Fading Magic

by Holly Hood

  “Hope,” Slade says. He’s behind me now. “I was wondering where you went.”

  The only thing I see out the door is the pale beams of moonlight. He’s gone. I take my hand away and turn around. “I thought I saw something.”

  He slips a hand around my waist. “What was that?”

  I purse my lips following him down the hallway. I don’t know if I want to tell him I saw my dad. I just want things to be perfect.

  “Nothing.” I kiss him on the cheek and hurry past him for my shoes. “Let’s get in there.”

  Slade smiles, looking me over. “You look beautiful.”

  I walk up to him and grab him by his skull belt buckle. He’s even hotter than ever before. My love, decked out in all black and leather. Skulls and chains and everything that makes him not only bad ass but exactly who he is for the world to see. This is his moment. And it’s a good one for once.

  I gently press my lips into his giving him a slow kiss that turns into more than it should right before shooting his music video. He grips the back of my head probably ruining my hair but I don’t care because I can never get enough of his lips.

  “You’re going to need reapply that lipstick,” Slade says pressing his head against mine in agony because we can’t go any further. I wipe at his lips, focusing on his lip ring.

  “And you need a wipe down.” I smirk and we attack each other again until Kidd whistles down the hallway telling us to get our shit together.

  We do as he says so he doesn’t have a panic attack. I look over at Slade.

  “You look like a bad ass,” I tell him. “A totally hot bad ass.”

  He smirks. “Soon enough you will be Mrs. Bad ass.”

  Kidd shakes his head when he spots us. “You two can never keep it in your pants.”

  I allow the makeup artist to fluff my hair and apply my lipstick again. Another one hurries to clean up Slade’s mouth. He smirks at me and I hold back my own smile.

  The guys climb on stage. Everything is so organized and there is someone for everything telling all of us what to do.

  I move around one of the various cameras and wait to be instructed.

  “This is our moment,” Karsen says. “Our first music video.”

  “It’s kind of weird being the girls in the video,” I admit to her watching Kidd adjust his guitar.

  “It’s kind of awesome,” she says. “We better do these things while we can.”

  I make a face. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Karsen looks down and places a hand on her stomach. “It’s kind of tacky to be a video chick when you’re a mother.”

  I drop my jaw. “Are you serious? You’re pregnant?”

  She nods and smiles at Kidd. “There is a life form growing in my body right now. God, that’s so weird to say.”

  I can’t believe it. Karsen and a baby. Never in my life have I ever been so blown away by news.

  “It will probably come out with a guitar and tattoos.” I cross my arms and shake my head. “This is insane.”

  “This is life.” She squeezes my arm. “There’s nobody I would rather share all these parts of life with than Kidd.”

  I understand and I am happy for them but the thought of a mini Karsen or Kidd on earth just blows me away no matter how I look at it.

  The music starts and everyone comes alive. I wait for my cue.

  Watching Slade recreate the moment we first met is incredible. He has put so much thought behind this song. The way he describes our first meeting it’s pure genius and I know it will be a number one hit.

  The lights shine down on all of us. And for once we are enjoying the beat of life instead of battling all the demons that exist in the world. We’re strong. We are survivors and I don’t think anything could ever compare to the now.

  Slade wasn’t expecting to save me when I walked into Henry Park, I wasn’t expecting to change so much in just a few years but it all happened and I know now I can handle it.

  Maybe I didn’t expect to lose my dad or Nona. Or come back home to Georgia, or talk to my mom again but I did.

  You never know what’s going to happen, or what will change you. But learning to live with all the changes sometimes is the best thing you can do.

  Life is magic, fading magic. It’s here and it’s wonderful at times. Sometimes it blows you away, sometimes you realize it was nothing but smoke and mirrors.

  Sometimes it fails you. And you have to pick yourself back up.

  We hurt, we love, we succeed and we fall short.

  But one thing never changed throughout my life over the years.

  And that is the love between me, a simple girl from Georgia and Slade, the boy in the band who saved me.

  The End

  Acknowledgements

  When I first began to write Ink I didn’t know that so many readers were going to enjoy it so much. I was just trying to come up with a story that was entertaining enough to write.

  I want to thank all the readers, bloggers, and friends and family who all have been so very helpful in supporting this series.

  There is one person in particular that goes above anything I ever ask and that is Andrea Turner. She always mentions me everywhere she can. And she also takes time to pimp me out and I want to say thank you for that!

  So many of you are so very helpful, you always have something nice to say. I know I can go on over to my author page and say anything I want and I will have feedback from so many of you. A big thank you for that.

  I want to thank Brandi my best friend for pushing me and yelling at me when I get emotional about this journey as an author. I also want to thank her for thinking about me all the time.

  I want to thank my husband Rob who always keeps me motivated and gives me tough love when I think I am a sucky author. Thank you, Meatloaf for brainstorming with me all the time. And no I do not think your ideas are stupid. I love you forever and always.

  And I want to thank my kids for driving me crazy and making so much noise. My oldest daughter Zoey for caring enough to ask me about my work and what I am writing, and for even giving me ideas for another book idea! You are wise beyond your eleven years and I love you!

  A big shout out to my momma for handing out my bookmarks all over Toledo haha, you never fail to mention me and make things so very awkward but in a good way. I love you!

  And last, I want to thank Anne Ball for being my number one fan. She passed away last September and none of us have been the same without her. I miss that lady more than I can ever express and I am sad that the world no longer gets to have her smiling face. She was by far the kindest, strongest most thoughtful woman I ever met. I think about you every day. Love you, lady!

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  Did you love Fading Magic? Then you should read Haunting Magic by Holly Hood!

  Happily ever after…Hope and Slade have been through a lot. But nothing compares to what is ahead.On the eve of one of the best days of their lives, Hope and Slade are trying to enjoy life together. But the things lurking in the shadows are more of a problem then Hope ever imagined. She can only try to stop the chaos inside of her mind before it controls her life completely. If she doesn't, everything she always wanted might fall apart.

  Read more at Holly Hood’s site.

  Also by Holly Hood

  8th sin

  Get To Me

  All We Are

  Ink

  Ink Magic

  Twisted Magic

  Sinful Magic

  Grim Magic

  Fading Magic

  Haunting Magic

  Hollow Magic

  Hellish Magic

  Wicked

  Wicked Little Sins

 
Wicked Dirty Sins

  Wingless

  Wingless

  Impact

  Scattered and Broken

  Prison of Paradise

  Letters to you

  Back to Life

  Standalone

  Anonymous

  Run

  Perfectly Hopeless

  Bliss

  The Killing of Rose

  The Ink Box Set

  Even Wilder

  Watch for more at Holly Hood’s site.

  About the Author

  Holly Hood writes books that mess with your mind. Stories that leave you wanting more. Endings that aren’t so pretty. Romance novels that don’t fit the mold. Books about families without white picket fences. A wife to a great man, a mother to five beautiful kids... and a buckeye fan! She has three dogs. A couple fish and an obsession for anything to do with crime and murder, Canada dry soda or Mad Men. Author of the Ink series, Wingless series and many other titles.

  Read more at Holly Hood’s site.