Lock and Key (Nocturne Academy 1)

All three of them had blue tags on their lanyards.

“Well, hell-o new girl,” the girl with the black lipstick cooed, looking me up and down. “Looking for the right table? You can sit with us if you have the Flame.”

Without warning, she grabbed my left hand, forcing me to juggle my unbalanced tray with my right. I barely kept from dropping it.

“Hey!” I protested, trying to yank my hand away. But the girl held me tight in her surprisingly strong grip, her eyes closed in apparent concentration. After a moment, she opened them and dropped my hand like it was a dead fish.

“Huh—not so much as a spark.” She looked at me disgustedly, as though I had disappointed her on purpose somehow. “You’re supposed to be some hot-shit Latimer but you’re just a Null, aren’t you? How are you here for free while the rest of us who have real talent have to pay?”

I was taken aback by the question. How would she know about my scholarship status? And why would she throw it in my face in front of the entire student body?

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said hesitantly.

“I heard it was because her crazy Aunt Delilah came and begged Headmistress Nightworthy to let her in,” one of the other girls said, making a face. “And you know how soft-hearted old Nighty is when it comes to charity cases.”

“She has some nerve, eating our food when she’s just a charity case Null,” the third girl chimed in. “Look—that came from the Sisters’ station!” And she pointed at my fish and salad as though I had stolen it.

“I was told I could have what I wanted to eat,” I said, finding my voice at last. “And I don’t recall anyone telling me I had to come ask your permission first.”

The head girl’s face darkened and her too-large mouth with its coal-black lipstick twisted into a furious scowl.

“How dare you talk back to us, Charity Case? Do you know who we are? We’re the Weird Sisters—you’ll be sorry if you cross us.”

I shrugged, trying to appear unconcerned.

“I don’t care what you call yourselves, just leave me alone.”

“Or what?” one of the other two Weird Sisters asked. “Or you’ll bespell us? Oh wait—you can’t because you’re a Null.”

“Whew!” The third girl mimed wiping sweat from her perfect forehead. “For a minute I was scared. A Latimer witch—right here among us peasants! But it turns out she’s nothing but a Charity Case.”

I had a sinking feeling this was going to be my new nickname, whether I wanted it to be or not. I could either slink away with my tail between my legs, or face them down, like I had Sanchez.

I chose option B.

“It’s true,” I said, lifting my chin, “I’m here on scholarship. But I don’t see how that’s any of your business. I won’t bother you if you don’t bother me and right now I just want to be left alone to eat my lunch.”

“That’s my lunch you’re eating you little non-witch bitch! That came from the Sisters’ station,” the ring-leader snapped. With a sudden violent move, she slapped the tray right out of my hand.

My cup of tea slopped over the side spilling everywhere and the green plastic tray went spinning. Baked fish, salad, and lemon wedges flew through the air in a colorful arc to land with a splat on the flagstone floor.

I stared at the ringleader of the Weird Sisters, completely taken aback. What in the hell was wrong with her?

Before I could open my mouth to retort, a cold new voice whip-cracked across the room.

“Nancy Rattcliff, come here now!”

Looking up, I saw a tall older woman with pure silver hair cut in a sleek cap that molded to her head and feathered around her temples. Despite her age—which might have been eighty—she had piercing blue eyes and she was wearing a form-fitting black dress and sky-high stiletto pumps, also in black. Her lipstick, however, was blood red and her lips pulled back to show extremely long canine teeth which looked surprisingly sharp and pointed.

The ringleader of the Weird Sisters whipped around, her eyes going wide.

“Headmistress Nightworthy!” she gasped and her two cohorts went pale and silent.

“Come here at once. At once, I say!” The Headmistress demanded.

“Yes, Headmistress.” Nancy went to stand in front of the much taller, older woman, though the sullen set of her shoulders said she didn’t want to. But clearly she was too frightened to disobey.

“How dare you abuse another student? Especially one who is new to our world?” the Headmistress demanded, her blue eyes blazing. “I have never seen such a shameful display in my entire career as an educator! I am half inclined to expel you at once and write to every other institute of Higher Other Learning and instruct them not to admit you anywhere.”