Between the Lines (Here Witchy Witchy Book 7)

by A. L. Kessler

"Well, I said I hadn't brought my gun." I shrugged. As long as I didn't kill him with my magic, I would be fine. I pulled the circle down around us. "Nathan, get them to safety."

  Nathan motioned for everyone to leave, and they ran the moment they could. Nathan went to step out of the building, but a gunshot rang out, and instead he fell to the ground.

  I glared at Carson. "You bastard."

  "It might not have killed Ana, and you might have screwed up the summoning, but he didn't get away with betraying me." Carson stalked toward me. "And you, you have ruined my plans for the last time."

  A black circle shot around us, and I could feel the black magic crawling over my skin, trying to choke me. I called on the fire that I had felt earlier, and it crept its way into the circle as if the magic prevented it from moving at the speed I needed it to.

  Carson looked at it and scoffed. "Guess the underground wasn't wrong about that. But I control this circle." He waved a hand and my flames disappeared. I felt as if he'd cut me off from the ability entirely. What the hell was I dealing with here? "Surprised? You've never faced anything like me, Abby." He went to touch my cheek, and I backed away from him. I needed to take over this circle too so that I stood a chance. I ran my hand over the blood on my shoulder. I could pull on the blood sacrifice of Nathan. I could make this work. I pulled on every ounce of strength I had and dropped to my knees and placed my hand on the concrete.

  Purple flowed from my hand and out to the black circle. My magic hit it and tried to hesitate, I pushed harder and looked up at Carson. He killed Clarissa. He had taken the one person that was pure light in my life and ripped her away. I took that anger and that grief and fed it into my power. The warmth flowed through me as I imagined her smiling face, her laughter, the way she always made sure that I was okay. My magic burst out of me, the purple becoming almost blinding.

  Carson's image wavered a little bit, replacing something completely different, almost as if he himself was a demon. I gasped at the image but forced myself to focus on my magic taking over the circle. I stood when the black was purple once more. "I control the circle now, and it's pure protection. Fuck you and your black magic and demon summoning."

  Carson laughed. "You can't hold this forever Abigail. I can see the sweat beading on your forehead, the catching in your breath." He held his hand out, and I couldn't breathe. I felt his magic climbing through my body, making its way through my veins. What the fuck was he doing to me?

  I tried to lash out with my magic, but it was as if I'd reached my limits. The spell, the taking over of the circles, physically manifesting a weapon, it was all wearing on me, he was right. Black started to creep back into the purple, choking out the good with the evil. My vision started to blur as sirens sounded in the distance.

  I forced everything into one last shot. I demanded my magic create the fire I needed, and I shoved both my hands out at Carson. Heat flooded through me followed by a shock of cold. My vision went completely black, but I had the satisfaction of hearing Carson scream before I hit the ground.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The first thing I noticed was that I couldn't stop shivering. I was sure there was a pound of blankets wrapped around me, but I was still cold. This wasn't unusual when I pushed myself too far with my magic, but I had landed on the ground in a warehouse, and now I was on something soft and I assumed warm, except my body was refusing that warmth.

  "I'm telling you, this isn't a normal reaction." Simon's voice was near my side, and I tried to force my eyes open and reach for him. There was a short pause. "Black on her arm."

  He started to sound further away from me, and I tried to force my consciousness to stay where it was and not drift off.

  The second time I woke, I was still shivering, and this time my eyes opened a little bit. They stung like they were tired and wanted to stay closed, but I wouldn't let myself drift back into sleep. I didn't see Simon or hear anyone else. I was in a room I didn't recognize. I tried to pull the blankets tighter around me, but my hands refused to move. I swore I saw Clarissa standing in the corner of the room, her arms wrapped around herself as she spoke too soft for me to hear. I tried to call out to her, but nothing came from my throat. My eyes forced themselves shut again, and my world faded away.

  "Abigail?" Oliver's voice cut through the coldness in my body and my mind. He could fix this.

