Bitter Demons Read Online Free PDF Page B

concentration. Pain sucked.
    When I finally got the glamour going again, I walked quietly up the stairs. I heard my name in the locker room. I stopped before I went through the wall and listened.
    “Harper’s new to this town and this squad,” Brooke said. Her voice had an angry edge to it. “What gives her the right to just take over the lead position? I’ve been waiting four years to be at the top of the pyramid. I finally get there and what happens? Some new girl who’s never cheered before in her entire pitiful life takes it away from me.”
    I cringed. Part of me wanted to run up there and tell her that I didn’t want the position in the first place. But at the same time, I knew that I needed to do exactly what Mrs. King told me to do. If I started falling short of the Order’s expectations, there was no telling what they might do to me. I didn’t want to find out.
    “She’s special,” Allison said.
    I couldn’t tell how many people were up there, but I was glad Allison was kind of sticking up for me.
    “She’s clueless,” Brooke said. “You saw her when she first got to this town. She was nothing until we invited her into our group.”
    I’d never heard Brooke talk so nasty. Her words stung. I didn’t know she felt that way about me.
    “Brooke, she’s the future Prima for God’s sake. You have to respect that,” Allison said. “I know it sucks because you totally deserve to be the star of the squad this year. You earned it. But at the same time, she’s important. I’m sure that whatever their reasons, the Order is doing what’s best for all of us. Including you.”
    Brooke made a frustrated sound deep in her throat. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” she said. “Besides, she’s not even technically the Prima yet. She’s only a future. She still has to prove herself in this town. Especially after the disappointment her mother was all those years ago.”
    My hands clenched into tight fists. How dare she say those things about my mother. I felt a sick pang in my stomach. Did everyone know more about her than I did?
    As soon as I was sure Brooke and Allison were gone, I came through the wall. A sound up in the open window overlooking the locker room caught my attention.
    A black crow sat in the window sill. I looked up just in time to see it turn and fly away. I suddenly got the strangest feeling in the pit of my stomach. Maybe I was imagining things, but I could have sworn that crow had blue eyes.

Aerden
     
    I did my best to shake off the anger I felt after listening to Brooke’s rant. Lark was right about Brooke being different these days. She was jealous and snippy and on a complete power trip. Did joining with a demon turn her into that? The question only brought a million more questions to mind. Like, was it the demon that was bringing out the worst in her? I didn’t want to believe that. Jackson was a demon of some sort and he wasn’t evil. It couldn’t be the demon making her like this. It had to be something else the Order was doing to her.
    I grabbed my bag and headed out to meet Jackson. As soon as I saw him leaning against his bike in the parking lot, my entire body felt lighter. My face broke out in a huge smile. He looked up at me, as if feeling my presence.
    I watched him as I crossed the distance between the gym and the parking lot. He was wearing worn blue jeans and black cowboy boots. His dark hair was spiked slightly on top. His leather jacket hung open slightly and he wore a dark gray t-shirt underneath that clung to him in just the right way.
    My pulse raced. How could someone so perfect be interested in spending time with a girl like me? The corner of his mouth curled into a smile, and my knees went weak.
    He stood as I approached. There was a book in his hand and he kept his finger inside to hold his page. “Look who decided not to ditch me today?” he teased.
    “Haha, very funny,” I said. “Last night wasn’t my fault. Believe me I would have much rather