Page 142 of A Bond with the Dark

“Yes,” he replies, still looking at me hesitantly.

“Hey,” I coo, stepping closer and wrapping my arms around him. “Don’t be worried, okay? There’s nothing to be worried about. I needed a friend, and he was there. That’s all it was.”

“You don’t know him like I do, Say. Be careful, okay?”

“I will.”

Kissing me softly, I feel him trying to get into my mind again, like a faint tickling inside my head. “I’m gonna see how they’re coming along with the spell. They should be getting close now with the wolfsbane.”

“Okay. I’ll finish up with these.”

He nods and leaves.

While I work on spelling the jewelry in my possession, I let my mind wander to everything Bash told me.

Why doesn’t he want Dom to know?

It’s almost as though Bash wants this all to end, like he’s letting me become what I am to become to save the world or something.

But how am I supposed to know what I’m supposed to do now?

As I spell the objects that rest in my hand, conversing with the moon and deepening my bond with it, I think of my mom again and inwardly beg her to help me, to come save me and let me know what I’m supposed to be doing.

The tears that occlude my eyes make the lake look foggy and warped. I remember being here as a kid with my family, how much Mama had loved it here, and used to paint the fog dancing on the lake in the morning.

A light breeze skitters across the water and brushes over me, and for a fleeting moment, it feels like my mother’s hand brushes me softly, telling me that it will be okay.

The sound of the large crash coming from the house draws me from my moment of peace.

My heart drops into my stomach as I run up the hill, knowing it’s Dom and Bash fighting again.

As soon as I enter, I quickly stow the newly spelled jewelry on an end table and survey the situation.

There’s a collision of forces when Dom rams Bash into a door, the impact of the murderous rush causing the drywall to crack, the filigreed within the wainscoting rattling.

“I told you nothing happened!” Bash manages to get out through forced air; Dom is pressing all his weight into his chest.

Using his elbow to thwart Dom’s attempts to break his sternum, Dom stumbles back into Ollie.

“You guys need to chill!” yells Ollie, trying to hold Dom back from running at Bash again.

“That’s the same thing you said right before you killed me and then ran off with Sadie,” Dom says before he rushes at his brother again.

“Dom!” I shout, hoping to stop them before the curse becomes activated again.

The sound of my voice hits him, and when it does, the mixture of adrenaline and my voice causes him to turn to me and rush at me.

There’s no time to run. I have no idea what’s happening.

All I know is that the look in his eyes is murderous. He doesn’t recognize me.

His green eyes have gone black, his skin is translucent, and the murder in his gait only tells the story of my death. This is all I see before he reaches me in the flash of light.

Then there’s a piercing in my neck, kind of like all those times I had been poked and prodded when going through chemo.

The feeling of being depleted of blood is also fresh in my memory. The light-headedness, the bright lights, being able to see my heartbeat in my eyes.

The last thing I see before I lose consciousness is Bash’s blue eyes over Dom’s shoulder, pulling him off me.

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