"Miss Hart!" Dante's voice sliced through her thoughts like a blade of ice.
She jolted. "Huh?!"
He lifted his head slowly, his crimson eyes narrowing at her. "I asked you what happened in your classroom. Or do you prefer to stand there gawking at my plant like an idiot?"
Alina's ears burned red. She pressed her hands together, trying not to glance at Mr. Spike again. "S-sorry, Sir. Um… Yes — the, uh, incident. Well… Boo and Drake started fighting. They called each other's flowers ugly and then Drake… um… accidentally used his fire. And Kelpie tried to help but you know, water everywhere…" She trailed off, her voice small.
Dante sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked like a devil carved out of marble– so perfect, so cold, so terrifying. And somewhere in Alina's mind, Boo's voice whispered: Grow big for Daddy, Mr. Spike!
She almost snorted, but caught herself just in time.
