by Holly Hood
Slade nodded. “I’ve lived here for a long time. I know when someone is lying to me.”
Harvey rubbed the base of his neck. “You think I’m lying?”
“I think you’re hiding something,” Slade said. “Nobody has that tattoo unless they know what it means. You’re a supernatural.”
I stuffed the bottle back in my pocket just as Harvey’s eyes settled on me. “My father was a supernatural. I barely knew what all of it meant until a couple of years ago.”
Slade moved closer. “I’m not buying it.”
“The church doesn’t even know what I am capable of, I swear it,” he said, his hands shook at his sides. “I don’t know what you want me to do.”
Light it. Slade’s voice was in my head.
I closed my eyes and focused, opening them to dancing flames.
Slade grabbed my hand and we ran out of the door, he slammed it shut.
“Let’s get out of here.” He led me down the hall.
“How do we know it worked?” I hurried down the stage and ran down the aisle to the doors.
“Is he coming after us?”
Harvey’s screams echoed the walls. But he wasn’t coming for us, a sense of relief swept over me.
“Now what?” I asked, bringing a shaky hand to my forehead. “What do we do?”
“The church is burning.” Slade moved across the sand. “If we destroy Harvey we destroy Carlo.”
Completion
To think we were about to end Carlo was beyond anything my mind could process.
“What now, Slade?” I asked, staring at my house. “Karsen is in there.”
“I promise you Karsen will be okay.” He put an arm around me. “After this everything will be okay.”
He kissed me on the cheek.
The door slowly opened and Karsen came out first, then Kenny and Carlo. “So, where’s daddy?”
Slade crossed his arms.
Kenny raised his hands. “Don’t tell me you guys failed. I was starting to take a liking to this one.”
Karsen pulled away from him.
Slade dropped his head.
“What is this guy doing?” He started down the stairs. “Are you trying to piss me off?”
Kenny’s hand clamped down on Slade’s shoulder. He shoved him toward the stairs. I stayed calm, I trusted Slade knew what he was going to do even if I didn’t.
“Say goodbye to your bff,” he said.
I touched my face, my fingers were trembling but I stayed quiet. I wasn’t going to react. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
Slade grabbed Karsen blocking Kenny from getting to her. Karsen screamed, her body hitting the steps like a bag of bricks. She went head over feet down the steps ending in a heap at the bottom.
I screamed when Slade went after Carlo next.
“Go ahead.” He looked at him. “Take your best shot.”
Carlo grabbed him by the throat.
I couldn’t move and I couldn’t look away.
Slade struggled with Carlo. “This isn’t the first time…I’ve been through hell.”
Carlo strained, his knees buckling. He dropped to the ground, losing his grip on Slade.
Kenny started coming toward me, his eyes dark with anger.
I raised my hand muttering words I used once before, and stopped him in his tracks. “Leave me alone.”
I raced to Karsen, and helped her off the ground.
I looked at Kenny. “Now leave.”
Kenny walked away, he had no control over the situation, he was under my control and I could keep him away for at least a few minutes.
“Slade, did it work?” I asked.
Slade stood over Carlo’s body. “He’s gone.”
We had destroyed the vessel. I ran up the stairs and jumped into Slade’s arms. “I can’t believe we did it.”
He dug in his pocket for his phone. “We’re not done yet.”
I watched Karsen, sadness sweeping over me. She wasn’t happy, this didn’t change anything for her. Even if we fixed things there was one thing still missing.
Kidd.
Slade brought his phone to his ear. “I’ve fixed your problem. I need you to come and pick it up.”
Family
I rolled over on my bed and sighed. “I don’t want you to leave.”
Karsen nodded, zipping her final suitcase. “I never wanted to leave either. Cherry was the happiest I have ever been.” A silence fell in my room.
I sat up. “I want you to know you are way more than just my best friend.”
Karsen smiled. “I know.”
“You’re the sister I never had. The friend I always wanted and the person always pushing me forward when I’m down.” I sighed. “I don’t know what I am going to do without you.”
I looked around the room at all the boxes. “Did I mention I hate my dorm?”
“Only a hundred times,” Karsen said.
Karsen’s phone rang. “Alright.”
I looked at her, taking steady breaths to keep from crying.
“My parents are ten minutes away,” she said.
I wrapped my arms around her. “I love you.”
She laughed, starting to sob. “I don’t want to leave you. Please come home.”
I wiped my eyes. “I’ll come visit.”
“It won’t be the same.” She pressed her face into my shoulder.
Slade knocked on the door interrupting our goodbye. “I thought I would help carry your luggage. Hope said you don’t travel light.”
Karsen sniffled standing up. “Thank you.”
Slade nodded. I shot him a smile, glad he was there to help her leave. It meant a lot. “No problem. I’m going to miss you around here.”
Karsen forced a laugh. “No you’re not. You hated my shoes lying all over your house.”
Slade sighed. “What can I say? I like to keep up the bag guy act.”
Karsen sighed, looking around the room. “I guess I should go wait on the porch my parents don’t even know where they are going.”
