Page 66 of Forbidden Magic
I inch toward the graffiti, my heart hammering.
What the—
As I’m about to graze the red paint, two branches shoot out and trap me in their strong grip. I shriek and twist around to free myself, but the hold only gets stronger, the branches scratching and tearing at my clothes.
The tree holds my arms flat against my sides, spinning me around so I’m facing the main building. I can barely move, my fire sparking off in every direction and bouncing off my enemy.
Flynn prowls up to me, his blond hair wafting in the wind, his chest puffed out.
He’s got the same black shirt and red tie as Cole, and I notice other students are all wearing the same style. A crowd forms in front of my prison, and I fight against my restraints.
Flynn smirks. “We’re all in mourning for our freedom.”
“What are you babbling about?”
“I’m talking about the curfew we’re stuck with, thanks to you.” His eyes shine as they settle on the black satin of my bra.
I look down at my tainted, torn blouse. Tears sting my eyes, but I swallow them all. “You have an obsession with seeing me naked.”
“Who would touch you now? You’re a demon whore. How else would you be able to conjure infernal magic?”
I wipe sweat from my brow. “The only whore here is you, Flynn.”
My jab rolls off him like water against the feathers of a vulture. “They should have expelled you. Your daddy must have sucked the President’s dick himself for him to stick his neck out for you.” He’s so close, I could count his eyelashes.
The crowd thickens, and most of the students are wearing black and red.
Flynn points to his supporters. “See? I’m not the only one who thinks mortals should pack their bags. The first one we want out is you.”
Cole is among them, his red tie from before jumping out at me now that I know what it stands for. Brie and Vivianne stand tall on each side of him. The cheery vampire’s somber gaze is the most sobering of all.
Lydia shoots me a sad, regretful look, and heads out with Olson under the cackles of my detractors.
I swallow hard.
The battle lines have been drawn.
All we have left is war.
26
K.I.S.S.I.N.G
Being public enemy number one is no fun. Half the students are too scared to come within five feet of me, and the other half wants to punish me.
“Filthy mortal whore” gets tagged on all my desks, the red paint disappearing as soon as a teacher comes close. That’s the downside of magic. Making someone’s life hell is easy. Getting away with it is even easier.
The only ones who haven’t completely disavowed me are Olson and the snake twins, though I’m still unsure if that’s positive. Blane and Bailey treat me like a fellow criminal whose street cred is impressive enough to warrant a courteous nod when we cross paths in the halls.
All the girls are bitching behind my back, and I actually miss high school where a witty comeback would have been enough to sweeten the acid in my throat.
Celeste Draco instituted the curfew as a “protective measure” on Christmas Eve. She knew exactly what she was doing. Sure, she wants to pass it off as an incentive for the immortals to watch out for us, but it’s actually the exact opposite. The students are pissed, and I’m the ugly duckling amongst a litter of unwanted kittens.
Flynn was right. Everyone wants us gone so things can, quote, “get back to normal.”
Lydia skips more and more classes. I know she’s being bullied, maybe even more so than me, but she made it clear that she didn’t want me around.
I’m studying in the library, my notebooks covering every inch of the desk I used when I first came here, the one in the far back. I snarl at everyone who comes within five feet of me because I need to concentrate. I need to win. And if I can’t earn these people’s respect, I’ll settle for their fear. Most of them are sheep wearing wolf masks.
