Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 145728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
The fact that Nancy and her friends were only allowed to have Norm food was another part of their punishment—and believe me, it really was a punishment. Let’s just say the food served to non-magical people like myself at Nocturne Academy was not exactly gourmet fare.
“It’s this,” Nancy said sourly, pointing to a casserole looking dish that appeared to be just a flat expanse of melted orange cheese, since no one had asked for any yet. I was unhappily aware that, aside from Nancy and the Weird Sisters, I was probably going to be the only person in line who got a scoop of the stuff. And you never could tell what was beneath the ubiquitous layer of cheese.
“Well now, that does look interesting,” Avery remarked, grinning. “Why don’t you try some, Nancy—maybe I’ll have it.”
“You know you won’t—you never do,” Nancy snarled at him. I had heard a rumor she and her friends were doing their best to live off protein bars and things like that, they could get on the weekends and smuggle into school with them. Clearly she didn’t like the Norm food any more than I did—which was, of course, why Avery delighted in making her taste it.
“Go on,” he said, making a gesture with his tray. “Try it, Nancy. You know Headmistress Nightworthy instituted a rule that any student who wants to can ask you to try a bite of the food you’re serving—just to make sure you’re not screwing around with it.”
“This is tuna casserole with green beans, lima beans, kidney beans, green peppers, and freaking mango salsa in it,” Nancy snapped. “I’m not eating it!”
“Oh, yes you will.” Avery had a steely glint in his blue eyes. “Or there’s going to be trouble. Go ahead, Nancy, sweetheart—get yourself a nice big bite so I can make sure you haven’t put anything nasty in it.”
As if putting that weird assortment of veggies, beans, and fruits in with tuna fish wasn’t nasty enough, right? But sadly, this was not an uncommon occurrence at Nocturne Academy. The cafeteria Lunch Ladies didn’t seem to think Norms counted as people—probably because we don’t have any magical powers. So they took whatever was left over from the day before of the Drakes and Fae’s and Sisters’ food, mixed it all together, and covered it in a layer of disgusting orange cheese that looked and tasted like melted crayons. It was generally awful and I didn’t blame Nancy and her crew for preferring protein bars.
But there was no way she could get out of tasting it. This, too, was part of her punishment.
Glaring at Avery, she snatched up a clean teaspoon and dug a chunk out of the Norm casserole. The smell that came with it was not good—extremely fishy and fruity and confused—like a tuna fish had gotten into a fight with a mango and both of them had lost. Nancy got the bite close to her oversized mouth and then her nostrils flared. She pulled the spoon away, looking like she was going to be sick.
“I’m not doing it,” she snapped. “I can’t.”
“But you can, Nancy my love,” Avery said, smiling wickedly. “And if you don’t like Norm food, maybe you should have thought twice about it before you attempted to have Megan killed and then tried to feed Kaitlyn to the Guardian in the moat. Personally, I think the Council of Elders should have banished or imprisoned you for life. Taking a bite of stinky tuna casserole is getting off light. Now eat it.”
He glared at Nancy and we all knew how this was going to end.
Still glaring back the whole time, she shoved the bite of confused tuna-mango casserole into her mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed as fast as possible. I though for a minute that she might gag, but somehow she got it down.
“There now.” Avery smiled pleasantly at her. “That wasn’t so bad, was it? And it looks so yummy. But you know…” He cocked his head to one side as though thoughtfully considering. “I think I’ll pass. Thanks anyway for showing it to me.”
Grinning, he left his empty tray on the dull silver top of the steam table and moved on down the line as Nancy bared her big white teeth at him.
Saint looked at Avery in surprise, his black eyebrows raised almost to his hairline.
“Avery, my friend, I had no idea how vindictive you could be,” he remarked, as we all moved past the place where Nancy and her friends were serving.
Avery’s blue eyes flashed.
“Only when it comes to putting would-be-murderers in their place,” he snapped. “And before you start, you should know I’m not kidding. That witch with a capital B back there honestly tried to put both Megan and Kaitlyn six feet under not that long ago. I might forgive a plot against my own life, but if you mess with my Coven-mates, you’re going to pay.” He smirked. “Even if you only pay in bites of stinky tuna-mango casserole, you know?”