Page 26 of Forbidden Magic
“You’d be right.” A confident chuckle strikes me in place. The sound goes straight to my belly and sends a burst of heat to my neck. “But I do make an exception for when I’m escorting mortals to the infirmary,” he adds mysteriously.
I swallow hard. “Got a lot of experience, eh?”
“Some.” The rogue curve of Cole’s mouth perplexes me with its warmth.
As we near the building, the closest door leading to the cafeteria swings on its hinges.
Jessa, the Fae girl with blue hair and those impossible cheekbones, struts in our direction then stops abruptly. “What’s going on?”
Cole’s casual swag immediately stiffens, and I swear he skirts around me so that we’re farther apart. “Nothing.”
“You walking within four feet ofthatis not nothing.”
I should really walk past her and ignore the jab, but I can’t. Instead, I stop an inch from her face and glare into her damn beautiful blue eyes. The color is so rich it’s dizzying. “I’ve got a name.”
The hint of boredom lifts from her face, which becomes alive with vicious happiness. “It speaks.”
Cole wraps an arm around her, pulling her to him. “She fell in the library. Old Pembrooke had me escort her to the infirmary.”
Jessa twists in his arms, her raptor gaze fixed on me. “That old bird really hates you. You shouldn’t have defied the sanctity of the written words.”
“If I remember correctly, I wasn’t the one sprawled on the priceless copy of A Gargoyle’s Life,” Cole jokes, the inflection of his voice so intimate that I blush.
“She realized you were to blame.” Jessa leans in for a kiss.
Somehow, I’ve missed my cue to leave and end up staring at them as they make out. It’s ten times worse than with Flynn and Mel, and while I know I have to screw my eyes shut and walk away, I’m glued to my spot, dying inside from my total inability to stop this train wreck.
“We have a peeping Sally.” Jessa spins to face me. “Are you into him?” She plays with Cole’s collar, and her glossy lips quirk. “Or into me?” She clicks her tongue “Or maybe you’re just another Winslow whore…”
The haze shatters into a million pointy glass shards. “Don’t talk crap about my sister.”
“I was referring to your two-timing Dad, but sure, your sister fits the bill too.”
I push her. I physically push her with all my might.
She almost stumbles to the ground, but Cole catches her in time and pulls her back to her feet. Jessa’s mouth opens in clear outrage, but Cole’s tight expression is unreadable.
My hands crackle with fire magic.
“What’s your trauma, freak?” Jessa hisses, her blue eyes narrowed to slits.
I don’t know. Sure, what she said was not okay, but physical violence is strictly prohibited. Attacking a Fae in broad daylight is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.
A few students stare wide-eyed from the windows. Shit. Shit. Shit. I could get in real trouble for this.
Before I accidentally throw a fireball at Jessa, I bury my hands in my pockets, tuck my shoulders in, and barrel into the cafeteria. Taking the stairs two at a time, I’m halfway to the infirmary when a hauntingly beautiful voice resonates around the staircase.
“Run, run, little mouse. The cat’s hungry for you now,” Brie chants in my wake. The cruel edge of her siren voice cracks my soul.
I crane my neck around and catch her smirking up at me. Her short green hair flows around her head like we’re underwater, and my chest constricts.
Looks like I won’t be safe in the ocean anytime soon.
11
Fire Girl
“Party at the falls tonight, my pretties,” Melanie announces, slapping her white palm between Lydia and I while we’re eating dinner. Her leather and chains outfit is tight, showing off her curvy figure, a black choker ensnaring her white throat. A few clip-on hair extensions lengthen her mane to her waist, and her eyeliner resembles a spiderweb at the corners of her eyes.
