Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

FRANKIE

I hadn't been back to the infirmary since Tuesday's rash adventure. Everest was a flight risk. If I went in for any genuine reason, he would've assumed it was a ploy to see him, so I was a good girl and stayed away. He'd texted me a few times since but only to check if I'd had any more visions, and each time I confirmed I hadn't he'd stopped responding.

"He's gonna show," Esther said softly as I pulled into a parking spot at school near the gym. "His response was proof he likes you."

"You mean kissing someone when they ask you on a date isn't the normal way to answer?" Archie leaned forward between the front seats. "Guess that's why I'm single."

I snort-laughed. "I love that that could mean that you kiss everyone or that you don't. Could go either way."

"I've heard that about me before." He sighed. "But alas, I only go one way."

Esther half-turned in her seat and narrowed her eyes on him. "And which way is that, Archie?"

"One of my best friends back home is gay. We've been friends since we were kids. He's stupid pretty too." He leaned in closer. "Like stupid pretty. And like, all around a wonderful person. If I can't get my body to want him , then I just don't think guys are it for me."

"Yeah, but did you try?" Esther waved her hands. "With your friend?"

"Have you seen a rom-com before? I didn't wanna confuse him or make it weird just to confirm what I already suspected."

The dance had already started, and there was a chance Everest was waiting for me up by the door, but this tea was too interesting to walk away from. I turned to face both of them. "Have you tried girls?"

"Oh yeah. A female friend of ours was very interested in me and she was awesome. Super fun and pretty. One of my favorite people. And while I discovered I didn't have romantic feelings for her, I assure you my body had no issues with it."

Esther gasped dramatically. " Archie."

" This tea keeps getting better. Please continue. What happened with this girl?"

He shrugged. "We went back to being friends pretty quickly because I didn't wanna lead her on. And we stayed friends after."

"That doesn't mean you're not bisexual. I mean, I've known really pretty guys that I haven't wanted to hook up with."

"I don't know." Esther frowned. "I would've smashed Tennessee if given the chance. He's that pretty."

"He's definitely heard that before." Archie laughed and shook his head.

"Then again . . ." Esther tapped her chin with her finger. "Tenn's girlfriend is also hot, and I probably would've smashed that too if given the chance."

I nodded. "Well, if they're ever in the market for a third, we'll let them know."

She fanned herself. "Now that's a sandwich."

"Great. Now I'm hungry." Archie giggled, then jumped out of the car. "C'mon, let's go find food."

"He's got a point. Besides, Everest is probably up there waiting to quench your thirst."

She was out of the car before my mind could conjure up a response. My thoughts had gone back to that kiss and short-circuited the rest of my brainwaves. By the time I was out of the car and shutting the door, my face was on fire. I checked my reflection in the windows of my car, smoothing my hands down my dress.

"You look fantastic, Franks." Esther leaned against the car beside me. "The sexy lilac dress was the right choice."

"Thanks. I feel awkward as hell." I sighed and shook my arms and legs to try and relax. "I'm leaving my phone in the car. Can you hold my key in your purse?"

"Yeah, for sure." She held her hand out for it.

I leaned inside my car and started to put my phone in the center console when it vibrated in my hand. I frowned and looked down—and gasped. "Everest just texted me."

"What did he say?"

I opened his text message and read out loud, " Gin tripped down the stairs and broke her nose. I need to heal her real quick so I can leave. "

Archie laughed. "She sounds like me."

"Do we believe him?—"

"He sent a picture." I climbed back out of my car and held my screen out for them to see the picture he sent of Gin sprawled on the stairs with blood all over her face. "So I'd say yes."

Archie reached over my arm and zoomed in on Gin's face. "She's laughing. She's had worse."

Esther laughed and pushed him back.

I shot a response back. ‘ Oh, Poor Gin! I hope it heals easy for her. '

My phone vibrated again. I looked down to find another text from him. ‘ Please go inside with your friends and have fun. '

Esther cleared her throat. "He sent you a pic. I think it's fair to send one back."

