiled. “If anything, they'll rip my throat out.” Something in her expression tensed. “Remember, with the Quatura, it's like sexual assault. If I put myself in your vicinity of potential danger, I asked for it and will be judged accordingly. They prefer that to starting a war. At least in third-party territory.”

She looked straight ahead again, and I thought I saw a sparkle in her aventurine-colored eyes.

I wondered what was going on in her head, whether anything had changed during the last few weeks of winter break.

I was aware she was under surveillance because of the baby, that the Quatura were talking about some kind of witch messiah who would destroy all other species once the time came.

Julie didn't believe in this prophecy. Neither did I.

“I admire you for standing up to them,” I confessed honestly, relaxing a little, straightening my shoulders, and successfully ignoring the Quatura's stares.

“They want my baby,” Julie replied tonelessly, drawing my concerned gaze. “Only as long as I carry this child inside me am I safe from them.”

Did I understand that correctly? She could do whatever she wanted because she was pregnant?

What the hell would they do to her if she weren't pregnant? What would be the consequences of her walking through these corridors with me? And why did it sound like these freaks were capable of inflicting physical pain on their own people?

“You really think you have special status now?”

You’re Loved & I’m Hated

Christopher Tyng

I stopped abruptly when I heard the all-too-familiar voice behind us and reflexively spun around, blinking at the blonde girl in alarm.

Vivienna.

She was wrapped up nicely in her dark blue uniform, black skirt, and beige designer coat from Louis Vuitton. Her fair hair shimmered golden, like from a hair dye commercial, and she smiled that toothpaste commercial smile, reminding me what a fake snake she was.

And unfortunately – how could it be otherwise – she wasn't alone. Gathered around her were Bitch Amber, Barbie Kelly and... Grace.

The latter didn't even glance at me, as if we had never gotten along, but just stared at Julie.