Within These Wicked Walls

by Lauren Blackwood

“Andromeda, I take it?” With just those few words I could tell she wasn’t from around here. Amharic didn’t leave her mouth comfortably—it stuck in all the wrong places. That is, unless she’d intended to spit the words at me like a curse.

A heavy bell echoed through the halls. Magnus looked around, startled. “What was that?” I raised my eyebrows at him. “Your doorbell.” “Really? Blazes, that was scary.” He grabbed my hand as I moved toward the stairs. “Ignore it. Maybe they’ll go away.”

“What is with you girls risking your lives for this awkward little dope?” “That does it,” Magnus said, helping Kelela sit on the couch across from Jember before leveling a glare at him. “I wore my corduroy jacket for such a time as this.”