by ERIN BEDFORD
“What in tarnation she doing here?” Beth Ann’s usual Southern drawl was filled with venom. She had decided to go as a harpy, extremely appropriate, including a barely there crimson red dress that clung to her tinted red skin and a pair of feathery demon-like wings. Her tongue forked out when she hissed in Callie’s direction.
I moved to interpose myself between my friend and the witch, but before I could even say a word, Chad was there. He slid his arm around Callie’s waist and pulled her close to his side with a lopsided grin on his lips.
“Callie’s here with me,” he pronounced. “As my date.”
“No, she’s not!” Beth Ann snapped, glaring at Chad as if that settled everything. “Get rid of her.”
I felt my magic start to fester and writhe at Beth Ann’s blatant dismissal of my best friend in the world. I prepared for an all-out magical brawl like I’d had with Sabrina first semester, but it turned out that there wasn’t any need. Before the first spell could get thrown, Chad locked eyes with her, his grin never leaving his face as he faced Beth Ann down.
“No way. Don’t you have your own date to attend to?” He jerked his head in the direction of the confused and a bit uncomfortable male dressed in a similar fashion to Beth Ann with matching wings, but with a pair of pants painted to his lower half rather than a dress.
Beth Ann barely gave her date a second glance before turning to Callie with a sickly-sweet smile. “You don’t want to do this, human. It won’t turn out well for you.”
Callie, fierce woman that she was, never so much as batted an eye lash as she came toe to toe with the wicked witch of Texas. “Oh, I think I do, witch.” Except like me, she really didn’t mean witch that way.
I couldn’t hold back my glee and wanted to see the prissy redhead put in her place. As I looked on, a large hand landed on my shoulder, and I didn’t have to look up to know it was Aidan at my back. The other guys gathered around us as well to show a united force against Beth Ann and her bitchery.
Beth Ann didn’t flinch at Callie’s statement. Instead, the witch placed her hand on Callie's arm, her eyes peering down at the dress with suspicious interest. “This is such a gorgeous costume. I bet you had to wear quite the corset to get into it, didn't you?” As she said the words, her eyes tightened at the edges.
Callie opened her mouth to retort, but her words came out as a sudden gasp for breath. She grabbed at Beth Ann’s hand, her panicked eyes jerking from her to me to Chad and back. It took me longer than I liked to admit to before I realized that Beth Ann was casting a hex... but not Ian.
“That’s crossing the line, Beth Ann!” Ian clamped his hand down on Beth Ann’s arm, his eyes hard on the redhead’s face. “Let her go.”
“Fine, but the human needs to know who she’s dealin’ with.” Beth Ann pretended to pout and then with a little shrug released Callie from her spell. Callie gasped and fell into Chad’s arms where he was more than ready to comfort her, his face no longer smiling as his eyes shot daggers in Beth Ann’s direction.
No longer able to stand on the sidelines, I stepped into Beth Ann’s personal space. “That human has a name: Callie. And I don’t think you know who you are dealing with, bitch.” I dropped all pretenses of being nice and let my magic crackle along my arms and into my hands, a clear show to the Blue Bonnet that I had no problem throwing down right then and there.
“Now, now, save it for the Games.” One of the chaperones, Headmaster Swordson, tutted at us as he stepped into our little group. He glanced down at my hands and arched a brow at me. “Miss Mancaster?”
With a reluctant growl, I released the magic back into myself but didn’t move my gaze from Beth Ann’s. I tightened my jaw and bit out, “You can count on that. Looks like I just joined tomorrow’s race.”
“You don’t want to do that,” Beth Ann jeered, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “You’ll just embarrass yourself and your human.”
“I bet you.”
Beth Ann crossed her arms over her chest and arched a brow. “Bet me what?”
I stepped closer so that I was inches away from Beth Ann’s face and shoved a finger at her chest. “If I win, you lay off of Callie.”
“And if I win?” Beth Ann turned her face to the side pretending to examine her nails. “What do I get?”
