Sinful Magic (Book 3 of the Ink series)

Chapter 13

Several hours later I was drunk.

I held on to Karsen's hand as we jumped around on the dance floor amongst all the super naturals as Hutch put it.

They physically were no different than anyone else in Cherry. I never would have seen anyone as different. But maybe it was because I was different now too.

I tossed my head back and forth jumping around to the music. I didn't have a care in the world. I didn't care that I was close to fainting from the heat, or that my feet hurt.

"This is fun!" Karsen said, shaking her fist in the air. She twirled in a circle taking me along for the ride. Everyone was a blur, and a little part of me wanted to blow chunks all over the place.

"Why do you think he stays up there?" Karsen yelled. "Do you think he is an awful dancer?"

I laughed, squeezing her hand as she twirled in another circle. I let go and instead of remaining on her feet Karsen fell backwards. She knocked over a girl on the way down.

The crowd parted. I hurried to help Karsen up sensing the animosity.

The tiny brunette dusted off the seat of her shorts and examined her hands. I didn't know what for.

"Why don't you watch where you're dancing?" The guy standing next to her shouted.

"Oh, shut up. Does anyone here not have a stick up there ass?" Karsen shouted back. She craned her neck looking up at him. "Holy shit balls your tall."

I gripped Karsen's wrist, she was drunk and I didn't want her starting a fight we couldn't finish.

"Are you alright, Love?" Tall guy asked the girl Karsen knocked down. She touched his chest and smiled.

"I promise I'm fine," she assured him. She turned to us. "He's protective."

Karsen waved her away. "He's an asshole."

I screamed, dropping to the ground as she lunged at Karsen with razor-sharp claws on each hand all of a sudden. I shook my head in disbelief, getting to my feet and grabbing a hold of Karsen to get her as far away from this girl as I could.

She backed off watching us scramble away from her.

"What the hell was that?" Karsen said staring her down. "Am I that drunk?"

Even when I knew that witches were real the idea this girl sprouted razor-sharp claws I couldn't process.

"What's wrong Blondie, are you afraid I'll tear you in two?" She called.

The crowd drifted further away from her. I searched for Hutch in the window, the alcohol wasn't helping matters. My magic was useless this intoxicated. Hutch wasn't there.

Karsen pulled me through the crowd; I followed on her heels slamming into the back of her when she stopped all of a sudden.

"Karsen keep moving. I can't do anything to save us. And I don't know where Hutch is," I said, I pushed her, but she didn't budge.

There she stood, the same girl that had just been behind us ready to slash us into pieces.

I wondered why nobody wanted to help us or at least calm her down. When I was close to giving in and handing Karsen over to her and making a quick getaway to find Hutch he appeared.

"Now now, April," he said to her. The girl, who we now knew was April, retracted her claws—literally. He motioned her over.

"I promise these two meant you no harm," Hutch told her. "They're friends of mine."

She debated whether to claw Karsen's eyes out for insulting her or to let it go. All of a sudden she vanished into thin air. I turned around. She stood next to the tall guy again acting as if nothing happened.

Hutch took us both by the shoulders and made it to the exit with us. I was thankful for the fresh air. I lifted my hair from my neck enjoying the cool.

"What the hell was that back there?" Karsen asked as soon as we were a safe distance from the Greenhouse.

Hutch explained as we weaved our way through the cars as I tried to find my own.

"April, that girl who wanted to rip your eyes from their sockets, she's a demon. Like I said before there are many kinds of supernaturals all over Cherry."

I swallowed, scared at the thought of a demon. It didn't sound good.

"What's with the claws and the vanishing act?" Karsen asked. She tripped and almost face-planted before I found my car.

I struggled for my keys in my pocket and as soon as I unlocked my door Hutch slammed it shut. He pushed it shut again when I tried opening it once more.

"Hutch, I need to get home," I said.

"You're drunk, doll," he said. "I can't have you killing yourself."

Maybe if I was sober it would have been sweet and endearing, but right then nothing but a nuisance. I gritted my teeth, my pulse pumping as I stared him down.

"Get out of my way, I need to go home. You don't get to boss me around all the time," I crossed my arms. "It's a five-minute drive."

Karsen leaned against the car oblivious to our argument as she tried to stand without toppling over and landing on her face.

"You're drunk. Let me drive you there. I'll walk back or drop your car off tomorrow," he said again. He leaned in swiping my hair behind my ear. "Don't get upset. I would hate to see something bad happening to you."

I rolled my eyes, pulling away. "It already has." Slade said that once I thought to myself. Now it seemed to be my theme.

Hutch released my car door this time. "Call me when your home?"

I shook my head infuriated. "I'm not ten. Karsen get in the car."

He held onto my door frame, his expression growing stiff. "You're acting like it right now, Doll."

"You're the one who invited me here. You said it would take away my misery remember?" I wasn't feeling any less miserable. If anything I was horrified by the newest insights.

Karsen still wasn't in the car. I punched the steering wheel livid with her and Hutch. "Karsen, get in the damn car or I'll leave you here with April, and may god be with you."

I backed out of my parking spot almost hitting the car behind me. I gave Hutch one last look. He was disappointed in me and I didn't care. I wanted to go home.

Karsen yanked the door shut as I headed for the road. "Are you psychotic? You almost took my head off. At least let me get my seatbelt on before you kill us both."

I rolled my eyes wrenching the wheel before I hit the curb and telephone pole.

"Just let me concentrate," I told her.

Karsen fumbled with her seatbelt. "While you try not to slam my face into your dashboard, for sure, concentrate all you want."