"Yeah, show him what he's missing." Archie gestured to my dress.

My jaw dropped. " Archie. "

"I may not wanna smash—to put it in Esther's words—but I'm a guy and I'm not blind."

"Archie makes very good points, especially since Everest does wanna smash." She pushed my arm up above my head with the selfie camera mode on. "Take the pic."

I quickly snapped a selfie before I had a chance to really think about it, then I sent the picture to Everest with the caption, ‘ You better be here. Who else am I wearing this dress for? '

‘That is body paint, not a dress, Francelina, ' he responded immediately. Before I could answer, he sent, ‘ I'll be there. '

Esther leaned over my shoulder. "See? He wants to smash. Now let's go get a snack before he arrives and you're too nervous to eat anything."

I groaned. It was too late. I was already too nervous, but I wasn't going to tell her that. My bravado needed to stay in place or I'd crack. I threw my phone into the center console, then shut my door and locked the car. I was just handing Esther my key when I felt the tingle of a witch approaching.

"Look, Aaron, I found a bouquet!"

Oh no. I spun around just as Jacob lifted Archie up in the air like he was a bouquet of flowers. Bullying was not acceptable in any way, but at least this joke made sense. Archie's button-down shirt and pants were a matching pale-pink with flowers printed all over them, so he actually did look like a bouquet. It wasn't funny, but at least they were getting smarter about it.

"Put him down," I growled. My phone with my bat sticker was in the car already, but I could do damage with the sharp end of my car key.

"I'd like to see you try in that slutty dress." Aaron looked me up and down, and it was definitely disgusting. He licked his lips and let his gaze linger on my body. "I could help you get it off first?—"

"Back off, asshole." Esther jumped in front of me with her wand held up between her and them. "Put him down now or you'll get a firsthand experience with my full magic."

Jacob scoffed. "Please, you hung up some decorations. I'm so scared?—"

"Okay." Esther flicked her wand and sent streams of gold and navy-blue glitter shooting right at both of them.

They cursed and jumped back, trying to dodge whatever spell she'd just lodged at them. Jacob threw Archie to the ground, but it was too late. One second both of them wore khakis and pastel-colored button-down shirts, the next they wore tighty whities . They shrieked and tried to cover themselves with their hands while cursing at Esther.

Archie and I cackled.

Esther just shrugged with a wicked smile. "Gee, boys, guess you'll have to go home and change."

They bolted.

"Fuck, that felt good."

I gave Esther a high-five. "As it should. How'd you do that?"

"No idea." She grinned like a maniac. "I just thought tighty whities , and it happened."

Archie adjusted his bowtie. "It's really not fair I wasn't a Wand."

"Right?" I handed Esther my car key. "Let's get a snack?"

We hadn't decorated this time. We were all too afraid we'd attract demons. So, the humans took over, and as we walked through the front doors of the gym, I had to admit they did a great job. Without magic. Granted, they used all of my friends' decorations, but it still was done well. There were flowers and twinkling lights everywhere . It was like walking into a fairy garden in full bloom. The DJ had the dance floor jammin', fully packed and loaded with students. All along the sides of the gym were tables with rose gold tablecloths and flowery centerpieces. It wasn't fancy in a formal way, but it was just really pretty.

Apparently, the dress code was pretty strict. Everyone had to wear either floral-printed clothes or pastel colors. I appreciated the effort to build an aesthetic. No one back at my old school did that. As someone with pink hair, I liked the touch of detail. I was so distracted by all the details that I didn't realize we'd joined our group until Rootbeer barked right in front of me.

I jumped with a little gasp, then looked down at her and smiled as I pet her. "I'm so sorry, pretty girl. It's nice to see you too."

"It's so strange, she only acts like this with you." Ava chuckled. She looked like a pure ray of sunshine in her yellow floral dress that did incredible things to the tone of her dark skin, especially with her eyes and caramel-highlighted hair. "Everyone else, it's all business until Seamus gives her the command she can relax. You? She's a rebel with a cause."

