Free Ink Magic (Ink Sorceress Chronicles) by Erika Gilbert

“The Ink Mages want you to think you’re a monster. They want to control you. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can be free. Eventually they’ll think you need to die, for some small indiscretion. We need to destroy them before they destroy us.”
    I stared at him in horror. “You think I will agree to kill the Ink Mages?”
    “ Yes. They’ll never accept us. I see that now.”
    I thought of Margot and knew he was right. But attacking them only proved her right. “No. I won’t do it.”
    I turned to walk away and heard him step in front of me. “You have no choice. Join me or die.”
    I heard the sound of a switchblade flicking open in front of my face, but I couldn’t see it. I threw myself back onto the ground and scrambled away, not knowing where the knife wielding manic was in the dark and aware he could see me.
    I stood to run and strong arms grabbed me, holding me pinned.
    “ What will it be?” he asked, his voice close to my ear. I couldn’t see the knife and that was worse than feeling it against my throat.
    I could pretend to join him, but he would expect me to prove myself, to kill. I couldn’t do that. But I didn’t want to die here either.
    I expected to feel the blade stab me at any moment. Would he plunge the knife into my stomach, or slit my throat? Not knowing was killing me.
    My stupid tattoo remained dormant. I knew I could heal myself, but that wouldn’t be much use if he killed me quickly.
    I heard the swish of the blade before I felt it, then screamed at the icy stabbing sensation in my thigh. The knife went in deep and he had to pull hard to get it out. It came out with a wet sucking sound. Then warm blood flowed onto my pants.
    I tried to stem the blood flow but it gushed over my hands. Even if he didn’t stab me again, I’d probably bleed to death.
    “ Would you like another demonstration?” he asked. I doubted I’d survive the next one.
    I ran, ignoring the shooting pain it caused in my leg and the blood pouring out. I saw moving lights and ran toward them. My vision spun from shock and loss of blood and the lights circled around my head. As I got closer the lights resolved into circular tunnels. I was feet away from a busy highway. If only I could reach the road, I could flag someone down. My good leg caught on something and I struggled to pull it free. Then I was going backward. He had hold of me, dragging me away from the road into the ditch.
    I kicked out with my wounded leg, screaming as pain exploded from the wound. A cry behind me told me my kick made its mark. I scrambled up the bank with every ounce of remaining strength.
    Stumbling onto the tarmac, I stood in the middle of the road. Too weak to flag down a car, I just stayed there, hoping I wouldn’t get run over.
    A car raced toward me, horn blazing. It swerved to avoid me, narrowly missing. Several more beeping cars drove around me. Until one finally stopped.
    I collapsed.
    “ Lucy?” Nick’s face loomed above me. Then I blacked out.
    Coming to, I felt myself being laid out in the back seat. Someone tugged at my pants, and I groaned when the jeans scraped my wound. I panicked for a moment, wondering why someone was undressing me. Then I remembered Nick and everything went black again.
    I sharp pain in my thigh pulled me back to consciousness. I felt another tight squeeze and nearly passed out again.
    “ What are you doing?” I asked weakly.
    “ I’m applying a tourniquet to stop the blood flow.”
    Oh. Good idea, I agreed mentally. My thoughts swirled and then I was out again.
    Voices shouting reached out and pulled me back from unconsciousness.
    I was alone in the back seat. Beyond I heard loud male voices arguing.
    I tried to sit up and nearly passed out again. Gathering my strength, I forced myself to lay still. Then slowly, I lifted first my head, then my upper body, resting on my elbows as the voices outside got louder.
    It seemed to take an age to get my clothing back in the right order, and at the