Then it did.
With one last hollow thump, my heart gave out in its war against the fiery magic squeezing it in its unrelenting hands. All the breath left my lungs, and my mind stilled as the peaceful sense of numbness I had hoped to feel finally embraced me.
Chapter 32
“Is she dead?” Sage’s voice rang through my head as though she were shouting in my ear. Who was she talking about?
My mind floated from the situation, buzzing with an unknown weightlessness.
“Of course she’s dead,” another voice brought me back, gave me something to focus on again. It was Dex. There was a tremor shifting through his words. He was worried. His concern hung heavily in his tone. “That was what the creepy ritual was supposed to do, darlin’. The question you should be askin’ is, when will she bounce back?”
Bounce back? His words jarred something in my memory. I should feel concern too. I knew I should, but I didn’t. Instead, I felt nothing. I was weightless, floating along in a sea of nothingness.
“Soon,” a female answered, garnering my attention. The voice was seductive and strong. Power rolled through it.
“How soon?” a sharp voice demanded. Bianca. Why was I hearing Bianca’s voice now?
I stilled, waiting to hear more voices to tether me to the moment. My consciousness was rising to the surface. I could feel it about to capsize.
“Very soon,” Kyra insisted. That was who I had heard before. I picked her voice apart, wondering how confident she was in her reply. It meant the difference between life and death, even though I wasn’t sure why.
Understanding wrapped me in its arms. Everything came rushing back with a clarity that was nearly suffocating.
I died, but I’d done it in order to become free from the wraith.
“Will she be the same as she was before?” Arabella’s soft voice made its way to my ears.
Her question sent a spasm of fear straight through my heart. It was a valid question, one I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought to ask before following through with the ritual.
“Of course,” Kyra answered. This time, the confidence she felt in her statement could be detected in her words. My rapid heart slowed as relief trickled in. “The only difference will be that she will no longer harbor the wraith inside of her.”
At the mention of the wraith, I searched my body for any sign of him. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was devoid of his icy touch, his snarky commentary, and his heavy feel.
He was gone. To where though?
I bolted into a sitting positon, ignoring the gasps of shock and surprise from everyone. I needed to know where the wraith was. I needed to know that everything I had endured had been worth it.
“You’re alive,” Dex drawled.
My hand flew to the center of my chest, where the wraith had congregated for so long. Nothing. I couldn’t feel him.
Where are you? I had never sought him out, until now.
Unease flowed through my veins at his silence. I wanted to be happy, to be overjoyed I was finally rid of him, but I couldn’t. Not until I knew for sure. Not until there was some sort of tangible proof.
“Where is he?” The words rushed from my mouth. They were mine, but they sounded as though they had come from a crazed lunatic.
I jumped to my feet, my eyes skimming those surrounding me. If the wraith had been severed from me, where had he been put once that happened?
“Around, searching for the person who sent him to you.” Kyra’s red lips twisted into a wicked grin.
“Call it hoodoo karma,” Kace added. “The person who did this to you should feel the wraith upon her any second.”
I remembered then how the ritual was double-edged. Lexy had mentioned it held more of a revenge quality to it than anything. Relief crept through my veins like thick molasses, as a heavy level of doubt tried to pull it back. I needed to see the wraith in someone else to believe. The sound of someone gasping for breath pulled me from my thoughts. I spun to find the source. Sage lay twisting in agony along the ground. Her hands clawed at her throat as though she couldn’t breathe.
“Sage! Are you okay?” I rushed to her side and gripped her in my arms. My touch did nothing to soothe her. Her legs kicked until exhaustion rendered them immobile, but I couldn’t see anything physically wrong with her. “What’s happening?”
“Hoodoo karma,” Kace answered flatly.
I jerked away from her, as though her touch singed my skin. No, Sage was my friend. She wouldn’t do something like that to me. My heart sank to my stomach as I heard hiccups of air escaping her parted lips. Her eyes bulged. I knew what she was feeling. I had been through it once before. It was the sensation of drowning in icy water from the inside out as the wraith infected you, worming his way into the center of your chest.
Sage had been the person who sent the wraith after me. Sickness powered through me as the weight of the situation settled in.
“It was you?” The question pushed past my lips like stones being tossed over a cliff, fast and hard.
My mind spun out of control, surging back to Sage’s response when she first found out I had been infected. Her tears. Her crazed emotions. All of it shifted through my memory. She had seemed so genuine, so concerned and upset for me. There wasn’t one moment where I had suspected she was the one to blame.
“Why?” The bitter word forced its way out my mouth. “Why would you do it? I thought we were friends.”
Even if she wanted to answer me, I knew she couldn’t. The wraith had practically frozen her vocal cords. I remembered the sensation well.
Her answer came to me as I continued to watch her wither in icy pain: She wanted Randal.
The words pounded through my being until I knew they were true. She had wanted Randal all for herself from the beginning.
Her excitement the night of the opening for Red River floated through my mind. Sage had been on the hunt, ready to reel Randal in for herself, but then I came along.
“No way.” Dex spoke as the others remained silent. “It can’t be her. I figured it would be Randal’s crazy ex, whatever her name was, or even you.” He pointed to Bianca. “The up-tight sister who craves control like a damn drug.”
