Crushed

by Kasi Blake

  “No. No. No. That’s not it.”

  “I think it is.”

  Unbelievable! He didn’t know her at all if he thought she was going to crumble. Lifting her chin high, she said, “I can not only face this challenge head on, I can beat it. In fact, I’m willing to bet that I can do a better job living without powers than you can.”

  His eyes widened a fraction. “Don’t get me wrong. I like your competitive side, but this is serious. After I accuse you, it will be too late. Your powers will be gone. What if you decide you can’t do it then? You’ll blame me because you lost them.”

  So, that was the problem. He was afraid she was going to grow to resent him if life wasn’t an easy ride later on. She stroked his bare arm where the T-shirt ended and said, “I want this. I really do. You may not believe me now, but I was thinking about asking you to accuse me even before the witches’ council intervened. If we’re going to be together, we need to be equals.

  “Anyway, I’ve spent my whole life overcoming obstacles, facing challenges, and defying the odds, but I ignored what could be the biggest challenge of my life—living without powers.”

  He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her mouth. “You are incredible. Do you know that?”

  She blushed. “I think you’re pretty awesome, too.”

  “Did you tell your sisters about giving up your powers?”

  “No way. Brittany would have knocked me out to keep me from doing it. She’s better at dealing with things after the fact than she is before they happen.” Taking a deep breath and smiling big, she added, “Let’s go do it. I’m ready.”

  ###

  Some of the kids were eating breakfast in the cafeteria while others sat around, talking to their friends. Brittany and Cyndi approached them as soon as they entered. The two girls were arguing and wanted Kristen to play referee.

  Neither of them seemed to notice Kristen’s distress.

  Cyndi stood directly in front of Kristen and said, “Brittany wants to curse Jack and Gina. She won’t listen to me, so maybe you can talk some sense into her.”

  Arms folded across her chest, Brittany said, “They deserve to pay after what they—”

  “The universe will—”

  Brittany made a rude noise. “If you’re going to wait for the universe to get even for you, you’ll be—”

  “I don’t care.” Cyndi flicked her eyes to where Jake and Gina were rising from a nearby table. “Jake’s a total jerk, and I know that now, so I’m glad we aren’t together anymore. I’m glad he found Gina. He can make her miserable now instead of me.”

  Kristen and Zach exchanged amused glances over the twins talking in code. Kristen tried to intervene in the argument, but neither of the girls would let her fit a word into the conversation. Then it became a moot point. As the happy couple passed them, Brittany waved a hand in their direction.

  “Britt!” Cyndi scowled. “I asked you not to do that.”

  Kristen stared after Gina, sort of hoping to see a giant wart growing on the end of the girl’s nose, but nothing seemed to change. “What did you do?”

  “You’ll see,” Brittany said in a singsong voice.

  Gina began to walk from table to table, insulting everyone. She was digging a deep hold with her sharp tongue, a hole she wasn’t going to be able to escape. Jake followed close, trying to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen to him. In fact, she insulted him, too.

  “Popularity elevator,” Brittany said and chuckled, “going down?”

  “You didn’t have to do that,” Kristen said.

  “I didn’t do it for you. That girl took advantage of me when I was cursed by Morgan, and she used me against my own sister. She had to pay.”

  Cyndi pleaded, “Don’t do anything to Jake, at least. Leave him alone.”

  “Are you kidding me? After what he did to you, he’s lucky to be breathing. I’ll get him tomorrow.”

  “No. Please don’t.”

  Brittany asked, “Are you still—”

  “No. I just think—”

  “You’re right. Gina will make him suffer enough with her—”

  “Totally,” Cyndi said.

  Zach shook his head. “I’m getting dizzy.”

  “Welcome to my world,” Kristen said with a laugh.

  The twins walked off to talk to friends, and Kristen remembered her purpose for being in the lunchroom with Zach at her side. It was time for her to give up a part of herself in order to save the best parts of her life. She hoped Brittany didn’t figure out what Zach was doing in time to hit him with a binding spell or something worse. Brittany wouldn’t hesitate, wouldn’t wait for answers before attacking.

