The Supper Hall loomed ahead, a cathedral of noise and hunger. The moment we stepped inside, the scent of roasting meat and something darker,,, iron? hit me.
Long tables stretched endlessly, each marked with dorm numbers. Ours, 333, sat in a secluded corner, half-hidden in shadow and the press of bodies.
Lily and Piper moved with practiced ease, slipping through the crowd like ghosts. I followed, my boots echoing on the stone floor.
The food across different tables were lavish... roasted meats, steaming bread, fruits so ripe they gleamed like jewels. But what caught my eye were the symbols carved into the table.
Our number. 333.
And beside it, a single phrase etched into the wood:
"Welcome to the Feast."
I hesitated.
Something about this place, the way the chatter dipped when we passed, the way eyes darted toward us, then away, set my nerves alight.
The Supper Hall hummed like a living thing, students weaving between tables in a dance of clattering plates and murmured alliances. Some carried their meals to other tables, defying the numbered seating, flocking to their chosen covens with the ease of those who knew where they belonged. I watched some students drift between the tables, cliques forming like wolves circling prey.
Lily's fingers drummed against the 333 carved into our table, the grooves worn smooth by generations of hands.
While Piper hovered over the food, ladle in hand, her nails, still etched with those screaming faces, glistening under the dim light. "What do you want to eat?" She asked me, ladling rice onto her plate with the precision of a surgeon.
My gaze flickered over the spread, eyeing the roasted chicken glistening under the candlelight, its skin crackled to perfection. My fingers twitched. Such crispy, golden goodness, glistening with oil. My stomach couldn't help but growl.
Lily shook her head. "Vegetarian."
Piper shrugged. "Not in the mood for meat today."
Their loss.
I seized a drumstick, tore into it with my teeth, and nearly moaned as the sweet, smoky flavor exploded on my tongue. The sauce... thick, red, almost blood-dark, dripped down my fingers as it clung to my lips like a lover's kiss.
Lily arched a brow, lips twitching.
"What?" I mumbled through a mouthful.
"Nothing."
Piper giggled. "That's her way of saying she likes you. A lot."
Lily coughed, shooting Piper a glare that could flay skin. My cheeks burned, but I swallowed my smile.
"Me too," I muttered.
Then...
An empty plate clattered on the table along with a body that slammed into the seat beside me.
I jerked, nearly choking.
The air shifted.
Lily's face darkened.
I turned.
Of course.
Casimir.
His fingers darted toward my chicken. I swatted his hand away like fly, scowling, my fork poised like a weapon. "Try it again," I warned as he pouted, all sharp cheekbones and emerald eyes, looking like some fallen angel who'd decided to grace mortals with his presence, his lips quirked up as if he knew exactly how badly I wanted to break his nose.
"Does he always eat with you?" I hissed.
Lily grunted, rolling her eyes as he winked. Piper just giggled, stabbing her salad like it had personally offended her.
Casimir leaned in, his voice a low, teasing purr. "There's love in sharing, Whitaker." His gaze dragged down my body, slow as honey, before settling on my face. "Won't kill you to spare a bite."
Normally, I'd recoil.
But my body didn't.
And the worst part?
I wasn't uncomfortable.
My body recognized him... knew him in a way that made my skin prickle. Trusted him even. Like muscle memory.
Too comfortable.
Too familiar.
Why?
I gripped my brass knuckles in my pocket, just in case.
Then... he struck.
A chunk of my chicken vanished into his smug mouth.
"YOU SON OF A..."
He laughed, deep and rich, eyes crinkling at the corners as he ruffled my hair like I was some spitting, feral cat. I hissed, swatting at him again..
And then his fingers locked around my wrist.
Hard.
I flinched, ready to break his grip, but his attention wasn't on me anymore.
It was on the fresh tattoo curling around my skin. His thumb brushed the fresh black ink, my skin still red there... Madame Voss's mark.
His eyes widened, flicking to Piper.
"So you've met Madame Voss and Felix."
I yanked my arm back. His grip had been weak... too weak for someone his size. Like he'd let me go.
A searing gaze burned into my back. Scalding and familiar.
I whipped around.
No one. Just students eating, laughing, oblivious... none staring.
But the weight of that stare lingered like a brand.
When I turned back, half my chicken was gone. Casimir was chewing my damn chicken, eyes twinkling with mischief.
"How dare you..." My fork was at his throat in a flash, the tip pressing into his pale skin. His veins stood out like dark vines beneath a marble.
He didn't even flinch. I felt his pulse thrumming under the metal.
Lily and Piper snickered, barely containing their laughter.
I pressed harder.
His Adam's apple bobbed.
"I like you, Whitaker." His voice was smooth, unshaken. "Let's be friends."
"What."
"What??"
He grinned. "I'm bad at subtlety. So I'm making my intentions clear. Friends?"
His pale hand, large, scarred, hovered between us, waiting.
Piper gasped. Lily froze.
Even the candlelight hesitated.
I stared.
I felt Lily and Piper exchanged glances, shocked in the background. Like this wasn't normal for him..
This wasn't his usual game.
And that... that unnerved me more than the theft.
Was he insane?
But something in his emerald eyes... earnest, almost vulnerable, made me hesitate.
"No."
I took another bite of my chicken, savoring his stunned silence.
He laughed, low and delighted, ruffling my hair again.
I punched him in the ribs.
"Personal space, asshole."
He just grinned wider. "We're gonna be best friends, Whitaker."
Delusional. Absolutely delusional.
Then, like nothing happened, he turned to Piper.
"Done with the calculus homework?"
Piper gripped her hair, smeared face paint making her look like a battle-worn goddess. "F*ck no! Malwick's a sadist! Teaches us baby steps in class, then assigned a blood sacrifice!"
Casimir's grin turned sharp.
"Lucky for you," he said, "I already solved it."
Piper's eyes lit up.
Casimir smirked. "I'll help. For a price."
Piper groaned, joking probably "Not my soul again."
"Too late. Already stole it last week."
Lily snorted, and despite myself...
I almost smiled.