He smiled. “I’d love to take you. Assuming you don’t have anyone?”

My eyes flicked up, to find Lincoln craning toward our conversation.

“You’re dazzled with my light magic, aren’t you? That’s why,” I joked.

Fred grinned. “What can I say, those little four-watt bulbs really do it for me.”

Genuine laughter erupted from me. Fred was funny and sweet, and he wanted me. Even with all the rumors swirling that I was an archdemon, he still wanted me. “I’d love to go. That sounds fun.”

He smiled, and it was handsome. He wasn’t sexy, but he was still cute. “Cool. You’re in Bright Hall, right? I’ll pick you up at seven.”

I nodded, but before I could answer, Lincoln spun around and placed a hand on Fred’s shoulder. “Ever since Chloe’s birthday, we’ve had to be extra careful about where Brielle goes and who she is with, so if you’re taking her to the dance, you’ll have to be escorted by her security detail.”

Lincoln’s eyes were burning holes into me. He cared. He totally cared.

Fred shrugged the hand off. “No problem with me. Tell her security detail to be at Bright Hall at seven.”

“Fred, you’re up!” someone yelled from the sand, where some game was happening.

Fred squeezed my upper arm lightly. “See ya.” Then he ran off.

Lincoln and I just stood there staring at each other. It was then that I noticed Shea and everyone had left me.

I took a step closer to Lincoln, lowering my voice to keep it private. “You know, I can cancel with Fred if you want to take me to the dance.”

There, I said it. Maybe Fred asking me out had flipped a switch in him, and he’d changed his mind about our age gap, or whatever it was that bothered him.

He looked like I’d given him a cow dung cookie, his lip curling. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

My face fell, and I swallowed down the tears that threatened. Lincoln Grey was a heartbreaker, and I wasn’t going to have anything to do with that.

Unhooking the button, I peeled off my shorts, holding his gaze the entire time. Then I broke eye contact, and threw my shorts on top of my bag before storming out of the tent. I’d been told many a time that my ass was my best physical feature. Best to throw it in his face so he’d know what he’d be missing.

I am done with Lincoln Grey.

We won two of the four games. My wedding cake sand castle was lit and helped us win that round, Angela used her Necromancy gift to make live roses grow out of the top tier. We lost the swim relay race, and also our round of beach volleyball. There was some huge complicated scoreboard that I didn’t understand, and about ten different teams, but I didn’t really care. I was having a blast. I’d even managed to put Lincoln, and my Exorcist magic from my mind, and focus on the fun.

“All right, partygoers. One final game, then the winning team will be announced, and the bonfire party will begin!” Noah shouted through a bullhorn.

He walked over to a small bucket of water and threw a single red apple inside. “This year’s mystery game is the apple run. One member from two opposing teams will compete against each other. Your hands will be tied behind your back and you’ll run, try to get the single apple into your mouth, and then make it across the finish line with it. Anything goes—tripping, shoving, whatever. Just get that apple!”

The teams roared in excitement. Most of them were drunk, so I was pretty sure we had an advantage.

“Each team pick a member to represent them, and put their name in the basket,” Noah shouted, pointing to an old Easter basket sitting on the table.

Shea immediately turned to me. “Oh, girl, you got this! You’re the best at bobbing for apples on Halloween.”

It was true. Our apartment always had a wicked Halloween party, and I’d had lots of practice. I looked at Angela and Luke. “You cool with that?”

They nodded, and excitement thrummed through me. If we won that round, did we win the whole thing? Maybe not, since we lost our swim heat. I wasn’t sure how the point system worked. I’d make a horrible mermaid, but our team was currently in third place on the board, so I didn’t know.

After tossing my name in the bucket, I stretched out my legs and prepared for the run. I just needed to get the apple first and dash like hell, hoping the person didn’t chase after me, and knock me over. We’d lost our volleyball game because people more advanced than us kept using magic to win. I didn’t have any magic to help me, except maybe flying across the finish line once I got the apple.

“All right,” Noah screamed in his bullhorn. “The first pair of competitors are….” He pulled two pieces of paper out of the bucket and then grinned, looking at me. “Brielle and Lincoln!”

Shit. Does the universe hate me? I was trying to get over the guy and now I was right next to him. Ugh.

Shea gave me a sympathetic smile as I walked over to where the judges were, to have my hands tied behind my back. Looking over, I saw Lincoln watching me closely, an unreadable gaze as always.

Screw you, you gorgeous asshole.

