Demon Kissed - Katie May Page 0,71

across from him. I place my arms on the armrests and straighten my spine, keeping my feet planted as I lean forward in one of the power poses I’ve seen my mom use in negotiations.

“What happened to Raz?” I ask.

Van’s temperament immediately shifts gears. He goes from longing to dark in point-zero-zero-two seconds. “He got hurt.”

“By whom?”

Van lifts a solitary shoulder before running a hand through his auburn hair.

I smack my hand on his desk, frustrated. “That’s not fair. Don’t fucking hide shit from me. Is it that she-demon? Or is it someone else?”

“She-demon?”

“That fucking Center you guys talk about. I swear to God, I’ll rip her to pieces—”

Van bursts into laughter. “Our Centers can’t attack us.”

I sit back in my seat, losing the power posture as I slump in confusion. “Then whom? Someone is targeting you guys. Zolroth and Akor were attacked. Now Raz.”

Van shakes his head. “Violence is far more common than you think, little Kat.”

I lean forward, grab a pen from his desk, and throw it at him. “Is it?” I shake my head, because I know, I just know, that he’s wrong. “It’s not a coincidence.”

“Really?” His skepticism and the pen he launches back at me are not appreciated.

After I duck, I lash out, “I’m serious! Someone’s after you all. Seeing what they did to him… Someone tried to kill him!”

Van just stares at me for a moment. “Why do you think that?”

I shake my head. “Didn’t you see him?”

“Yeah, but you. Why do you think that it wasn’t just a random mugging, like he said? Why don’t you believe him?”

I wring my hands in front of my chest. “I don’t know.” I honestly don’t. There’s just this awful, niggling sense of danger looming over me. “I just…feel it.”

Van nods and pulls an orange slip of paper out of his desk. “Miss Colt, you better run along to class now. I know you’re worried those college—”

“What?”

Van points toward the door, and I see the principal approaching, his bald pate reflecting the morning sunlight.

Dammit. I snatch up my bag and the note and point a warning finger at Van. “This conversation is not over.”

He nods and smiles falsely. “Of course. The college decision making process can be so hard. I’m here to talk whenever you need.”

I need to throw another pen at him. But I don’t get to. Instead, I get to mosey on, late to math class, and explain that I forgot my freaking textbook. Best day ever.

22

The energy in the room is almost palpable—and most definitely infectious—as I slide into my usual decathlon seat beside Wade.

“What’s going on?” I whisper, and he slides me a droll, are you kidding me? type of look.

“Out-of-state tournament,” he replies back blandly and somewhat reluctantly. He gives me a barely veiled look of disgust before crossing his arms over his chest and reclining back in the uncomfortable plastic chair. “Apparently, we’re getting fancy hotel rooms and everything.”

An out-of-state decathlon tournament? Why does that prospect fill me with both dread and excitement? On one hand…vacation. Enough said. On the other, I can’t possibly consider leaving Adam, can I? How will he get to daycare? Who will watch him at night? Who will tuck him into bed? Who will—

I can feel an impending panic attack coming on, but I work to regulate my breathing before it can spiral out of control.

Now is not the time to go full-on mental ward. The students here are freaking vultures, and they’ll descend on my meaty flesh at the first sign of weakness.

“Maybe they’ll make a mistake with the reservations and I’ll have to room with Mr. Kastros.” Janie’s snotty voice pulls me out of my internal freak-out-slash-meltdown. She saunters past me with Molly on one side of her and Ashlee on the other. Both girls titter as Janie tosses back her shiny blonde hair.

“You’re so bad, Janie.” Molly giggles.

“So, so bad,” adds Ashlee.

So, so, so bad, I mentally supply, allowing my imaginary self to do a hair flip as well. And imaginary me? She’s just as adept at it as Janie is.

Though…

Isn’t Janie dating William currently? Or did something happen? The last I heard—through the rumor mill—they had another date after their bowling alley one. Did they break up? Before, I would’ve been overjoyed at the prospect. But now? I…don’t care. I mean, I do care, obviously, but in a detached sort of way. The previous elation that would once have been bubbling inside of me like a kettle on a stovetop is nowhere