Page 79 of Forbidden Magic
Why did he kiss me in the first place?
You know why,that little voice in my head chants.
Snowflakes pepper his long eyelashes. “Don’t let him be your first.”
A dizzying need to agree spirals in my bones. I want to close my eyes, lean into his arms and forget why I can’t. Instead, I push against him and growl, “Excuse me?”
His rage doubles, my neck falling victim to his assaults as he bites the tender flesh of my pulse point. My lids flutter.
“Jules?” Trent’s voice booms from the way I came, beyond the wall of snow, beyond the insanity of this moment.
I blink, and I’m standing alone on the cliff. A drizzling rain beats against my heated cheeks. There’s no snow, no trails of footsteps to give me away. It was all a spell, a ruse to get me alone.
“Jules?”
“I’m here,” I call out, my voice trembling.
Trent catches up to me and eyes me up and down. “You okay?”
I tighten my jacket around my body and nod.
“What’s that?” He gathers a drop of blood from my neck with his thumb.
My breath stutters. “I must have nicked myself with something.”
Something like my Archnemesis’ teeth.
Trent puts his thumb in his mouth and hums, his eyes closing for a split second. “You taste…”
He bends down to kiss me, but I clasp his shoulders. “Wait.”
He freezes and sniffs the air, his eyes searching for something. “What’s wrong?”
Would he taste Cole on my guilty tongue? “Nothing, I—” Half of me wants to run for cover. The other half wants to prove Cole wrong and make Trent my first everything right here right now. My head spins from the possibility. “I’m not ready.”
A flash of hurt passes in Trent’s ruby eyes. “I see.”
“It’s not about you.”
“I know. I’m not—It’s fine that you’re not ready. If that’s really the reason. Tell me, Jules, is that really the reason?”
“Yes. What else would it be?”
A sad smile grazes his lips, and he throws one arm around me. “Come on, Winslow. I’ll walk you home.”
And damn if I’m not the most confused, aroused and completely screwed witch on campus.
31
Wicked Games
This year’s Beach Games will be held in Fairy. For security reasons, mortals aren’t allowed.
Olson tears the purple flyer from the door of the auditorium and crumples it angrily. “It’s bullshit. They are segregating us to make a point.”
The Beach Games are an Academy tradition. It’s all everyone has been talking about for the last few days. Students get to practice spells and compete in challenges. This last-minute change to the rules is probably Celeste’s doing, and I tug on my bikini strap angrily. She made us get ready only to leave us in the dust. Figures.
Allie smiles mischievously. “Let’s go anyway.”
