Free Twisted Magic by Holly Hood

confused.
    Maybe the coven gave him life, but they didn’t give me life. I didn’t owe them anything.
     
    I beat my pillow angrily and slipped into bed.
     
    After some time, my body relaxed enough to allow the anger to slip away, and I fell asleep. I was awakened to a high pitch screech that flooded my ears and knock ed me back into reality.
    I opened my eyes, searching the room for the source of the racket . Elliot and Easton were screaming for me to get out of the house.
    I jumped out of my bed and ran into the hallway in a panic. The air was thick with smoke. I t immediately filled my lungs and made me cough. I dropped to my knees, going for Dad’s bedroom.
    “ Come on, Hope,” Elliot yelled from the hallway floor. His face was damp, and his shaggy hair was pinned to one side of his head. “Dad’s not here.”
    “Are you sure?” I asked, fear of leaving him in the house while it was burning making me unable to move . “What about Easton?”
    “He’s already outside, ” Elliot said , reaching for me. I took his hand and we both jumped to our feet and ran for the door. I covered my face with my shirt, letting Elliot tug me through the smoke. Finally, we hit the outdoors. Fresh air invaded my senses.
    The flash of the lights from the fire truck pulling up shocked my vision, Nona and Claude were already barreling down the beach toward us. Easton worked fast to call for help. If only I knew what set the fire in the first place. I hadn’t seen a thing I was too panicked.
    Neighbors from everywhere offered blankets and bottled water, everything felt like it was a blur as I was bounced from the sands to an ambulance.
     
    “I am so glad you're okay, sweet pea,” Nona said from outside the ambulance doors. I stared at the beach house hoping it wasn’t ruined. Hoping that whatever caught fire didn’t take our only home away from us.
    “Do they know what it was?” I asked Nona.
    She smoothed her red hair, tugging her robe tighter. “I’m not sure yet. You didn’t take up smoking while you were away at college did you, Hope?” Her face was flooded with alarm. This was the first time I had seen her since I had been back, and it was under horrible circumstances.
    I shook my head, letting the paramedic look me over and do all the necessary things to prove I was alright. She offered me oxygen. I turned it away.
    Out of the corner of my eye stood a gaunt man dressed in black from head to toe. His expression grim, I watched him closely, did anyone else notice him? His gaze matched mine. His eyes were dark more or less black, his skin ashen.
    I looked away, an eerie feeling evading my body making my heart race in fear. Was he the cause of the fire?
    When I looked again he was nowhere to be found. All that was left was the neighbors in various huddles watching firefighters work on the blaze.
     
    Dad pulled up in a hurry to get to us kids, t he look of absolute fright on his face.

Marked
     
    Dad paced the ground outside our house as firefighters did their job. It still was unclear what was going on. There were no flames coming out of windows, or from the roof. I was disturbed, nonetheless.
    Nona squeezed my arm. “Shouldn’t be much longer.”
    I patted her hand. “I’m glad you guys are here.”
    “Where else would we be sweet pea?” she said, tugging at my hair. “When is the last time you got a haircut?”
    I wrenched my hair from her claws. “I like my hair this way.” Man, she really knew how to ruin a moment. “What I meant was I am glad we live near you and Claude. It’s nice to have family around at a time like this.”
    Nona dropped her arm from around me as Jesse approached. I hadn’t seen him in forever. He sauntered over, clad in nice fitting jeans and a gray t-shirt .
    “I’m sorry to hear about the house. Do they know what the cause of it was?” he asked Nona. He nodded his head in my direction, a stern tight smile on his lips. I felt the awkwardness from only feet away from