Bound (World of Shadows Book 2)

by Kensie King

Chapter 13

  There was a thrift store on the corner of Main Street, just a few blocks away from the library, and it was a treasure trove. It was a much better place to focus my energy—you know, instead of flipping out that a ghost was in my head and I was falling for a vampire.

  I bumped into someone while helping the owner carry my new vintage desk out the front door.

  “Whoa.”

  A warm hand touched my back, and for a moment, I was afraid it was Gage. But when I turned and saw Dylan, I was so relieved, I gave him a wide smile. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” He eyed the desk. “What’s going on?”

  “I bought a desk.”

  “I see that.”

  I smiled at him again. “I need to work, and it helps to have a workspace, so… Here it is.”

  “Do you need help getting this to your car?” the owner asked. “Or to your house?”

  I shook my head. “No. Thanks for getting me this far.”

  He nodded and headed back inside as I turned to Dylan again. “How did you know I was here?”

  “Saw your car. Your small car. You weren’t planning on trying to fit this in there, were you?”

  Honestly, I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I was so worried after the talk with my mom, I wasn’t sure whether to head straight to Gage’s and demand he tell me if he had anything to do with my father’s death or hide in my house and try to find a spell to make this all go away.

  It was tempting. To figure out a spell that might change everything that had happened—hell, take me back to three weeks ago. Then I could forget about coming to Knob Creek altogether and pretend it didn’t even exist.

  But that meant I’d never meet Grace or Dylan. I wouldn’t know Gage. It was too much to think about.

  “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I had a task and…now I have a desk.”

  It didn’t make sense. But I hadn’t been thinking sensibly. I’d just wanted to do something productive and forget the things I couldn’t control.

  “Good thing for you I have a truck.” Dylan didn’t move, though. Instead, he peered into my face. “Are you okay?”

  All I could do was nod. No, I wasn’t okay. There was too much going on for me to be entirely okay. And maybe Dylan got that because he didn’t press. He wasn’t like Gage. Gage would press and press until I gave in—either that or he’d have known what the problem was in the first place. Fortunately, it was Dylan who was the one who stood before me this time.

  He clasped his fingers around mine briefly. “Come on. We’ll get your desk home.”

  Dylan did most of the lifting, which was fine by me. He loaded it into the back of his truck, and I followed him to the cute little rental that felt even more like home now, especially since I’d been adding my own touches.

  Dylan helped me carry the desk into the spare bedroom. I placed it under the window that overlooked the backyard and the grass that was coming in thick and green now.

  “I hope you don’t mind me furnishing your house,” I said.

  He smiled. “It’s your house for now.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  This time he frowned. “I can tell something’s wrong.”

  My heart squeezed. Everything was wrong.

  This wasn’t how I was supposed to be meeting my long-lost mother, or grieving the loss of my father, or finding romance.

  “Link.” His voice was low. Compelling.

  “Someone killed my father,” I blurted out.

  “What?”

  I paced away from the window. “My father was murdered a few years ago‒it’s part of the reason I started researching the paranormal and supernatural. Markings of the occult were found near his body and…” I turned back to face him. “Link—my mom—thinks it might have something to do with the spell.”

  He stepped closer to me, rubbing his jaw. “You mean she thinks it might have been someone from Knob Creek? Or at least someone who knows about Knob Creek?”

  I nodded

  “God, Link. I’m sorry.”

  He wrapped his arm around me, and I rested my cheek on his shoulder, letting his strength and steadiness comfort me. That was one thing about Dylan, he was steady. Always there if someone needed him.

  “Gage’s the one who sent me the note,” I said.

  He looked down. “The note that told you to come here? The one you thought your mother sent?”

  “Yes.”

  Dylan switched his grip, so he was holding me at arm’s length. “You think Gage is the one who killed your father?”

  “I don’t know.” I shook my head. I really didn’t. “I need to talk to him.”

  “Don’t.”