“You two clear on the rules? There’s one apple. First one to get that apple across the finish line wins,” Noah told us with a slight slur. He was only wearing low-slung beach shorts, showing off his chiseled chest and abs, and was definitely drunk.

I nodded, then turned to catch Lincoln’s gaze. “Careful. I can play dirty.” I winked.

There, you sexy winker. Take that!

Lincoln pursed his lips. “I have no doubt.”

With a zipping sound, the plastic tie went tightly around my wrists, and everyone lined up along the edge of the run to cheer us on.

Noah grinned. “All right, on your marks, get set… go!”

I took off like my ass was on fire, but running in the sand was hard, and my hands were tied behind my back. Lincoln was fast as hell, reaching the bucket first and leaning over. I came in next and hip-checked him, sending him falling to the sand with a grunt.

The crowd roared.

Bending over, I dunked my face into the bucket, but Lincoln’s was next to mine within seconds. Dammit, he was quick. I pressed the apple to the side of the bucket with my cheek, trying to get my teeth into it, when Lincoln bumped me, pushing me. He didn’t do it hard enough to knock me over, but I still lost my grip on the apple. He jerked his neck toward the apple and I plunged my face into the water again, trying to wrestle it away from him. Cold water hit my skin, but I was too determined to let it slow me down. Our faces were inches from each other, but due to my awkward standing position since he’d hip-checked me out of the way, Lincoln had better ground. I was just coming up for air when I saw his teeth clamp around the apple. Then he took off running.

I was a really sore loser, so I tried to make a habit of not losing. Especially not to him. Not today.

I took off after him, hair and face dripping wet, legs pumping in the sand. When I caught up, I decided it was time to play dirty. I swiped my leg out, tripping him and sending him to the ground.

The crowd exploded into cheers.

Lincoln hit the sand hard but immediately recovered, and rolled onto his back, the apple still in his mouth. Before he could try to sit up, I leapt forward, swung one leg over him and plopped down, pinning him to the ground with my hips. I had him straddled. His eyes widened, as were mine. The only thing between our bodies, were two very thin pieces of fabric, and I felt him. Every second I sat there, I felt him more and more.

Oh, sweet Jesus. Desire flared to life between my legs, but I pushed all that out of my mind. I was there to win, not grind on some guy who didn’t like me.

Leaning forward and sticking my ass into the air, I pressed my chest on his bare pecs. I had no hands to hold myself up with, so my tiny boobs were acting as my stabilizer. Opening my mouth, I leaned over and bit into the apple.

He grinned—the motherfricker grinned—letting me take it.

Whatever.

The crowd went insane.

I launched into a standing position as the crowd roared my name, then tore across the finish line.

Noah was beaming, bullhorn in hand. “Is it hot out here, or is it just these two?”

Lincoln was sitting up in the sand, glaring at Noah.

“Holy shit, girl, that was awesome.” Shea told me as she worked to cut the zip tie.

I smiled. “Yeah.” Except it did nothing but confuse me where Lincoln was concerned.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, but I couldn’t get out of my head and enjoy it. We’d won second place, partied till two in the morning, and I still wasn’t any closer to figuring out the Lincoln issue.

In the end, I decided to just focus on my studies. The gauntlet was months away, but I needed to put my nose to the grindstone if I wanted to pass.

Chapter Sixteen

“Aw, you look so beautiful!” Shea squealed.

I smiled, giving my friend a once-over. She was wearing a blue princess ball gown and looked amazing. “So do you.”

Shea was going to the winter ball with Luke. Just as friends, of course.

“Red looks amazing on you,” she told me.

I’d spent a shitload of money on that dress, hoping it would improve my recent morose mood. Fred was awesome, but to be honest, I only felt friendly toward him. He made me laugh and smile, but that heat, and that passion, just wasn’t there.

“I’ll see you at the dance?” I kissed her cheek.

She nodded. “Have fun with Fred. He’s sweet.”

He was sweet, the exact opposite of Lincoln. Ever since the beach games, Lincoln had doubled down on his professional demeanor.

I did the same with my schooling. I was acing all my classes, except studies of light. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get my hands to shoot out white light, and after two times of having black smoke come out of them, Mr. Rincor told me to stop trying. I felt like a failure.

Raphael and Mr. Rincor had a meeting with me, and told me they thought what I’d done to Tiffany was just a demon-gifted power, which a lot of students had, and they weren’t going to encourage developing it. So I basically just listened to the lectures, and when it came to practical application, I watched Fred light up the room. It was depressing, but Fred was cool about it, and hadn’t told anyone. I still heard the archdemon whispers a few times a week though.