“Are you planning on answering my question or are you going to spend the whole class period staring at an empty seat?”
“I wasn’t—” I break off as my cheeks flood with heat, because what am I going to say? That I wasn’t actually staring at an empty seat, I was just arguing with a voice in my head?
Yeah, because that sounds like a totally rational argument…not to mention a one-way ticket to social suicide.
“I’m not just a voice in your head!” Hudson snaps indignantly.
“Yes, Miss Foster?” Dr. Veracruz’s voice slices like a guillotine. “What exactly is it that you weren’t doing? Besides not paying attention in my class?”
“I’m sorry,” I tell her, giving up because there’s no reasonable explanation I can put forth. And because the sooner I humble myself, hopefully the sooner she’ll go back to the front of the class and leave me alone. “I won’t let it happen again.”
For long seconds, she just stares at me. Then, just when I think she’s going to turn away and head back to the front of the classroom, she says, “Since you seem so eager to make up for your lackadaisical attitude so far in this class, why don’t you explain to us about the true enemies of witches during the Salem Witch Trials.”
“The true enemies of witches?” I ask faintly, because I have absolutely no idea how to answer that question. Everything I was ever taught in school told me that there were no real witches in Salem. Then again, everything in my old life told me witches don’t exist. So maybe she has a point.
“Um, witches during the Salem Witch Trials…” I mumble, hoping for divine inspiration before I make an even bigger fool of myself in front of the class. Unfortunately, nothing is coming.
At least not until Hudson says, “Tell her the real culprits of the Salem Witch Trials weren’t the Puritans.”
What do you mean? Of course they were.
“No, they weren’t. The Witch Trials were a power play by vampires, plain and simple, and the people who died there were pawns in a petty battle that a lot of people hoped would spawn the Third Great War—including my father. But they were wrong.”
39
Salem WTF Trials
My mind is blown, completely blown, by this alternate version of history that Hudson provides. Part of me thinks it’s total BS, but with Dr. Veracruz standing right in front of me looking like she plans to turn me into something slimy if I don’t answer her soon, I decide to just go for it.
I repeat what Hudson explained to me—minus the whole “my father” reference—and one look at her stunned face tells me everything I need to know. Namely that Hudson didn’t lie and that Dr. Veracruz didn’t expect me to know anything about the trials.
The rest of class passes in a blur, largely because Hudson is in a very talkative mood this morning. And since I’m the only person who can hear him, I’m the lucky one who gets to hear all the things about all the things. Lucky, lucky me.
I pack up quickly when the bell rings, determined to get to my Physics of Flight class on time. It turns out Flint is in the advanced class right across from mine, so we end up walking together. Something that, for no reason I can ascertain, makes Hudson cranky as hell.
“Do we really have to spend all day talking to Dragon Boy?” he complains. “What could you two possibly have in common?”
“Oh, I don’t know. How about the fact that we both despise you?” I fire back, not caring that Flint has an amused expression on his face as he watches me chew out the air next to him.
“Believe me, that’s not exactly an exclusive club,” Hudson answers with a snort.
I roll my eyes. “Which should tell you something about your people skills.”
“All it tells me is that people are even more small-minded than I imagined.”
“Small-minded?” I ask incredulously. “Because they didn’t go along with your little ‘conquer the world’ plan? How shortsighted of them.”
Flint barks out a laugh but doesn’t seem to mind that he’s only privy to my side of this ridiculous argument.
“Hey, the world could do a lot worse than to be ruled by me,” he says. “Look around.”
“Wow. Arrogant much?” I ask.
“It’s only arrogant if it’s not true,” he answers and nods toward the stairs that lead to Jaxon’s tower.