  “What?”

  “Link.” He broke contact with me long enough to run a hand through his hair and sighed before grabbing my arms again. “If he killed your father, he’s more dangerous than we thought. You shouldn’t be around him.”

  “But I don’t know if he did. And I don’t think he’d hurt me—”

  “Are you listening to yourself right now?” he growled in frustration. “I don’t know how to get through to you.”

  “You don’t understand, Dylan. I need answers.”

  “I know.” He ran his hand through his hair again. “I know, and that’s why I’m trying to see this from your side. I just wish…I wish you’d listen to me. I can’t protect you like this.”

  I crossed my arms. “It’s not your job to protect me.”

  He gave a short laugh. “Technically, it is.”

  “I don’t mean because of some old tradition put into place. I mean here. Today. Just you and me or whatever this is.”

  I saw his throat move with a swallow. He stepped close to me again. “Whatever this is,” he murmured.

  He lifted his hands to my face and cupped my cheeks. When he brushed my cheekbones with his thumbs, I had no clue what to think. I couldn’t only feel—and I felt that he cared.

  “Let me be here for you,” Dylan whispered. “Let me take care of you.”

  God, wouldn’t that amazing if it was that easy? But he couldn’t take care of me and make everything right. How was I supposed to tell him that, though, when it was his job?

  His breath was warm against my lips, lingering a long moment before our mouths connected. His smell was familiar and so were the hands that rushed down my sides and under my shirt. I arched into him and almost give into the feeling of being wanted, being safe.

  And then my mind ruined it all. I didn’t know how I felt about Dylan, I just knew I couldn’t do this when I wasn’t sure where I was at with Gage.

  Oh, come on, Savannah said, you know you want him.

  I froze.

  Dylan’s eyes were cloudy with desire when he met my gaze. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t think we should be doing this.”

  He braced his hand on the wall next to me, bowing his head. His breathing was labored. “You’re right. Sorry. I said I’d give you space and I’m…” He laughed. “I’m not. It’s hard.”

  “It’s not your fault,” I said, touching his cheek. “It’s mine. After all that happened with Gage, it was easy to be with you and I wanted to. You were there for me and that’s the first time I’ve been able to feel comfortable being with someone in a long time. But if I’m going to be here a while, I need to sort out my feelings.”

  “I’m still here for you,” he said. His fingers closed over mine, pulling them away from his cheek to entwine with them.

  “I know.”

  “Okay, so…no touching.”

  It took every ounce of willpower I had to nod as I pulled away. “Probably not the best idea. Thank you for helping with the desk.”

  “No problem.” He shrugged. “I don’t have to be anywhere for the rest of the day. We can do a movie and sit really far away from each other on the couch.”

  I laughed and put my arms around him in a hug. “Okay, maybe a little touching.”

  His lips brushed my ear. “A little is good enough.
For now.”

  #

  We both fell asleep on the couch after the movie. I still felt half stuck in a dream world when I woke to fluttering. It sounded just like the fluttering I heard in the motel when I got to Knob Creek. The pages of the Book of Shadows.

  I forgot I left it on the coffee table. When Dylan shifted beside me, I scooped the book into my arms.

  “What’s going on?” he mumbled.

  “Nothing,” I whispered. “Go back to sleep.”

  I carried the book into the kitchen and winced when I flicked the light on. It burned against my tired eyes, but I tried to focus. The book was trying to tell me something.

  It was still on the page it opened to, and I read the title. How to Hinder a Witch’s Powers.

  I read the text, growing more interested the further I got. Witches, like vampires or werewolves, had their weaknesses. Apparently burning a witch’s Book of Shadows was one of them. Like a hit on their power.

  But…why did my book want me to know this? Because of Savannah?

  And if so, how did that make sense? Savannah was dead. But if she could influence me—or at least try—she obviously still had power. If I could take that away, maybe she’d leave me alone.

