The Hailey Holloway Complete Series

by K. C. Stewart

  “I think I found something,” Lia called. She stood at a book shelf holding a display stand. Perched in the center was a nine inch straight blade with ebony handle. It was the knife he spent years dreaming about. Even now he could feel the blade slipping into his flesh. “Well?” Lia asked.

  “That’s…” That was the knife; everything was exactly as he remembered it. Dacea wasn’t sure why he was so reluctant but the magic he felt from it before wasn’t there. “…not it.”

  “But it looks like it?” Hailey guessed.

  “Yes. I can’t explain but I just know that isn’t the knife.”

  He could feel her smile. “It’s okay. I trust you. We will keep looking.” Hailey went back to the kitchen and just looked. Her eyes traveled over every surface. Her head tilted to the side and a hmmm” vibrated from her lips. Dacea could nearly hear her say, “What if?” She stepped to the sink and pulled out each dirty dish. When she picked it up, he knew.

  “That’s it.”

  “But…” He knew what she was going to say. It didn’t look like the knife Lia found.

  “I know, but that’s it.” She flipped the knife over in her hand. The handle matched those of the other kitchen knives but the blade was all wrong for food preparation. “He switched the handle.”

  “And has been using it to cut up his fruit. Weird.”

  “But smart.”

  “It tingles, kinda like static electricity.” Hailey grabbed a dish towel and wiped the blade off.

  “That’s the magic.”

  Lia came up beside Hailey and took the blade in her hand. “What a little fuck,” she laughed as she turned it over. “We should get going before you change back.” Lia handed the knife back to Hailey and went back over to the bookshelf with the dummy knife. She took it off the stand and sheathed it. “Ready?”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Silas stood back in the shadows of the forest. His guard had just gone past with the muse in tow. The expected elation did not surface, instead he found himself baffled. The guard was helping the muse get into his house. Traitors were not accepted into his army. He stepped from the shadows and watched them enter the compound. Silas turned in the direction they had come from, the guard would be dealt with in time. Right now he was more interested in what they left behind. The darkness of the forest swallowed him whole as he traced their steps.

  None of his men knew he was back yet. Occasionally he liked to show up unannounced and watch them scramble. A healthy balance of fear and respect kept them inline. Silas must not have been doling out enough fear if one was helping Dacea and his little gang of misfits.

  He had hardly walked a mile when he found their camp. The small fire gave a soft flickering glow to the area. He closed his eyes and inhaled. The distinct smell of sage and sorrow hit him. The witch was about.

  Silas stayed in the safety of the trees. The crunching of leaves underfoot slowed then stopped completely. Darby appeared like a little rabbit. Her head peeked from behind the jeep and looked around anxiously. Her eyes passed right over him and kept going. The distinct aromatics of blood hit his senses as she went back to work. He wondered what spell the widowed witch casting?

  The trees were silent with anticipation. His curiosity grew with every minute. Darby flew around the campsite in a tizzy. It was much like watching a beehive with only one bee. When she stopped and looked around with her hands perched on her hips, she gave a nod of approval.

  “Now that you have finished,” Silas began as he walked into the light. “You can tell me why you have decided to go camping on my property.”

  For every step he took forward, she took two backward. The jeep hit Darby’s back before she could go too far. Silas only shook his head. “Now why do you look so fearful of me Darby? I’ll chalk it up to you being surprised to see my face at such a time. I haven’t missed the fun, have I? No, from your face I can see I am just in time. Why don’t we have a seat and chat a bit by the fire.”

  “Might as well kill me now, I’m not talking to you.”

  He closed the gap between them and flashed his brilliant smile. “I’ll get my information sweet Darby. Voluntarily or by force, it’s your choice.” He reached out and ran the back of his finger down her cheek. “I suggest the former if you care to keep that cabin of yours.”

  She spit in his face.

  “Such disrespect.” He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his chin. “You know what I think of disrespect? Why don’t you go ask your beloved Lennox? Oh wait, you can’t.”