  Kristen and Zach stood in the open doorway without talking or moving. This was it. No turning back now. She squeezed his hand for reassurance they were doing the right thing. In a few minutes, it would be over. He had told her what to expect, but hearing it and experiencing it were two different things. The unknown scared her more than she wanted to admit.

  One look into Zach’s blue eyes, and she knew everything was going to work out. The two of them would take care of each other, love each other. They had the rest of their lives to figure out how to live as normal people. Maybe she wouldn’t become a tough executive, but she’d do something. Maybe she would find something she enjoyed doing.

  “Are you sure?” he asked for the millionth time.

  “Yes.”

  He shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “I feel like I’m screwing up your life just to save my own butt. We should find another way to keep me out of prison. There has to be another way. We can ask the council or go to your grandmother.”

  Kristen sighed. “You are so stubborn. We’ve been over this and over this. I want to do it, okay? Look, if you can’t bring yourself to say the words, I can ask Cyndi. It’s no problem. I’m sure she’ll be willing once I explain the circumstances.”

  “No. I’ll do it. I just, I want a guarantee that you aren’t going to regret it later. I don’t want you to hate me in ten years.”

  Folding her arms over her chest, she glared up at him and asked, “Am I the same person I was when school started this year?”

  “No.”

  “Am I a strong, independent, capable person?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you going to love me any less when I don’t have power?”

  “No.”

  She threw her hands into the air. “Then I don’t see the problem. The council will send you to prison if we don’t do this today. They’ll have hunters tracking us down. I am not going to sit back and let the love of my life be taken away from me.”

  His lips twitched and an amused light entered his eyes. “Am I the love of your life?”

  “Yes, jerk.” She playfully punched him in the gut. “Now, get out there and do it, or I’ll call Cyndi over here.”

  Zach walked to the center of the lunchroom and gracefully leaped onto one of the center tables. Every eye turned his way. An excited buzz hummed through the crowd of kids as they waited for him to make his announcement. More than one student got their cell phone ready to start texting the news, whatever it turned out to be.

  He raised his hand and pointed at Kristen. Reluctant, he took his time in forming the words. Pain and sadness filled his eyes, but he tried to smile while performing the horrible task.

  She swallowed before taking a deep breath and holding it.

  Zach said, “Kristen Noah is a…”

  Brittany and Cyndi were standing off to the side, talking to friends. When Zach had jumped up on the table, their eyes simultaneously widened. Brittany dashed forward. She was going to hit him with a spell. Kristen clenched her hands into fists and prayed Zach would hurry.

  “…witch.”

  “No!” Brittany screamed.

  The invisible spell hit Kristen in the chest, knocking the breath out of her body. She grabbed onto the metal doorframe to keep from falling over. The color left her face in a chilling rush, and her
legs turned to gelatin and refused to hold her up anymore. Panicking, she grabbed onto the wall harder as gravity tried to take her down.

  Zach leaped off the table. He was beside her in an instant. His arms wrapped around her, holding her up, while his warm mouth pressed against the side of her face. He whispered, “You’re okay. You’ll only feel drained for a few minutes. It’s okay. Everything is fine. I’ve got you.”

  Brittany charged at them like an angry bull. One of the girls hanging out with her in the small group yelled after her, “Hey, it’s not like he called her the B word or anything. Lighten up.”

  “I’ll kill you,” Brittany stage-whispered.

  “No, you won’t.” Kristen put a hand on her sister’s arm, hoping to make her understand. She spoke in a soft voice because yelling wasn’t going to help. “I told him to do it.”

  “What? Why? Are you stupid or just drunk?”

  Cyndi joined them with a puzzled look on her face. “What just happened?”

  “I’ll tell you what happened.” Brittany jerked a thumb in Kristen’s direction. “Our idiot sister has given up her powers to be with tall, dark, and scary.”

  “That is so romantic.”