That made me grin. "I have that effect on animals, especially pretty girls who wear flower collars."

" Oh la la. Mon Dieu." Jo fanned herself and gestured to my dress. " Très sexy. C'est magnifique."

I felt myself blush. " Merci beaucoup. "

Then Madge walked up, and my jaw dropped. "Are your dresses color inversions of each other?"

The two soulmates struck a dramatic pose, and I loved it. They both wore flat sandals that strapped all the way up to their knees in metallic gold. Madge's cocktail dress was a dark- turquoise silk with cream-colored flowers while Jo's was a cream silk with turquoise flowers. They literally completed each other, and for some reason, that brought tears to my eyes. Knowing those cool black swirls covering their right arms with the glowing yellow crystals meant they were soulmates was just so damn special.

"I love your love. I am obsessed."

They blushed and held on to each other. I looked away to give them their moment. My gaze landed on Seamus who wore a full suit that was printed in grass. As in, the design someone chose was to make fabric out of a picture of grass—like zoomed in on the blades of grass up close like we were in the Ants movie. His shirt was brown, and I knew without asking it represented the dirt.

"Seamus's suit?" Ava sighed and closed her eyes.

"I gotta say, I love it." I laughed. "I mean, I wouldn't wear it to literally any other event, but this one . . . It's perfect. I love the confidence you have to wear it."

His smile was beaming. "Thank you!"

"Go ahead. Show her." Ava smiled and gestured to his jacket. "She'll love it. She's like you."

He let out a giddy chuckle, then hurried over so he was close to me. Then he glanced around to make sure no one was looking . . . then pulled one side of his jacket open to show Ava's pet bunny, Float, was in a baby sling wrapped around his waist. He snort-laughed.

A sound I'd never heard left my lips. It was part-gasp, part-scream. " You smuggled a bunny into the spring dance ," I whispered. "I adore this so much. Oh my God."

"Oh great. Someone else to encourage him."

I spun around to find Birdie sitting at the table with her legs propped up on the chair beside her. She wore a pale sky-blue pant suit. That was when I realized they'd done what they said. Madge wore flats because her knee hurt, and Birdie wore pants to cover her bruises. "Why didn't y'all just get healed?"

Birdie narrowed her eyes on Archie. "He said we needed to learn how to heal from injuries so we're not taken down so much by them."

"Hey, do you see me getting healed every time I get hurt?"

"Where's Tomás?" Esther frowned and looked around. "Peabo and Atley? Or your sister?—"

"Tomás and Whitney went to raid the food situation. Peabo and my sister are dancing on the dance floor and I'm playing it cool by leaving them be." Birdie rolled her eyes, but she smiled. "Atley was with Aspen, but I don't know where they went."

The others frowned. There was a beat of silence, then they all jumped to attention and began discussing whether or not they needed to be worried about them. Finally, Seamus suggested they take a stroll around the gym and see if they could see them.

"Cool, but we're making a pit stop for a snack," Archie said as the group headed off.

I started to follow them when a warm tingle slid down my spine like someone was watching me. My pulse quickened. I glanced over my shoulder but there was nothing behind me except for the shadows of the gym where the lights didn't touch. Yet the feeling only grew stronger. My feet carried me into the shadows on their own, like something had put a spell on me and was dragging me toward them. It felt like the shadows themselves were grabbing hold of me.

And then I saw him.

Everest.

My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him. He was leaning against a pillar drenched in darkness, yet his eyes glowed like an animal's at night. My skin flushed as butterflies danced in my stomach. I smiled and hurried over to him.

His heated gaze looked me up and down. Slowly. "I didn't think you'd see me in the dark."

" I'd see you anywhere ," I whispered before I could stop myself. "I have never been afraid of the dark."

"Perhaps you should be," he whispered back.

