Haunting Magic (Book 6 of the Ink Series)

Boil

Just like every nightmare I have dealt with for months this one is even worse. My dad is begging me, Please don't do this!

But no matter what I do I can't escape. I'm stuck in this sick messed up realm of my dream—is it even a dream?

And there he stands—Hutch. Looking at me, taunting me. How could this be in my mind? How could I be making this up? I see him.

"Leave me alone." My body is shaking, but that doesn't stop me from moving toward him. My hands, they are empty. They need to be armed because I am going to take him out once and for all.

I turn around and I concentrate hard. I force this world to give me what I need to take him out. And when I open my eyes I am staring at a beautiful dagger. Its silver blade glistens, it begs me to use it. The world begs me to use it.

"You are going to leave me alone," I tell him. I only have one chance and I have to make it perfect. One chance to end it all. So I can get my normal back.

My dad's voice echoes in the background.

"This is your life, doll," Hutch tells me. "This is what you deserve."

"No." I shake my head and move toward him, the blade behind my back. "This isn't what I deserve. I deserve to be happy."

He doesn't move or even notice that I have a hidden agenda.

"Then stop crying and do something about it." He keeps on pushing me. "Grow some goddamn balls and do something, Hope."

He won't stop. He taunts me again and again until I am screaming and I lunge. I raise my arm, the one with the blade and I attack. I use both hands to push the blade deep inside of him and I cry out in satisfaction that what I wanted to happen did.

He drops to his knees, And gasp. He's defeated—I've defeated him.

"Now go away!" I shove him to the ground and stand over his body screaming. "Leave me alone and don't come back. You are not allowed here."

He clutches his chest, feeling for the blade. A slow build of red fights to take over the color of his shirt. And Hutch's hands shake, he fails to pull the blade from his chest.

"You are no longer welcome here!" I drop down beside him and say it again. "Go away!"

He grabs my arm and I fight to get away.

"Hope!" Someone is shaking me. Another violent shake brings me out of it, out of my dream. But I'm not lying in bed, I'm on my bedroom floor.

"Oh my god, what did I do?!" I scream. I kick away from the body lying in the middle of the floor. The body I put there. Slade's body.

Kidd is beside Slade and Karsen holds onto me trying to get me to calm down. "Please tell me I didn't stab him."

But neither one of them will tell me that because I did stab Slade.

"Is he okay?" I ask Kidd. Kidd doesn't answer me. He looks at me. He's doesn't look disgusted. There is no hate behind his eyes. "Kidd, please say something."

Karsen smooths my hair. "Hope. We have something to tell you."

I shake my head. "Just tell me that Slade is okay." I break free from Karsen and crawl across the floor to Slade. I shake him. But he's lifeless. I start sobbing.

 I think I killed my husband.

Kidd grabs my arm and shakes his head. "This is what he wanted. He wanted this."

I am frantic. I think he is saying Slade wanted me to kill him.

But Kidd stops me. "Just calm down."

"What do you mean calm down? I just killed my husband," I sob.

Dax is in the doorway. "Who would have thought killing a shaman would come in handy?" He laughs, coming to stand next to Slade's body.