  Fire danced in her eyes. He hit her sore spot with a hot poker. The anger in her electrocuted the air. It was magnificent.

  “Why don’t you ask him for me when you see him later tonight,” she spat.

  “Feisty. It’s cute how you think your little gang will do anything but fail. I feel as if they have been feeding you lies about me, probably telling you that I am evil and deceptive. Don’t get me wrong, I am both of those. However, I’m also fair. I know they pulled you into this. I also know this is not your fight.” He brushed off her laugh and continued. “Let me show you how nice of a guy I can be.” Silas took a step back and waved his hand toward the open forest. “You can go now and no harm will come to you. I’ll forget your involvement in all this and we part ways as acquaintances.”

  “Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.

  He smirked and let his eyes travel over her tiny body. “Don’t think I won’t.” At her confused look he elaborated. “Your offer to fuck, don’t think I won’t accept it.”

  “You’re deranged,” Darby said horrified.

  Luckily for her, Silas thought rape was appalling. He was not so hard up for women that he would resort to that barbaric act. But she didn’t need to know that.

  “Maybe.” His eyes twinkled. “So, when will your gang be back? I have some news of a few friends of theirs.”

  *****

  The glamour of the guard had worn off. Lia snuck out ahead of Hailey and was waiting for her just beyond the tree line. Before the glamour was completely gone, Hailey had made herself seen and told anyone who would listen about the prisoner she had captured. They wanted everyone to believe that Lia was safely locked away inside and not escaping with Hailey.

  “You did well,” Lia said as they headed back to their camp.

  “And you sound surprised.”

  “Noticed that, huh?” She shrugged. “It’s nothing against you, just a prejudice most of the gods have. When mortals survive quests it always surprises us.”

  “Thanks, I think. I’m glad I’m alive too. I’ll also be happy for this all to be over.”

  “The hard part is still to come,” Lia reminded her.

  “I know.” The thought had only been nagging her for days. It was make it or break it time. When Dak needed her most, could she do what had to be done? The blade against her forearm was a cool reminder of what was next. Hailey had slid it up her sleeve for the time being.

  “I believe in you Hailey.” The dragon was reading her mind again.

  “Don’t say that till you have a body,” she grumbled.

  “I’ll say it then too.”

  Lia stopped and gazed into the darkness. In the moonlight Hailey could see her furrowed brow. She looked and listened too, but didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary. “Let’s hurry. Something is going on with Darby.”

  “Is she alright?” They began to run.

  “I’m not sure.”

  When they sprinted into camp, a familiar voice greeted them by the light of the fire. Silas looked as though he had just stepped off of the runway. He was very out of place sitting on a log by the small camp fire in a three piece suit.

  “Greetings!” he said with a grin. “I am glad you finally made it. Darby and I were just chatting about old times. Weren’t we, Love?” The bound and gagged Darby sat beside him with murder in her eyes. “That Lennox was quiet a fellow. Great chess player as I recall.”

  Dak growled.

  “Too soon?”


  Hailey felt as if she was just run over—T-boned by a truck named Silas. She wasn’t sure how he had found their camp or how he knew to look for them here, but they had come too far for this to all just crumble. Dak had a real chance to be free from his prison and actually end Silas’s reign.

  Darby caught her eye. She had the same spark of determination as Hailey. No matter how over this looked from the outside, they were not giving up now. The problem Hailey saw was none of them had any chance of fighting Silas and coming out alive, only Dak.

  The witch looked off to the side, past where Silas was sitting. A line of salt rimmed the perimeter of their camp. She spotted two small tea lights, one on the point facing east, and one south. It was safe to say there were two more at north and west. Had she really gotten everything set up before Silas found her? Darby met her eyes once again and gave a small nod.

  “Silas.” Lia’s voice startled her. “What are you doing here?”

  “Being that this is my property I don’t think I have to answer that.” He stood and brushed a few pieces of ash from his jacket. “However, you can.”