  I forced my eyes opened and saw him peering down at me. His dark hair was styled into a businessman's cut, and his hazel eyes held worry as he met my tired gaze. "Hi." Was all I could manage.

  He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the goddess."

  I think that was the first time I'd ever heard him use that phrase. I didn't have the energy to say anything else to him, but this time when I tried to pull the blankets closer around me, my hands listened. Simon came over, and the moment he saw I was awake, his steps quickened. "Abby." He pulled me into a hug, and I cringed a little bit.

  "I'm okay."

  "No, you're not," Oliver stated. "In fact, you're far from it, and you were stupid."

  I cringed at the anger in his voice. "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Oh, you don't?" Oliver snapped and yanked my arm out from under the blanket. Pain shot through me even though I knew he hadn't physically injured me. He twisted my arm around so I could see the black twisting its way up my vein.

  Panic went through me. "What is that?"

  "It's a curse, Abigail, and not one that you'll easily beat." He threw my arm away from him. I wasn't sure who or what he was angry with. He turned away. "The lady at the coffee shop, Simon said she gave you some type of potion."

  "Yes, to help." I studied the black on my arm. I hadn't seen anything like it before. Maybe Merick had.

  "I'm pretty sure that is the only thing slowing this down." He looked at Simon. "See if she has anymore. I need to speak to my niece alone."

  I hated when he didn't use my name. I also didn't like that he was sending Simon away. Simon glanced at me, and I nodded. "I'll be okay."

  Simon kissed me softly. "God, I hope so." He pressed his forehead against mine. "You scared me. I'll be back in a little bit." He left the room leaving me alone with Oliver.

  "Seems like you two have gotten closer." Oliver sat on the bed next to me.

  I shrugged. "I think we've had some realizations this week. Where am I?"

  "You're at the sanctuary. I had Simon bring you here since I'm in town under a truce, and I'm not allowed in the coffee shop."

  I sighed. "And do we know what happened to Carson?"

  "There were two bodies found with you. One was Nathan's and the other a man named Tim. A witness said that you were trying to save people there and that it was Nathan who killed the other man, under the instructions of Carson."

  So I hadn't gotten Carson after all. I didn't hit him hard enough to knock him out long enough either. I focused again on the black in my arm. He certainly got a good hit on me though.

  "Abigail, you were reckless." Oliver paced in front of me. "He could have easily killed you."

  I glanced at him. "You've never seemed bothered by that before. Why now? Normally you expect me to come out just fine."

  "I told you to go home this time, and you didn't listen." He snapped. "You are dealing with something much more powerful than you or me, or half the fucking Cult." He raked a hand through his hair. I'd never seen Oliver so distressed before.

  "I've faced enemies stronger than me before." I flexed my fingers and cringed as pins and needles went through my arm. "Once I get the curse taken care of, I'll be fine."

  He spun and faced me. "Carson is the demon."

  It was so out of the blue that I jerked at the news. I recalled the way his outer appearance seemed to disappear and reveal something else. "Then what the fuck was he trying to summon?"

  "Think about it Abigail, a massive amount of sacrifices, a spell
to bring people back from the dead."

  I shook my head. "Either an army of zombies or a horde of demons." I sighed. "Is he the one my dad summoned?"

  "Tobias summoned Carson's brother who knows the other part of that spell. It's where Tobias got it from. As far as I know, Tobias killed the demon." Oliver sat back on the bed with me. "Carson wants you dead because of what Tobias did, and what better way to kill you than a sacrifice for his cause?" He took my arm and looked at the black. "Or corrupt you with black magic and let it slowly kill you."

  "Hold on, he's been telling the coven here that he's summoning a demon to get the other part of that spell. If that demon is dead, then what the fuck is he actually trying to summon?"

  "I'm sure that Carson is using that as a lie so he has enough sacrifices to summon whatever army he is planning on."

  I shook my head. "Demons don't have magic, not like we do."

