Two things happened at once: Nikko slammed my body to the side, as Kate of all people threw a spell, hitting Nikko in the chest. He thought her spell was a bomb, my beautiful friend thought it was a bomb and he saved me. The spell knocked him back, sending him crashing into Jace’s fountain with an audible crack. Oh God, not Nikko. God not Nikko! I turned to see Jace fling a spell at Kate. She laughed, blew him a kiss and disappeared. That cowardly bitch!
“Nikko?” I pulled his head into my lap as tears streamed down my face.
He coughed up blood, but there was no sign of damage on the outside of his body other than the massive bruise and knot on his head where he had hit the fountain. I ran my hands over his chest, as everyone else stood over us. Nikko coughed again, this time he coughed up a lot of blood. I was losing him. I was losing my best friend. I started to sob.
“Where have you been?” Nikko whispered.
“What?” I wiped the tears away from my eyes.
“You haven’t been at school for three days, I was worried.” Nikko gasped.
“Shh,” I closed my eyes. “Save your strength.”
“You know what . . . I don’t feel so good. I feel kind of cold. That’s not good, right? Am I dying . . . Charlie?” He asked me, his face turning white.
I said softly, “Not in my arms you’re not.”
I looked at Jace, frowning he said, “Mom called the ambulance, they are on their way.”
I nodded and looked back at Nikko. “Charlie, if I die I just want you to know that I am glad we became friends.”
“Me too Nikko, but you’re not going to die. I’ll save you like you saved me. Let me be your Knight this time.”
Nikko smiled a small smile; “You do make a good Knight.” His smile faded as pain racked his body then Nikko shuddered and went limp in my lap.
I shook him, “Nikko?” I felt for his pulse. I didn’t feel a heartbeat. I screamed, “No. No. No!”
I placed both my hands over his chest and pushed down. There was a beam of light that shot out from my palms. I felt the spirit element move through my fingertips, and flow into Nikko’s body. The spirit element felt hot, like a beautiful sickly sweet embrace. Nikko’s body jerked and then it lifted off the ground, he levitated there for a second, then the light faded and his body floated back to the ground. Jace pulled me off him as the ambulance pulled into the yard and rushed to Nikko’s side.
I pushed at Jace, saying, “Let me go, it didn’t work. Let me try again. Jace, he can’t die. Please. Please. Please.” I begged.
Jace hugged me to him. I looked at him then looked back at Nikko as the paramedics’ covered him up with a white sheet and shook their head. It was over. Nikko was gone. My world and reality crashed around me and I passed out. When I awoke, I was in the hospital. I didn’t know why. I wasn’t the one who was dying, I just passed out. Oh God Nikko was gone. Why? Why? Why? Oh God Nikko. Why!
“I will kill Kate. Nikko I promise you.” I said in the silence.
“Aw, you would do that for me?” Nikko asked.
“Yes Nikko! I will kill her for killing you!”
“Well, remind me to never cross you or you might kill me.” Nikko said.
I laughed, “It’s too late for you Nikko! You’re already dead.” I looked over at Nikko and screamed. Nikko screamed, and the nurse came running into my room.
“What? What? Are you ok?” The nurse asked.
I pointed at Nikko and said, “He’s alive! He’s okay?”
“Who? Who dear?” the nurse looked around.
“Nikko, he’s alive!” I said looking at him. He waved and smiled.
“Are you talking about the boy that was brought in earlier?”
“Yes, he is alive right?”
“Oh, no dear he was pronounced dead on location.” I looked at Nikko. He shook his head. “So young,” the nurse was saying. “And to die of natural causes just boggles the mind.” Her voice faded as she left my room.
“Ouch, it kinda sucks to be told that you’re dead.” Nikko stuck his head through the door and I heard him yell, “Hey thanks a lot lady.”
“What the hell? I am seeing things now and hearing things too. Oh God,” I groaned.
“Come on now Charlie, I thought you would be happy to see me.”
“Yeah, if you were flesh and blood,” I sighed.
“What would you do to me if I was flesh and blood?” Nikko grinned.
I rolled my eyes, “Why are you joking? You’re dead! This is not the time to be joking.” I screeched.
“It’s ok, I am a ghost.” Nikko laughed, slapping his knees. “That so cool, huh?”
“No it is not, your dead Nikko. Move on! Go to light! You know the light, that shiny thing at the end of the tunnel.”
Nikko shook his head. “Charlie, you made me this way. You did something, and instead of crossing over to the spirit realm, I stayed here and turned into a ghost.”