  “We just felt like a girl’s weekend. Didn’t know you’d be near or we would have picked a different lake. I hear Cayuga is nice.” The fire glinted off of the knife she held in her hand. Silas caught the motion too.

  “What is that you have there?”

  “This? Just a little something I like to keep on me.” Lia held up the dummy knife she took from his living room. “It’s nice, right?”

  “Indeed. I believe I have one just like it.” A slow smile spread across his face. When he turned toward Hailey, she was ready for him. Her face showed as much emotion as a Roman statue. “Dacea, did you have a nice look around my place? See anything of interest?”

  Hailey gripped the hilt of the knife hidden up her sleeve. The magic prickled every inch of skin it touched. “Sorry but you just have me right now. Dak is indisposed at the moment.” His change was right under the surface. Her skin itched like it always did but this time it felt too hot. He was close to losing it.

  “Pity. Then I ask you Hailey, how do you know you have stolen the correct knife? I could have had hundreds of replicas made. If you picked the wrong one…” He let his voice trail as his eyes stole a glance at the knife Lia held.

  “Dak said that’s the one and I trust him.”

  “Of course you do. Well, carry on then.” Silas stepped back giving her the floor. The horrible realization of what he was doing hit her in the gut. Silas was going to let them perform the spell. If she had the wrong knife, he won. If she had the right one, he could attack Dak instantly.

  Lia walked over to her and placed the knife in her free hand. “Just breathe. His presence changes nothing,” she whispered. Hailey nodded like a scared Chihuahua.

  The dummy knife was heavier than the real one. That was the only thing she could think of. Her usual rambling ADD inner monologue had suddenly become a soundless observer.

  “Ready to be yourself again and kick some dragon tail?” She tried to sound more confident than she felt.

  “No,” Dak said sternly.

  “Come again?”

  “We shouldn’t do this. I could be wrong about the knife.”

  Silas looked at her with interest. His head tilted to the right slightly as he listened to the one sided conversation. Hailey lowered her voice and turned her back trying for some semblance of privacy.

  “What’s your deal? Regardless if this is the right one or not Darby will keep me safe. It’s just a cut across skin. It won’t be too deep, mostly superficial. I’m more worried I’ll mess up the words or something.”

  “Hailey…” in one word he expressed all his hopes and fears. It made her want to cry and laugh all in the same breath. He was afraid it wouldn’t work, he was worried it would. Every answer to the problem resulted in a myriad of consequences. There was no perfect solution. Hailey knew this, had accepted it days ago. She had thought he accepted it too. Maybe at one point he had, but somewhere along the way Dak had turned against the truth.

  Hailey began the spell. Tough shit for him, she mused. This was happening and he would have to step up or be stuck. The entire spell was meant to be said in Latin, but since Hailey’s Latin sounded like a monkey trying to order pizza, Darby had adapted her part into English.

  “To this life, return the gift.” She let the real knife slide out of her jacket sleeve while gripping the other one for everyone to see.

  “Hailey, no,” Dak warned.

  “To this soul, return the power,” she continued over his protests. “To this being, return the magic.”

  She closed her eyes and waited. He needed to recite his part or this whole damn this would be a bust. The knife shook in her hand as the minute passed. “Come on!” she thought. “Release me now, set me free. Release my power, blessed be. Say those words and it’s all over. Please. Come on, Dak,” she mentally begged even though he couldn’t hear her.

  “Solvo mihi iam, paro mihi solvo. Solvo meus vox, beatus existo.”

  Hailey took a second for a mental happy dance then acted. She dropped the dummy knife and lifted her shirt. Darby had said she just needed to draw blood where he had been stabbed originally for this to work.

  She mistakenly looked up to shoot a smile to Darby and Lia. Out of the corner of her eye Silas was waving his arm. The action confused her. What they hell was he waving at? she thought.

