was about to get schooled.
Chapter 19
Mack returned about forty minutes later, carrying a big tray loaded with a bowl of creamy-looking soup and a tall chocolatey shake. He hardly glanced at the self-moving door, completely preoccupied by the story he could hardly wait to tell.
“So the kitchen manager brings me this tray and explains that she had these extra large straws and that they should make things easier for you. Delwood, who’d been acting even douchier than normal, pipes up and says something about you sucking the rest of your life or some bullshit like that.
“Suddenly, every drop of liquid in every glass or bowl on his table launches itself into his face. It was friggin’ unbelievable. He jumps up, swearing and screaming to know who did it, and your little friend Ryanne just stands up and casually calls him a knob gobbling dingleberry who couldn’t be an alpha in a dog pound. He goes red in the face and starts to come toward her and she did something… something witchy ‘cause all of a sudden, he gets this look on his face, turns all white, and stops dead in his tracks. Miss Berg jumps up and starts screaming at Ryanne to stop it. That little Irish spitfire turns to Berg and says ‘Why? So he can hit me, too? Is this a school or a fight club? And just try and put any bullshit Witchbands on me.’
“Deldouche is still standing there looking like he’s choking on his own spit and Jenks is looking angry but uncertain of what to do and Mrs. Velasquez calmly stands up and says, ‘You’ve made your point, Miss Flynn. Now let him go,’ and suddenly Delwood just drops and starts coughing and your Irish girl sits down and goes back to dinner like nothing happened.”
I grabbed my pad. Is she in trouble?
“No, can you believe it? They all just sat down and pretended nothing had happened. Except Delwood, who had to open his trap. He says ‘You’re not always gonna be able to protect that little shit,’ and Ryanne just starts laughing. She says, and I quote, ‘If you believe I have to protect him, then you won’t last out the week.’”
I scribbled a quick No shit?
“Yeah, friggin’ awesome,” he said, finally putting the tray on my lap. The bowl was deep, the soup now only lukewarm, which was fine, and I was able to suck some through the giant straw. It tasted great, but even opening my jaw that much was hard and painful.
Someone knocked on the door and I exchanged a quick glance with Mack before commanding it to open.
Ryanne stood smiling tentatively in the doorway, one of the blonde twins behind her, looking uncomfortable. I figure it was Britta as she wasn’t wearing a sneer or frown like Erika seemed to do.
“Hey, D, just checking on my driver. Personal self-interest and all. Can’t afford to freeze me tender Irish behind off, ye see,” Ryanne said.
I tore the top page off my pad and threw the crumpled paper onto the little pile on the floor. Then I wrote on the fresh sheet. Erin go bragh. Can’t put any of the green isle’s treasures in jepar… danger.
Britta snorted as she read it and Ryanne gave me a brilliant smile. “See, Britt, he’s a charmer, this one is.” Then she looked around the room. It was looking messy. I waved a hand and the pile of papers shot over to the wastebasket and the clothes on the floor slid under Mack’s bed.
Britta frowned. “For a warlock, you spend power like it’s nothing.”
“Ah, but Britt, if ye happen to have billions, what’s a few quid here or there,” Ryanne said, casually sitting on the end of my bed.
“You keep saying stuff like that, but it’s not possible,” Britta said.
“So said the witch, eh Mack?” Ryanne said.
“Yeah, well, I don’t know squat about magic and witch stuff, but Miss Berg was shitting marbles trying to break Declan’s door spell thingy. Thought she was gonna stroke out in the hall,” Mack said.
Ryanne smiled a triumphant smile at Britta, then patted my foot. “Well, we’ll not be tiring ye out. It was a shit deal that was done to ya. Wait… they left those foul things on you?” she said, staring aghast at my wrists.
“Oh, it’s alright. Declan broke them,” Mack said, trying to calm her down.
“He what? Let me see,” Britta said, striding over to the bed and bending down to stare at my wrists.
Ryanne leaned over