Cursed Magic: Sun Cursed, #1 10375r

Cursed Magic Chronicles of Magic and Mischief N. R. Hairston

Copyright © 2017 by N.R. Hairston All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover Design: Covers by Christian Published By

OTHER TITLES BY N. R. Hairston Magic and Mischief Series A Magical Reckoning, Book One A Symptom of Magic, Book Two A Victim of Magic, Book Three Sun Cursed (Set in the Magic and Mischief world): Cursed Magic, Book One Savage Magic, Book Two Lethal Magic, Book Three

World Breaker Rogue Magic, Book One Bloody Magic, Book Two Battle Magic, Book Three World Breaker Beginnings (Novellas set before events in World Breaker, though you don’t have to read one to read the other.) Read this series for free when you my mailing list, here. Rebel Magic, Book One Stolen Magic, Book Two Crooked Magic, Book Three Dirty Magic, Book Four Feral Magic, Book Five

Lawless Magic, Book Six

Rise of the Dragons Fire and Ash, Book One Smoke and Flame, Book Two Dust and Cinder, Book Three

Atina and Ridge We Got Powers Too, Book One We Wreak Havoc Too, Book Two We Got Witches Too, Book Three

Rebel Writers Anthologies Street Spells

Contents

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Author Note Other Titles by N. R. Hairston Acknowledgments About the Author

Cursed Magic I’m covered in tattoos from my head to my toes. I’m cursed to live with the sins of every kill I ever made. In sunlight, those marks turn golden and burn me alive. He’s a killer. Ian’s notorious in the underworld for making people disappear. Now he wants a meeting with me, and I know it can’t be good. I grab my boyfriend Kemp and we meet him. I was right. He wants me dead. He lost a lot of money when my cousin got killed and he blames me for that. I go on the offensive, but he’s ready. Ian is sadistic. His plans for me are depraved. I’ve never come up against a horror like this. Ian means to destroy me, but I never go down without a fight.

If you enjoy Celeste’s story, then please check out my series Magic and Mischief: A Magical Reckoning A Symptom of Magic A Victim of Magic

Chapter 1 I was covered in marks from my head to my toes. Every kill I’d ever made was tattooed on my body. So were the kills of my forefathers. No, I wasn’t an exhibitionist. I was born this way, cursed to feel the pain of each of those deaths whenever sunlight hit my skin. I usually stayed underground in Cave Town, where people like me lived. One of my ancestors had killed a man with an axe. So, on my face, under my right eye, was a small symbol shaped like an axe. In sunlight, I could feel the blade from the axe cutting into my skin, hacking my jaw to pieces. I had a knife mark on my throat, a pointed silver thing with a brown handle. When the sun hit it, I could feel my throat opening up. I could feel the knife slicing into it, cutting through skin and bone. I also had a small bottle of poison tattooed on my throat. In the sun, I could feel the poison flowing through my veins causing my organs to shut down and my breathing to slow. The poison ate through my system, like sharp razors that tore me apart from the inside out. I probably had a million tattoos on me. Each with a different way to cause harm. That’s why I stayed underground. Getting caught out in the sun was a death sentence. I looked up at the sky. The light from the moon gave me a strange sense of comfort, peace. Since it was dark, I’d snuck up top for a while. I needed to see my friend Twist. Twist sat on his front porch, long skinny legs stretched out in front of him, phone in his hand. Twist’s family was originally from China. They’d come to the states about five generations ago. Twist had dark olive skin and short green hair with red highlights on the end. He had piercings everywhere from his nose, to his tongue, to his eyelids. Right now, they all shined brightly under the silver glint of the moon.

Twist looked like he belonged in a punk rock band somewhere, but it was just his style. To be honest, he carried it well. “What do you want, Celeste?” He sounded tired already. “Because if it’s what I think it is... the answers no.” My eyes went to the sky again. I wondered how much time I had until sunrise. Twist, well Twist wasn’t like me. His family hadn’t been cursed to live with the sins of all their kills. Thousands of years ago the world had been in chaos. It’d been ruled by the powerful council of Thems. The council had gotten together and decided every person who’d ever taken a life, no matter the reason, would be banished deep underground to Cave Town. Their skin would be marked with every kill they’d ever made, and every time sunlight hit, they’d feel the pain of those deaths, only a thousand times worse. Not only that, but each new child born would be cursed to bear the marks of their ancestors. That’s why, so many years later, the curse still lived on through me and everyone I loved. Twist fiddled with one of the piercings on his lips. The moonlight glittered off it, making it shine. When he finally decided to look at me, it was with trepidation. “Come on, Celeste. Cave Town? I barely escaped the last time, and you want me to go back?” I turned away, not wanting him to see my face because I knew he was right. The thing about Cave Town was, if you ever came for a visit, not that many people did, most didn’t even know it existed, but if you ever came, you only had twenty-four hours to leave. Also, when you left, you had to exit the same way you’d entered. If not, you too would be struck with the curse, marked with the sins of all your kills, never able to enjoy sunlight again. The curse was meant to divide. If you wanted to be in Cave Town so bad, it’d make you a permanent resident. That assured that the few who did know about Cave Town rarely came for a visit.

Twist opened his mouth to speak, but his phone made a beeping sound, signaling a call coming in. He looked at the number and frowned. “Hope that wasn’t Leah,” I joked. Leah and Xavier had been with Twist the first time he’d come to Cave Town. His phone rang again. He eyed it with disgust. “Not Leah. Dude I met the night of the tournament. After we’d left Cave Town.” Leah and Xavier were big time card players, and apparently, they liked having Twist along for the ride. “You won’t talk to him?” I asked. He scrunched up his nose. “It was a fun night, then it ended. What’s so hard to understand about that?” “Tell him like you just told me.” He gave me a dry look. “I tried. He wants to talk about it over dinner... at his place.” I laughed at his exasperated expression. His phone buzzed again, and he hung his head low. “Hey, we’re all adults here,” he said turning the phone off. “He knew the deal up front. We both did.” “I need your help, Twist.” I decided to get straight to the point. Twist and his friends had helped me take back control of a watery substance called breez. We had a plant down under called sunlight. Once that plant hardened it could be made into small pills. Those pills were called sunshine. They allowed us three hours of sunlight without the marks burning. In order for the plant to grow properly, breez had to be sprinkled on it every thirty minutes. I rocked from foot to foot, trying to find my words. Twist didn’t know this next part because some things were better kept to those of us underground. “I’ve been called to a meeting in Log City by a guy name Ian.” I paused for a second, ready to reveal something even those who knew about Cave Town didn’t know. “Log City is right beside Cave Town.” Twist’s eyes widened, then darkened like he thought I was playing a trick on

him. “I’m sorry. I thought you said there was a city beside Cave Town.” There were many cities and towns beside Cave Town. Cajun. That’s what we called the network of caves and tunnels we lived in. Up top was called Blazing. We called it that because no matter the temperature, the sun would always eat into our skin, burning us alive. I started to tell Twist that but stopped. For the moment, I couldn’t talk. Pain flared from a mark on my face. Sunrise was swiftly approaching. I bit my bottom lip, trying to keep from screaming. It felt like I’d been dipped in a river of fire. From experience, I knew it would only get worse the longer I stayed, so I needed to hurry. The closer it got to daylight, the more my tattoos would ache and burn. Soon, my whole body would catch flame. If that happened, I’d burn to death. My entire body would explode, all from the light of the sun. I took a deep breath, telling myself I had the power to teleport and could leave whenever I wished. Twist’s eyes went from the marks on my neck, to the ones on my hands. They were turning golden now, which meant they were burning into my skin. It felt like someone had doused me with gasoline and set me afire. My body began to shake, each mark leaping to life. A raw putrid smell assaulted my nose, making my stomach lurch because I knew I was smelling myself being burned alive. I wanted Twist’s help, but I couldn’t stay up here much longer. The pain was too intense. By now, every mark I had was bright and glowing. Twist looked at me and his face softened. “Xavier never said there was a city beside Cave Town.” My tattoos had calmed down for the moment, but I knew they’d flare up again soon. “Well, Xavier doesn’t know everything,” I said to Twist. He blinked at me like I’d assaulted him, but he didn’t say anything.