“Oh no, it worked and this was what happened? Man I suck at magic. I’m sorry Nikko, I was supposed to bring you back to life, not bring you back as a ghost. I will fix this.”
“Whoa, hold on there. I like being a ghost. For now let’s not try anything crazy. And guess what, I know what you are.” Nikko sang as he danced around the room. “I know what you are.”
“How?” I asked annoyed.
“Let’s just say when you did that little magic trick of yours; I learned all kinds of good stuff.” Nikko rubbed his hands together.
Just then Jace opened the door and walked in, “Charlie, how do you feel?”
I looked at him then at Nikko. Jace didn’t seem to notice the ghost in the room. Nikko laughed.
Ignoring Nikko, I asked, “Why am I here?”
“When you passed out the paramedics thought you might be suffering from shock. They insisted on bringing you to the hospital.”
“Oh,” I said.
I watched Nikko stick his hand through Jace’s head. He mouthed: This is so cool. I shook my head, but I couldn’t help it, I laughed.
“Um, Charlie . . . What’s so funny?” Jace looked worried.
I laughed harder, “Nikko just stuck his hand through your head.”
Jace looked at me sharply, and then he rubbed his head. I guess I would to, if someone told me that. And it did sound completely insane.
“Charlie, you do know Nikko’s dead, right?” Jace asked softly.
Dear God, Nikko started to sing. I guess I was the only one that could hear him and see what he was doing to Jace. As Nikko sang, he also acted out the motions.
Nikko: You put your right hand in; you put your right hand out.
You put your right hand in and you shake it all about.
You do the Hockey-Pokey, and you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about.
You put your left hand in; you put your left hand out.
You put your left hand in and you shake it all about.
You do the Hockey-Pokey, and you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about.
By the time Nikko got to you put your whole self in, you put your whole self out. I had enough. Jace, my sweet guy just looked at me complex, while I tried to get Nikko to stop Jumping in and out of his body. I was waving my hands when Jace snapped.
“Damn it Charlie, Nikko is gone. I am sorry but he is gone.”
I started to cry, “No he’s not gone, and it is much worse than that. I did this to him. I did it and now I don’t know what to do.”
“Hey,” Nikko shouted. That seemed to do it. Jace looked up and slowly he turned his head.
Mercifully, Jace saw Nikko, his jaw dropped. Jace jumped up and down saying, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What the…Whoa.” He rubbed his head. “You’re alive?”
“No stupid, I am a ghost. Didn’t you hear Charlie? She did just tell you, hello get with the program.” Nikko grumbled.
Jace scowled, “I don’t remember you being sarcastic! When did you grow balls?”
Nikko smirked, “About the time y
ou lost yours.”
Jace pulled his hand back to punch Nikko; but, Nikko was smarter than Jace seemed to give him credit; he did a little magic of his own and vanished. Jace, sweet, sweet Jace fell through Nikko’s body.
Nikko popped back into focus and said, “Man I love that.”
“Hey,” I intercepted, “If Jace can see you now… Then why the hell did you not show him a second ago?”
“I didn’t want to; I wanted to have some fun. I am sorry he freaked out.”
I waved my hand, “Its fine. But what am I going to do.”
Jace cleared his throat, “You’ll have to tell Eli, and we’ll go from there.
“Yeah my life is wonderful.”
“Don’t worry Charlie, it will be ok.” Nikko said.
I thought, yeah, it will all be okay: There is a crazy woman out for my blood and power. I am now marked by the Fairy King, bound to a Vamp; my dream guy is still out there. I don’t know what to do about Tru and Jace, and now I have a sidekick ghost. Life is good.
Epilogue
As he got out of the car and walked into the school he smiled. This was going to be perfect.
“Yes may I help you?” The receptionist at the desk asked.
He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants and nodded.
“Ok son what is it that you need?” She asked with a dreamy smile!
“I wanted to enroll here.” He said giving her a devilish grin.
“You do know that the school year is almost finished . . . Right?”
“Yes I know.” He said looking her in the eyes.
“Ok son what is your name?”
“Crispin, but you can call me Cris.”
“It’s nice to meet you Cris. Welcome to TC High!”
Crispin smiled!
Dedication
I want to dedicate this book to my dad who has passed away and my brother in-law. If they were alive today, I know they would be so proud of me. I would also like to thank my friends and fans. Without you guys my books would just be in my mind and not in your hands.
A Blaze of Magic: Chosen Saga Book Two Page 26