Boxed Set: The Ink Series Volume 1-5

by Holly Hood

  I didn’t expect Karsen to have any better of an answer. I didn’t expect her to have one at all after what she had been through. But she still tried to help me.

  “You can’t let them win.” She ran a hand through her hair. “You have to figure this out. We all have to figure this out.”

  I dropped to my knees and pulled the big book of magic from under my bed. My finger slid down page after page as I tried at a fast rate of speed to come up with some kind of spell that could rid me of my current situation.

  “Anything?” Karsen asked, standing guard at the door.

  “I’m not sure.” I read. “Carlo is of the highest power. I can only do so much.”

  “Like what?” she asked.

  “I could bind him to another supernatural and contain him, but that won’t last long,” I said. “Or I could destroy his anchor which would destroy him.”

  Karsen sighed. “That’s your dad right?”

  I nodded. I kept reading, desperate to find something, anything to help. “I don’t know.”

  “Hutch.” Karsen dropped down on the floor next to me. “He’s a witch, you can use him to contain Carlo.”

  I shook my head. “Anyone who practices magic is completely off limits. It says the spell can only use someone similar or stronger than him.”

  I didn’t even know what he was. Satan maybe.

  Karsen chewed on her thumbnail.

  I gasped tearing a page from the book. “This is it.”

  She looked at me, shaking her head in confusion.

  “This symbol. It’s the same one I saw on the pastor at church. He’s got to be a supernatural.”

  Karsen took the paper. “Holy shit.”

  We both looked at each other.

  I knew what I needed to do.

  ***

  “So, you see I think he might be at the church,” I said. I bit down on my lip hoping they bought my story. Karsen stood next to me shaking her head in agreement.

  Kenny crossed his arms. “Then we go get him.”

  “No.” I looked between the both of them. “I mean if he knows what is going on he isn’t going to come.”

  “Fine.” Kenny sat back down. “You go find him, we’ll stay here. If you’re not back in an hour things won’t be pretty.”

  The three of us started for the door. Before I could get out of it Kenny spoke again.

  “Karsen stays here,” he said. “That way I know you’ll come back.”

  I shook my head and held it together. “We will be back as soon as we can I swear.”

  Karsen took a seat, giving me a small smile. I could see it in her eyes, she was worn out and depressed, but hanging in there for the sake of everyone involved.

  One fancy element

  “Remember the tattoo on the pastor’s arm? It was the symbol in the spell book.” I looked at Slade, and hurried across the sand toward the church.

  “If this is real, it means we have a chance,” Slade said.

  I didn’t know why, I only knew what the book said. “The pastor could be the key to destroying Carlo.”

  Slade nodded. “And if it wasn’t for you we would have never figured this out.”

  We were feet away from the church. There were no cars in the parking lot. Service was over. I prayed he was there so we could get what we needed before it was too late.

  “What if it doesn’t work?” I sighed. “What if I’m wrong?”

  “You will never know unless you try.” He climbed the stairs and pulled the handle raising an eyebrow at me. “Ready?”

  I nodded, looking over my shoulder before I went through the door.

  Slade and I looked around. It seemed empty. A table of candles burned at the altar.

  I touched the tablecloth. “If the pastor is who we think he is we can use him to kill Carlo.”

  Slade climbed the steps to the pulpit moving books and papers.

  “What are you searching for?” I asked.

  He bent down. And when he stood he was holding a glass bottle. “This.”

  I caught the bottle before it shattered at my feet. “What is it? Holy water?”

  “Holy oil.”

  “That’s oil that has been blessed right?”

  He nodded. “Now we find the pastor and see if this works.”

  I tried the door to the left, inside was a long hallway and a couple of doors. Slade put a hand on the small of my back and followed me.

  “Hello?” I called out. “Anyone here?”

  The radiator rattled, but nobody said a word.

  “Let’s try this one. The lights on. Maybe the pastor is counting the money he made today.” Slade turned the knob.

  Pastor Harvey stood as soon as the door opened. I let out a sigh of relief, when he spoke.

  “Services are over for the day,” he said. “Is there something I can help you with?”

  I couldn’t come up with an excuse to be standing inside of the church.

  “I’ll cut to the chase,” Slade said. “Where did you get that tattoo?”

  Harvey’s eyebrows met in the middle. “Just a simple tattoo. That’s what you came here for? ”

  Slade sighed, stepping closer. “Try again.”

  Harvey ran a hand through his hair. “If you knew what this tattoo means you wouldn’t be so quick to confront someone that has it.”

  I swallowed.

  The door slammed shut behind us, I moved closer to Slade. I knew I wasn’t the one who made the door shut.

  “The church hired you because they know who you are and what you are capable of,” Slade said. “But I know what you are capable of too.”

  I touched my head, Harvey’s face blurring. I rubbed at my eyes, but it got worse. “I don’t feel so good.”

  My mother’s image jumped to the forefront. I could feel her hand against my cheek. I could hear her voice in my ear.

  “One of the abilities he possesses is messing with our memories,” Slade’s voice cut through the chaos going on inside my head. “You have to tell yourself it isn’t real. Block him out, Hope.”

  I nodded, squeezing my eyes shut and held my breath until it went away. When I opened them Hutch was in front of me.

  “What’s the matter, doll?” His fingers slipped through my hair. “You’re not happy to see me?”

  I shook my head. “You’re not real.”

  “I’m in your head. I always will be. We have a connection,” he whispered, his breath brushing against my ear.

  I screamed, forcing myself out of the fog. “Stop it!” I fumbled with the bottle in my pocket and unscrewed it.

  “You’re either willing to help us out or you’re not. What will it be?” Slade asked.

  I moved around the room, tipping the bottle little by little as I went.

  “My intentions aren’t to harm any of you.” Harvey showed his palms. “I’m trying to do a job. Make a living, that’s it.”

  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 co
ming 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 back. “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

  Fading Magic

  (Book 5)

  by

  Holly Hood

  www.simplyhollyhood.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.

  Copyright © 2014 HollyHood. All rights reserved. Including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the author.

  Version 2014.09.04

  For Anne

  There probably will never be another person in my life like you. You showed me how to be a good person. You taught me how to be a good mother. Thank you for that.