I put my hands on my hips, amazed we were even having this conversation. “Twist, Xavier doesn’t know everything. You do understand that, right?” He gave me a doubtful look. “If you say so.” He still didn’t look convinced. A mark on my hand began to sizzle and I tried to breathe through it. My tattoos would keep flaring up until sunrise, then there’d be no stopping them. I needed to go. I told Twist as much as I could so he could make a decision. “They guy who wants to see me, Ian, I think he was a friend of Jonas.” Jonas had been my cousin. Twist, and his friends Xavier and Leah, had helped me stop Jonas and his crew when they’d tried to take over Cave Town. They’d been using the sunshine pills as a means of controlling people. Jonas had ripped the sunlight plants out of everyone’s yard. He’d taken control of all the breez. All sales of sunlight then went through him. Jonas had taken great pleasure in charging large sums of money for just one pill. He knew most would do anything for those three precious hours of sunlight, so he’d built his empire on that. I knew my cousin Jonas and this Ian guy had dealings before Jonas’ death. I didn’t know much else about it, but instinct told me I shouldn’t go see this guy alone. Jonas had been a ruthless killer. I didn’t imagine his friend Ian to be much different. What did he want with me, anyway? I found it suspicious he’d summoned me to Log City and I refused to go alone. The only reason I was going to see Ian at all was because Cave Town had just gotten over Jonas’ reign of terror. The last thing we needed was this Ian guy trampling into Cave Town causing problems. No. I’d much rather go to him. I’d do anything to keep Cave Town safe. If that meant facing off against a killer, then so be it. Twist came to his feet. “I’ll get some verve.” He disappeared into his apartment, and I smiled because I knew he’d decided to come with me. He wouldn’t go for his verve otherwise.

Verve pepped up your energy tenfold, but it also protected you from getting hurt and made your body more resilient. Leah had said cigarette smoke bothered her, but when she had verve in her system, it was like sucking on clean fresh air. Verve healed all wounds. It also kept you from getting hurt while it was in your system. It made it feel like your insides were on fire, though. That’s why you only took verve if you needed to heal or were severely short on energy. Otherwise, you’d be jumping off the walls. Twist came back, patting his pocket. “Alright. I’ll go. Promise to have me out of there in time, Celeste.” I held up a hand. “Twenty-four hours or you’ll be cursed to never see sunlight again. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” Before he could change his mind, I grabbed his hand and transported us both outside the entrance to Cave Town.

Chapter 2 I stood outside Cave Town, amazed at what my forefathers had built. The cave stretched for thousands of miles in all directions. The top was so high, you couldn’t even see it. Twist had been shocked the first time he’d come here. What most didn’t take into consideration was, we’d had thousands of years to build, learn, and grow. Knowledge had always been ed from one generation to the next. The first thing you saw walking into Cave Town was a school building capable of holding thousands of kids. We also had hospitals, diners, cafes, shopping centers, and just about everything else you could find up top in Blazing. The houses were mostly brick. That was a material easily found down here in Cajun or easily bought up in Blazing. See, the thing about Cajun was, many residents, for years, had been using those three hours of sunlight offered by the sunshine pill to go up top and learn. They attended school up there or learned a trade. Some people waited until the sun went down so they could attend night school. Then, they’d come back here, and teach whoever wanted to learn. Some held night jobs in Blazing. So, whatever they needed to buy up there was available to them. We had our own currency down here, and most shops and supermarkets took both. We even had grass in Cajun, something the curse provided because there was no other way for it to be possible. The whole of Cajun was deep underground. There was no natural sunlight here. The only light we had was what we ourselves created. We literally lived inside a humongous cave, but we made the best of it. We walked inside. Twist’s eyes roamed from building to building. He stared slack-jawed. He’d seen it before, but he’d been preoccupied at the time. Now, he could really look around. The sweet smell of donuts filled the air, bringing a feeling of serenity to the place. My eyes landed on the café in front of us. It had an outside dining area.

People sat at round tables, chatting, and enjoying their food. The atmosphere was relaxed. Most people in Cave Town minded their own business. As long as you didn’t mess with them, you were good. Twist took a second to refamiliarize himself with the place. “So, about Log City, do I have to worry about the curse getting me if I’m not out of there in twentyfour hours?” I shook my head. “As long as you’re out of the entrance of Cave Town you’ll be fine. Had you entered through Log City, then you’d have to leave through Log City. When you come to Cajun, however you enter is how you must leave. That’s the only way to keep the curse from getting you.” He nodded, though he didn’t look all that convinced. “Where to now?” he asked. A couple with two children walked by with ice cream cones in their hands. Twist stared at them in amazement. I think it boggled his mind how much Cave Town emulated the cities up top. We were fine down here. We’d been this way for thousands of years. I started to tell Twist our next move when a blast of wind kissed up against my skin. A second later, my boyfriend Kemp stood beside me. Kemp had the power of superspeed. You always felt a whoosh of air when he appeared. Kemp was six feet, a couple of inches taller than me. He had pale skin and blond hair, which really made him my complete opposite. I stood only five-feet-six, and my skin was a light brown. Also, my hair was black and to my shoulders. Kemp’s hair was cut short, but a few strands always fell into his eyes. He kept the front part longer because he knew I liked to pull it when we were doing... other things. He gave Twist a nod, not surprised to see the other man here. Kemp had accompanied me up top a few times when I’d visited Twist. The two had met when Twist had first come here with his friends. Kemp turned his attention my way. “I can superspeed us to Log City, Celeste. If you want.”

That would work. Or I could just transport us there. Twist had the power of wind at his fingertips, but that didn’t seem like a safe form of travel for myself or Kemp. I’d hate to lose a limb on the way there. Nah. No need for all that. I’d take us. I pulled them both close, closed my eyes and pictured where we were going. A second later, we stood outside the gates to Log City. Log City never closed its gates. They didn’t need gates, but maybe they wanted to separate themselves from Cave Town. Twenty miles of empty space did that. So, I wasn’t sure what the point was, but it wasn’t for me to judge. Like Cave Town, Log City had people who went up top for work or school. Some classes were only offered in the daytime, so the sunshine pill helped with that. That pill allowed us to do so much. It kept all the cities down here flourishing. Without it, we’d really be cut off from the world. The sunshine pill allowed us to blend in with those up top. It made it so they didn’t realize we were different from them. The only way we’d survived so long was people in Blazing didn’t know we existed. People often hurt or killed what they didn’t understand. I shuddered to think what would happen if they ever found out . Mixing too much with the world up top just seemed like a recipe for disaster. Besides, we’d lived in secret for so many years, we didn’t know how else to be. People often applied tons of makeup to their body when going up top. It was the only way to hide the marks and tattoos. It seemed like an awful hassle, so I didn’t bother going up top unless I absolutely had to. Log City wasn’t much different from Cave Town when it came to style. Just like Cave Town, Log City had miles and miles of beautiful brick homes and streets paved in asphalt. Log City also had schools, hospitals, diners, cafés, and so much more. Just like they evolved and changed in Blazing, we evolved and changed down here in Cajun.

Going up top had never been something that enticed me. Some would kill for those few hours of sunlight, but I liked staying in Cajun. I even had my own business here. I teleported people up top. After they were done with their business, I’d teleport them home again. I used to do it for free, but it became very taxing on my time, so I had to start charging. My family were the only ones in Cajun who could teleport. Kemp’s family were the only ones who had superspeed. I made a pretty penny doing it, and my schedule stayed jam-packed. To get up top took hours by foot. Without teleportation, your sunshine pill would wear off before you made it. The trail to get up top was steep with many nooks and crannies that allowed sunlight in. To stay safe, you had to take the pill before you left. You couldn’t wait until you were almost in Blazing to take it. You’d burn to death before you made it. You could always take another sunshine pill, and some did, but the pills were precious. Most would rather just pay me then use three and four pills for one trip. Teleporting people up top was my side business. I also had my own shop down here in Cajun. I made and designed clothes. I also made perfumes, lotions, jewelry, and a few other items. I met a lot of different people in my line of work. It was fun. I loved interacting with them and sharing my designs. Yes, there was more variety in Blazing, but for me, I was happy right here in Cajun. A tall man with silver hair walked by on a crutch. His right arm was in a sling. Accidents happened, but we’d been standing here five minutes and I’d counted at least ten such men and women walk by. Some limped, while others had missing arms or legs. I frowned because the odds of that many fights or accidents seemed almost impossible. Also, the people here were generally friendly, but none would even meet our eyes today.

