Page 118 of Vying Girls

I watch her take it all in, the circular stone room; the stained glass domed roof, the moon a white smudge on the other side; the legacies, elites and other poshos sitting at the round table.

She looks starkly out of place, in her demeanour if not her outfit. Her eyes dart around, fingers toying with the edge of the tablecloth. Everyone’s talking, laughing, sipping from crystal glasses of water. I eye the decanters of booze on the table, wishing they’d get on with it.

‘Who is everyone?’ Tilda asks, voice low.

‘Don’t know everyone, but’—I nod to the people directly opposite us—‘that’s Zaccaro, then Fina. She was the one with the wolf that you saw. Next to her is Violet. Don’t really know her, but she’s a Savage. Probably one of Margot’s nieces. She’s got a few.’ I slide my eyes over Margot herself, pursing my lips at the next girl. ‘I don’t know that one.’

‘That’s Aurelie. She’s in Margot’s class with me. She lives with Blakely.’

‘Look at you, knowing more about my friends than me.’

‘She’s the only one of them I like.’

‘In that case, I’ll probably hate her.’

Tilda tuts. ‘Such a contrarian. Who’s that one?’ She nods to Zaccaro’s other side.

‘Fina’s cousin. Luca. Don’t really know her either. I get the impression Fina doesn’t like her much.’

‘She’s looking at me weird.’

I frown across the table. Luca’s staring alright. Her blue eyes, so at odds with the rest of her, hold a slight predatory glint. ‘You’re fresh blood.’

I put my arm across Tilda, drawing Luca’s gaze to me instead. She looks up, smiles, then runs her tongue over her lips.

Tilda sucks in a breath. ‘Split tongue! Man, I’ve always wanted to do that.’

I remove my arm. ‘According to Fina, she’s majorly fucked in the head.’

‘Yep. Can definitely see that.’ Tilda picks up her glass, takes a sip, puts it back down, then goes back to playing with the tablecloth. ‘Are you sure I’m allowed to be here?’

‘They wouldn’t have let you in the door if you weren’t. Chill, will you. We’re allowed plus ones.’

She hums. ‘Probably not scholarship though.’

‘Don’t box yourself in.’ I slide my eyes to her. ‘What happened to you being an all-powerful witch?’

Tilda looks at me, expression solemn. ‘She lost her powers when her familiar left.’

I look away. ‘Well. She’s here tonight. You belong here as much as any of these toffs.’

She smiles. ‘You’re technically one of those toffs too.’

I shrug one shoulder. ‘Feels more like a game to me. I don’t take any of this shit seriously.’ I toss up a hand, looking around the obscenely opulent room. ‘How can you?’

‘I get the feeling these lot do.’ She leans in close and hisses, ‘Are they all Mafia?’

I chuckle. ‘Maybe the Italian ones.’

‘I bet Luca’s a hitman or something. Hitwoman.’

‘Wouldn’t put it past her.’

‘I mean, only the Mafia would have pet wolves, right? Like, surely that isn’t legal.’

‘Surely. But who’s going to take on Zaccaro? We just have to sit pretty and drink his whiskey.’

Tilda wrinkles her nose. ‘Suppose I can’t say no, can I?’