breath was hot and moist. Her breasts brushed against mine and I shivered.
“Don’t sell yourself short, kitten. I can teach you something too, if your friend won’t.” Then she pulled back, slanted those damned cat eyes at me and sauntered off.
“Lucinda? What happened? What did she say?”
I must not have looked too good. Brittany grabbed me by the shoulder and jerked me toward the water fountain. I stared at her fingers, wrapped around my arm. Then I released a laugh.
I was letting a demon get to me. I knew better, but at least I’d learned something during the exchange. I’d learned what Nellie was.
A handful of icy water droplets splashed on my face. “What is it?” Brittany demanded.
I rubbed my fingers across my eyes. Good thing I hadn’t tried my new eyeliner this morning. With my face dry and my mind clear, I blew out a breath. “I know what Nellie is. She isn’t what we thought. She was never human. She’s a succubus.”
Brittany took a step back, into traffic. I lost her for a second in the rush. The halls of Caldera High between first and second periods were definitely not the best place to be talking sexual demons. When she made it back to me, we decided to split up and get back together at lunch. This time I didn’t even question the invitation.
It gave me a full hour to process what Nellie had said to me, and to feel comfortable talking to Brittany. I didn’t believe that Brittany would be willing to teach me…what Nellie had been insinuating she would, but I didn’t want to tell Brittany about it either. It would just make everything weird.
By the time we sat down to bologna and cheese (me) and diet pop and a Twinkie (Brittany) I had decided there was no reason to mention that part of my exchange with Nellie at all. Brittany and I ate alone in the English classroom. I was beginning to believe that she didn’t mind being seen with me, but we needed the privacy to talk.
“A succubus. Makes sense. She certainly has sexy under control.” Brittany pulled the tab on her soda. “You think Oscar’s one too?”
“Succubae are only female,” I replied. “He’d be an incubus.”
“So you think he is?”
I lifted the top slice of bread on my sandwich and stared at the square of orange cheese I’d placed there this morning. Oscar was attractive physically, and there was no denying I was drawn to him, but it wasn’t the same as with Nellie. The pull I felt when Nellie turned her attention on me was forced and dirty with Oscar it wasn’t. I wanted to be near him and not because he wanted me to. In fact, I was pretty sure he had no interest in me at all. I wasn’t sure if he had interest in anything.
“No. I don’t think he is. He doesn’t put off the same energy as Nellie.”
Brittany sipped her soda. Her eyes were visible over the can. I could see her thinking. “Yeah. I didn’t feel it, but I thought I might have just missed it. People seem to notice him, watch him in the halls and stuff.”
I shrugged. I didn’t want to let on how
much
I had noticed him. “He’s a demon. They’re all bound to stand out.”
She cocked a brow. “Not Theodore. I didn’t feel anything except annoyed when he was around.”
I’d actually kind of forgotten about Theodore. “Do you think he’s out too?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Nellie and Oscar are both here. If Theodore had escaped the circle, wouldn’t he be here too?”
“Do you think they are here to watch us?” I asked. It couldn’t be coincidence that they were hanging out at Caldera High.
Nellie sashayed past the open classroom door. Her gaze swept the room and settled on us. After a brief smile, she moved on.
“Sure looks that way,” Brittany concluded.
A chill sailed up my spine. Why would two demons be watching us? What did they want from us?
Chapter 9
By fourth period, I’d convinced myself the pair were here to watch us, or at least me. Either Oscar or Nellie or both were in every class I had.
“Don’t sell yourself short, kitten. I can teach you something too, if your friend won’t.” Then she pulled back, slanted those damned cat eyes at me and sauntered off.
“Lucinda? What happened? What did she say?”
I must not have looked too good. Brittany grabbed me by the shoulder and jerked me toward the water fountain. I stared at her fingers, wrapped around my arm. Then I released a laugh.
I was letting a demon get to me. I knew better, but at least I’d learned something during the exchange. I’d learned what Nellie was.
A handful of icy water droplets splashed on my face. “What is it?” Brittany demanded.
I rubbed my fingers across my eyes. Good thing I hadn’t tried my new eyeliner this morning. With my face dry and my mind clear, I blew out a breath. “I know what Nellie is. She isn’t what we thought. She was never human. She’s a succubus.”
Brittany took a step back, into traffic. I lost her for a second in the rush. The halls of Caldera High between first and second periods were definitely not the best place to be talking sexual demons. When she made it back to me, we decided to split up and get back together at lunch. This time I didn’t even question the invitation.
It gave me a full hour to process what Nellie had said to me, and to feel comfortable talking to Brittany. I didn’t believe that Brittany would be willing to teach me…what Nellie had been insinuating she would, but I didn’t want to tell Brittany about it either. It would just make everything weird.
By the time we sat down to bologna and cheese (me) and diet pop and a Twinkie (Brittany) I had decided there was no reason to mention that part of my exchange with Nellie at all. Brittany and I ate alone in the English classroom. I was beginning to believe that she didn’t mind being seen with me, but we needed the privacy to talk.
“A succubus. Makes sense. She certainly has sexy under control.” Brittany pulled the tab on her soda. “You think Oscar’s one too?”
“Succubae are only female,” I replied. “He’d be an incubus.”
“So you think he is?”
I lifted the top slice of bread on my sandwich and stared at the square of orange cheese I’d placed there this morning. Oscar was attractive physically, and there was no denying I was drawn to him, but it wasn’t the same as with Nellie. The pull I felt when Nellie turned her attention on me was forced and dirty with Oscar it wasn’t. I wanted to be near him and not because he wanted me to. In fact, I was pretty sure he had no interest in me at all. I wasn’t sure if he had interest in anything.
“No. I don’t think he is. He doesn’t put off the same energy as Nellie.”
Brittany sipped her soda. Her eyes were visible over the can. I could see her thinking. “Yeah. I didn’t feel it, but I thought I might have just missed it. People seem to notice him, watch him in the halls and stuff.”
I shrugged. I didn’t want to let on how
much
I had noticed him. “He’s a demon. They’re all bound to stand out.”
She cocked a brow. “Not Theodore. I didn’t feel anything except annoyed when he was around.”
I’d actually kind of forgotten about Theodore. “Do you think he’s out too?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Nellie and Oscar are both here. If Theodore had escaped the circle, wouldn’t he be here too?”
“Do you think they are here to watch us?” I asked. It couldn’t be coincidence that they were hanging out at Caldera High.
Nellie sashayed past the open classroom door. Her gaze swept the room and settled on us. After a brief smile, she moved on.
“Sure looks that way,” Brittany concluded.
A chill sailed up my spine. Why would two demons be watching us? What did they want from us?
Chapter 9
By fourth period, I’d convinced myself the pair were here to watch us, or at least me. Either Oscar or Nellie or both were in every class I had.
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