Conjured

Victoria slipped her arm around Eve’s waist. “Think of it as a getting-to-know-you activity. Your chance to prove that you’re cool enough to hang out with us. We all went through it.”

“I don’t …” Eve tried to step away, but Victoria swept her toward the pool table.

“Oh, you’ll love it,” Victoria said. In a conspiratorial whisper, she added, “It’s so very invigorating.” She passed the pool table and positioned Eve next to the mirror wall in one corner of the cafeteria.

“But I don’t know the rules,” Eve objected.

“There are no rules.” Victoria wiggled her fingers at her and then scooted to another corner. “Except stay in your corner until I say ‘go.’” Aidan and Topher chose the other two corners, one by the vending machine and the other by the water cooler.

“I don’t—” Eve began.

“Ready?” Victoria said.

Topher raised his hands, palms out. Sparks danced between his fingertips as if his hands were electrified. Eve felt words die in her throat as she stared at the sparks.

Victoria clapped in glee, like a child. “Set? Go!”

Aidan vanished.

The air popped, sucking into the space he’d vacated. Half a second later, he reappeared next to the pool table. He picked up a pool cue, winked at Eve, and then vanished again. He reappeared between Topher and the vending machine.

Still smiling, Aidan jabbed at Topher’s throat with the pool cue—hard, as if he wanted it to pierce straight through his jugular. Eve felt her entire body freeze at the sudden, unexpected violence of the gesture.

Before the tip touched his throat, Topher slapped his hands together and caught the pool cue between his palms. White-hot sparks leaped from his hands onto the wood. Aidan dropped the pool cue as electricity raced up and down it.

Victoria was laughing.

Eve flattened herself against the mirror. Her mind shrieked at her to run. But the door was beyond the two boys. Glancing at Victoria, Eve saw her transformation: first her body stretched and narrowed, and then her skin puckered into scales. Her mouth opened to expose needle-sharp fangs, and the snake that used to be a girl hissed at Eve. Who are these people? Eve wondered.

With his hand engulfed in white sparks, Topher threw a punch. Aidan vanished, and Topher’s fist swept through the empty air in front of him. Aidan reappeared on top of the pool table. “Is that the best you can do, pretty boy?”

“Not by a long shot,” Topher said.

Against the mirror, Eve didn’t let herself breathe. She wanted to melt into the wall so they wouldn’t notice her. This was their game? Watching, she waited for them to drop to the floor, caught in nightmares, ending this. But they didn’t.

Victoria darted across the floor. Fangs extended, she aimed for Topher’s ankle.

He pointed at her, and a bolt of electricity shot from his index finger. Hissing, Victoria curled backward. The bolt missed her and seared the floor, which blackened in a spattered star.

Aidan vanished again. He reappeared next to Eve. Casually, he leaned against the mirror. “Come on, new girl, play with us.”

“I don’t think I like this game,” Eve said as neutrally as she could.

The snake swelled, transforming into the black-haired girl again. She rose gracefully in one movement and dusted off the front of her blouse. “But it’s a delightful game, Evy. We call it ‘Who’s Next to Die?’”

They’re insane, Eve thought. She glanced at the door. Most of the office was empty, but someone would hear her if she screamed for help, wouldn’t they? Malcolm was out there; so were Lou and Aunt Nicki.

“Aw, how cute,” Victoria said. “She’s looking for a rescue.”

Topher wove his hands back and forth in front of him, and the sparks danced and grew between his palms. “You can’t depend on them. First lesson. He left you to play with us.”

“Don’t be shy, Evy.” Victoria smiled encouragingly. “Each one of us has our specialty—that’s why we were brought here. We’re all special treasures. Prove that you’re special, Evy.” She lunged forward and transformed again while in motion. This time, her torso remained human while her legs fused into the tail of a massive snake. She smiled, revealing snake fangs. She flicked her forked tongue over her lipstick-coated lips.

“She’s poisonous,” Aidan commented, still conversationally. He vanished with a pop and reappeared again on top of the pool table. “Use your magic, Green Eyes. Show us what your talent is.”

Eve climbed onto the couch, her back against the mirror.

The half snake, half girl reached the couch. Hissing, she coiled, prepared to attack.

Casually, Aidan picked up a billiard ball, and then another and another. In rapid fire, he hurled them at Eve. She ducked and dodged on the back of the couch. The balls hit the mirror, cracking it. “Fight if you want to live!” he called.