I thought about it for a second and then looked to Ian. “I’ll break up with Ian.”
Ian scoffed and shook his head but didn’t argue. It was nice to know he trusted me. I had no plans on letting Beth Ann win. Nor did I have any plans on breaking up with Ian at least not permanently. Loopholes, you know?
A slow evil grin slid up Beth Ann’s face. “Why I would be happier than a dead pig in the sunshine.”
I glanced over at the others wondering if they had any clue about what Beth Ann had just said but then the redhead sighed with annoyance.
“Yes. That’s a yes, darling.”
I held my hand out for her to shake. “Then we have a deal.”
Beth Ann gave my hand a little disgusted look before reluctantly shaking it. “Deal. Y'all are going to regret this more than a harlot going to Sunday school.”
Now I couldn’t disagree with that one.
Chapter 17
The day of the first game was the perfect day for broom flying. Clear skies and not a single rain cloud in the sky. There was even a cool breeze fluttered my hair as I waited near the bleachers of the athletic field for the Mag-X Games to start.
They had transformed the athletic field into something I’d only seen in the movies or on television. Long poles stuck out of the ground all along the sides of the field each a different school’s emblem and name on them. Stations with drinks and concession were set up for the spectators to buy. They were even selling little flying brooms and miniature school flags so you could cheer your team on.
The bleachers were already filled with tons of witches and wizards waiting to watch the first game of the year. Callie sat with my parents and grandparents, determined to cheer Chad on regardless of the threat from Beth Ann. They had already planned on coming, but after finding out that I was participating, they were overjoyed to cheer me on.
The field already had a bunch of students from all the schools preparing with their brooms for the big race. Of course, this couldn’t just be a regular old race, like flying in a straight line or anything simple like that. No, it had to be an obstacle course with loops and turns and weaving back and forth, going from three feet above the ground to fifty feet. It was enough to make anyone think twice about entering.
Including me.
I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I was nervous, really nervous. I hadn’t been this nervous since the first day of school. My hands were sweating, my stomach was doing a somersault, and —
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Dale touched my elbow, making me jump in place.
I swallowed several times as I tried to push back the urge to hurl. Eventually getting myself under control, I nodded my head a few times in quick succession before I turned to face him.
“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I have to for Callie. It’s just all so...” And Ian. But I didn’t say that part.
“Stressful?” Dale supplied with a sympathetic frown.
I replied with a weak smile. “I was going to go with complicated, but yeah, let’s go with that.” I let out a little laugh that really only made my stomach roll. “Oh, God. I’m going to be sick.”
Before I actually threw up, I rushed away from Dale and headed for the locker room. Aris flew in behind me but didn’t show any signs of distress or warnings of danger. I didn’t know exactly how it decided if something was dangerous or not, but apparently, my panicking wasn’t enough for it.
As soon as I found a trash can, I threw up the small amount of food I’d been able to get down this morning. A moment later, a cool, soothing hand touched the back of my neck followed by a wet cloth. I leaned back to see a worried Dale there, holding out another washcloth with his free hand. I gladly accepted it to
wipe my mouth clean.
“Thanks,” I gasped, and then grimaced. “Ugh. Man, that must have been attractive.”
“Don’t worry about it. It happens to the best of us.” Dale gave a small smile and then handed me a glass of water he conjured out of thin air.
“You’re so good at that.” I took a sip before handing it back to him.
“Thanks,” he said humbly.
With that, the glass disappeared, and a toothbrush replaced it, already topped with toothpaste. With a giggle, I took the brush and headed to the sink. “It’s like you read my mind.”
Dale lifted a shoulder and dropped it. “The only thing worse than throwing up is having to deal with the yucky aftertaste.”
“Yucky?” I asked between my toothbrush, so my words came out garbled. “Really?”
Shoving his glasses up his nose, Dale shrugged. “It’s a technical term. Very sophisticated.”
