“Well, what about Beau?” I ask.
Beau goes on massaging her shoulders lovingly. Peregrine laughs. “Oh, Eveny, he’s so enthralled with me that he’s not listening. Isn’t that right, Beau?”
“Baby, you’re hot,” Beau mumbles robotically.
“See?” Peregrine says.
I glance at Chloe and realize she’s not paying attention to us at all. She’s staring at Justin, who’s sitting down in the courtyard outside the cafeteria, laughing with a few other guys. I turn my focus back to Peregrine. “I thought you didn’t believe in using zandara to make people fall in love with you.”
“Love? Don’t be ridiculous. This is just lust, which is much easier to control. Besides, you’ve been in Carrefour for, like, thirty seconds. I don’t think you’re exactly in a position to judge me.”
“Whatever.” I scoot away from them and toward Chloe. “What’s the matter?” I ask her as I reach her edge of the blanket.
The expression on her face is mournful as she watches Justin. He’s grinning, and from the way the three guys around him are laughing as he talks, I’m guessing he’s telling a joke, which surprises me because this is the first time I’ve ever seen him exhibit anything resembling a personality.
“Did something happen with you two?” I venture.
“I don’t know what’s wrong,” she says. “He’s totally ignoring me.”
“At least he’s not hitting on other girls,” I point out. I’m trying to think of something else comforting to say when I realize that his behavior is probably my fault. If Peregrine cast a charm to make Beau fall in love with her that night, Chloe was surely doing the same with Justin. When I dug his doll up, I must have reversed it. “Um, sorry if this is a personal question,” I say, “but did you cast some sort of charm to make him like you?”
Chloe looks at me sharply, but then her face softens and there are tears in her eyes. “Maybe,” she says. “But he liked me before that. I just helped things along. He’s really shy.”
I look up at Justin, who’s carrying on an animated conversation.
“Shy with girls,” Chloe amends, following my gaze. She sighs heavily. “Anyway, things were really good between us. And now . . . I don’t know what I did wrong.”
I swallow hard. “Sorry.”
She gives me a watery smile. “Oh, Eveny, it’s not your fault,” she says, which makes me feel even worse. She turns back to watching Justin with a dreamy, troubled expression on her face.
I open my mouth to reply, but Pascal interrupts our conversation with a long, low whistle as he makes his way up the hill to the Hickories. “Damn, girl!” He’s staring at me with a predatory grin. “You look fine.”
I notice Peregrine’s attention snap in our direction. Her eyes narrow at Pascal as he sits down next to me. “You’re the hottest chick in this whole school now, Eveny,” he continues. “What do you say we spend a little alone time in the teachers’ lounge?” He makes air quotes over alone time.
“No thanks,” I say.
“Ignore him,” Peregrine says coldly. “He’s just trying to get in your pants. He’s exaggerating. Obviously.”
“About me being the hottest girl in school?” I ask with mock innocence. I know that’s exactly what she’s talking about; her eyes burn with jealousy.
“She’s not as beautiful as you, Peregrine,” Arelia says, shooting me a smirk.
“Not nearly,” Margaux adds helpfully as she gazes in adoration at Peregrine.
To my surprise, Peregrine seems unmoved. “Give it a rest, girls,” she says. “She’s one of us. She has been long before you two joined the sosyete.”
Arelia’s and Margaux’s heads swivel toward me in surprise. “But she’s new!” Margaux whines.
Peregrine narrows her eyes at them. “For goodness’ sake, you know she’s a queen. Now quit being ridiculous and pour me another glass of champagne.”
I turn away from them in annoyance just in time to see Caleb walking up the hill toward us. My heart does a little flip-flop, and I feel color rising to my cheeks. I glance away as our eyes meet, but a second later, I look back and realize he’s still gazing evenly at me.
“Hey,” I croak.
“Hey,” he replies. He settles on the far side of the cashmere picnic blanket, facing away from me.
My heart hammers, and I’m not sure whether to be grateful that he doesn’t appear to be impressed by my magically enhanced looks, or disappointed that he’s obviously still avoiding me.