Karsen walked out of the room. I looked at Slade. “This is tough.”
He came close and wrapped his arms around me. “It’s very tough. I hate that either one of you have to go through this.”
I took a deep breath. “Let’s get this over with before I change my mind and go back to Georgia with her.”
***
Time was going in slow motion. I watched every car dreading the moment I saw her parents.
I sat down next to her on the porch and sighed. “Call me first thing.”
“I will.” She squeezed me tight.
My guts ached when a car pulled into the driveway. I looked away, staring at the waves and beachgoers. I didn’t want to see her leave.
“Aren’t you going to say hi to her mom and dad?” Slade said from behind me.
“I’m sure they hate me,” I said. “I ruined her life.”
“No you didn’t.” Slade sat down beside me. “Sometimes bad things happen. It’s not your fault. If anything it’s my fault.”
I rested my head against his shoulder and gave a small wave when Karsen’s dad looked at me. “Don’t blame yourself.”
Karsen waved, forcing a smile. She blew a kiss to the ocean, touching the ring on her finger and climbed into the backseat.
I stood up, and watched the car pull away from the curb. When they were gone I went back inside and rifled through the drawer for tissues.
“I swear my dad never bought anything in this house, not even some tissues.” I slammed the drawer shut.
Slade lifted my chin, wiping my face with his fingertips. “I never showed you this trick.” He made a fist and shook it. When he opened his hand a tissue was in it.
I laughed, taking it from him. “Wow. If I didn’t know better I would say you’re magic.”
I hugged him.
“So, college.” He kissed the top of my head. “I’ll have to come visit you.”
“Yeah you will.” I kissed him b
ack. “Because I am going to need you.”
My entire family was gone, back home trying to put the pieces back together. A little part of me was envious. A part of me wished it could be me too.
I looked at Slade.
“What?” He smoothed my hair.
“It’s nothing.” I took a seat at the kitchen table.
I tried to find the words to explain what it felt like to lose your best friend and your family in a matter of days. But I couldn’t because Slade had it worse.
Heavy footsteps thudded across my porch. Slade and I looked at each other. Then someone knocked.
Slade threw open the door. “Holy shit.”
I jumped up. “What is it?” I looked for the cause of the commotion.
Evan and Eve were standing on the porch.
Along with someone I never thought I would see again.
“There’s no way.” I did a double take.
Kidd grinned. “I would have thought the same thing until I met these two.” He looked over my shoulder. “Where’s my sex kitten?”
Slade placed a hand on his shoulder. “You just missed her.”
“What?” Kidd scratched his head. “I come back from the dead and she takes off?”
I laughed.
I hugged Kidd. “She was devastated, she went back to Georgia. I’ll call her.”
He shook his head. “No. Don’t call her. I want to surprise her.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You’re alive, that’s enough of a surprise.”
Kidd looked at Slade. “What do you say we take a trip to Georgia?”
Slade smirked looking at me. “It’s up to Hope. I don’t know a thing about the place.”
I held up a hand. “This is too much. Are you saying you want to go to Georgia?”
Slade pulled me to him. “I’ll go wherever you want me to go, especially now that we burned down the church.”
Kidd laughed. “What?”
Slade nodded. “I have a feeling they are going to look for someone to blame.”
“What about school?” I asked. I already registered for the year.
“I hear Georgia has great colleges.” Slade smirked. “We can play music anywhere.”
I pushed some hair behind my ear and let out a sigh—of relief. “Let’s go.”
The end
The adventure continues . . .
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Holly Hood is a paranormal romance writer, living in Ohio. She spends most of her time taking care of her four kids and wonderful husband, and writing new book series. She is also the author of:
Perfectly Hopeless
Wingless
Love hurts: The killing of Rose
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Table of Contents
Contents
INK Book 1
Acknowledgments
Prequel
August 11th 1995
August
Present Day
Welcome to Cherry
Wandering off
Music
Quite an ending
Darkness
Open House
First day
Deeper meaning
Introductions
An Understanding
Fitting in
Punch Drunk
Witness
Hero
Reality
Good Riddance
Girls night
Intoxicating
Lying awake
Moon Light
Party Crashing
The ocean
Golden Sunflowers
Introductions of seduction
Undecided
Terror
Ezra
Avoidance
The talk
Consequence
Conduit
Goodbye
Drive home
Caught up
Night visitor
Stronger
Prove You Wrong
The answer
Mr. Perfect
I’m afraid
Eternity
Twisted Magic Book 2
Summer Vacation
Welcome back
Nice to see you
Welcome packet
Bonfire
Fresh air
Left field
Strangeland
Avoidance
Marked
New path
Gigs
The truth
Torture
Variety
Morning
The party
A choice
Magic and Mayhem
Nature
Time for changes
Hotness
Pain
Lovely
Empathy for none
Birthday
Birthday Candles
Moonlight
Those eyes
WHITE-TIE AFFAIRS
Apparent
Panic
The plan
Sense
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Sinful Magic BOOK 3
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33