  “Only you would think so. It’s stupid is what it is.”

  Kristen explained as fast as possible about the hearing in front of the witches’ council, the threat of prison, and her feelings about losing her powers. She ended with, “Be happy for me. Zach and I love each other, and he’s super supportive. He’s decided to join me at whatever college I want to go to, and we’re going to have a great life together.”

  Cyndi asked, “Are you still planning to get a business degree and work for Dad?”

  Kristen shrugged. “Actually, Zach pointed out that I don’t have to decide my whole life right now. There’s plenty of time to make those kinds of decisions. I’ll get a degree in something, maybe even business. I don’t know. I’m thinking that I want to try some different things and see where my heart tells me to go. Hopefully I’ll find a dream to chase, something challenging.”

  After Brittany blasted Kristen with how stupid she’d become, the girl stalked off, but Cyndi shrugged and said, “I understand why you did it, and Brittany will come around. She’s just had a bad day.”

  No longer dizzy and weak, Kristen found she could stand on her own feet again without assistance. She pulled away from Zach, but he kept a hand on her back to keep her steady just in case. A new warmth filled her from head to toe as she realized Zach Bevian loved her.

  Looking smug, Cyndi wiggled back and forth in an impromptu dance as she admitted, “I told her I wasn’t going to dress like her anymore and blew her mind. She doesn’t get it, but I had to stop dressing like her at some point. Like I told her, if we’re wearing the same clothes when we’re forty, it will confuse the kids, or husbands, and that could be embarrassing.”

  Cyndi looked from Kristen to Zach and then back again. She asked, “Are you sure you can handle life without your powers?”

  “Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Kristen laughed. “I’m fine. Besides, if I need some magical help, I can always call you. Right?”

  “That’s what sisters are for.”

  Kristen and Cyndi shared a hug before the other girl returned to her friends.

  Zach wrapped his arms around Kristen, holding her tightly as they walked back to the parking lot. They had made plans earlier. First, they would go to his house. He wanted to get rid of everything that reminded him of Morgan-his-familiar while holding onto mementoes of Morgan-his-sister. Kristen was going to help him sort through the stuff while he told her about his sister, the one she hadn’t had a chance to meet.

  Then, they were going to go to her house. She was going to introduce Zach to her father. Kristen wasn’t worried because her dad would see how much Zach cared about her. Plus, it didn’t hurt that Grandma Noah had said she would vouch for him.

  Finally, they were going to make a list of things they both wanted to try, new things they could explore together. Kristen knew that whether her future was in business, charity work, or a life of travel with her rich boyfriend, it was going to be an exciting rollercoaster ride, and she couldn’t wait to get started.

  First of all, a shout out to the ladies at Clean Teen. Rebecca Gober, Courtney Nuckels, and Marya Heiman. They each have their own specialty and do it in such a way that it looks easy to the rest of us. Also, Cynthia Shepp, Melanie Newton, and Chelsea Brimer had a part in making this book what it is.

  Secondly, my beta readers. They got to read it first, comment on what worked and what didn’t, and it wouldn’t be the great book it is without them. Shirley Poe, Stacie Schott, and Amber Scott.

  If I forgot to name anyone, please forgive me, and let me know so I can include you in a future book.

  If you ask Kasi Blake how old she was when she started writing, she will probably say twelve. That’s when she wrote her first short story. But it started long before then. Her first characters were invisible friends she played with as a child. In the third grade she wrote a one-page story about a mummy for an assignment, and the teacher read it to the class. Even though she was embarrassed, the other kids laughed in all the right places, and she realized she could affect other people through her writing. She loves to get lost in emotional stories, crying and laughing with the characters, so she thinks it’s the most amazing thing in the world to be able to do this for other people.

  Kasi is a hardcore Supernatural fanatic and practically has the shows memorized line for line. If you want to see her freak out, tell her you’ve never watched an episode. Then be prepared to listen to a long list of reasons why you should. In her spare time, when she’s not reading or writing, she does nail art, engages in day-long shopping trips with friends, and takes care of her many animals.