Twist, Kemp, and I shared a look. A cold shiver went down my spine. Something strange was going on here. The air around us tensed. Unease and caution crept into my skin, putting my whole body on alert. We saw another man by. He was missing three fingers on his right hand and he walked like a few of his toes were gone too. “Did they have a rockslide or something?” Twist asked. “No,” Kemp said, brows furrowed. “We would’ve heard about something like that.” Twist pointed to a store across the street from us. “Let’s go in there. See what the store clerk has to say. I mean, he has to talk to us if we go inside, right?” I looked at the sign on the store, Bennies. Bennie was an older man with graying hair. He reminded me of everyone’s favorite uncle. I’d been visiting his store since I was a little girl. This had always been my parent’s favorite shop. If anybody could shed light on why people were missing limbs and toes, it was Bennie. “Come on. Let’s see what we can find out,” I said to Twist and Kemp. We crossed the street, and my heart started beating triple time. I hadn’t been here for a while, and I really looked forward to seeing Bennie. I eagerly pushed through the doors and walked inside. Kemp and Twist followed behind me. The bell up top jingled, and though Bennie was with a customer, he still looked up and acknowledged us. While we waited, I took a good look around the shop, trying to where everything was. Baskets of fruits and vegetables were still against the back wall. I ed picking through them when I was younger, throwing them around like they were a ball. Bennie catered to a lot of different taste. There was always a little something for everyone here. My parents would often go to the meat aisle first. Bennie carried chicken, beef, pork, etc... Bennie had the best prices down here in Cajun. Before the curse, Bennie’s ancestors had run one of the largest farms in Blazing. Some of his family had been banished here with the curse, but the farm had

stayed thriving. It’d taken the entire family to build the farm, so those who’d been cursed to live in Cajun still got their fair share. Those shares had been ed down from generation to generation. In Bennie’s family, no matter where you lived, you still got your stake in the farm. That’s why Bennie was able to sell his meats at such an amazing price. Bennie’s family was one of the few who knew about the curse, and all had been taught since birth to never tell a soul. Some even visited Cajun from time to time. Bennie went up top too, but only in the dark of night, when it’d hurt less. So, because he owned shares in his family’s farm, Bennie’s store was one of the best for fresh produce and meats. Twist walked to a drink cooler and pulled out a bottle of ‘River City Water.’ He looked it over, a big frown on his face. “I’ve never heard of this.” He gave me a suspicious glance, like I’d put the water there just to mess with him. “Where does it come from?” “River City,” I answered. Twist’s brows rose. I let out a sigh. He hadn’t taken the news of Log City well, so who knew how he’d react to this. We had a lot of cities down here. Cave Town was just one of them. I hastened to explain. “We have a lot of communities here, Twist. Cajun. That’s what we called the network of towns and cities down here. Up top, where you live, is called Blazing. River City’s about twenty miles beyond Log City. A lot of people in Cajun work at the factories in River City.” My dad also had the power to teleport. He’d worked at the water bottling plant since before I was born. My mom worked at one of the clothing manufacturing plants. I’d first learned my love of design from her. I didn’t always transport people to Blazing. Sometimes I transported a person from one part of Cajun to another. Especially if they were running late for work.

River City was forty miles away from Cave Town. That was an awful long way to walk on foot. Kemp had superspeed. He could go thousands of miles in seconds. Kemp would scout for materials and bring it back to the factories down here. He was also an inventor. He often made something new out of the materials he brought back. He then sold the patent to different factories in River City. He did that in his spare time. His biggest seller by far was his liquor. His most famous one was Sule. Kemp traveled ten thousand miles to find the ingredients that went into making Sule. It was an expensive liquor. People both in Cajun and Blazing drank it. Kemp owned two factories. They produced all his liquors and wines. Twist looked at the bottle in his hand, shaking his head in amazement. “So, you guys have factories down here, and you make your own water?” I nodded, curious to see his reaction. We didn’t have pollution in Cajun. Whole factories operated without releasing any harmful chemicals into the air. Like with the grass, that too was part of the curse. Twist looked to Kemp. Kemp wore an amused smirk, but he didn’t say anything. Twist thought about it for a second, then looked at the bottle of water and shrugged. “I’ll take it. You guys accept money from up top, right?” I was about to answer when Bennie’s voice boomed behind us. “Of course we do. All money’s good here.” I turned around. Bennie held out his arms. I flew into them, squeezing him tightly, ashamed I’d been away so long. “Jing,” he said, placing a kiss on my forehead and looking genuinely pleased to see me. “Jing?” Twist asked, water bottle still in his hand. Bennie held up an enthusiastic finger. “When Celeste was a kid, she was fascinated by the bell on top of the door. So much so, that her parents had to buy her small bells to go on her shoes. After that, every step she took jingled. So, I started calling her Jing. You could always hear her well before she came into

view.” He smiled fondly, ing. I beamed, thinking of the fun times I used to have here. I picked up a bag of hot flavored chips. They were my favorite brand and only Bennie sold them. “Did something happen here? Everyone looks beat-up.” Bennie let out a sigh and leaned against the canned food display. He looked around surreptitiously, then lowered his voice before he spoke. “Don’t know what’s going on. A lot of people have gone missing around here lately. I fear the worse. They’re probably dead. No one will talk about it. Even those who are missing arms and legs are staying mute. It makes me wonder if its fear keeping their mouths shut or something else. Jewels thinks it’s fear.” Jewels was Bennie’s wife. She owned a cereal manufacturing company over in River City. Kemp frowned. “No one’s said a word? Not even to family ?” Bennie shook his head. He’d known Kemp since he was a kid too. “Can barely hold a conversation with them, much less get ‘em to talk.” He scratched his beard. “Heard you had a problem yourself not too long ago, Celeste.” I looked at the sunshine pills toward the front of the store. None knew where the sunlight plant had originally come from. Some thought rogue of the Thems Council had provided it. They’d activated the curse, so maybe the sunlight plant was their way of trying to make up for it. Same with the grass and the no pollution. No one knew for sure, though all were thankful the sunlight plant existed. I thought back to my cousin Jonas and how he’d tried to hoard it all for himself, making us pay him outrageous fees for just one pill. “Yeah, well, it’s not a problem anymore,” I said to Bennie. He nodded, but his eyes still held a question. “I’m okay,” I said, and he nodded again.

I didn’t know how other towns in Cajun got their breez. They had to have it, though. Breez made the sunlight plant work. It had to be sprinkled on the plant every thirty minutes in order for the plant to be effective. Breez only grew two hundred miles away in Gate City. That was too far to travel without the help of teleportation or superspeed. So, they probably employed those from my family or either Kemp’s. I had family spread throughout Cajun. Same for Kemp. You could only buy sunshine pills from the city you lived in. I couldn’t buy sunshine pills from Log City. I couldn’t get them from River City either. Cave Town was the only place I was allowed to purchase them. That rule had been enacted long ago to keep one town from buying all the sunshine from another. Apparently, that’d been a big problem at one time. That same rule had allowed my cousin Jonas to terrorize Cave Town. We had to get the pills from him because we had nowhere else to go. Picking up in moving wasn’t an option for most who lived in Cave Town. Not when they’d lived there their whole lives and Jonas had known that. He’d been awful. That’s why I felt so much trepidation going to see his friend Ian. Why had Ian summoned me here? It made my skin crawl just thinking about it. But luckily, Kemp and Twist had decided accompany me. We walked to the front counter so I could pay for my chips and Twist could pay for his water. Kemp grabbed two bottles of water as well. While Bennie rang us up, I turned to Twist. “Will verve heal the people missing arms and legs down here?” Twist placed his water on the counter. I was thankful to have him and Kemp with me. I showed my appreciation by paying for their stuff. “On me,” I said. “The verve will heal them if they’re hurt.” Twist said, hands in his pocket. “It won’t grow back limbs, though. Not after this long. Besides, I’ve only got four pills. We shouldn’t give them out. The way you talk about this Ian, we may need them.” I couldn’t agree more. This meeting was suspect. It was best to stay on our

guard. Bennie bagged our stuff up. Then he came from around the counter, arms outstretched. “I hope it’s not another two years before I see you again, Celeste.” I lay my head on his gray shirt, a feeling of familiarity washing over me. “It won’t be.” We left the store. A man hurriedly walked past us. His right eye was gone. I watched him go, heart in my throat. Something wasn’t right here, and suddenly I was glad Twist had some verve on him. We’d no doubt need it.

