Ink Magic (Ink Sorceress Chronicles) by Erika Gilbert Read Free Book Online

to help her back up but she brushed him aside, clinging to the fence to pull herself along.
    “ Let me take a look at you,” Daniel said.
    Covered in bites, some of them mere grazes, a few of them deep and nasty, Leeza looked like she’d walked through glass.
    “ Yeah, right, just so you can cop a feel. Not likely,” she said and bent over to cough up blood. I hoped the blood came from the bites she inflicted on me and not her own internal injuries.
    She used the fence to walk herself past us and Daniel followed close behind, ready to catch her.
    “ Daniel,” I said to his back, and louder when he continued to ignore me. “Daniel. I didn’t kill her.” Surely that counted for something.
    He stopped, and without turning, said, “Yes. But you tried.”
    I let him walk away. The truth dawned on me. I nearly killed a girl and I enjoyed trying. Part of me wanted to kill again. Without a guardian to guide and teach me I had no way of controlling my powers. I swore then never to use my powers again. If Leeza attacked me I’d ignore her. I was petrified, because I couldn’t control my power or stop myself from turning into a wolf.
    Mostly I was petrified because I’d had a taste of immense power and I wanted more.

Chapter Six
     
    Mom cried when she saw my torn skirt. I expected her to complain about how much the material cost, not to mention the work that went into fashioning it.
    “ I’m sorry, Mom,” I said.
    She didn’t say a word, she was far too worried about paying the electric bill and no doubt wondering where the money for next week’s food would come from.
    Calculator in hand, she’d been staring at a pile of bills for the last ten minutes. Eventually shoving the whole lot into the already full draw of unpaid bills, she moved to the sink. Silently washed the dishes, clearly exhausted, she knocked a plate off the bench. When she stooped down to get it tears were in her eyes.
    “ Here, mom. Let me get that.” I collected the broken parts of the plate and wrapped them in newspaper. “Leave the dishes, Mom.”
    She let me take the dishcloth from her hand and smiled wearily. I couldn’t do much to help her with the bills, but at least she might get the chance to rest.
    “ I should go into work early today. See if I can put in an extra shift.” Brushing a soft kiss on my cheek, she grabbed her jacket from the hook by the door, shouldered her purse and left.
    Seeing her leave the house to work a double shift pretty much pushed my case of guilt right over the top. Mom needed a break. She worked seven days for months on end, only stopping when she was forced by public holidays.
    I decided to make up for the trouble I caused by finding myself a part time job. I phoned Carrie to see if she’d be willing to talk her dad into throwing a few shifts in his coffee shop my way. Carrie was ecstatic; she hated working and only did so because her father forced her to. Since his daughter only agreed to work for money, he wouldn’t lose out by hiring me instead. In fact, because he only had to pay me minimum wage, I guessed he’d probably be better off. I got the feeling I might end up working there every day.
    I went straight to the shop after hanging up the phone. She was going to show me the ropes on my first day, which suited me because I wanted to talk to her about what happened with Leeza and Daniel.
    Carrie began showing me how to work the till when her mother arrived.
    “ Carrie, darling,” Karen Gale said, kissing the air either side of her daughter’s rouged cheeks. “Jim tells me you have the afternoon off.”
    The women exchanged conspiring glances and something told me Karen’s presence wasn’t entirely coincidental.
    “ Yes, mom. Did you hear there’s a sale on a the jewelers?”
    “ Oh, really,” she replied, sounding not the least surprised. “Well, we might just look in on our way to the salon.”
    They practically raced out of the shop.
    Jim Dale looked pale and I imagined he was