Dahlia

  Dahlia

  Spell Library Series

  Tabitha Barret

  @ Copyright 2020 Heather Baker

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  For copyright and publishing information, contact Tabitha Barret at her website http://www.tabithabarret.com.

  Edited by Yvonne Graham.

  Book cover designed by J.E. Cluney

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to persons real, living, or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  "Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” --E.E. Cummings

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 Dahlia

  Chapter 2 Daire

  Daire

  Chapter 3 Dahlia

  Chapter 4 Aiden

  Chapter 5 Dahlia

  Chapter 6 Daire

  Chapter 7 Dahlia

  Chapter 8 Ian

  Chapter 9 Dahlia

  Chapter 10 Dahlia

  Chapter 11 Dahlia

  Chapter 12 Aiden

  Chapter 13 Daire

  Chapter 14 Dahlia

  Chapter 15 Dahlia

  Chapter 16 Ian

  Chapter 17 Dahlia

  Chapter 18 Dahlia

  Chapter 19 Daire

  Chapter 20 Dahlia

  Chapter 21 Dahlia

  Chapter 22 Daire

  Chapter 23 Dahlia

  Chapter 24 Daire

  Chapter 25 Dahlia

  Epilogue Dahlia

  If you like Dahlia, you’ll love the next book…

  About the Author

  Acknowledgement

  For Alex.

  Chapter 1 Dahlia

  “No matter where you are, I will find you!”

  I held my breath when I heard the voice echoing through the air. I tried in vain to keep my hands from shaking, but it was useless. Trapped inside the fog, I had no idea where I was or how to escape.

  The cold mist settled on my bare arms, chilling me even more. I leaned against the freezing marble wall behind me and tried to figure out which direction the voice was coming from. If he were behind me, I would run straight. If he were in front of me, I would find the end of the wall and run past it.

  “You think you can hide but you’re wrong. I’m stronger than you are. Just come out and stop wasting my time!”

  I closed my eyes and felt the tears pooling as my fear skyrocketed. The voice was all around me. How was I supposed to figure out which way to go?

  If only I had a weapon, a large stick or something useful I could at least defend myself. I reached through the fog and patted what felt like grass and dirt. I was definitely outside. That gave me more options.

  I cursed myself for not letting my father teach me martial arts or birdcalls, something I could use to help me fight or summon help.

  “Just come to me and I’ll go easy on you. I promise.”

  I rolled my eyes at his mocking tone. He had no intention of letting me go. I didn’t know what he wanted, but I wasn’t stupid enough to believe I would live through this experience.

  I wanted to yell at him or threaten him, but the fog was messing with my head and disorienting me. If only I knew where I was, I could form some kind of plan of attack. I couldn’t see the ground, so running without twisting my ankle or falling down like one of those actresses in the horror movies who were too stupid to leave the house once the killer showed up, was out of the question. Instead, I would keep the wall to my back and let it guide me somewhere.

  I stood up and kept my hand on the wall. As I walked, I felt bumps and ridges as if an image was carved into it.

  I kept a steady pace and finally found where the wall ended. Turning the corner, I realized that the wall wrapped around which meant it was probably a building. My heart leapt at the possibility of finding a door. Maybe I could hide inside.

  When I found something that felt like a door handle, I tugged and tugged, but it wouldn’t open. Damn it! Think, Dahlia! How do you get out of this?

  “I’m losing patience, which means I will inflict more pain for each second you delay the inevitable.” The voice sounded like it was right behind me.

  Maybe he couldn’t see me through the fog either. Was he expecting me to freak out and scream, giving away my position?

  Staying silent, I tugged on the door and it flew open. When I stepped inside, the fog was so thick I couldn’t tell if I was in a house, an office building or a bus station. I listened for the voice, but I couldn’t hear anything. I took a deep breath and walked further into the room, holding my hand in front of me in case I bumped into something.

  Sniffling as a tear rolled down my cheek, I caught the scent of damp earth and moss, which was strange since I was inside a structure.

  I tried to calm my racing heart so that I could listen for footsteps. I gulped when I heard something scraping the ground next to me. Squinting through the fog, I saw something move.

  “Please let that be a rat.” I bit my lip and reached for my glasses, which weren’t on my face. Dang. Of all the times to pull a Velma moment.