Chapter 3 Ian lived ten minutes from Bennie’s store. We decided to walk there, hoping to gain more insight to the going ons in Log City. I ate my chips on the way, while Kemp and Twist drank their waters. Ian lived on a street with large houses and manicured lawns. He owned a very well-tended to brick house. His home reminded me of something a high school principal would live in, but I knew looks could be deceiving. Ian was sitting outside when we walked up, him and a couple of his friends. Two beefy guards stood at the front entrance, and that’s when I knew something was wrong. I ran a hand through my hair. It was at my shoulders now, but if things went wonky, it would grow past my ankles. It had the strength of all my ancestors in it. My hair had never failed me in situations like this. My first question was, why’d Ian need bodyguards. My second was, why was I here. What did he need from me? Kemp and Twist stood on either side of me. I could tell from the way their bodies went on alert they understood something was wrong. Ian was a man of medium height with brown hair and olive colored skin. He waved a hand when he saw us. “Let ‘em in.” The guards never said a word, but they did part, allowing us entrance. Two men and one woman stood behind Ian, like bodyguards. All three looked ready to move with the slightest provocation. In the chair beside Ian sat a woman with brown hair. She held her head down, and her fingers nervously picked at the bottom of her shirt. Was she scared of him? Of us? I didn’t know, but figured I’d find out more the longer we stayed here.

Ian had a tray of plums beside him. He picked one up and bit into it. Juice trickled down his chin, but he made no move to wipe it away. “Celeste,” he said, around a mouth full of fruit. “You know, I waited for Jonas to come back.” He took another bite, eyes hard. “He never came. Found out later you’d killed him.” I blinked, and Kemp bristled, moving a few steps in front of me. I gently pushed him back and stepped forward. I fought my own battles. If this Ian had a problem with me, then we could deal with it right now. “I won’t discuss my cousin with you. Why am I here? What do you want?” He clasped his hands together and leaned back in his chair. “You need to take his place.” “I’m not a dog, and I don’t perform tricks.” Before I could turn to go, one of the men from the porch charged me. My hair grew down my back and past my ankles. I whipped out a lock, aiming to do damage. It wrapped around the man’s neck, squeezing tightly and lifting him in the air. One of my ancestors had been born with the ability to control fire. That meant my hair could flame up and not hurt me one bit. My hair turned to fire, burning the guy’s throat. The flames licked into his skin, making him scream. Since I knew he’d no longer be a threat, I slammed him hard to the ground, out of my face. The other bodyguards charged us after that. Twist rose in the air, wind whipping around him. He snatched one of the bodyguards up in his tailspin, twisting and turning with wind so fierce it knocked us all back a step. Then I saw the guy's arm drop to the ground, followed quickly by a leg. When Twist let him go, he looked dazed and confused. The other male bodyguard from the porch tried to hit me and I ducked. I snatched him up, choking him with my hair. He coughed and gagged, clawing at the strand of hair around his neck before he went limp.

I uncurled my hair from the guy's neck, releasing him. He was ed out and wouldn’t be moving anytime soon. There was still a woman bodyguard left on the porch. She held up her hand, and I went flying across the lawn, landing in a heap a few feet away. I fell on my right shoulder. Damn it hurt. It felt like someone had taken a knife and sliced it open. I breathed with the pain but knew I couldn’t let it stop me. I whipped another strand of hair out. I wrapped it around her neck, lifting her in the air. I slowly came to my feet, pushing the pain down as best I could. I kept the female bodyguard in my grip, ready to smash her to the ground. Her face turned purple, and her hands went limp by her sides. Satisfied she’d no longer be a threat, I let her go. I felt a shift in the wind and realized Kemp had one of the bodyguards caught in his storm. They were both on their knees, staggering to get to their feet. Kemp’s shirt had been ripped, and he had marks on his face and neck. His nose was bleeding, and he had a gash on his chest. He punched the guy one last time. The guy fell over and Kemp walked away, eyes searching for me. I saw his shoulders relax once our eyes met. He slowly limped my way, wrapping a protective arm around me. I lay my head on his shoulder, trying to catch my breath, happy to accept his comfort. Twist dropped the last bodyguard to the ground. Then came to stand beside us. Ian’s eyes glistened. Instead of looking upset, he looked pleased and excited. My stomach dropped. We’d fallen into a trap. I just didn’t understand how at the moment. He picked up his phone. “Come.” A few seconds later a different bodyguard threw a bruised and bloodied Bennie at Ian’s feet. I gasped, shocked. They’d been watching us the whole time. They’d probably

attacked Bennie the moment we’d left his store. A flame lit in my stomach, going to my veins and the rest of my body. Who would treat Bennie this way? Bennie tried to come to his feet. He held out his hand, probably to use his telekinesis. Ian bent Bennie’s hand back. I heard the bones crack before Bennie’s hand went limp. My breath shortened, the sound like nails scraping against my ears. Super strength. This Ian had super strength. Which meant he could break all our necks with the simple twist of a hand. But not if we got to him first. Kemp cracked his knuckles, signaling he still had fight in him. Twist rose in the air. I whipped my hair out, ready to do more damage, but then Ian whistled, and his front door flew open. In seconds, we were surrounded by at least twenty deadly looking men and women. They stood, bodies taut, awaiting Ian’s command. One word from him, and they’d rip us apart. I shook my head at Twist and Kemp. They’d keep fighting until the end, but I wasn’t willing to risk Bennie’s life. I looked at Bennie’s broken hand and fire coiled in my gut. I was sorry he’d been brought into this mess. I didn’t understand what was happening. I just knew it was bad and Bennie deserved better. This was why I hadn’t wanted Ian coming to Cave Town. I knew he’d wreak havoc. Anybody who’d been friends with my cousin Jonas wasn’t to be trusted. The only thing was, I’d forgotten I had friends in Log City that needed protecting, and now Bennie was at the mercy of a man. “Why am I here?” I asked because all this was just unnecessary. He’d called me here for a reason. I just wished he’d hurry up and get to it. Ian laughed, then brought a boot down, smashing Bennie in the face. His boot stayed on Bennie, crushing him into the dirt. I inhaled sharply, my hands shaking with the urge to snatch Ian’s head off.

The woman who’d been beside Ian on the porch finally looked up. She had olive skin, with big brown eyes. Her brown hair was cut in chops across her head. She looked confused at the amount of people around her. She brought her knees up under her, bowing her head again. She gave me the impression of someone desperately trying to hide from the violence around her. Ian’s hard and scratchy voice boomed when he spoke. “I had business dealings with your cousin Jonas that I need you to continue. We usually invite three others along, but I guess your two will do.” My eyes hardened. Twist and Kemp bristled. Who was Ian to give us orders? Ian eased the pressure off Bennie’s head. “I’ll put his ass in the sun. The only way I won’t is if you take me to CoastWay right now.” I froze at his words, then took a step back. CoastWay was up top and over five hundred miles away. That was a risk. If something happened and our powers failed, we wouldn’t be able to make it back to Cave Town in time. When the sun rose, Kemp and I would burn. When the twenty-four hours ended and Twist hadn’t made it out the Cave Town entrance, he’d become cursed like Kemp and me. Then he too would burn. I shook my head, wondering what Jonas and Ian had been up to. I looked at Kemp. “We’ll never know what’s going on if we don’t go,” he said. I looked to Twist. “As long as you can transport me through the entrance of Cave Town within twenty-four hours, I’m down for whatever,” he said. I nodded and turned back to Ian. He stared at us, face smug like he knew he’d won. “I’ll take you,” I said. “But no harm is to come to Bennie while we’re gone. When we get back, I want him set free.” Ian smiled and bowed. The deal was now set but fuck him. My were for show, and we both knew it. He’d kill us as soon as he got what he wanted. I was

just betting on him being sadistic enough to want to take Bennie’s life in front of me. If that was the case, I knew Bennie would be alright until we got back. This Ian didn’t know me very well. I never folded. Neither did Kemp or Twist. So, yeah, I’d go with him for now, but the whole time I’d be plotting how to flip this shit on its head.