I stepped up flush against his body and pushed up on my tiptoes, which in these little heels brought my mouth perfectly in line with his. "No shadow is going to keep me from you."

And then his lips were on mine. He took my face in both of his hands and tipped my head back to deepen our kiss. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him tight against me, needing to feel the heat of his skin through his clothes. One of his hands pushed through the waves of my hair, sending goosebumps across my whole body. When he fisted my hair on the back of my head, I gasped against his mouth.

He groaned and dropped his hands, then backed away from me with a curse.

"Everest," I said between breath. "Wait?—"

"We're at a school dance." His voice was soft and rough all at the same time. He reached down and took my hand in his, then pulled me toward the lights of the dance still happening all around us. "Let us join your friends and dance. "

The only reason I didn't groan and protest was my hand gripped in his. It was the only tether to sanity I had left, otherwise I would've run off into the sunset with him without looking back. I had no idea what this boy did to my brain when he was near me. When he wasn't, I could use my rational, logical brain and know I'd just met him. I didn't even know his last name or where he moved here from. Or how he knew Katherine. I knew nothing about him personally.

But all of that vanished when he was in front of me.

It was alarming, really.

Yet with my hand in his, I didn't have the ability to care.

We stepped out of the shadows together, and my whole friend group gasped in perfect unison. Apparently I'd kissed him in the shadows for longer than I realized, long enough for my friends to circle all the way back to our spot. Archie grinned and nodded in approval. Esther bit her bottom lip to try and hide her giggle, but I saw it. The others openly gawked. They all knew who Everest was at this point, but they hadn't seen him with me. And I may have forgotten to tell the others I'd asked him to be my date.

I cleared my throat. "Guys, this is Everest . . . and these are my friends."

He nodded and gave them a small smile, but his eyes shot down to me. There was an interesting sparkle in them, like he wanted to ask me something. Instead, he glanced away at something, then back to me with a subtle arch of his eyebrow. I frowned and followed his glance only to find Tomás standing about ten feet away with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. His gaze was locked on our intertwined hands. My face flushed. Well, this is awkward.

Esther subtly held her wand up and flicked it, causing the song to change from a dance pop song to Perfect by Ed Sheeran. "Come on, Archibald. Dance with me."

Archie held his hand out. "Fine, but you have to lead, or we'll just look silly."

"You got it, princess." She took his hand and led him onto the dance floor, glancing back over her shoulder. "Come on, y'all."

"You heard her, Tomás." Whitney looked up at him with a blush on her cheeks. "Let's dance."

He bowed adorably, then took her hand and followed Esther. Madge and Jo skipped after them, already tangled up in each other. Rootbeer lunged onto the dance floor, then spun in a circle and barked at Seamus. He and Ava hurried out to her, then Seamus tapped on his chest and she jumped up with her paws on him so they were all dancing together.

Brody walked by me with a smile, then stopped and looked behind me. "Hi, Birdie, wanna dance?"

"Oh." Birdie blushed and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Yeah. Yeah, that'd be cool."

I watched them go onto the dance floor, leaving me standing on the side alone with Everest. Something told me he wasn't a guy who danced often, but I was riding a high from just him showing up that I felt no fear in asking. So, I turned and smiled up at him.

He sighed and shook his head, but a little smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. "Would you like to dance, Francelina?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

He led me out to the middle of the dance floor until we were surrounded by other couples. When he wrapped his arm around my waist, my knees might have buckled a little. But he didn't seem to notice. He just took my hand back in his and laced our fingers.

"Is there a story between you and that Tomás?"

I reached up with my free hand and ran my fingers through his white-blond hair. "What makes you think there is?"

"I saw his reaction to seeing us together," he said softly so no one else heard. "It seemed to . . . unsettle him."

"Does that bother you?" I licked my lips and reveled in the way his eyes tracked the movement. "That he and I were . . . something?"

A little rumble vibrated his chest. " No. "

I chuckled. "Liar."

