CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

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I jump a little and glance to my right casually, because I'm pretty sure that voice was addressing someone else

Йой! Нажаль, це зображення не відповідає нашим правилам. Щоб продовжити публікацію, будь ласка, видаліть його або завантажте інше.

I jump a little and glance to my right casually, because I'm pretty sure that voice was addressing someone else.

Unfortunately, the girl closest to me is now even closer and staring at me expectantly. She's Asian, short, and really skinny, with straight black hair and enormous black glasses.

I glance around real quick, praying she's trying to talk to someone else.

Nope. She's definitely asking me my name.

"Uh, Lyric." I attempt a smile. "Lyric Hart."

"Hi, Lyric." She's buzzing with too much enthusiasm, her eyes wide and shining. "Your parents graduate from Gaia House? Did you attend the yearly Earth Magick banquets? I don't remember you..."

"Um... Gaia?"

She glances above us, and for the first time, I notice the banner hanging there, seemingly suspended in mid-air. It's emerald green, with a geometric symbol on it. Above the kids at the far end of these bleachers, there's another banner, turquoise with a geometric symbol. Across from us, above the opposite set of bleachers, there's a light blue banner and a red one as well.

Vivian needs some kind of answer, so I smile and nod.

"You went to the banquet every year?" She looks confused.

"Mm-hmm." I wish she'd stop talking to me.

But at least I now know that Gaia House equals Earth Magick. Didn't I see that on the first Academy invitation I opened? Crap, I can't remember what the other "Houses" were called.

"I can't believe we never met!" Vivian drops her voice to a whisper and furtively gestures at someone on the bleachers below us. "Have you ever been to one of their get-togethers?"

I think she's pointing to the group of kids just below us. They're chattering away and laughing, and my stomach twists itself into knots just looking at them. Every kid in the group is more beautiful than the rest of us. And better dressed too.

"Have you met Jazmin Takei?" Vivian asks, still looking at the group. "I was invited to a Guardian Gaia ball once at ArchGuardian Takei's house in Tokyo."

Vivian's staring at me. Waiting for me to take the bait and act impressed.

I look at the group again, guessing that Jazmin's the Asian girl.

"Wow, a ball." I'm trying to sound like I care. "So how was that?"

"So amazing." Vivian says, almost wistfully. "They always party like royalty, because, well... so many of them are."

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna graduate a Guardian," she says in a low voice, leaning closer. "So I'll be going to those parties all the time."

"I bet you will."

Oops, I think that came across as accidentally snarky, because Vivian stiffens up and looks hurt.

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