Chapter 4 I knew it’d be dark when we got to CoastWay. Ian wouldn’t take the chance of being out in the sun any more than the rest of us would. CoastWay was a city with large gold and silver buildings placed closely together. The streets were asphalt, and only a few people seemed to be out today. A slight wind blew, sending the smell of fresh jasmines past my nose. Many yards had trees and flowers growing in them, making the place seem normal, unassuming. I’d landed us in front of the house Ian had instructed me too. It was a beautiful home, large and golden. Gilded flowers and birds were carved into the columns of the house. It gave the place an almost classical look. Kemp’s eyes searched the neighborhood. He was probably learning the landscape and mapping out escape routes should the need arise. Twist watched the house, his body on guard for whatever lay behind those doors. A light sheen of sweat tickled my skin. I was tense, not knowing what Ian wanted with me, nor why he’d been so insistent Kemp and Twist tag along. He was up to no good. A bad feeling washed over me like icy fingertips on my spine. Something wasn’t right here, but for now, it was a waiting game. Ian went in first, with the rest of us trailing behind him. While the outside of the house was golden, the inside was a deep rich purple and black. A long entry hallway stretched before us, big enough to host a ball. The smell of roasted pork and beef fluttered to my nose, making my stomach jump with queasiness. I noticed a great number of tables being moved and I heard someone yell they needed to check the lighting. Everywhere I looked people scurried about, all seeming in a hurry to get somewhere. No one spoke. A woman with short brown hair carried a large silver tray filled with small biscuits soaked in butter. She was slow and careful in her steps, maneuvering here and there to avoid the flurry of people around her. She walked into a large room. Inside, tables were pushed against a back wall, all

heaped high with food. About two hundred folding chairs were set up in that room. The chairs were placed in a circle, leaving the middle of the floor empty. It was a space of around three hundred square feet. I looked in there again and felt fingers of dread playing hopscotch on my skin. I nudged Kemp on the arm. He turned toward the room, a frown on his face. Twist looked in there too, brows furrowed. The woman in question stepped back after she’d set the tray down. She looked up. Her eyes widened when she saw us. Her gaze shot from myself to Kemp. She didn’t seem to notice Twist. I started to say something, but before I could speak, she put a hand over her mouth and ran from the room. Ian had been busy talking to a tall man with glasses, so he hadn’t noticed, but Kemp, Twist, and myself shared a confused glance. She looked scared for us, like she feared for me and Kemp. Why had Twist been ignored? I didn’t have much time to ponder. A short man with a close cut walked up. He looked like he’d just stepped out a mafia movie. He wore a pair of black shades that hid his eye color, but his whole demeanor put me in mind of a guy who’d kiss you on the cheek at the same time he rammed a knife through your throat. He nodded at Ian then turned to us. His eyes boggled when he saw Twist. He took off his shades and slipped them in his pocket, revealing a pair of calculating golden eyes. He looked at Ian, who was watching him with a cool gaze. The man gestured his head toward Twist. “This?” I flinched at his tone, my dread growing by the second. A sickening grin spread across Ian’s face. “This, will be fun.” I opened my mouth to say something, but Kemp’s hand on my arm stopped me. He laced his fingers with mine and pulled me closer to him. “Let’s listen. Get

what information we can,” he whispered. I leaned into his touch, thankful he was here. Kemp had always been a calming force in my life, and sometimes, especially when Jonas had been at the height of his power, he’d been a life saver. “Ok,” I said. He smiled and gave my hand a small squeeze. The man clicked his tongue, looking us over. He wore an expression so calculating it made my blood freeze. Whatever they were up to, it didn’t mean anything good for us. The man pulled out a wad of cash, thick enough to be at least a few thousand. He tossed it to Ian. “They’ll do. Usual bet?” Rage made my hands shake. Had he just sold us? Is that what he’d done? Kemp’s fingers tightened around mine. Twist rose in the air. “Be ready,” Kemp whispered in my ear. “I’m getting us out of here.” Twist started to spin. Wind whipped around us, blowing my hair back. I’d come here for the safety of Bennie, but I’d rather go back and fight Ian’s goons than fall prey to whatever Ian and the golden-eyed man had cooked up. Kemp wrapped a hand around my waist. I felt a flurry of air. It ended when I hit the floor hard. I looked up. Kemp was in the air, his feet dangling. A tall man with a long nose held him in a choke hold. The man was vibrating in and out. He was barely keeping it together. He had superspeed like Kemp, I realized. Since the man was from CoastWay and not Cajun like us, he probably was no relation to Kemp. Kemp turned red. My heart froze with fear. The horrific sounds of him choking and gagging hit my ears like a thunderstorm. Protectiveness flared in me and strengthened my resolve. I sprung to my feet, my hair wrapping around the guy’s neck. I wanted to make him drop Kemp. The guy's eyes widened. He tried to remove my hair from his throat. As a result,

he lost his hold on Kemp, causing him to hit the ground with a thump. I used my hair, to slam the guy down in front of me, putting my boot to his throat to cut off his air supply. I heard a sound to the left and looked around to see Twist being held between two men. These men had muscles so big they could probably lift him with one finger. He had a cut above his right eye, where one of his piercings was. It was open and leaking blood, turning the silver earring red. Ian clapped his hands. Him and the golden-eyed man walked to where we were. Ian looked delighted, while the other man just looked intrigued in a predatory sort of way. “See? What did I tell you, Ethan?” Ian smiled at the other man. “Only the best for the money we’re spending.” Ethan barely acknowledged him. His gaze stayed on us. When he spoke, his voice was hard, grainy. “There’s no twelve-hour sunshine pill here. I know that’s what you’ve been told, but that’s not going to happen.” Twelve-hour sunshine pill? A snarl ripped from my mouth. I turned to Ian, finally understanding why so many in Log City were missing limbs. He’d sold them a dream to get them here. Once here, he’d used them for whatever he and Ethan were up to. My fists curled at my sides, and I vowed this bullshit would end today. Ethan kept talking, oblivious to the thick tension waffling through the air. “If you live past tonight and talk about what happened here, everyone you love will be killed. Afterwards, all your possessions will be divided equally between myself and Ian.” He winked at us and bile rose in my throat. “Just thought I’d give you something to fight for,” he said. “Load ‘em up!” My hair whipped out, aiming to grab him by the throat. Before I could, I felt a flurry of air. I gasped and looked around, stunned. I now sat in a large, gilded cage, Twist and Kemp beside me.

Chapter 5 Well, shit. My wrist hurt from where they’d grabbed me, and my hair had shrunk to just above my ears. Which meant it wouldn’t be any good until I regained my energy. That could take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days. Kemp’s neck was bruised. It had the pattern of a hand around it. His jaw was swollen as if he’d been hit. The cage was big enough to fit around seven adults, so we had more than enough leg room. Kemp crawled toward me, eyes filled with concern. He put a gentle hand on my wrist. “Does it hurt?” I nodded, and his face hardened. His eyes said he’d kill every single person here if given the chance. He brought my wrist to his lips and placed a soft kiss on it, which did make me feel a little better. “I tried to get us out of here,” he said, jaw tight. “Came against something hard and solid before I could make it to the front door.” “It wouldn’t have mattered.” Twist’s eyebrow had stopped bleeding, but he still had scrapes and cuts on his face and neck. We were in the room we’d seen earlier with all the food and chairs. But, for the moment, no one was paying us any attention. They were too busy scurrying about, continuing to get stuff ready. For what, I didn’t know. Twist reached inside his pocket and pulled out three verve pills, giving one to myself and Kemp, before popping the other into his mouth. “I got a look at the front door. It locks from the inside, and you need a key to open it.” “Oh.” I slipped the pill into my mouth, knowing in mere seconds, I’d have to stop myself from doing cartwheels. That’s how potent the verve was. Still, with our energy depleted like it was, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Most of the verve would go toward healing our wounds. Kemp turned the pill over in his hand, a skeptical expression on his face. He’d never taken verve before. Neither had I until I’d met Twist. Oh, we’d heard about it, but living in Cave Town, we’d never run across it.