  As if in response to my thoughts, Savannah sent horrible visions through my head. Visions of my mother burning to death in her house, visions of me stabbing Dylan and running my hands through his blood. Visions of me trapping Gage in the cave again and impaling him.

  I exhaled, pressing my hands against my eyes. “Leave me alone.”

  Kill Gage.

  I stood so abruptly, my chair wobbled. I peered into the living room to make sure Dylan was still asleep. He shifted on the couch, one arm hanging over the edge.

  I’ll make you kill him, too.

  My hands shook as I closed the Book of Shadows. I couldn’t let her hurt Dylan—or try to make me hurt him. It was amazing how swiftly she switched sides, going from helping me to trying to turn me into the evil person she obviously became.

  When I saw another flash of myself with a knife in my hands, standing over Dylan, I moved away from the table and headed straight for the front door. I grabbed my satchel and scratched out a brief message to him that I left on the coffee table. I had to get out of here.

  It was still early morning and it’d be another few hours before the sun came up, but I didn’t care. I needed to find Savannah’s Book of Shadows. It was literally a matter of life and death. Making sure I had a flashlight in my glove compartment, I headed straight to the Knob Creek Hotel.

  The cave I trapped Gage in was her haven of sorts. A place she kept leading me to. It was where I found my own Book of Shadows. It was a place only witches were allowed to enter safely.

  I had a strong feeling in my gut her book was there, too.

  The parking lot was dark and quiet when I arrived. I was grateful it was halfway warm out because I forgot to bring a jacket or anything but my satchel. I felt conspicuous stepping out of my car with just my cell phone and the flashlight—like I was some sort of burglar or trespasser.

  I crept around to the back of the building, to the familiar path I’d been on more than once over the last week. I passed the hedge maze but couldn’t make out the cemetery in the darkness. An owl hooted overhead, and I jumped before quickening my pace.

  I stumbled on twigs but didn’t slow down. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. I probably should have just gone to Grace’s house and stayed there until the sun came up.

  But, damn Savannah, she wouldn’t leave me alone. She probably would have told me to hurt Grace, too.

  You can have so much power, she said.

  Gritting my teeth, I told her, “I don’t want power. I want my life back. I want…”

  I left the rest of the sentence unsaid. I didn’t know what I wanted, really, but freedom from this circumstance was pretty high up. Maybe even freedom from my power altogether. That way I could have a normal life and normal relationships and maybe…maybe even a normal family. After all, it seemed like my mom wanted to be a part of that now.

  She’s using you like all the rest.

  I clasped my hands over my ears like that might tune her out. But it wouldn’t. She was inside of me.

  The cave was just beyond the break in the trees. It was hard to make out anything in the darkness, but I knew I was close. I felt it.

  A branch snapped loudly beneath my feet. I breathed out and paused when a flicker of light caught my eye. I turned in that direction, wondering if it was just a reflection from my flashlight.

  The light came again, a low hum of green, like a glow-in-the-dark forest nymph. “What the hell?” I whispered.

  I took a few steps. There were more of them now, dozens of spots of light floating in a circle. I could feel the power behind them—someone was casting a spell or using magic somehow.

  When I got closer, I made out another structure, something stone and circular rising up from the ground. I shined my flashlight over the mossy rocks and boards lying across the top.

  It was a well.

  The glowing lights swirled around it, fluttering in a hypnotic dance. Swaying in the breeze.

  My stomach twisted. No, this wasn’t good. Something was happening.

  But before I could turn, before I could run, a rush of wind hit me and knocked me over. I fell against the planks of wood with a gasp, clutching for the stones on the side of the well. The wood splintered beneath me and I froze for a panicked moment before the wood gave way and I plunged into blackness.

  Chapter 14

  My breath was knocked out of me when I hit the bottom. There was a few feet of water, but not enough to cushion my fall.

