(3) Painstaker

Seven: Cabin

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure, sure? Like, super sure? Please, tell me you've thought this through. I mean it, Kat. This is big. No take backsies. It's like a tattoo. There is absolutely no going back with this one." My hands were on her shoulders, my face was in her face, and I was pretty sure my eyes were as big as saucers.

Kat's eyes softened. She placed a hand over mine. "Crystal... be honest. Will you... hate me for going through with this? He was your brother."

"No! No, no! I won't hate you. I just..." I puffed out a sigh. "I don't understand it, is all. Do what you gotta do, girl. Just promise me you've given this enough thought."

Her hand fell away. "It's all I've been thinking about. I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing this for Lucy."

I let my hands dropped to my sides. Behind her, Dara was very impatiently waiting beside a block of ice meant to be where Kat would lay. In fact, the entire room was made of ice. Kind of weird, if you ask me. "Why do we have to do this in here, anyway?" I complained to the witch. "Can't we do it in like an actual bedroom? This is totally unnecessary."

Dara scoffed. "You know nothing of magic, wolf. If you speak more, you leave." She cocked her head to the metal door behind me. I folded my arms across my chest and cocked my eyebrow, silently telling her I wasn't moving a muscle. Dara nodded once, then motioned for Kat to lay on her back.

Flower and Sam were hovering behind me, so close I could hear them breathing. If I wasn't so focused on Kat, I would have spun around and swatted the both of them.

My skin was itching. That conscious voice in my head was begging me to scoop up Kat, haul her out of here, and never let her anywhere near a witch or voodoo master again. Kat's memories were precious. Donovan was precious to her. Why? Why do this? Why to Donovan?

If I gritted my teeth any harder, I'd have to go visit my dentist.

"This should not take long." Dara placed hands on Kat's forearm, causing the tiny girl to wince. She was laid out on the slab of ice, eyes focused on the ice ceiling. "Close your eyes. Clear your mind. Listen to nothing but my voice." Kat listened to Dara's instructions. "Dadiby abeka Donovan Westwood. Mokkefaeb. Dadiby abeka Donovan Westwood. Mokkefaeb." She repeated her creepy chant about a dozen times.

The tips of her fingers sparked. Narrowing my eyes, I noticed a faint mist floating from the tips and being absorbed into Kat's head. As the chant continued, so did the trail of mist, until nothing left came out of Dara's fingertips. When she finished, she glanced over at me. "She will be tired. Let her rest for a while. You may all stay in this room with her."

"We have to stay in this room? Can't I bring her to a bedroom?"

"No," she snapped quickly. Too quickly. My guards raised. Dara walked up to me, eyes level with mine. She was tall, unlike her niece. "You do not go where you are not wanted, wolf," she snapped. Just as I was about to ask this girl who the hell she thinks she is, she slammed the palm of her hand into my chest. The force knocked me on my ass. Without another word, Dara left the room with a slam.

I waved my hands dismissively at her departure. "I'm going to kill her," I gritted. "After I catch my breath." Pressing my hands against my lungs, I tried to get in an air-full, but the bitch knocked the wind out of me. Totally uncalled for.

Then, with that hand of mine that was pressed against my chest, I felt a tiny balled up piece of paper there. I pulled my hand back, eyeing the paper in my palm. Carefully, I unrolled it and flattened it out.

'It's trap. Leave now.'

My heart dropped in my chest. "You've got to be kidding me. Alright, parties over. Time to go!" Pouncing up onto the balls of my feet, I scooped an unconscious Kat in my arms.