Verve didn’t help when it came to the curse. Nothing could do that. With verve in our system or not, we’d still burn in the sunlight. Twist looked at the verve still sitting in Kemp’s hand. “It’ll protect you from whatever they have planned. You’d do good to take it.” Kemp turned to me. I opened my hand, showing him my empty palm. The verve was already working its way through my system. That seemed all the confirmation he needed. Without a word, he tossed the pill in his mouth and swallowed it dry. We sat for a few hours, watching the activity around us, speculating on the events about to unfold. The verve in my system had helped my hair grow back to my shoulders. I was thankful for that but healing us had zapped a lot of the verve’s power. It wouldn’t be much protection if Ian and his men decided to attack. Kemp raised his hand, a determined look on his face. I sighed because he’d already tried this six times. We all had. “It won’t work,” I said. “None of our powers work in this darn cage.” Twist looked at the top of the cage, then to the golden bars that surrounded it, locking us in. “The cage itself blocks our powers. As long as we’re in here, nothing will work. “ “Great.” I let out a huff of air. We were stuck. For the moment, anyway. The best we could do was keep our eyes and ears open. We needed to learn what we could. It could come in handy later. I heard something that sounded like a mewing cat. We all turned toward the back of the room. A woman walked in, tall and elegant with long black hair. She wore a skirted suit that looked tailored-made. On her arm was a man of equal style. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they’d just come from the opera or some other high-class event. The woman held leashes in her hands. I followed where they led and my eyes widened, horrified. Two men and one woman were on the other end of the leashes. They were on all fours, dressed in black pants and yellow tops. The elegant lady stopped to talk to someone. The three on the leash stopped as

well. They gazed around the room, eyes filled with misery. One of the men opened his mouth. I heard the mewing sound again. The elegant lady looked down and the three on the leash walk forward. Nausea made my throat dry. I’d never seen anything like this. They were human beings. Why did she have them on all fours like dogs? She tied their leashes to a chair then walked in the opposite direction. She had them well trained. She was comfortable enough to leave them while she went off to mingle with the crowd. As time ticked by, more and more people were brought in. Some were put in cages not unlike our own. Others stayed close to the person they’d arrived with. In some cases, groups of people were chained together. We’d probably been sitting over three hours, when the brown-haired woman we’d seen from before walked in. She was followed by four other people. They all pushed large mobile food trays. The woman came our way, while her companions went through the crowd. On the tray were bowls of water. Each bowl had a top on it, with a brown washcloth beside it. She walked by the cages, giving everyone a bowl and a washcloth. Why? What were they for? Try as I might, I couldn’t figure it out. She paused when she came to us. Her eyes went from the windows that were covered with large thick drapes, to the closed skylight that made up the ceiling. Something in her gaze told me she knew exactly what the sun would do to Kemp and myself. My mind went back to the people who’d been limping around Log City. I wondered how many had been brought here and what’d happened after they’d arrived. They wouldn’t talk. I knew that now. Ian and Ethan had threatened to kill their families. I hopped to my feet, the remaining verve in my system making it impossible to stay in one spot for too long. I wanted to fight something, to hit something, anything to release this pent-up energy from the verve. I found it disgusting that Ian and Ethan were playing on the hopes of Log City residents by luring them here with the lie of a pill that gave them twelve hours of

sunlight. Threatening their families ensured they kept quiet and made it easier to lure others in. My blood curdled just thinking about it. I flexed my hands, wanting nothing more than to wrap them around Ian’s neck. The brown-haired woman got three bowls off the cart. She handed them to us, avoiding our eyes the whole time. Since she was closer than she’d been earlier, it was easier to make out her wounds. She had a black bruise on her neck. It stretched all the way to her chest. When she handed us the water, I noticed her arms were also covered in marks. “What happened to you?” I asked. She shrunk back, eyes wide. Her gaze traveled around the room. Once she saw no one was watching, she spoke in a hushed whisper. “There’s no testing here.” “Testing?” I looked at her tense face. “What do you mean testing?” “Ethan gets people like you,” she pointed to the marks on my face, “here, by telling them they’ll be testing out an experimental pill that gives them twelve hours of daylight.” She looked around again. “There’s no pill,” she whispered urgently. She was scared shitless, yet she still took the time to try and help us. That touched me deeply, and I wondered how we could help her in return. “Who hurt you?” She self-consciously pulled her vest tighter around her. “My dad died when I was eleven. My mom when I was thirteen. She sent me to work for Ethan right before her death. She thought if I was employed, I’d be okay.” The woman’s eyes misted over. She shifted from one foot to the other. “I have no family left, and everybody’s too scared of Ethan to say a word against him. I’ve tried to leave here seven times. His men always find me and drag me back.” She pointed to the scar on her chest. “This was to teach me a lesson.” Her eyes drifted to her arms. “This is everyday life in this house.”

More people entered the room, and her chin began to quiver. “I just want to be free. To start over somewhere new. That’s all I want.” “You can come back with us,” I blurted. I shook my head, wondering what’d came over me. We didn’t have a way of escape ourselves, yet here I was inviting others. Twist gave me a stern look then turned to the woman. “You can come back with me.” I nodded. “Of course. You can’t live where I do.” She bit her bottom lip and looked away. She didn’t think we’d leave here alive, I realized. She didn’t say it, though. Instead, she gave us a sad smile and walked away. I watched her go, something hard and dangerous settling in my gut. Whatever went on here was bad. I just hoped the verve would last long enough to give us a fighting chance.

Chapter 6 I looked at the brown cloth and small bowl of water. Why had they given us this? It wasn’t just us either. The people outside the cages, the ones dressed in elegant evening attire, also had bowls and pieces of cloth. Kemp held up his bowl. “You have to ire the foresight if nothing else,” he reasoned. His eyes were calm, like he wanted me to think everything would be okay. I blinked at him to acknowledge it, then turned away. I couldn’t let him see the dwindling hope in my eyes. These people were dressed in fancy wear. Their hair was styled, their jewels shining. They’d come here for a show. My gut told me that show had something to do with us. Twist sat cross-legged. His eyes roamed every inch of the room. He was probably looking for escape routes. I didn’t think he’d find any. Ian and Ethan both seemed very shrewd. No doubt they had all exits covered. A few more people filed into the room. The last ones I assumed. By now, the place was full to busting. Twist watched the crowd, a calculating expression on his face. “This cage may neutralize our powers, but once we’re on the floor it’s fair game.” Kemp nodded, his gaze scanning the room. “But will they let us out?” A long horn bellowed, causing a ringing in my ears. The room went silent, but I could feel the excitement in the air. Ethan and Ian stepped to the front of the room. Ethan walked with a confidence that said nothing could touch him. Ian’s eyes held the greedy glint of a showman, ready to shyster people out of their money. I looked at the pair of them. I’d rip their faces off the first chance I got. I turned to Kemp and Twist. They both watched the proceedings with rapid attention. “If they let us out, we pounce,” I said. We wouldn’t win, of course. There were

too many of them. I didn’t care, though. I’d rather go down fighting than play whatever sick game they had in store for us. Ethan raised a hand. The air tensed. Everyone seemed anxious to see what would happen next. He gestured to someone out of my eyesight, then I heard the unmistakable click of a cage being opened. A woman in a black dress stepped forward. Her brown hair was piled high on her head. She carried herself like a woman who was used to getting her way. Behind her trailed an average sized blonde woman of medium height, who looked to be in her early thirties. The blonde woman’s eyes darted warily around the room, but it was the look of betrayal on her face every time she looked at the woman in front of her that set my teeth on edge. They came to stand in front of the room, waiting patiently while the crowd mumbled and pointed. Most of the elegantly dressed people picked up small electronic devices, looking them over. I craned my neck, hoping to get a better look at what they were seeing. The only thing I saw was a bright glare from the screen of their devices. I couldn’t see what their screens said, but I figured it had something to do with the blonde woman. Ian rubbed his hands together. He pointed to the opposite side of the room. A small pale woman with red hair was pushed to the center of the floor. She seemed shocked at first, then straightened her shoulders and walked forward. Ethan looked them both over. The predatory grin on his face spoke to the maliciousness of the man. He stepped to the side, and opened his arms wide, giving the audience a good view of both women. “You have their details,” he said. A few people look down at their screens. “Now place your bets.” People tapped their devices, placing money on one woman or the other. The whole thing left a sour taste in my mouth. If I ever made it out of this cage, I’d rip Ethan and Ian apart with my bare hands. “Son of a bitch,” Twist said, and I could see the anger radiating off him. He