“I see.” I spit and rinsed my mouth in the sink of the locker room. As I turned to lean on the counter, I cocked my head to the side. “And what else would you recommend, Doctor Dale?”
“For the nerves?” Dale grinned as he sauntered across the room to stand before me, his hands finding their way to either side of the sink to trap me between him and it. “I’d say the best thing for nerves is a big fat d-”
“Don’t you dare say dick.” I giggled and shoved him back.
Dale smirked. “I was going to say diversion, but it’s the same thing, I guess.”
I shook my head, unable to stop grinning, and walked toward him. “We don’t have time for that kind of diversion. The race will start any minute now.”
“Not if we’re quick?” Dale cajoled, his hands sliding around my waist to cup my butt before pushing me up against the hardness beneath his pants.
Since we were riding brooms, the outfits were a bit different than for Potion Ball. It was all about aerodynamics which meant slicked-back hair, fitted clothes, and every inch of you on display beneath the form-fitting material.
“I don’t think I can get in and out of these things that fast,” I countered while my hands moved over the front of his pants to grip him in my palm.
Moving his hips against my ministrations, Dale groaned. “That’s what magic is for.”
“But someone could see.” I pressed a kiss to his neck and then another to the line of his jaw.
Dale’s fingers dipped between my thighs and stroked at me through the fabric. “Do you really care?”
I gasped and spread my legs further for him. “Not really, but I—”
The locker room door opened with a loud bang, and we quickly jumped back from one another, Dale’s face turning redder than my own. God, was he adorable. A gaggle of female students came in, chattering on their way to the bathroom, all hyped up for the race.
Dale and I were quiet until they moved into the locker room, not paying us much mind. It was a unisex locker room, after all. They had charms of all kinds to prevent assault and the like. If only the human world could solve issues that easily.
“We better get back out there.” Dale thumbed toward the door.
I arched a brow. “You think?”
We made our way back outside and walked over to where the students of Winchester Academy were hanging out. The only reason I’d gotten in was that I was taking the class and Aidan had vouched for me, something I think he might regret by the end of the day.
“There you are.” Paul turned from where he was fiddling with his broom to Dale and me. “I’ve been looking for you.”
I gave him a quick kiss before looking around for Ian and Aidan. The latter was with Coach Heathers, nodding his head solemnly as the Scottish coach went on about something or other. The other wizard I was looking for was nowhere to be found.
“Where’s Ian?” I asked with a frown.
Paul shook his head. “I have no idea. I haven’t seen him. I tried his cell but no answer. He’s still signed up, but at this rate, we might as well assume he’s not coming.”
My pulse fluttered, and all the nerves I’d just gotten rid of came roaring back. I jerked my head from side to side, searching for my favorite bad boy.
“He could still show,” I began. “They haven’t even blown the...” A high pitched squeal filled the air, making me groan. “... whistle yet.” I chewed on my lower lip and kicked the ground in frustration. “Well, damn. Where is he?”
“Maybe he had cold feet?” Dale inserted with a waggle of his eyebrows. I flushed and told my libido to pick a better time to get hot and bothered, not when I was about to have a piece of wood between my thighs and not in a good way.
“No way,” Paul scoffed and shook his head. “Ian lives for this shit. He’s been broom racing since he was able to get on a broom, which he never stops reminding me was at the tender age of five.”
I frowned. “How old were you?”
Paul’s mouth tightened at the edges. “Nine.”
My lips twitched. “That’s still really impressive, Paul. You know how old I was when I first got on a broom.”
Paul’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t count. Special circumstances.”
“I was seven,” Dale supplied unhelpfully.
“See?” I pointed to Dale. “Not everyone is a prodigy broom racer.” I turned to shout at the large wizard finally on his way over from Coach Heathers. “Aidan, how old were you when you first got on a broom?”
“Four.”
Paul groaned and turned away from us all. Shaking my head, I stared up at Aidan. “You really need to read the room... or the field. Or whatever. Anyway, have you seen your best bud, Ian?”
Aidan shifted, his eyes flickering to the side. “No.”
