Page 27 of Forbidden Magic
I push around the cold carrot left on my plate. “I’m good.”
She tilts her head and pouts. “Oh, come on. First week of quarter is made for parties.”
Lydia sighs. “We still have a ton of chores to do.”
We’ve been put on dishes duty for the rest of the month.
Mel waves dismissively. “Hurry up and join us after. The Falls party is iconic. Everyone comes.”
“I’m tired,” I grumble. A party will just be a new opportunity for disaster, and I’ve met my quota this week.
Mischief shines in the vampire’s ruby eyes. “Right. I heard you freaked out in Guided Studies and fell down… I guess it’s normal for mortals to betired.” The taunt in her voice is crystal clear. Don’t be a baby and prove to everyone that you’re as tough as us or go to bed and validate the gossip.
I press my tongue to the roof of my mouth. “Fine. We’ll go.”
“Yay! See you there.” She ruffles my hair and struts away, her hips swinging to imaginary music.
You’ve got to give it to the girl. She really marches to the beat of her own Goth drums. She meets up with her twin, Trent, near the entrance, links her arm in his and pull him along.
Lydia and I don’t finish up the dishes until after 10:00. My fingers are cramped from the relentless waving and snapping. The rebellious enchanted brushes fought us at every turn, unwilling stop gallivanting around the kitchen and do their damn jobs. It’s still eons faster than the human way, and we’re not covered in dirty water, but the task is utterly frustrating.
“I think I’m heading to bed. I’ve got my first Creatures From Other Realms class tomorrow at five,” Lydia says on a yawn.
“I’ve got Duel.” I bite my bottom lip, looking down at my black t-shirt and wrinkled uniform skirt. It’s not fit for a party.
“Maybe you should get a good night sleep. I heard that class is brutal.”
“I’ve got to make an appearance.” I let my hair loose and ruffle it to give it some volume, and roll the hem of the plaid until it’s above my mid-thigh. Better.
“Fuck ‘em. You fell, it’s no big deal.” Lydia hands me her red lipstick.
I apply a thin coat to my lips with the brush. It’s glossy but thick, and the color really pops. After checking my reflection in the cafeteria mirror, I smack my lips together, satisfied with the result, and give the glossy tube back. “Actually, there really was a shadow.”
Her eyes narrow. “What did it look like?”
I explain everything in detail. The flare of dark energy, the cold patch, the blue skin.
She shakes her head. “Sounds like you were hit by a curse.”
“A curse?” My brows raise. I didn’t even think of that.
Curses are an old form of magic used to mark your enemies. It takes a very skilled Magus to weave one, and even then they are volatile as fuck. If someone tried to curse me…
“It’s probably nothing,” I say. “I’ll tell you if you missed anything.”
“Like what? Blane eating his shoe?” my roommate jokes.
“Exactly.” I grab a napkin and try to remove the excess lipstick from my lips, pressing them against the rough recycled paper.
“It’s a no-smudge batch. My mother enchanted it,” Lydia says casually.
“That’s so cool.” I examine my reflection with new interest and glide my thumb against my bottom lip, but sure enough, the colorful lipstick stays where it belongs. Dad never taught us to do that. I guess he never knew how useful that would be.
It’s not the first time I’m reminded, even in the smallest way, that I didn’t have a mother to teach me those things, but tonight, it stings more.
A heavy lump settles in my throat. “Good night.”
“Night.” Lydia leaves, oblivious to my dark mood.