  The scraping got louder and my skin crawled. Something was definitely in here with me, and it was bigger than a rat.

  Squinting into the fog, I jumped when a figure formed before my eyes. A zombie wearing a yellow sundress that matched her blonde hair raised her broken hand to point at me.

  Without thinking, I jumped away from the zombie and screamed. I realized too late that I had let out the loudest scream of my life. I covered my mouth and tried not to break down into a full sob.

  “There you are!” A hand grabbed my arm and pulled me off balance. His vice grip was so strong I screamed again.

  “Stop! Please! What do you want?” Though I was being dragged by the man, I still couldn’t see his face.

  Feeling his hot breath against my ear, I cringed. “I want everything you have to offer me.”

  I tried to struggle, but I couldn’t break free. I squinted up into his face, desperate to put a name to my attacker, but I couldn’t make out a single feature…

  “Well, what the fuck happened after that, Dahlia? If I had a nightmare like that, I would demand some answers. I would go back into the dream and kick that guy’s ass.” Charlie threw her rag down on the bar and scrubbed off the dried beer.

  “I woke up when I rolled off the bed and hit the floor. This is the fifth time I’ve had that dream in the last few weeks and I still can’t see the asshole’s face. Trust me, I’ve tried going back into the dream to find him but I can’t. When I’m inside the dream again, I have no control over it, even when I realize I’m dreaming. What’s the point of having a dream where you can’t see or do anything?” I flicked a stale peanut across the bar and sighed.

  Charlie pulled her long, red hair off her shoulders into a messy bun. “I’m sorry, darling. I’ve never dealt with recurring nightmares, but I can suggest some scented candles or dream catchers that might ward them off. I have a few crystals from back in my new age phase that might help. Speaking of which, where is that bracelet I gave you with the multicolor beads?”

  “I love the bracelet, but it gets in the way when I’m working. I’m afraid I’ll break it or lose it.” I tossed back the rest of my margarita and stretched my back. I needed to get off the bar stool and move around after a long day of leaning over clients.

  “Hmm, I’ll have to find something less obtrusive for you to wear.” She absently looked out at the crowd enjoying their dinner or watching
the baseball game on the overhead TVs around the bar.

  “Sure.” I turned around to assess the available men without girlfriends or wives. I wished that I could find someone nice to date, but it was hopeless.

  “I see you eyeing that guy in the corner. Why don’t you go talk to him?” Charlie smirked as she filled a glass and handed it to me. “Here. Tell him it’s on the house.”

  I groaned. I hated playing this game. I don’t know why I always let Charlie talk me into it. “You should be the one handing it to him. You need to start dating again too.”

  She turned to a guy asking for a shot and pretended that she couldn’t hear me. I fully understood why she had sworn off dating, but I hated seeing her alone. Plus, it was easier to talk me into flirting with a guy instead of getting up the courage to do it herself.

  “Hurry up. His drink is getting warm. No one likes warm beer.” Charlie pushed the drink closer to me.

  I shook my head, admitting defeat.

  Grabbing the beer, I fluffed my hair and put a little wiggle in my step. I crossed the pub and smiled at a few people who I had tattooed over the years.

  When I reached the burly man with the full beard dressed in a red flannel and jeans, I smiled. “Here’s a refill, on the house.”

  He looked at the beer, confused by its appearance on the table. “I didn’t ask for a refill.” His eyes quickly slid up my jeans and light gray blouse. He leaned back into the booth and smiled. “But I’m happy to accept it.”

  His friend sitting across the table from him chuckled. “Oh, he will very happily accept it. Won’t you, Nick?” Thankfully, that guy didn’t ask for a refill on his Cherry Coke.

  I reached out to take the empty beer and braced myself as I lightly grazed the edge of his thumb. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to see anything about this guy’s life, but I was hoping to get some kind of feeling about him. Most people had a light or a dark aura that I could sense, even if I didn’t have a full-blown vision of their past or future.

  In a flash, I was pulled into a vision of Nick sitting across the table from a beautiful woman. They were sitting in a booth at Chez Fleur, flirting and talking about how much they’d enjoyed the movie they’d seen. Nick’s beard was trimmed and he was wearing black khakis and a green button down shirt.

  He smiled at the woman and caressed her thumb with his thumb.

