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Oh, you smooth fucker.

“Be my date.”

I find myself studying his mouth, enjoying how the bow curves. My lips tingle as if the memory of our last kiss still lingers there.

Alice slurps loudly from her blood bag, breaking me from his stupid angelic spell. I clear my throat and look away. “I’ll be at the party. Maybe I’ll see you there.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Connor replies, confidence lacing his words.

I quirk a brow, looking up at him. “Take it as a maybe I’ll bump into you and say hi before moving to talk to someone else.”

Connor smiles and surprises me by stroking his fingers along my jaw before dropping his hand. “I’m taking it as aI want to be your date, Connor. But I like being chased.”

I roll my eyes. “Can you leave now?”

Connor winks. “Got to go. I have a meeting with the doom master.”

“The doom master?” Alice asks.

Connor nods, grabbing his bag. “Headmaster Emrys.”

My ears prick up a bit at the sound of his name. Once again, my stomach knots with the memory of the library and how I was almost expelled before I could even begin this journey. Unease wriggles through me, but I refuse to acknowledge the terrifying monster I sense in him, the one that calls to my own beast.

“I can see your thoughts.”

I lift my gaze to Alice. “What am I thinking then, mystic Alice?”

She brings her fingers to her temples and rubs them dramatically. “Ommmmm, I see your thoughts, oh pretty little Summer. You are thinking… Ommmmm… What does angel dick taste like?”

I burst out laughing and swat at her.

Another surge of notifications fills the room, and I frown as Alice picks up her phone. “Okay, what the fuck is this alert all about?”

“It’sEverydayEmrys,” Rafe grunts as he walks past our table, heading toward the exit.

“What the fuck isEverydayEmrys?” Alice asks, but Rafe is already at the canteen door.

I pull my phone from my bag and search for it. Multiple results pop up, and I click on the first one. A picture of theheadmaster walking through campus appears on my screen. He is holding a coffee and heading toward Ambrose Library. The accompanying post says:

Beneath the comment are hundreds of thirsty comments and some discussing plans for parties.

Alice shifts, taking the seat Connor just vacated. “I mean, they did say a cult following, but…”

“A stalker page?”

Alice nods. “I think it’s also a way to avoid him if needed.” She takes my phone and scrolls through the page. “Holy fuck. How far does this go back?” She hits the follow button from my account. I give her an annoyed look, but she just smiles innocently at me. “For research.”

I grumble and snatch my phone back from her, stowing it in my bag.

11

Summer

Wednesday and Thursday seem to pass in a blur of classes and assignments. Alice grumbled both nights about wanting to go out and did her best to pull me away from the many texts I had piled up. My thirst for knowledge is insatiable, and the books call to me, tempting me to devour the knowledge waiting inside. I hunger for the power found inside the pages of a book.

The only way to appease Alice is to remind her about the big party on Friday, and that I’ll go all out with her for that. Instead of going to all the various parties alone, she lounges on my bed as I study. Instead of studying, she spends her time scrolling on her phone, making me watch videos posted onNexus, and telling me all the gossip she uncovers as she explores the app.

Connor seems to have taken up permanent residence at our table. For the past two days, he has been sitting there, a wide smile on his face the second he sees me. Slowly, some of his friends and brothers have joined him. Today when Alice and I enter the cafeteria, all of his brothers are sitting with him. Therereally are far too many of them. Since it’s game day, all but Luke are wearing school jerseys, no doubt to rile up the school pep.