Cursed (Enchanted Gods #1) - K.K. Allen Page 0,69

warning and clutch my emerald in my palm. I close my eyes and will the wind to calm.

“That was strange,” Alec says a second later.

My eyes open to find nothing but a crater of sand where the mini tornado was swirling moments ago. “What’s that?”

“You didn’t see that? A gust of wind created a small tornado right there in front of us.” His expression is one of fascination, and he gets up to examine what was once my magical masterpiece.

If Rose finds out about this, she will be furious. I shrug. “I didn’t see anything.” I don’t know what else to say. I’ve never been the best liar. My mom would always tell me she could see right through me. I try to think of how to change the subject. “Do you think Iris and Ava will ever warm up to me?”

Alec soon forgets about the sand and looks at me. “Probably not.” He smiles then shrugs. “I had hope, but I’ve given up on that.”

I make a noise in the back of my throat. “Well, that’s just great. I didn’t do anything to them.”

Alec tilts his head. “No, but you have my attention in a way I’ve never given it to them.”

I suck in a breath. “How is that?”

His gaze dips down to my lips. He inches closer, his fingers playing with a loose strand of my hair. “Maybe it’s the way I look at you when I think no one else is watching.” He leans in slightly. “Or maybe it’s the way I can’t help but smile when you’re near.” He leans in again so there’s only an inch of space between our lips. “Maybe it’s how I can have dozens of my friends together at a party and not give a damn because it’s you who steals all my attention.” His hand leaves my hair and makes its way to my neck until he’s gently stroking it with his thumb.

My heart is going crazy, its erratic beat consuming all the space in my chest. As he starts to close the final gap between our lips, my heart feels like it’s about to burst through my chest. I shut my eyes and completely give in to this new feeling of—I can’t even think.

Everything feels so perfect. Fireworks are whizzing through the night sky, lighting it up like colored popcorn. Laughter and chatter fill the space around us. A crowd cheers in response to the end of the band’s last song.

As soon as his lips touch mine, it feels like our first kiss all over again. He tastes of salt and fruit punch. I’m thankful we’re sitting this time, because my knees turn to Jell-O. His lips firm against mine before the kiss deepens, his tongue sweeping the inside of my mouth. A rush shoots through me.

When our mouths separate and our faces draw apart a few seconds later, my lips are tingling. Our eyes meet, and smiles form on both our faces. He starts to lean in for more, but in the moment before we connect, something whizzes through the air and smacks hard into the side of my face. It makes a popping sound, and water bursts around me. I gasp and reach up to touch my stinging cheek. Looking down, I find a broken water balloon in my lap.

It doesn’t take me long to guess where that came from, but I’m too shocked to move. I hear the adolescent giggles of Iris and Ava as they approach, then their annoying voices get louder.

“Oops. We’re so sorry, Kat. We were just playing around.” Iris’s voice is high-pitched and riddled with fake sympathy.

I remain silent, anger bubbling inside me again. I grab my necklace, knowing I’ll need all the help in the world to get my anger get under control.

I look over at Alec, who seems just as shocked. His shirt is damp, and he’s looking at me like he’s assessing the damage. His eyes sweep briefly over my soaked top. When his eyes turn toward Iris and Ava, he looks furious.

“It was just an accident,” Iris says defensively, although she’s still laughing.

“You two are behaving like assholes,” he says, exasperated. “You should leave.”

“Alec, c’mon. It was just an accident, and we apologized,” Iris whines.

“We’re not going anywhere.” Ava says firmly. “We haven’t even checked out the bonfire yet.”

I’m so busy swiping my hands against my drenched outfit—I’m tempted to use my powers to dry it completely, but I resist—that I don’t even notice when Iris and Ava