Bitter Demons

13. You're A Public Figure Now

The Peachville vs. Cypress play-off game had everyone on their feet. It made sense that both teams were excellent. I mean, after all, they both had magic on their side. I had never confirmed it, but I was pretty sure Drake's mom gave him a trinket to help him with his game. Something similar to the sneakers we cheerleaders wore. And if Peachville did it, other demon gates probably used magic on the field, too.

As I watched, I realized this was possibly the first game all season that seemed like a fair match. I suddenly felt sorry for all of those non-magic teams we beat earlier in the year. Technically speaking, it wasn't really fair. Using magic was no different from using illegal steroids. The only thing was that it was a hell of a lot harder to prove.

Jackson warned me that using magic was dangerous for lots of reasons. Not just the awful headaches or feeling sick when you used too much power. Magic was addictive. Worse than any opiate or crack or whatever else. Once a witch got used to having power, it was very difficult to live without it. I hated to say that I kind of understood what he meant. Ever since my confirmation, magic had been so easy for me, it was definitely becoming addictive.

I turned toward the stadium full of Peachville fans. I cheered and kept a smile on my face, but my eyes searched for Jackson's face. If I could trade all the magical power running through my veins for the safe release of his brother, I would do it in a heartbeat.

The crowd roared. I flipped around mid-cheer to see Drake's perfect pass land in the hands of number sixty-three. Touchdown. Peachville was down by one with only two minutes of game-play left. Usually at this point in the game, Peachville was at least fourteen points up. Now, we were fighting just to stay in it.

The Demons football team went for the two-point conversion and scored, putting Peachville up by one point. Everyone in the stadium was on their feet, and for a moment, I was just a normal girl cheering for her team. All my thoughts of magic and responsibility faded away. I cheered with my community, and I felt like part of the town.

Cypress had the ball and made an attempt to run it down the field, but on the second down, Foster Adams intercepted the ball. I'd never heard so much sound come from a crowd of people as I did in that moment. People on the Peachville side jumped up and down. With the ball in Peachville's hands, the clock ran down quickly. Peachville won by one point, and everyone was ready to celebrate.

Most of the cheerleaders were all smiles as we made our way to the locker rooms to change.

"Did you see that last pass Drake threw?" Brooke said. She'd rushed up to me on our walk back and hugged me so hard my shoulder screamed in pain.

I winced. "Ouch. Still kind of sore over there, Brooke."

She looked offended. "Isn't that ever going to heal?"

I wanted to roll my eyes. I'd been stabbed with a ritual dagger made from metal that isn't even found in this dimension, and she expected me to be healed in three weeks. "Not if people keep aggravating it," I said.

She cleared her throat, then seemed to brush it off. She smiled again and put that high-pitched excitement in her voice that she had when she first walked up. "So did you see the pass? He's amazing isn't he?"

"Great," I said, not wanting to argue. "It was an awesome game."

"I really don't see why you guys broke up," she said. "You were the perfect couple. Foster says he never stops talking about you and that he hasn't even been able to think about other girls since you broke his heart."

"He really should move on," I said. "I'm just not interested."

"Don't be ridiculous," she said with a laugh. "Any girl in this school would kill to go out with him. How could you not be interested in a super-rich, super-good-looking star quarterback?"

Gee. I don't know. Could be the fact that he's an asshole.

I kept my mouth shut and prayed for someone to save me from the conversation. I spotted Lark holding the door for us just up ahead. I jogged to meet her.

"Thanks," I said cheerfully.

"You guys are coming to the party, right? Mom's been working like mad to make sure everything is perfect," she said. The three of us walked together into the locker rooms. "We hardly ever use the lake house since Mom was elected mayor. She just doesn't have time to go out there with us. It was full of dust and stuff, but we got it aired out and it's looking good."

"That's so sweet of her to host us all there," Brooke said. She sounded sugary and fake. I hardly recognized her anymore. One minute she was talking about me behind my back and the next she was trying to be my best buddy again.

"Yeah," Lark said, making a face. She obviously noticed the weird tone of voice, too. "My mom's a sweetie."

"Do you guys want a ride over there?" Brooke asked. "I can take at least four people."

"I'm riding out there with Mom as soon as I can get changed," she said. "We've still got some stuff to set up before the crowd descends."

Brooke looked to me.

"Actually, I'm planning to ride out there with the two futures from Cypress," I said. Mrs. King had asked me earlier to be their host, so I couldn't very well say no.

"Fine," Brooke said her shoulders tense. "I'll go see if Allison wants a ride."

I was relieved when she walked away. I didn't like her energy lately. I wanted the old Brooke back, but I knew that was never going to happen. Either her demon was changing her from the inside or the power of being part of the Order was going to her head.

I changed quickly and ran out to meet the futures from Cypress. Mrs. King had offered to give the three of us a ride out to the party. She thought it would be good for us to spend some time together. Meredith and Caroline were already waiting outside the gym. They'd both changed into jeans and sweaters. Every detail of Meredith's outfit was very precise. Her earrings had a stone that exactly matched a stone in her belt buckle. The brown leather boots she wore exactly matched the brown of her sweater. It was all a little too matchy-matchy, and I wondered if she was using a glamour. For all I knew, that was standard training for a future.

"You look great," I told her. "I like your belt."

"Thanks," she said. She put one hand on her hip and studied my outfit with both her eyebrows raised. "As a future, you know, you really should spend more time on your appearance. You're a public figure now."

I nodded and gritted my teeth. I probably should have used a glamour tonight, too, but I was afraid I was using magic a little too much lately. "I'll work on that," I said.

Caroline caught my attention and rolled her eyes. She stood slightly behind her sister so Meredith couldn't see her face. I stifled a giggle.

"It's like when celebrities like Britney or Lindsey Lohan get photographed wearing awful baggy shirts or no make-up or something. Everyone notices."

We made our way toward the parking lot and Mrs. King's car.

"I hardly think anyone's going to be photographing me," I said.

"Yes, they will," she said. "Not the press or anything, but people around town will begin to see you as a sort of local celebrity. You'll start to see your picture in the paper and the yearbook and all around. And once you become the Prima, you'll be a real leader around here. If you want some tips on how to dress or how to put together an outfit, I'd be happy to help."

"I think I can handle it," I said, tired of the conversation about my fashion. It was like a flashback to Brooke telling me I had to stop wearing so much black when I first got on the cheerleading squad. I wasn't really a big fan of people criticizing my fashion choices, but I knew I couldn't exactly tell her to stuff it either."

I mean, I know you don't really have a lot of money or whatever," she said. "But there are other ways."

I glanced at Caroline and she smiled.

They had to know about glamours. What other way could Meredith mean? They didn't strike me as the type to recommend shoplifting. I wanted to ask them about it, but Mrs. King came up at that moment and ushered us into her car.