  He traced the black and once again the pins and needles went through me. "You're right, not like us. It's much more dangerous." He sighed. "Get home and get some rest. I've given Simon instructions on how to care for you while you were resting. Oliver paused for a moment. "Don't let Levi know what's going on or he'll never let you out of the house again."

  "And Carson?"

  "Let that case go, Abigail. You've saved who you could. It's time to let it go." Oliver patted my hand. "I have to go, the truce was for only twenty-four hours, and we're pushing that. If the black gets up to your shoulder come to my house immediately."

  "Why did you need a truce to get here?"

  He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I have to get back." He disappeared in front of my eyes, and I gasped. How many other people knew that damn spell? I pulled the blankets tight around me as the cold seemed to sink further into my body. I wanted to go back to the cafe, but I wasn't sure if I could trust my feet to carry me that far right this second.

  I took a deep breath and stood. My body protested a little bit, sore from the overuse of magic, but at least I was standing. A knock came at the door, and I hesitated slightly. I glanced at the side table by the bed and saw my knives. I grabbed one and hid it in the folds of the blanket. "Come in."

  Ana peeked her head in a little bit before walking in all the way. I slowly sat on the bed, careful of the knife in my hand. She came to stand in front of me and bowed her head.

  "I came to say thank you, and I was hoping you'd give me the counterspell so that I could free the rest of the coven."

  I looked at her. She seemed a bit steadier than the last time I had talked to her, but more soft-spoken. "I can, and Ana, I'm sorry about Nathan. In the end, he helped me."

  "Carson bound us together so that we would work for him because neither of us wanted to be responsible for the other one's death." She sighed and shook her head. "I never should have taken this stupid assignment."

  I gave her a gentle smile. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to save your home. I'll text you the spell with the understanding that you do it tonight. I have to leave tomorrow, and I want to leave knowing that you were able to knock Carson's power down a bit."

  She nodded. "Thank you."

  "Oh and Ana, any protection against demons you have, you might want to take that with you."

  "Of course. Abby, thank you, truly." She left the room, and I stood again. I gathered my knives and put them back in their sheaths. I went to open the door, and Simon walked in.

  "What are you doing walking around?" He had a couple brown paper bags in his hand. "Sit down."

  I snorted. "I was going to go back to the shop to meet you there. I don't want to be here. And for the record, I may be cursed, but I'm not helpless."

  He shook his head. "You're staying here until our flight tomorrow. And it's not the curse I'm worried about. It's the fact that you're so cold that you were planning on walking out with the blanket. I can see your teeth chattering a little bit. It's the fact that you had to use so much magic to protect yourself that you drained your heat." The passion in his voice caught me off guard. "So sit down, rest, and I brought food."

  I held my hands up, still holding the blanket. "Okay, you've got me there. I'm going to sit down and behave myself."

  He sighed in relief. "Thank you, Abby."

  "I'm just not used to people taking care of me," I muttered and sat on the bed. "What time is our flight tomorrow?"

  "Early. We'll take a cab to the airport and fly home. I'll get you tucked into bed and under Merick's watchful eye."

  I chuckled. "Not going to hang around? This trip scare you away?"

  "No, I just have to handle pack stuff when I get back. I'll be back at your side before you know it. Now, eat and let's get some rest. It's been twenty-four hours of hell."

  I rolled my eyes and dug into my food. The warm dinner helped ease some of the coldness, but I was still snuggling in the blanket when I was done. My arm burned, but I tried to ignore it the best I could. I didn't want to dwell on it. Oliver hadn't told me how to get rid of it, but I had a feeling I knew what I needed to do. The outcome wasn't going to be pretty. I curled up in the bed, and Simon curled in behind me, pulling me close. The warmth of his body helped chase away some of the chill and relax my mind a bit. I wasn't sure how we'd gotten to this point, but it was nice.

  ∞

  Simon hadn't been kidding when he said it was an early flight. It was two in the morning when he woke me up and guided me to the cab, using coffee as a bribe to get me out of the sanctuary and into the car. But the flight had been delayed a couple times, and we spent the time dozing on each other or playing on our phones.