Bianca opened her mouth to speak, but Sage cut her off.
“Randal. Was. Supposed. To. Be. Mine,” she croaked out.
The wraith had nearly finished taking up residency. She might not pass out like I had, but it was clear she was still in an intense amount of pain.
“Why couldn’t you have just fallen for Dex?” Sage spat with more venom this time, having found her voice. She was gathering her limbs to support herself so she could stand. “I should have been Randal’s rebound after that bitch Natalia, not you. He was mine not you—” Her words cut off as her eyes rolled back into her head. Her skin grew pale and her body slack. I thought it had to do with the wraith until I noticed a sharp piece of wood had been crammed into her chest from behind. Black blood bloomed around the wound in spidery veins, spreading across her pale skin.
The scene was like something from a scary movie—grotesque and freakish. A scream escaped me as I watched the black veins become more prominent in her features.
“That’s enough of that,” a familiar voice stated. My mother stepped from behind Sage seconds before her body slumped to the ground in a heap. “I never did like her. Always thought she was too dramatic and jealousy prone. You should be more cautious when choosing your female friends next time.” She said seeming calm and collected among the chaos ripping through the scene surrounding us.
“Mom?” My voice was raw and unbelieving. What the hell had just happened? Why was she here?
“In the flesh.” She motioned to herself and flashed a smile. The disbelief and gasps of shock from everyone had died down. “Thanks to your ring.”
I glanced at the ring on my left hand, the one that always seemed to connect us in my times of need. I hadn’t thought to take it off for the ritual. It must have called her to me when
I died.
“I can’t believe it was Sage,” Luke muttered from beside me. My attention shifted to him. He was unfazed by my mother’s abrupt presence and what she had just done, yet baffled by the ruthlessness of his girlfriend.
“I can.” Kyra blew dirt off the bottom of a candle and placed it into her bag. “That girl had issues.”
“She may have,” Dex covered his mouth. His eyes still glued to Sage. “But damn. I’m at a loss for words.”
“What happens to the wraith now?” Lexy’s asked. There was fear in her tone, it forced my attention to her and the question she’d asked.
My muscles tensed as horror rolled through me. I had not gone through all of that to be infected by the damn thing again.
“It’s still inside her for the time being,” Kyra answered. “But it won’t be for long. I’ll do a containment spell to keep it in place, free of charge, but I can’t have anyone present when I do. The wraith will be searching for a new host.”
A sense of peace floated over me as Lexy’s words from forever ago pierced my worried mind, ‘If wraiths stop feeding, they will finally pass over and vanquish to the other side.’
The wraith would be gone after this. Forever.
Randal would be happy. And Clara’s soul would finally be free. The tension in my muscles evaporated.
“I like how you chose to be your own hero in your fairy tale, my sweet girl,” my mom said before she exposed her wings. “I knew you would make the right choice. Even awakened, you’re still so pure of heart. Never change, my darling, never change.”
Be your own hero in your fairy tale.
The words repeated in my head. My mother saying them had caused a memory to rise to the surface.
I was five. We had been sitting on my twin bed with the polka dot comforter I loved, reading. It was bedtime, and I had chosen Sleeping Beauty. My mother had finished the final sentence. She snapped the book shut and glanced at me. Her eyes seemed to glisten with tears, and I thought it was from the story. I didn’t understand. They had lived happily ever after. She bent down and whispered, “Kenna, my sweet girl, always remember to be your own hero in your fairy tale.”
My heart pounded realization to every portion of my body with blinding speed. “That was never dad’s saying; it was yours.” The words rushed from my lips, because I knew if I hesitated she would be gone.
My mother’s lips curled into a smile. “It was. I’m glad you remember.” With a single flap of her wings, she hovered above the ground, looking like an angel of death—mysterious and beautifully dangerous. “Take care, my sweet girl.” She disappeared into the night, leaving behind a single feather glimmering in the dim light of the waning moon.
“And what about you?” I heard Luke ask Lexy. “Magic still intact?”
His question had me gathering control again. I shifted to look at Lexy, having forgotten about her predicament. Her gaze was on her shoes. I wondered if she was assessing herself.
“It’s gone,” she whispered after a few seconds passed. “Completely gone.” It was hard to tell from her tone how she felt about the realization.
“Why does that make you happy?” Luke demanded. Obviously, he could better gauge his sister’s reaction than I could.
“Because I’m finally free, Luke. No more helping people get rid of their pain or sorrow only to feel the residue from it for days to come. No more guilt when I turn them away. No more nothing. I’m free from the burden of magic.” Lexy’s quivering lips spread into a wide smile as tears pooled in her eyes. “I’m human.”
“How are you feelin’, sweetheart?” Dex had stepped to my side. His hand came out and gripped my elbow.
I hesitated, attempting to conjure words that would justify this moment. Nothing awe-inspiring came, so I settled with two simple words. “I’m fine.”
Fine was a wonderful thing to be.
“Glad to see you up and movin’ again.” He pulled me into his side and wrapped his arms around me. “I thought you were a goner there for a little while.”