reached into his pocket and pulled out the last verve pill, breaking it in half. “Here.” He gave me one part, then split the other between himself and Kemp. “Thanks.” I slipped it into my mouth. I was grateful. This would strengthen the verve already in my system. I looked toward the front of the room. The two women now stood facing each other. Both looked nervous and unsure. White hot anger shot through my veins. I knew what was ready to happen and I couldn’t do a thing to stop it. Ethan raised a hand, his eyes on the crowd. Then he looked at the two women. “To the death,” he said, voice excited, ecstatic. The crowd didn’t cheer, but some sat up in their seats. The excitement was clear on their faces. Some were practically jumping. Their eyes shone, waiting for these women to tear each other apart. The lady with the red hair swallowed hard and stepped back. Her eyes scanned the direction she’d come from, almost like she was asking for help. The one with the blonde hair must have seen this as an opening. She used her telekinesis to raise the other woman in the air. Then she slammed her down hard to the ground. The red-haired lady hit the floor with a thud, making me wince. She was up a second later. She ran toward the blonde, fist raised. The blonde easily dipped out her way. The blonde was swift. She hit the redhead with a right, snapping her head back. Blood spurted from the redhead’s nose. I turned away, the sickening sound of bones crunching making my chest ache. The redhead cried out. She wiped the blood away, then jumped in the air. She almost reached the ceiling. She spun back down and kicked the blonde woman in the head. The blonde fell back. She stayed on the ground, but she clasped her hands together. My pulse jumped. I knew what happened next, yet I couldn’t turn away. The redhead thought she had the upper hand. She rose in the air again. The

blonde still lay on the floor. She squinted her eyes. She focused on the redhead, then used her telekinesis to rip the other woman’s body apart. Blood, guts, and tissue flew everywhere, spewing the remnants of a woman who’d been alive mere seconds ago. I gagged, my stomach tightening. This was so cruel and unnecessary. Some of the blood and guts landed in my hair and on my face. Yuk. My stomach lurched. I hurriedly opened my bowl of water and dipped the cloth in. I cleaned myself as best I could, but I still felt disgusting. Kemp cleaned himself too. Twist didn’t have to. The spray had missed him completely, though his face held repulsion. The crowd stirred. Some seemed overly happy, while others looked like they’d just lost a small fortune. I expected they had. The servants immediately began cleaning. They scrubbed the floor and wiped down the surfaces. Soon all trace of the redhead’s blood and guts were removed. Ethan turned to the blonde. She kept her head bowed. She didn’t seem proud of what she’d done, just resigned. “To the next round,” he said to her. The blonde nodded, shoulders slumped. The lady in the black dress stepped up and proudly led her away. I closed my eyes. I couldn’t get the image of the redhead out of my mind. These people were sick. They found it entertaining watching others die. I couldn’t wrap my mind around why. Who’d raised these hooligans? What the fuck was wrong with them? It went on like that for a while, opponents facing off, each fighting tooth and nail, trying to survive. I saw the three who’d walked in on leashes get murdered by a short man with glasses, and I mourned the loss of those I’d never known. The crowd was quiet for the moment. Probably because Ethan and Ian stood off in a corner whispering. I looked at Twist. His features were tight, worried. I glanced at my watch, wondering how much time we had to get him out the Cave Town entrance. Three hours. We only had three hours before Twist would

be marked with the sins of all his kills and become a permanent resident of Cave Town. I drew in a sharp breath, kicking myself for putting him in this position. He wouldn’t be here if not for me. That thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. I’d never willingly put Twist at risk like this. Ian and Ethan finished talking. Ian walked our way. He came to stand in front of our cage, eyes shining. “I pick her,” he said, pointing to me. Three men charged forward. One held keys in his hand. He used them to unlock the cell door. Kemp and Twist jumped up, but I didn’t want them hurt trying to protect me. “It’s still in my system,” I said, hoping they’d catch the hint. I couldn’t be killed as long as the verve flowed through me. I could be hurt, yes, but the verve would protect me until I used up too much energy to sustain it. Kemp shook his head. “Fuck you,” he spat at Ian, trying to push me behind him. I grabbed his face with my hands, bringing it closer to my own. “I want to be free,” I whispered. “In here I can’t do anything, but out there...” Out there my powers would be restored. Understanding crossed his face, but he still didn’t look convinced. “Trust me.” That’s all I had time to say before I was snatched out the cage, the bars closing swiftly behind me. Ian pointed to one of the exits. “I’ll be out there,” he sneered. “I’ll be watching your every move.” He gave Ethan a small nod, then left out the side door. I watched him go, dread settling in the pit of my stomach. He’d only leave the room if... My eyes turned back to Kemp and Twist. They looked horrified because they knew exactly why Ian had left.

Chapter 7 Ian was a sadistic bastard. If I ever got free, I’d rip him apart piece by piece. I’d make him feel all the pain he’d inflicted on others. I walked to the front of the room. The crowd watched me, eager expressions on their faces. I was led into a large circle, but I kept my head high. I refused to give them the fear they so desperately craved. Ethan stood beside a tall man, with a close cut. The dude probably benched pressed weightlifters for a living. I froze when I saw him, but depending on his powers, we may have been evenly matched. Ethan cleared his throat and looked at the audience. “The moment you’ve been waiting for is here.” He raised a hand. The shade covering the skylight fell away. The drapes blocking the sun parted. My scars lit up. Pain seized every inch of my body. I fell to the floor and looked at Kemp. He was on his knees, face tight with the effort it took to keep breathing. Every part of me festered and burned. The agony of a thousand deaths washed over me. The curse! That damn curse! The one thing verve couldn’t protect me from. My opponent gulped and stepped back. He looked uneasy, like he didn’t understand. The pain intensified, making my breath short. My eyes searched the room, looking for something, anything that would give me the upper hand. I searched for the man who’d opened my cage. He watched me, a sick grin on his face. He still had the keys. I took a breath. My arms shook. I was on all fours, trying to hold myself upright. I watched the guy with the keys. When he got closer, I whipped a piece of hair out. It took every bit of strength I had, but I couldn’t fail. Our lives depended on it. I wrapped my hair around his throat, slamming him into the cage that held Kemp and Twist.

His head hit with a bang. Twist and Kemp jumped to their feet. Chaos broke out around us. I slammed him again. The keys slipped from his hands and on to the floor. I slung him across the room. Then I found Ethan. I whipped another piece of hair out, wrapping it around Ethan’s throat. I heard keys jingling, and hoped it was Twist and Kemp breaking themselves free. I lifted Ethan in the air. A knife mark on my throat flared up, making me feel like I was being stabbed relentlessly. I could feel the knife ripping through my flesh and bone, hacking me to pieces. I cried out, losing my hold on Ethan. Before I could recuperate, a burn mark on my neck flared up, making me scream. I felt like I was being scorched alive. From the corner of my eye, I saw Twist and Kemp fighting their way toward me. Kemp was on his hands and knees. The pain was evident on his face. His marks were attacking him too. I gasped, shaking. The unmistakable sound of more cages being opened filled my ears. I cried out again, my vision going black. More of my kill marks attacked me, crippling me to the point that I couldn’t move. I felt a boot on my back and wondered if it was Ethan or somebody else crushing me into the floor. I saw the brown-haired lady we’d talked to earlier. The one with the bruises. She flew by me, keys in her hand. My eyes widened. She was the one opening the cages, setting people free. She looked at me, then to the skylight and windows. She nodded. Pain ate into my very soul. I couldn’t think straight. I had no idea what she was trying to tell me, and soon it wouldn’t matter. Ethan flipped me over, his face contorted in rage. “Who do you think you are!” He raised his fist. I was helpless to stop the crushing blow that landed on my face. My wounds were golden now, glowing brightly. He had the upper hand, but I refused to accept defeat. “There’s nothing you can do to me my marks haven’t

