Behind me, Jake grabs my hips and thrusts against my ass. “Too bad you’re tainted, or I’d show you what you’re missing out on. Papa Smurf ain’t got nothing on me.”
I try to jerk free, but he’s relentless, holding me in place while his friends tug and poke, leer and mock.
A few people pass by on the sidewalk, but no one pays us any mind. Just a couple of kids messing around, they assume. Nothing to see here, move along…
“I heard witches without magic come from hell,” Alonzo says. “Demons steal your magic while you’re still in the womb.”
“Her mother died,” Metal says. “Probably fucked too many demons.”
Tears well in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. My bullies have already stolen enough from me this semester. I won’t give them the satisfaction.
“Aww, what’s wrong, wicked little beast?” Jake mocks, his breath hot and sour on the back of my neck. “No more smiles?”
Alonzo grabs my face, squeezing so hard my teeth cut the insides of my cheeks. Then he smashes his mouth into mine and shoves his tongue inside me, laughing the entire time.
When he finally pulls back, he’s still laughing. “Come on, Wicked. We’re just playing. Don’t hex us or—oh, wait! That’s right! You can’t!”
More raucous laughter.
“Too bad they don’t make Viagra for witches.” Metal grabs his crotch and wags his tongue at me. “You need a dick for that.”
“Guess you can’t use it either, then,” I finally retort, spitting the taste of Alonzo out of my mouth.
Stupid. I know better than to taunt mage boys, especially when they’re traveling in packs, but the words are out before I can stop them.
“Oh, I’ve got a dick, bitch. I’d show it to you, but I’m not sure you’d know what to do with it.”
“Doyou?” I snap, again with the ill-timed mouth.
He unzips his pants and shoves a hand down his boxers. “You wanna find out?”
“Maybe some other time.” I roll my eyes and feign indifference, praying to the goddess I can keep my simmering fear in check. Mage boys can smell it a mile off. “Anyway, my dad’s waiting for me up the block, so—”
“Waiting at the blackjack table, more likely.” Jake slides his arm around my waist and hauls me back against his chest. “Waiting for his ship to come in. Too bad it’s never gonna happen. ‘Loser’ runs in your family.”
“I heard he tried to sell you on Craigslist,” Alonzo says, “but the only offers he got were from pimps.”
“Not even a pimp would pay money forthismagicless whore.” Metal shoves his hand between my thighs and gives me a hard squeeze through my jeans. Then, in a dark whisper, “But lucky for us, we get you for free. And now we’re gonna fuck a little magic back into your soul. Would you like that?”
My fear turns into a full-on panic. My hands and feet turn hot and prickly, my heart slamming inside my ribs.
“Let me go,” I grind out, but this only eggs them on. Jake tightens his hold, the other two quickly looking around as if they’re confirming there aren’t any witnesses.
No. No, no, no!
I suck in a breath to scream for help, but Jake’s clamping his hand over my mouth.
Let me go, let me go, let me go…
The words scroll through my mind like a spell, and I squeeze my eyes shut, begging the goddess to let this work. This stupid, simple distraction magic—just this one time. This one fucking time, let me not be a failure…
I frantically try to remember Mrs. Larkum’s lectures on spell casting… Picture the desired outcome, hold the image in mind…
A cop, a mother, a gangbanger,anyonepassing by the alley and shooing the boys away…
But no one comes.
The boys don’t scatter.
