I don’t get a reply, so I go to pull my phone out of my pocket, but it’s not there. I look around to see if I dropped it, but it’s not anywhere on the floor.
I don’t want to leave Nix, but I need to find the others and get help. Maybe if we all work together we can bring Nix back from the dead. That’s what I’m hoping anyway.
“I’ll be back Nix,” I tell him standing up. I wipe my face and hurry out of the room into the hall. “Guys, I need you,” I call.Again, I hear nothing. I shake my head and send my magic out looking for them.
I walk to the front door and try to open it, but it’s stuck. I push some magic into it, but nothing happens. I rest my head on the wooden door, overcome with emotions. This was supposed to be a fun evening, not this.
I take a breath and straighten. I need to find the others. I turn around and walk further into the house and the next room. The dancing clothes room and stare in horror. Temp is hanging from the ceiling, clothes wrapped around his neck.
I run over to Temp’s body and manage to undo the cloth and lower him. I drop to the floor, Temp resting in my arms as I hold him close.
“This isn’t real,” I say out loud. “It’s just another dark witch illusion or whatever, but it’s not real. Maybe I’m still asleep. Yes, that’s what it is. I’m asleep and this is a bad dream that I’ll wake up from and when I do, I’ll see both you and Nix, both still alive and happy.” I’m rambling, but I don’t care. “I need to get you next to Nix,” I tell him. I want them both in the same room together.
I move around and lay Temp on the ground. I try and pick Temp up, but he’s heavy and my magic isn’t helping.
“Sorry Temp,” I say as I lift him up under the arms and drag him into the dining room and lay him next to Nix.
I flop down next to them. “I know I should look for the others, but I’m not sure I have it in me to see how they killed everyone else.” I sit there for a moment, sadness filling me. “This isn’t real, this isn’t real,” I mutter to myself over and over again. I take a breath. “I’m a true witch dammit. I know this isn’t real,” I say out loud and stand up. “I will get out of this. I don’t know how at the moment, but I will get out.”
I pull on all my magic and blast it out. For the first time, nothing happens. It is as if I didn’t do anything. I look downat Temp and Nix, wondering what to do when I hear running footsteps and Sly dashes into the room.
“Ernest, thank goodness. Take my hand and I’ll get you out of here.”
“It is a dream, right?” I ask him.Please, please, tell me it’s a dream. I think to myself.
He nods. “It is. Take my hand and I’ll wake you up.”
I take his hand, hoping this is our Sly and he can actually pull me out of this nightmare.
CHAPTER 28
Iopen my eyes and the first face I see is Adhan.
“Hey,” he says gently.
I sit up and fling myself in his arms. “Oh! Thank God,” I pull back. “Please tell me the others are alright.”
“Everyone is fine, look,” he says, pulling back.
I look around and see everyone gathered in our bedroom. I look at Nix and Temp, both of whom are alive thank goodness, mind you they’re looking a little pale.
I see Sly sat on the side of my bed.
“Thanks, Sly,” I say, sending him a small smile.
“You’re welcome. It would seem only dark magic could bring you all back.”
“All back? Wait, did we all have the same dream? Haunted house, dead bodies?” I ask.
“Yeah, we did,” Temp says, he’s stood wrapped in Ben’s arms. Mind you the others are in the arms of their lovers as well.
“Sly and Justice rescued us,” Ebby tells me.
“How did you know we needed rescuing?” I ask Sly. It’s then I notice he is holding Ebby’s hand.
“Ebby always wakes first. But this morning I did. I waited for Ebb to wake, but something felt wrong. I used my magic to lookfor him and found him trapped in a dream at the haunted house. I pulled him out and just as he woke up, I heard the brothers shouting for help. I figured everyone might be trapped in that house. Ebb went to help Titus and I went to help Sal. When Ebb couldn’t get to Titus he realised only dark magic could bring you all out. Justice got himself out and then helped.”
“When you all vanished from the haunted house, I figured the dark witches had done something, but still, seeing and finding dead bodies was crushing,” Justice says. “My magic went practically black and I managed to shatter my dream and wake up.”