"You are free to bind yourself to whomever you'd like."

My pulse quickened. "Tomás has a little thing for me. He's been flirty since I arrived. He asked me to be his date for the dance last week before the attack, but I told him I only had a platonic friendship to offer him. He was gracious about it. I met you maybe an hour later?"

He nodded but gave me a little smirk. "And your feelings for me are strictly platonic of course."

"As platonic as your answer when I asked you to be my date."

He chuckled. "Forgive me, my self-control ceases to exist when you're near."

Warmth spread through my body. "I'm glad."

We moved to the melody of the music without taking our eyes off of each other. With all the golden twinkling lights surrounding us, I felt like I was in a fairytale. With every sway of our bodies, he leaned in closer until I felt his breath sweep across my forehead. I pushed up on my tiptoes to kiss him when the song ended and switched to a Drake song I'd never heard of.

Everest stepped back and whispered, " I'm not the biggest fan of public displays of affection, Francelina. "

Noted. I took his hand and dragged him off the dance floor to the door in the dark corner. He didn't ask questions. He just let me lead him out into the hall and around the corner, then through another door. The halls were dimly lit because the school didn't want anyone walking around, but I didn't care. We passed the girls' and guys' locker rooms, then pushed through an unmarked door at the end of the hall. I'd only been in the room once, but I knew Coach Andrews' office had a couch and no one else would be ballsy enough to come in. I opened the door and stepped inside.

I didn't flick on the lights even as Everest shut the door behind him. The only light in the entire office came from a neon-red sign that hung on the wall above the glass window that overlooked the hallway, the same hallway we'd just walked down. I looked up at him cast entirely in a red glow and my heart skipped beats. I closed the distance between us and pressed my hands to his chest.

"Francelina, this is not?—"

"Public display." I pressed my lips to his.

He groaned and leaned into me, digging his fingers into my waist.

I gripped the lapels of his white blazer and pulled him down to me. We stumbled across the room until my ass slammed into Coach's desk. In the back of my mind I heard things crash and fall but Everest reached down and grabbed my thighs, lifting me up to sit on the desk. The slit in my dress parted and I felt his fingers dig into my bare skin as he shoved my legs apart. I moaned against his mouth and wrapped my legs around his hips, pulling him flush against my body between my legs.

Goosebumps spread down each of my limbs like electric shocks that made my nipples harden and press into his chest. Warmth spread through my veins as heat bloomed inside of me. I slid my tongue over the tip of his then licked the back of his teeth?—

He leapt backwards, then stumbled even farther from me.

But I wasn't done. He couldn't wind me up like that then just leave me hanging. I jumped off the desk and charged for him then shoved both of my hands into his chest. He gasped and flew backwards until he crashed onto the little leather couch under the window. I didn't give him a chance to move, I pounced. I leapt right into his lap, straddling his hips as far as the material of my dress would let me. He sat up straight and sucked my bottom lip into his mouth. My whole body trembled. I fisted his silky hair in my hands and slid my tongue against his.

His hands gripped my knees— he flipped me around faster than I knew my body could move. I gasped and arched into him, pushing my ass right into him. His hands gripped my hips, pulling me against him so close I felt every inch of him. Unable to stop myself, I rolled my hips against him and felt his body stir beneath me. My toes curled. Little whimpers escaped my closed mouth. I shook in his arms. I wanted him. Never in my life had I felt desire like this.

He fisted my hair and yanked my head back then nibbled on that soft spot behind my ear and it unraveled me. My breaths were ragged and gaspy. I gripped his thighs and rolled my hips over and over until I felt the hard proof that he wanted this as bad as I did. He growled and dragged his teeth down the side of my neck. My nipples hurt from how tight they were.

One of his hands slid up my body and cupped my breast. He must have felt my hardened nipples against his palms because he groaned and then his hands moved up to the thin ribbon-like straps of my dress tied on top of my shoulders. I felt the tug of material and then the top of my dress dropped and cold air swept across my bare breasts. When his hands cupped my breasts and I felt the heat of his palms against my skin a little moan slipped out of my mouth.