  I slept through the flight, curled up in a baggy hoodie and a blanket that Simon bought at the airport. I tried to pay no attention to my arm, but the pins and needles made it hard to sleep.

  We finally touched down, and Simon drove us back to my house. I got out of the car and looked at the scorch marks where my car had been. I shook my head.

  "I'm going to have to call Levi and have him bring me the Hummer."

  Simon shook his head. "No, according to Oliver, Levi's supposed to stay away from you until the curse is taken care of." He grabbed my bag from the back of the truck, and we walked into the house. Merick stood in the kitchen, his arms crossed over his chest. I had a feeling Oliver had called him.

  "Let me see your arm."

  Yep. "Glad my uncle called you. There's no such thing as privacy, is there?"

  "He wanted to make sure I understood the situation because you tend to downplay things. Now, your arm."

  I sighed and pulled up the sleeve of the hoodie. The black hadn't traveled any further, and I had drunk at least three things of tea that Riley sent with Simon. "I'm not dying."

  "Actually, you are. He's poisoned your blood with a curse, and in order to get rid of it, you're going to have to kill him, not just banish him." Merick traced his finger over it, and I flinched. "We can at least be happy that it's not your dominant arm."

  Simon nodded. "Small favors. I have to go talk to Travis, so I'll leave Abigail in your capable hands." He kissed my cheek. "I'll be back later." He walked out, and I crossed my arms and looked at Merick.

  "If you baby me, I'm going to shoot you."

  He held his hands up. "I know you don't like to be babied, but you do need to rest. We'll talk about Carson and see what we can do there. The spell I gave you, did it work?"

  I sat down at the breakfast counter. "It did. I passed it along to another coven member to finish it up. Hopefully when I face Carson, he'll be weaker." I flexed my hand and cringed. "This needs to go away. How do we fix it?"

  He was silent for a moment, and I looked up at him. "Merick?"

  "I already told you, we kill Carson. It's a demon's curse, Abigail. There's no fixing it. There's slowing it, like your friend Riley has done. There's accepting it, which I know you're not going to do. And then there's killing him."r />
  I sighed. "I was afraid that was going to be the only answer."

  "I can have your back in that fight. You'll want back up." He looked at the door and then turned into a cat right before it opened.

  Levi walked in with Mario at his back.

  "He's not allowed here, remember." I couldn't keep the annoyance out of my voice.

  "He's here because he'll be staying with you." Levi glanced around the room. "Where is Simon?"

  I rolled my eyes. "Mario is not staying. I have enough on my plate without having to worry about him stabbing me in the back. Simon had to go talk to Travis about our trip to Luna Grove."

  Levi moved too quickly for me to see and he grabbed my arm, twisting it so he could see the vein where the black was. "Abigail." There was a tone I hadn't heard in his voice before. There was a moment where neither of us spoke. Mario cleared his throat. "There is an assassin out for you."

  Nice of them to notice. Yet this mysterious assassin had yet to make an attempt and had done nothing but follow us. "I think I have bigger problems than that, Mario." I glared at him and pulled my arm away from Levi. "I am fine, please go home."

  "You are not fine," Levi snapped. "What type of curse is running through your veins right now? How long until it hits your heart?"

  I locked my jaw. "It won't hit my heart. I have a potion that is slowing it down. I'll kill the demon as soon as I find him."

  "Demon?" Levi and Mario snapped at the same time.

  I slid off the chair and went to the other side to make a cup of coffee. The chill was starting to set in again, and exhaustion was already eating at the back of my brain. "Go home."

  "A demon, Abigail?" Levi asked again.

  "The one that killed Clarissa." I shook my head. "Just go home so I can rest. I'm fine. The assassin hasn't made any moves. They've trailed me from here to Luna Grove and probably back. They are probably waiting to see if Carson's curse is going to finish the job."

  Levi and Mario just stared at me for a moment while I went through the motions of making coffee. I turned to them and sighed. "What?"