Catherine Kos – Author

I hope you had a wonderful Holiday!

Check out chap. 15 & 16 of An Empty Grave down below.

Happy reading!

Chapter 15

Chase

“What really happened that night, Chase?” Deklan asks, his voice deep and full or rage.

“I don’t know what your talking about,” I tell him, slowly taking a step away from him.

“There’s only one way for this to happen, Chase. With dark magic. That means someone is lying about what happened that night, and I don’t think it’s Bianca. What. Did. You. Do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” I tell him, forcing the words out through clenched teeth.

Despite my words, that night comes rushing back. Memories that I’ve tried so hard to forget.

I tried to warn her. I knew what she was thinking. She was human, her powers gone and she didn’t think she could fight him by herself and win. So she thought if she could get me free first, then we could go after him together. But she didn’t have enough time. I tried to tell her to turn around that he was coming, but she wouldn’t listen. When she finally did, it was too late and he was sinking a knife into her gut. She had gotten one of my hands free. Blindly, I undid the other and dropped to the ground, crawling over to her. Blood poured from the wound, seeping into her clothes, onto my hands as I pulled her into my lap, wrapping my arms around her. I stroked her cheek, but she was already gone.

“You have to bring her back,” I told the Aldinn, my voice hoarse. “You have to do something to bring her back.”

The Aldinn let out a low chuckle. “I don’t have to do anything. I got what I came for.”

The Aldinn pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the knife on it, cleaning Bianca’s blood from it.

Gloria limps over to him. “We should get going.”

He nods. “Yes, let’s – “

“No!” I shout. “You can’t just leave her like this. Please, you need to do something. I’ll give you whatever you want,” I beg.

The Aldinn freezes, turning to look at me.

Gloria rolls her eyes. “Why would he bring her back? When her being dead is the whole point?”

“But she won’t have her powers,” the Aldinn says thoughtfully. He looks to Gloria. “She died without her powers, so she won’t have them when if she came back.”

Gloria nods slowly. “But why would you help him?”

The Aldinn turns back to me. “Tell me, Chase. Do you want to live forever?” He asks, a wide grin spreading across his face.

“Dammit, Chase, this isn’t about what you did. This is about figuring out what happened and helping, Bianca. We know you’re lying so what is it?” Deklan shouts.

“I hate to break up this little chat,” Marian says. “But if it is what I think it is, then you need to find Bianca. This thing has been latched on to her for a long time – too long. I’m surprised it’s even taken this long.”

“What has?” I ask, looking at Marian.

She gives me a pitying look. “What do you think happens when a demon takes over? Bianca will be gone and the demon will be in her place. You need to find her and bring her here. Like, six months ago.”

Damen and I share a look and then we’re both taking off. I hit the door for the stairwell and jump down the flights until I reach the last floor and take off for my car.

“I’ll call the guys,” Damen says. “Call Duke and see if she’s at the house.”

I know grabbing for my phone in one hand and my keys in the other.

Duke answers almost instantly.

“‘Sup?”

“Where’s Bianca?” I ask, no time for pleasantries.

“Um, in her room, I think. Why?”

“I need you to get eyes on her and keep them there.”

“Chase, what is it?”

“It’s not good. Now is she there or not?”

I hear him moving on the other end of the line. A door creaks open.

“She’s not here,” he says. “She must have gone out the window.”

“Call Remi, see if you two can locate her. We need to find her and fast.”

Damen, already hearing the conversation, jogs to his motorcycle.

“Any idea where she might go?” He shouts.

I shake my head. “Most likely the city. She likes walking downtown or near the beach. But she would go somewhere secluded. There’s a couple spots that I know she goes to a lot. I’ll send out a text with the locations.”

Damen nods. “Me and my guys will take Chicago, you and Duke stay around here. She couldn’t have gotten that far.”

Then Damen is driving off and I’m calling Duke again.

“I’ve got Remi,” he says. “We’re checking around the school, and then we’ll go to the forest preserve next.”

“Alright, I’ve got the parks near your house, and near the football stadium.”

I hang up and whip the car into drive, hitting the gas as hard as I can.

“Where are you, Bianca?”

Chapter Sixteen

Bianca

“Come on, it’s not much further,” my mother says from a few yards ahead.

“Where are we going?” I ask, with a roll of m eyes.

Last week, she had me walking all along downtown Chicago, searching for this herb. ‘It’ll help bring me back’ she said. Of course it took almost the whole day, visiting about ten magic shops to find it. And when I finally did find it, it was very expensive. Of course, she didn’t pay for it.

Now, she woke me up in the middle of the night, to come all the way out to the beach. It’s a warm night but the wind is sharp and I can hear the waves hitting the rocks.

She also informed me that Chase was parked outside of my house, which he had been for a week, and if I wanted to leave, I had to sneak out of the back. Sneak out of the back of my own house. Anger seeps into me just thinking about it.

“Hurry up,” my mother snaps. “We’re running out of time.”

“Time for what?” I ask, stomping closer to her, her attitude making my anger surge.

Mom doesn’t reply. She gets to the edge of the lake, to the stone sidewalk that borders it and starts to pace.

“This has taken too long. Way too long,” she mutters to herself.

“What has?” I ask, getting closer to her. “Mom, you’re freaking me out.”

She looks at me and grins. “There’s just one last thing to do. Come here, child.”

“What do you have to do?” I ask.

“It’s not what I have to do, it’s what you have to do.”

Crooking a finger at me, she watches me with blazing eyes. Something about her, something about that look has me taking a hesitant step back.

“No,” I say, my voice breaking. I clear it and try again. “No.”

“Bianca, come here.” She demands, the smile dropping from her face.

“No,” I say, cementing my words with another step. “I need to go home.”

“Don’t you want to be with me?”

This makes me hesitate.

“I do. So much, but you’re not real,” I say, tears forming in my eyes.

“I’m as real as you are, darling, and unlike that little boyfriend of yours, I actually love you.”

I look away from her.

“Do you have the knife?” She asks.

Slowly, I look back at her and nod.

“Good. Now come here, child.”

Like I’m in a trance I step closer to her until we’re two feet apart.

“Let me see it,” my mother says.

My limbs move slowly like I’m underwater, but I lift the hemline of my shirt and pull the knife from its sheath at the back of my waist.

“Good,” mother says, grinning. Her eyes are focused on the knife, a gleam in her eye.

“It’s time,” she says once more, reaching down and oh so slowly grasping my wrist. Her fingers curl around my skin one by one.

A loud “Bianca!” Pierces through the air.

I whip my head to the side, finding Chase running along the rocks, his feet moving fast.

“No,” mother growls, and as I look back to her I feel her tug on my skin. It’s harsh and sharp and before I can even look back at Chase, my feet are moving and I am airborne.

The end, for now!

I hope you liked todays chapters! Make sure to check back soon for more!

Stay Rad,

Catie 🙂