Warmth bloomed through my chest. “I did too.”
If only he knew how many times I had begged for death to take me.
“I’m glad you survived, Kenna. Randal will be as well,” Bianca insisted.
“Yes!” Arabella burst out. “Knowing the wraith has been eradicated from you will also make him so happy!”
While he might be happy about those things, I knew he wouldn’t be happy when he found out the wraith still lived, only inside someone else. The wraith wasn’t entirely gone, which meant he hadn’t paid for the life he had stolen in Randal’s eyes—Clara’s.
Chapter 33
“You’d better go.” Kyra was rummaging through her silken bag, searching for something. She pulled out a container of salt and began making a large circle around Sage’s body. “I need to start the containment spell to keep the wraith locked inside, and cloak the area so no passersby stumble upon him.”
I glanced at Sage again. Betrayal slashed through me. How could I have been so blind when it came to her?
“We should get movin’, darlin’. I know what you’re feelin’. She was my friend too, but that wraith is gonna be lookin’ for a new place to stay, and I damn sure don’t want it to be inside me.” Dex tugged on my arm.
“I know.” I bit my bottom lip as a wave of emotions washed over me. Instinct kicked in as I noticed Kyra continuing in the motion of creating her circle of salt and my feet began moving.
I followed after Dex as he started toward the edge of the woods, heading back the way we came.
“Thank you, Kyra,” I called over my shoulder to her, hoping she knew how grateful I was for what she had done for me.
“You’re welcome.” She replied as something shifted in the air. Everything surrounding us grew eerily still again, this time I got the sensation it was because there was a darkness entering the air. The wraith.
I grabbed Arabella’s arm as I passed her, pulling her along with me. Her feet had resisted the movement for a split-second before giving in. Shock had frozen her face in a stiff expression. I could only imagine what she was feeling after learning of everything a Sage had done. After all, she had known her a hell of a lot longer than I had.
“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
She shook her head. “I can’t believe Sage would do such a thing. I had no idea she was so vile.”
“I did.” Bianca chimed in. “I mentioned to you how unstable I’ve always thought her to be. No one listened to me though.”
The six of us trekked back through the woods with Dex as our leader this time, leaving Kyra and Kace behind with Sage and the wraith. I was amazed with Dex’s impeccable sense of direction. There was no way I would have made it to the vehicles on my own.
“Are you okay?” I overheard Lexy ask Luke. “I know you were infatuated with Sage.”
I glanced at Luke from over my shoulder, taking in his appearance for myself. He had been enamored with her. The conversation I’d had with him in my apartment about Sage before Lexy showed up had proved to be true—Sage had been using him as a decoy. He was someone she used to cover up the fact that she was still head over heels in love with Randal. I felt for him. Sage had betrayed us all.
“I’m not gonna lie, that got to me.” The corner of his lips hooked into a sad grin. “But it’s nothing a few Passion Potions won’t fix. Care to join me?”
“You mean visit your infamous club, Love Potion #9?” Lexy countered in a sarcastic tone.
“Absolutely.” Luke said. I could hear the grin in his voice. “You can’t honestly tell me the idea of the place doesn’t intrigue you. Come see my creation before you head back to Avalon Bay, sis.”
They were making up. My crazy life had them bonding again. My chest warmed at the thought as I crossed through the final brambles at the base of the path. Our vehicles came into view then.
“I’m sure Randal will wake soon now that Sage is gone,” Arabella surprised me by sayin
g. Her words were soft and robotic. Shock was still twisting her system. I could relate.
“The first thing he will want to know is if you are okay,” Bianca added before I could speak. “You should come home with us.”
My brow lifted. Bianca was inviting me to their house? I never thought I’d see the day. Dex caught my eye. His expression signified he shared my shock.
“Um, sure. Thanks.” The desire to see Randal, even if he wasn’t awake yet, burned through me. All I wanted was to be close to him. My nerve endings stirred and tingled at the thought.
A strange buzz fizzled and cracked through the air as we made our way closer to the vehicles, reminding me of the fiery magic that had engulfed me during the ritual. The energy was gone before I could detect where it stemmed from.
“I’m assumin’ that was the containment spell goin’ up.” Silence gripped us all as our thoughts drifted back to Sage. We’d left her there to rot.
While I knew she had been the one to cause all the turmoil my life had been in lately, I still felt the pinprick of sadness at leaving her behind. She had been my friend, at least I thought she had, back before Randal had stepped into the picture. I glanced around at the faces of those surrounding me. She had been their friend too—all except for Bianca and Lexy, for different reasons.
Dex leaned against his bronco. “Well,” He cleared his throat. “Looks like you’re officially wraith free, darlin’. Congratulations. You survived the night.”
“Did you doubt I would?” I gave him a small smile.
“Nah, never.” He shook his head. A lopsided grin formed on his face. “I knew you had it in you. You’re strong.”
“Thanks.” I reached out and pulled him into a hug. His arms wrapped around me as he leaned his chin against the crown of my head.
Dex had been there for me every step of the way. He was becoming one of my closest friends. Bree would always hold the title of my best friend though.
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