Dead by Dawn

Chapter 5

Wyatt stayed up all night, tossing and turning. He had been trying to forget the incident, but no matter how hard he tried, it was futile. The vivid image of the plants wilting stayed fresh in his mind. Worst of all, he could almost sense the pedestrian's gray ashes, feel it under his hands, see the blood flecks among the gray, smell death in the air, and, worst of all, hear the screams of agony. It didn't help that the thunderstorm outside brought ear-splitting claps of thunder and the rain made drumbeats on his window and caused his scar on his face to ache.

"You must feel so guilty, Wyatt." The voice murmured.

He rolled over to his side. "That's all your fault. I never wanted you in my head from the start."

"Maybe, but have you ever considered a fact?" The voice sounded smug.

Wyatt sighed and sat up. "What's that?"

"Without me, you wouldn't be here right now. Hell, you would've been rotting away five feet in the ground had it not been for me."

Wyatt shivered. "What do you mean?"

"I should start from the beginning. I am Thane Masterson. I was a ghost, drifting in and out of classrooms in The University of the Capitol. U.C. College. That rich one.

Your mother had come from a poor background, so getting in was a dream come true for her. But she noticed me. Her magic allowed her sight of everything. Even ghosts like me."

Wyatt was almost on the edge of his bed. "What happened?"

"We became friends. Best friends. She knew my magic. Then, one day, your father came along. The minute your father saw her, he was smitten. He stopped at nothing to win her heart. Later, she fell for him, too, and married him. When she got pregnant, she found out two things. I was dying. Without a proper Host who fit my requirements, I would fade and disappear forever. She also learned that you two would be born without magic. It was better to have magic than not to, so we made a deal. My magic in exchange for life. We chose Chase to take in the magic."