My body trembled. I rolled my hips again, grinding myself on him. He groaned against my skin and rolled his hips with me so we were both working for that release. I closed my eyes, threw my head back onto his shoulder, and lost myself to the sensation the friction of his pants caused. But then one of his hands slid down the front of my body to my hip, to where the slit in my dress was stretched. His fingers burned a trail up my inner thigh then under the thin lacy material of my thong. He pressed his lips to my throat and bit me at the exact moment his fingertip found that one sweet spot between my legs.

To my horror, I screamed his name.

He expertly moved his finger in quick circles without relent. I was coming undone beneath his touch. My entire body was on fire. I moaned and began to shake. He turned my face with his other hand then took my mouth with his. His tongue flicked at mine in sync with his finger. I moaned against his lips. He was unravelling me but I wanted him lost with me. I wanted him squirming in pleasure so I reached between us and gripped him through his pants.

He hissed against my mouth.

And then we were falling sideways onto the couch. The cold leather against my bare breasts made me shiver which made him moan. He tipped my head back and deepened our kiss. I would have been lost to his tongue in my mouth had he not pulled back to meet my eyes and licked his fingers before pushing them back onto my body. I moaned his name before he reclaimed my mouth with his.

The new angle we were in on the couch gave me the space I needed to unzip his pants and pull him out. He hissed until I wrapped my hands around him and squeezed the tip of him. He growled and his body trembled. And then we were lost to each other. To his fingers rubbing me in circles, to my hand sliding up and down him, to our tongue licking at each other.

Heat exploded inside of me. I threw my head back and screamed but his hand covered my mouth to drown out the sound. The pleasure was so swift and strong my whole body spasmed. He rocked his hips, using my hand still holding him to bring himself to climax right after me.

And then the world went dark.

" Francelina, " he whispered in my ear.

I moaned and turned to face him, pressing my lips to his. He cupped my jaw and kissed me in abandon. He kissed me like he was hungry enough to devour every inch of me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hooked one leg around his hips – and felt fabric. I whined and broke our kiss to look down.

" What? " My dress was tied back in place. His pants were zipped with his shirt tucked in like nothing ever happened. I sat up and he sat up with me. We were still in Coach's office under the red glowing sign but there was no evidence of the pleasure we'd just given each other on this couch. "Did I just . . . did I just . . . was that vision?—"

He chuckled. "Do you dream of me pleasuring you often?" he asked against my throat.

I looked down into his eyes. "That will depend on whether or not that just happened."

He squeezed my legs together causing a warm tingle to spread through my body, a crying plea for more of what he'd just given me. "Can you still feel my fingers on you?"

I moaned and sank my teeth into his bottom lip.

He pulled back and laughed. "We are in your teacher's office, Francelina. We cannot do this here. I had to clean us up."

"I don't care." I took his mouth back in mine?—

My phone rang loud and shrill from my Apple Watch. We both gasped and broke apart. I cursed and looked down at my watch to find Esther's name in bold letters.

"You better answer that."

Dammit. I hit the answer button. "Hey!"

"Hi, um, where'd you go?"

"Oh, uh, we went for a walk since it's so nice out."

Everest arched one eyebrow at me, which looked extra dashing in the red glow of the sign.

Esther exhaled roughly. "Well, you better get back."

"Why? What's wrong?" There was something wrong with the tone of her voice.

"A fistfight broke out after Aaron and Jacob decided to throw Archie around like a bouquet at a wedding, so Tomás and Seamus pounced, then the other guys jumped in. And like other human guys too. On both sides. Some of them actually helped those assholes. The Dean has canceled the dance effective immediately . . . and we can't fix this with magic."

I cursed. "Right. So we have to flee the premises."

"Unfortunately."

"I'll meet you at the car in five."