  Originally from California, she resides in the Midwest on a farm with cows, chickens, ducks, a dog, and two cats.

  Tired of cliffhangers? Kasi Blake won't leave you hanging on a precipice. The Witch Game Novels is a series of individual and complete stories—yes, all in one book— much like stand alone novels. The common denominator is that they are filled with teen mischief, romance, witchy games and trouble. They can be read and enjoyed in any order. Continue on to the next page for an exclusive excerpt from Witch Hunt, the second Witch Game Novel.

  “You’re a what?” Starr asked, knowing she must have heard him wrong.

  “Sorcerer. Witch. Warlock.” He smirked. “I prefer the term wizard.”

  “You and Harry Potter.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Right.” What a jerk! She’d thought he was going to trust her with something important. Instead, he was using the moment to hit her with his usual sarcastic wit, making fun of her. She stood up. “You know what? If you don’t want to level with me about the game, I’ll find out some other way. At least if you tell me now, you can give me your side and try to convince me not to go public with it.”

  Dylan stared at her in dumbfounded silence for a while. Then he asked, “Why are you out to get us? You’re always trying to listen in on our conversations. You question the other students and teachers about us. You’re always snooping around.” He shrugged. “I realize you want to be this big-shot reporter, but why do you focus so much energy on the Squad? What is so fascinating about us?”

  This was it, the day she’d been waiting for since she’d first laid eyes on Dylan. She was going to tell him the truth, even if it was the biggest mistake of her life. He could tell his friends tomorrow, laugh, and humiliate her in front of the whole school. Still, she had to take the chance. If Dylan wanted to be with her, senior year would be the most awesome time of her life.

  She took a deep breath and pushed the words out fast before she could change her mind. “I like you.”

  “You could have fooled me. Do you always spy on the people you like? Do you spy on Lily?”

  He didn’t get it.

  She tried again. “No. I mean I like you lik
e you. I think you’re cute, and funny, and you write the most beautiful poetry I’ve ever read.”

  He tensed. “You’ve read my poetry?”

  “You dropped your notebook one day, and I was behind you, so I picked it up.”

  “And you couldn’t say, ‘Hey, you dropped this?’ You had to read it? What is wrong with you? Didn’t anyone ever tell you that no one likes a snoop?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  His voice went up a notch. “That was private stuff.”

  Great. She’d finally admitted her true feelings, and he was focusing on the fact that she’d violated his privacy. In hindsight, she wished she’d left that part out. This was not going well. Maybe she should repeat the important part.

  “I like you, Dylan. A lot. I was kind of hoping you felt the same way.”

  His gaze went to the far wall.

  She asked, “Do you or don’t you?”

  “Before I answer that, there’s something I need to show you.” Dylan lifted both hands, palms stretched out to her as if he was a beggar on the street. “Watch this.”

  His hands jerked in the air. Miscellaneous items floated up—his wallet, a roll of paper towels, the remote control, the lamp, and a few other things that she’d barely noticed. They circled around her, flying in a synchronized dance, faster and faster. Starr couldn’t breathe. Dizzy, she dropped back onto the couch.

  Her eyes drifted shut. Before everything went black, she heard Dylan yell and saw the floating items drop to the floor. He was at her side in an instant, touching her cheek. There wasn’t a chance for her to enjoy it. She was already sinking into a pit of darkness.

  Find out what happens next in Witch Hunt by Kasi Blake. Witch Hunt is the second book in the Witch Game Novels.

 

  A magical game of hide-and-seek begins.

  Find the missing player and win.

  The game resets.

  They all forget and start the game again.

  Seventeen-year-old Starr Hughes hasn't believed in magic since the day her mother died. As an aspiring reporter, the only thing she cares about is cold, hard facts. So when she hears the popular kids at school (the It-Squad) are about to start a secret game, she wants every detail, especially since she has a major crush on gorgeous Dylan Winchester.