The Ravens (The Ravens #1) - Kass Morgan Page 0,25

gentleman,” Scarlett said, the sweetness draining from her voice. “You’re so brave, coming to breakfast dressed like that.” She nodded at Vivi’s sweatpants. “I wish I could be so . . . uninhibited.”

Vivi blushed and, to her annoyance, she was still searching for a retort when Mason returned and took Scarlett’s hand. “Stay out of trouble, Vivi,” he said before following Scarlett out of the cafeteria.

Too late. She was already knee-deep in it.

Chapter Eight

Scarlett

As Mason walked Scarlett to class, clouds gathered, dark and low, on the horizon. She wasn’t 100 percent sure if it was her or Mother Nature brewing the storm.

“I am so sorry I missed our breakfast, Scar,” he said again. He’d been brimming over with apologies since they’d left the cafeteria. “Let me make it up to you. Why don’t we skip? We can go down to Miss Deenie’s and get some real food.”

“I would, but one of us is clearly already full,” Scarlett said icily.

“Scar, it was just breakfast.”

But it wasn’t just anything. Some of us don’t skip. Some of us care. Some of us show up where we are supposed to be instead of making waffles for wide-eyed freshmen. It wasn’t just that she’d found him playing waffle sous-chef for that unfortunate freshman charity-baby witch. She could usually set her watch by Mason.

“I can’t skip,” she said firmly.

“Scar . . .” he pleaded. But when he realized that she was standing her ground, he sighed, gave her a quick peck on the lips, and moved on, his shoulders slightly slumped.

After he disappeared into the fog that had suddenly descended like a curtain, Scarlett couldn’t bring herself to go into the lecture hall. Instead, she strode back across campus toward Kappa House, clenching her fists so hard, her nails left crescents in her palms.

Just who the hell does this Vivi girl think she is?

How could Mason stand her up for the same irritating girl whom Scarlett hadn’t even wanted to vote into Kappa? She was beneath them, this girl with her ratty clothes and childlike innocence. Was this what Mason was talking about when he’d asked her if she ever thought about just saying screw it all and traveling the world? Screw that. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and she forced herself to take slow, calming breaths. She could not use major arcana right now. Not with so many witnesses. But she felt the magic itching in her veins, begging to be let loose.

It wouldn’t take much. Not at this point with her nerves as frayed as they were.

“You might want to get inside soon,” a surly voice said.

Great. Jackson had just jogged up beside her on the quad.

“Why’s that?” she replied coldly.

“Don’t witches melt in the rain?”

Scarlett nearly tripped over her sandals. She forced her expression to stay calm, removed. Forced herself not to study him too hard out of the corner of her eye. “Someone’s been reading a little too much urban fantasy.”

He kept pace with her. “Just calling it like I see it.”

“Jackson, I’m not in the mood.”

“Come on, Scarlett. Take a joke.”

She whirled on him finally, her hair whipping as the storm kicked up more power. “Leave me alone,” she growled. If not for the burgeoning thunderstorm soaking up all her power, she would have already cast a distraction charm to send him away. But her control would be tenuous right now. Irritating as he was, she didn’t want to make a mistake and hurt him. She couldn’t go through something like that again.

Jackson set his jaw. For a moment, she thought he’d refuse. But with a deafening clap of thunder, the rain began, and he scowled, flung up the hood of his sweatshirt, and stalked away.

She watched him leave, every muscle in her body taut. She crossed her arms over her chest, cut off the quad, and headed into the forest that ran alongside campus. It was a slightly longer walk to Kappa this way, but the trees provided cover from the worst of the storm.

Normally at this hour, the path would be crowded with students who lived in other parts of campus. Right now, thanks to the rain, it was abandoned. With the dark clouds above, it looked like nighttime almost. Scarlett picked her way through the gloom, scowling.

At least the weather matched her mood.

Vivi. What the hell was she going to do with her? She’d known she wasn’t Kappa material from the moment she’d set eyes on her. She was rude and unstylish, and she had flirted with Scarlett’s