A Little Wicked (The Bewitching Hour Book #4)(47)

“Derek!” she called as she ran to his side. But as she reached him, she was filled with a sense of wrongness. It wasn’t that he was a gray, ashy color from the debris. And it wasn’t the unnatural shape of his chest. It was the emptiness of his face that struck her. “Derek!” she called again, willing the spark to come back. Willing him to open his eyes. Willing the life force to suddenly return. “No, no, no, no....” She repeated the word over and over until it was more of a moan than any discernible syllables.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. Derek had been there just a few seconds ago. She could bring him back. She had to bring him back. Sam set her hand on his chest and closed her eyes, calling all her energy and power that she could as she tried to use it to spark something in him.

She didn’t know any spells or rituals. All she knew was that this couldn’t be happening.

But before she could even try the most basic spell, something slammed into her chest and she fell back a few feet. She looked up, expecting to see Abigail standing victoriously over Derek, but it wasn’t the darkness that had ruined her chances of bringing him back.

It was Claudia. “I’m so sorry,” she said as she knelt down and put her hand on his shoulder.

“Grandma, plea—” But then they were gone. It was just empty, dusty air where the love of her life and grandmother used to be.

“Claudia!” she screamed as she jumped up and ran to the place where Derek’s limp body had just been. She ran her hands over the earth, wondering whether she had imagined the whole thing. Sam spun in circles, realizing everyone was gone now. No Claudia. No Abigail.

No Derek.

A strangled cry started to escape her throat but she stopped herself from releasing it.

No. Derek wasn’t gone. He couldn’t be gone. She was a witch, damn it. Not just any witch, but a Harris. She didn’t care how many cities she had to level or people who had to die, but one way or another, Derek was coming back to her.





Bastian strode into the master wing where the dead man was lying prone on the bed. Any signs of life had obviously fled. It had been a quick death. A warrior’s death. Derek would be happy going out this way.

Quiet footsteps sounded behind him, but he didn’t need to turn to see Claudia entering with an armful of supplies.

“You can’t do this,” he said softly, knowing she’d already made up her mind.

“This isn’t a debate,” she said sternly as she started to line everything up meticulously on the nightstand.

“When Samantha finds out, she’ll never forgive you.”

“Well, Samantha will have to learn that sometimes there’s a cost for living. You know that better than anyone,” she bit out.

“And I’m telling you, don’t do this. I know you don’t care about my opinions, but listen to this one. I know the price to be paid. It’s not worth it.”

“You’re right.” She turned to him, her face cold and almost inhuman. “I don’t care about your opinions. Now go outside and if anyone tries to interrupt me, defend this room with your life. That’s an order.”

Bastian had long since stopped being surprised by the depths of what Claudia was capable of, but this was a new low, even for her.

Nevertheless, before he could voice any more concerns that she would’ve ignored, his feet carried him out of the room and away from Claudia as she ensured that she would never have a relationship with her family ever again.

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Sam didn’t know whether this was a good idea. Honestly, the part of her brain that was capable of weighing pros and cons was pretty fried. Most of her brain felt relatively useless at the moment. She could still walk and move one foot in front of the other, but how it was happening seemed like a black hole in her mind.

One step. Then another. She ran into people on the sidewalk and some would yell out at her, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. One step. Then another. She called Claudia, but there was no answer. She called Bastian, but no answer.

There was nothing. Claudia took Derek’s body and ran. There was no way to find her. Claudia was powerful enough to hide from any spell that Sam was capable of. There was only one person on this planet that could possibly help Sam right now. And that’s where she was going. One step. Then another.

The skyscraper had two guards posted outside. But not sentries any longer. Not since the darkness took over. The two witches moved aside and let her in without saying anything. Did the darkness know she was there? Did they communicate with Abigail telepathically? Sam had been taken over by the darkness before, but her memories of the time were so vague. All she knew was that Derek was the one who brought her back. He was the one who saved her.

And she didn’t even remember that. Claudia had stolen that memory from her. She felt as though she were being stabbed right through the heart. Knowing she was missing memories had been hard before, but now, knowing that she might never have time to make more memories with Derek....

As she reached the elevator, her knees felt weak and she had to hold onto the wall to keep from buckling over. She couldn’t do this. She wasn’t strong enough. Derek had been her strength. He’d been her example and now he was gone. Stolen from her mind by Claudia. Stolen from her arms by Claudia.