  I groaned, water dripping from my face and my elbow radiating with pain. My body groaned along with me, banged and bruised. I was so shocked by the fall, I couldn’t even pinpoint what was hurt, just that my body wasn’t functioning correctly.

  Forcing myself to my feet, I braced my hand against the wall of the well, the stones wet and cold against my palm. My head swam, and I swallowed down a wave of nausea. I peered to the top of the well, barely able to make out a dark hole. It seemed so far away. My flashlight was submerged in the water, but it was still working. I picked it up, and it flickered before going off.

  “No,” I mumbled, smacking it against my palm. I flipped the switch back and forth, but it still didn’t come on.

  I tried not to panic even as water dripped down my cheeks and arms in a way that felt like spiders crawling all over my body. The shivering started.

  Fumbling in my back pocket, I found my phone. I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel the button at the bottom. The display lit up, and I was so relieved, I almost dropped it in the water.

  My fingers shook as I found Dylan’s number. I pressed the screen to send the call and waited while it rang. I didn’t even know where he left his phone. And he was sleeping. But when it finally went to voicemail, I hung up and tried not to throw the phone. It was my only link to the outside right now.

  Next, I tried Grace, but she also didn’t answer.

  Emotion clogged my throat even as I told myself to stay calm. “Please,” I whispered.

  Who else could I call? Gage? No…no, I was supposed to be staying away from him. My mom—I could try her.

  The face of the phone blacked out.

  “Shit. No, no, no.” I pressed the screen again, but nothing worked. My breath came out in a huff of frustration. “Savannah…”

  I couldn’t feel her with me right now. Not like I usually could. I shouldn’t be calling her for help, but I didn’t know what else to do. And then it hit me. She wanted this. I was coming for her Book of Shadows and she didn’t want me to find it. She knew.

  The glowing green lights.

  That must of have been her. How did she do that? How could she have that much power? Was she really that strongly connected to me?

  I pressed my hands against the stones in the darkness and started feeling around with my fingers, sear
ching for grooves and notches or any way I could try to climb out. I found a large stone and curled my fingers around it. Then I found a foothold and boosted myself up a foot. Encouraged, I tried to find another.

  My hand slipped along the stones, but I couldn’t find anything. I closed my eyes even though I couldn’t see anything and willed my hand to find a stone. I pushed with all my power and heard shifting in the darkness.

  My fingers collided with the stone and I hauled myself up another foot. My arms ached and they were both shaking from the strain of holding on. I tried willing another stone to come out, but my powers were too weak now. There were stars at the corners of my vision.

  I gritted my teeth. “Just hold on.”

  My foot slipped and I plunged back into the water, banging my head on the stone wall before blacking out.

  #

  When I woke up, my teeth were chattering. Above, through the slats in the wood, I saw a faint tinge to the sky. It was morning.

  The water was freezing, seeping deep into my bones. I could barely move because my limbs were so cold. It blocked out the pain from falling, but this was a new kind of pain that scared me.

  Was Savannah trying to kill me? Why did she do this to me?

  I tried my phone again, but it wouldn’t turn on. Rubbing my hands over my arms, I searched my brain for a solution. People would come for me eventually. They’d find me. But I didn’t want to wait hours or days for that to happen.

  Dammit. Why didn’t I at least leave a message for Dylan or Grace letting them know where I was?

  “Fuck,” I hissed.

  Don’t lose it now, Link. Think, I told myself. There’s got to be something you can do.

  Astral projection. That’s what I did last time I was stuck. I projected myself to Dylan and he saw me.

  Curling myself on a rock in the driest part of the well, I closed my eyes, taking a few breaths and trying to slow my heartbeat. Usually, I could feel my power gathering, like a ball of energy that built and built in my chest before it spread throughout my entire body. This time, there was barely anything there.

  I forced my energy away from my body, aiming for my house, where I hoped Dylan was still sleeping. I only made it as far as the road beyond the hotel. I tried to push it farther, but I couldn’t.