already done,” I breathed out. He raised his hand. It shook and rumbled. Superspeed. He was ready to use his superspeed on me. “I’ll just take this as a loss,” he said. He was going to kill me. Right here, while I was at my weakest, he was ready to end my life. I drew in a breath. I tried to whip out a lock of hair, but I’d lost too much energy. The pain rippling through my body was too great. His hand came closer to me. I tried to ease away, but then the drapes closed, and the skylight once again became covered. Sunlight left the room. I leapt to my feet, noticing the horror that now covered his face. I lashed out, wrapping my hair around his neck. I squeezed as hard as I could. He choked and gagged, turning purple from the oxygen slowly leaving his brain. The wind picked up around me, and people began to fly through the air. Twist was doing his thing. Before he’d been sticking close to Kemp, trying to make sure he was okay. With the sunlight gone, Ian came flying back into the room. Ethan went limp in my grasp, all struggle now gone from his body. I slung him across the room. My arm lit up, burning a new mark into my skin. Ethan was dead, and I’d now be cursed with the sin of his death for the rest of my life. Ian headed my way, a look of pure rage on his face. Kemp cold cocked him before he even got close to where I stood. Ian fell back, hitting the ground hard. He quickly got up again, a smug look on his face. “Bennie will die now. I’ll make sure of it.” Blood formed in his mouth where Kemp had hit him. He spat it away. I thought about his guys holding Bennie, and my hands shook at my sides. “I’ll kill them,” I said. “Every one of them.” He launched for me. I whipped hair around his neck at the same time the air shifted. When it cleared, Ian lay in broken pieces at my feet. Kemp stood over

him, chest rising and falling, a new mark appearing on his throat. The people in the audience were all gone now, none willing to risk their lives for a few hours of entertainment. The people from the cages and the ones who’d been held captive outside the cages had all been freed. Some looked lost, like they didn’t know what came next. Wind whipped at Twist’s feet. “All of Ethan’s men are dead,” he said. “Every last one of them.” I nodded and took a look at the destruction around us. Had it been worth it? Who knew how long they’d been doing this or how many people had lost their lives here? Had it really been worth it, just to put a few extra dollars in their pockets? I looked at my watch. We only had an hour to get Twist out of here. “We have to go.” “Don’t leave me,” a voice cried out. I turned to see the brunette limping our way. She’d set the people in the cages free as well as closed the drapes and skylight, so we’d have a fighting chance. I looked at her with respect. It took guts to do what she had. I was thankful and would do everything in my power to help her. “What’s your name?” Twist asked. He had cuts and scrapes on his face and arms. I looked at Kemp. He didn’t look that much better. “Andrea,” the woman said. “My name’s Andrea, and any place is better than here.” “What about them?” Kemp asked of the people from the cages still milling around. “Most are from Highcity and Guard Town,” she said. With Kemp’s speed and my teleportation, it only took seconds to get them where they asked to go. Once that was done, only myself, Kemp, Twist, and Andrea remained in the

room. “Anytime now,” Twist said, rocking on the balls of his feet, reminding me if we didn’t leave soon, he’d become a permanent resident of Cave Town. “Come on,” I said. They gathered close, all three touching me. I got us home quickly, leaving the horrors of the last few hours behind us.

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Chapter 8 We arrived dead smack in the middle of Ian’s yard. Because we had the element of surprise, it took mere minutes to take his crew out. Andrea had the power of telekinesis and tore through three or four at a time. When the smoke cleared, the only ones left standing were my team, Bennie, who’d been tied to a chair on the porch, and the frightened lady we’d seen earlier. The woman’s head snapped up. “Where the fuck is my money?” She rose from the chair like the true leader I now saw her to be. Her face held rage, anger. “Ian is—” I stared, but she cut me off. “Ian is a fool who follows my orders. Now where the fuck is my money?” “So, you did this?” I asked, shaking my head at her. “This was all your doing?” She moved closer to me, menace in her every step. “If you think Ian has the brains to—” That’s all she got out before her tongue flew from her mouth. The woman gagged, blood spurting out. I turned to the side. Andrea’s hand was raised, a look of fury on her face. “I’ve seen too many people die at those fighting events. Nothing she says can atone for that.”

I swallowed and nodded. I didn’t know half of what Andrea had gone through under Ethan’s rule. I pointed to the porch where Bennie was still tied up. His broken hand was limp and swollen, making me angry all over again. Andrea waved a hand, and the ties binding him flew away. He limped to where we were, looking at the bodies on the ground. “Jing?” He gave me a stern look. “What did you do?” “Only what I had to.” I lept into his arms, careful of his injury. He squeezed me to him. “I’m glad you’re okay, Celeste,” he whispered in my ear. “You too.” I squeezed him tighter. “You too.” When I finally stepped away, I pointed to Kemp. “Ready?” he asked Bennie. Bennie turned to me. “Don’t be a stranger, Jing. I hope to see you soon.” Kemp positioned him carefully before whisking him away. Kemp was back a second later. “Can we go now?” Twist asked. I nodded. Together with Andrea and Kemp, I teleported Twist outside the entrance of Cave Town, then on to his home. The sun was starting to break through when we got there, so Kemp and I couldn’t stay long. Twist took a seat on his front porch, a relieved expression on his face. Andrea stood off to the side. “Thank you,” I said, Twist waved a hand. “It was nothing.” Kemp chuckled. We both knew how harrowing this had been. Ian had thought Log City was his to do as he pleased, but we’d proven him wrong. Twist took out his phone and turned it back on. He swiped at it a few times. “I’m calling Leah.”

He looked to Andrea. She leaned against the porch rail, face blank, watching us talk. “Leah’s a friend of mine. She’ll help get you set up.” The sun rose more in the sky. Kemp and I both winced in pain. He put his hand in mine and pulled me close. “Ready?” he asked. I leaned into him, happy he was here. I placed a soft kiss on his lips. “always,” I answered.

Author Note

If you enjoyed Celeste’s story, then please check out my series Magic and Mischief: A Magical Reckoning A Symptom of Magic A Victim of Magic

Other Titles by N. R. Hairston

Other Titles by N. R. Hairston Magic and Mischief Series A Magical Reckoning, Book One A Symptom of Magic, Book Two A Victim of Magic, Book Three Sun Cursed (Set in the Magic and Mischief world): Cursed Magic, Book One Savage Magic, Book Two Lethal Magic, Book Three

World Breaker Rogue Magic, Book One Bloody Magic, Book Two Battle Magic, Book Three World Breaker Beginnings (Novellas set before events in World Breaker, though you don’t have to read one to read the other.) Read this series for free when you my mailing list, here. Rebel Magic, Book One Stolen Magic, Book Two Crooked Magic, Book Three Dirty Magic, Book Four

Feral Magic, Book Five Lawless Magic, Book Six

Rise of the Dragons Fire and Ash, Book One Smoke and Flame, Book Two Dust and Cinder, Book Three

Atina and Ridge We Got Powers Too, Book One We Wreak Havoc Too, Book Two We Got Witches Too, Book Three

Rebel Writers Anthologies Street Spells Hey, guys, there are fourteen rebel writers in all. For free stories exclusive to that group only plus tons of other good stuff, us here: Urban Fantasy Rebel Readers.

Acknowledgments

Aspecial thanks to my beta readers, and editors for making this book what it is. Thank You! If you enjoyed this book, tell me all about it by leaving a review. Subscribe to N. R. Hairston’s newsletter here, to get exclusive short stories, and be the first to hear about deals and promotions. my private Facebook reading group here.

About the Author

N.R. Hairston resides in Southern Virginia with her family. She enjoys writing, reading, cooking, and spending time with her loved ones. Please be on the lookout for books by N. R. Hairston. I hope you enjoyed reading this book. If you’d like to discuss it, my private Facebook Reading Group here, or find me on linktree here.