Hex Hall | Page 9

n ev er s e en b efo re . M y m om w as
a lm ost f o rty , b ut s h e c o uld u su ally p ass f o r te n y ears y ounger.
" Y ou'r e n ot a s c re w up, S ophie ." W e h efte d th e tr u nk b etw een u s. " Y ou'v e ju st m ad e s o m e m is ta k es."

H ad I e v er. B ein g a w itc h h ad d efin ite ly n ot b een a s a w eso m e a s I 'd h oped it w ould b e. F or o ne th in g, I d id n't g et to f ly a ro und o n a b ro om stic k . ( I a sk ed m y m om
a b out th at w hen I f ir s t c am e in to m y p ow ers , a n d s h e s a id n o, I h ad to k eep r id in g th e b us lik e e v ery one e ls e .) I d on't h av e s p ell b ooks o r a ta lk in g c at ( I'm a lle rg ic ),
a n d I w ould n't e v en k now w here to g et a h old o f s o m eth in g lik e e y e o f n ew t.
B ut I c an p erfo rm m ag ic . I 'v e b een a b le to e v er s in ce I w as tw elv e, w hic h , a cco rd in g to s w eaty b ro ch ure , is th e a g e a ll P ro dig iu m c o m e in to th eir p ow ers . S om eth in g
to d o w ith p uberty , I g uess.
" B esid es, th is is a g ood s c h ool," M om s a id a s w e a p pro ach ed th e b uild in g.
B ut it d id n't lo ok lik e a s c h ool. I t lo oked lik e a c ro ss b etw een s o m eth in g o ut o f a n o ld h orro r m ovie a n d D is n ey W orld 's H au nte d M an sio n. F or s ta rte rs , it w as
o bvio usly a lm ost tw o h undre d y ears o ld . I t w as th re e s to rie s ta ll, a n d th e th ir d s to ry p erc h ed lik e th e to p tie r o f a w ed din g c ak e. T he h ouse m ay h av e b een w hite o nce,
b ut n ow it w as ju st s o rt o f a f a d ed g ra y , a lm ost th e s a m e c o lo r a s th e s h ell a n d g ra v el d riv e, w hic h m ad e it lo ok le ss lik e a h ouse a n d m ore lik e s o m e s o rt o f n atu ra l
o utc ro p o f th e is la n d.
" H uh," M om s a id . W e d ro pped th e tr u nk, a n d s h e w alk ed a ro und th e s id