  The knife jerked in her hand. She tried to hold it steady but it was no longer hers to control. It pushed forward before she could react. The blade slid smoothly into her stomach just to the left of her belly button, blood instantly staining her shirt.

  The ground flew at her in alarming speed then abruptly stopped as her knees hit. She moaned in uncertainty as her shaking hands hovered over the knife in her stomach. Should she take it out? No. Keep it in? Why didn’t it hurt? Why couldn’t she feel anything?

  “Don’t move, Céile,” Dak’s voice cracked. “Just… stay still.”

  “Mmmkay.”

  The scene was complete chaos in those few seconds before the world went away. Silas stared at the knife protruding out of her stomach like he couldn’t believe they had found the correct one after all. Her friends were screaming. Hailey didn’t know at who or what. When her face met the ground, her body felt detached in a strange marriage of numbness and agony. The adrenalin subsided and left behind the biggest stomach cramp in the history of cramps. And all she could think about was that there was a bloody leaf stuck to her cheek.

  *****

  Dacea’s head was pounding. When Hailey lost consciousness, a bright flash knocked him out. He lifted a hand and rubbed the knot begging to form on the back of his head. That would be sore for a while, he thought.

  “Dacea? Oh thank Goddess, it worked.” His eyes flew opened to find Darby standing over him with tears in her eyes.

  “Yeah?” his voice rough.

  “Yeah,” she nodded.

  “Where’s Hailey?” Darby’s smile diminished. Dacea rolled over and found their makeshift camp a disaster. Hurricanes left less damage in their wake. Lia was propped up against the tire of the jeep. She cradled her arm against her chest. “You ok?” he asked. She nodded but didn’t look at him. Her eyes grazed the trees trying to find something in the darkness.

  “Where’s Hailey?” he asked again with more alarm. There was a pile of bloody leaves next to him but no Hailey and no Silas.

  “I don’t know. The spell knocked everyone out when she fell. I woke up after Lia. She said they were both gone when she came to.”

  Dacea growled. There was no stopping it. Instincts took over when his mind dissolved in a frenzy of rage. His dragon took shape and roared into the night.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  She sat cross-legged on the bridge of her moat. Hailey had waited, and waited, for Dak to show. He never did. Which should concern her but strangely didn’t. Her face tilted toward the sun and she let its rays warm her. Every day was
beautiful here. Hailey passed the time by feeding the piranhas and talking to Dak like he was still in her mind.

  She waited though. He would come. Dak promised he would always come.

  Hailey wondered why she couldn’t wake up and just talk to him that way. But her body wouldn’t listen to her. Every time she tried to wake up, she would hit a wall and end up back on the bridge. Always on the bridge.

  “He’ll come,” she told the piranhas. “I hope.”

  *****

  Hailey’s mouth tasted like the Death Valley. She tried to swallow but only ended up making a strange clicking noise with her tongue. Groaning, she tried to open her eyes but everything felt weighed down.

  A chair scraped across the floor, followed by a rush of footsteps. A hand smoothed down her hair. She leaned into it. The spell was coming back to her, but she couldn’t remember anything after collapsing. Apparently she was alive, even if everything did ache. She remembered the bloody leaf that had been stuck to her check. Hailey wondered what had happened to it.

  “Dak?” she groaned.

  “No Baby.”

  “Mom?” What the hell? Her eyes found the will to open and had to blink a few times to clear her vision. The hospital room was no surprise; her parents by her bedside was. A quick look around the sterile white room left her disappointed. The room was empty except for her parents and a sad attempt at decorating. The room, the people, it all felt cold. She felt cold.

  “Where’s Dak?” she asked her dad who was patting her foot at the end of the bed.

  Her parents looked stricken. Neither of them spoke, but both of them had identical frowns. As much as it hurt to move, Hailey kept swinging her head back and forth to look at each of them.

  “He’s not real, Sweetheart.” He took a few steps up the bed and grabbed her hand. “You’re sick.”