He’s lying. Why was he lying? Aidan never lied to me. Well, the few sentences he ever got out didn’t seem like lies.
“Aidan?” I shifted closer to him as the group around us started to gather to watch the beginning of the races.
One student from each school lined up to race. The race pairings were supposed to be completely random, but when they put up the list of groups, I was conveniently in the same one as Beth Ann.
I didn’t believe in coincidences.
“Aidan,” I said again, ignoring the race completely to focus on the man before me, “where’s Ian?”
Aidan crossed his large biceps over his chest, keeping his eyes on the broom racing as he grunted out, “Not here.”
“Hello, Captain Obvious.” I smacked him on the arm with a scowl. “Where is he? He’s supposed to race today.”
“He’s not racing.”
Letting out a low growl, I flicked my eyes to Dale and Paul, who didn’t give me anything helpful to go on. “Why not?”
Showing the first sign of frustration, Aidan clipped, “He’s busy.”
“Too busy to be here and race? He loves broom racing.” I gaped at Aidan and then gestured at Paul. “Even Paul said so with the five-year-old prodigy stuff. What could be more important than this?”
Aidan didn’t have the chance to answer me before Coach Heathers was calling my name. Hyped up and aggravated by the non-answers I got from Aidan, I grabbed my broom and marched onto the field. I stood at the line they instructed me to and groaned at my bad luck. Of course, they would stick me right next to the she-bitch.
“Are you ready to lose, half breed?” Beth Ann chirped, looking fierce in her pale blue and black outfit similar to my own.
“To you?” I barked a laugh. “Get real.”
“Have you ever even ridden a broom before?” Beth Ann mused in that heavy Southern accent of hers. “I bet you won’t last two seconds out there.”
“I’ll last longer than you,” I shot back just before the referee gave us the signal to get ready to race. We mounted our brooms, my hands tightened around the handle of it as I listened for the signal to go.
Then the whistle blew.
I kicked up my feet and pushed my magic into the broom, urging it forward. I was a bit slower on the get-go than the others,
but once I was up, my magic had more pep than I expected. My fingers gripped my broom until they ached and turned white at the knuckles as I maneuvered around the first set of the obstacles. I whipped around a barrier and over the top of another. In the process, I shot past a couple of other students from the other schools, but Beth Ann was still further ahead of me.
I gritted my teeth and pumped even more of my magic into my broom, pushing it to go faster. The next set of the obstacles moved up in the air. These consisted of several hoops set up to hover magically in the air at different heights. The goal was to fly through each of them before moving past. If you didn’t get it just right, you had to go back and grab the ones you missed, which destroyed your momentum and killed any chance of winning.
That was how I bypassed the girl from Cali on my way through as she missed a hoop and had to spin back around.
As if the set-up crew weren’t being creative enough, they had to do another set of hoops, but this time, they moved. All five hoops swept in predictable horizontal and vertical lines through the air.
I could see Beth Ann’s red hair now, just a hoop or two ahead of me. She shot a look behind her as I went through the next hoop. Then, just as I was ready to go through the next one, the hoop suddenly broke its pattern and went the completely wrong direction. I had to pull back on my broom sharply to stop myself from going past it and barely switched direction, clipping the side of the hoop on my way through.
I wasn’t sure how she did it, but I was certain that Beth Ann was the cause. Scowling at the cheating witch, I pushed even faster and hurtled past the last student from one of the other schools, leaving only Beth Ann ahead of me.
As I crept up on her tail, we came upon the final challenge. This one consisted of a barrage of levitating balls that rocketed at every flyer from all directions. You either had to dodge them on your way to the finish line or get knocked clean off your broom and out of the competition.
Beth Ann dodged through the onslaught like some kind of mermaid on a broom, sweeping through the air like she was born to be there. Me, I just poured on the magic, pulling up that intense ball of light inside my chest and pressing it into the broom. The entire thing began to vibrate as I shoved through the balls with eagerness and determination I’d never felt before.