  The vision changed and they were sitting on the couch kissing in front of a paused TV screen. He slid his hand up under her shirt and grabbed her breast. Pulling her onto his lap, he licked up the side of her neck. I could see his erection growing underneath her. He was definitely eager for things to continue, but something caught her attention.

  Next to her on the couch was his phone, which had fallen out of his pocket. As he pulled her shirt over her head and kissed her chest, the woman looked over to see a text pop up on the screen.

  “how much longer will u b at work babe i’m wet for you”

  She pulled away and pointed to the phone. “Who’s wet for you, Nick?” She stood up to grab her shirt.

  “It’s just a prank, baby. It’s one of the guys at work screwing with me. They know I’m with you and they’re pissed that I bailed on them to be with you. Now, come back here. I’m cold.” He was unfazed by the text, but she wasn’t buying his lie.

  She flipped him off and stormed out of the house. Oddly, he didn’t follow her or try to explain himself. Instead, he picked up his phone and hit the reply button. “just got off work b there soon b ready i’m hard 4 u”

  The vision shifted to Nick in bed with Tammy, slamming into her so hard that the walls rattled. Next to him, the phone lit up again.

  “Need ur cock hurry Nicky - Georgie”

  I’d seen enough of “Nicky”.

  Opening my eyes, I dropped my smile. “On second thought, I’m keeping the beer. Tammy, Donna and Georgie deserve better than a cheater like you.”

  I grabbed the beer and walked away with it.

  “Hey, get back here! I’m not done with you, bitch.” Nick tried to stand up but his friend grabbed his arm and quietly pointed to the rest of the room. This was not the kind of place where you had a screaming match with a woman. Most people were aware that Charlie’s twin brother, James, who co-owned the pub with her, loved throwing people out into the parking lot.

  Passing someone I recognized, I placed the beer in front of Iris, who owned Floriography Flower Shop.

  “Iris, you’re in luck! You sat in the lucky seat tonight. I have a Heineken on the house.” I winked at her, hoping that she hadn’t noticed my disastrous attempt to flirt.

  “Oh wow! I never win anything. Thank you!” She grabbed the beer and took a big sip of it. “Goes perfect with tonight’s special.”

  I nodded and gave her a small wave so I could slink back to Charlie and hide in shame.

  Iris waved her hands and reached for her purse. “Dahlia, I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve been meaning to chat with you about adding some flowers to your studio. I’ve noticed the bright blue theme inside Lady Blue Tattoo, so I was thinking that I could do a mix of bright blue and white arrangements using your favorite flowers. It would give the studio that extra pop.” Pulling out her business card, she handed it to me. “You know that I make special flowers that last forever. I’ll even give you a discount on your first order.”

  She winked when she said, “special flowers,” as if I was supposed to get the joke.

  Smiling, I nodded politely and shoved the card into my pocket. “I will definitely give you a call.”

  I quickly scooted away and made it back to the bar without embarrassing myself further.

  Charlie came out of the back room holding a cart of fresh glasses. “How did it go?”

  Walking behind the bar, I helped her put the glasses down and turned to smack the business card on the bar. “He was a serial dater who lines up women throughout the night. But, I totally got hit on by the nice flower shop lady when I gave her the beer instead. I can get a discount on some special flowers.”

  Charlie frowned and blew a raspberry. “At least you tried and you got a deal on some flowers. Maybe you should switch to booty calls for the time being. When was the last time you got laid?”

  “I can feel the cobwebs down there. Does that answer your question? Tell me why I wasted my twenties going to art school and living with girls when I could have been screwing guys left and right. Now that I’m in my 30’s, one night stands don’t appeal to me.”

  Charlie laughed. “Please, one night stands never appealed to you. You’re too discerning. I told you, just hire an escort and get it out of your system for a little while. As for me, I will happily squeeze my thighs together and remind myself that sex only leads to trouble.”

  She was completely serious and had a good reason to be wary of men, but I still felt like the right guy was out there, waiting for her.

  James brushed past me to grab a glass. “I’m always up for a quick fuck. You know I’m here for you Dahlia, if you need it.” He kissed my covered shoulder and ran away before Charlie could throw her rag at him.

  “Ignore him.” She gave her brother the finger and leaned against the bar. “Actually, according to all his exes, he’s pretty good in bed. You might want to take him up on the offer. He sleepwalks, so he would probably leave before you threw him out.” She laughed so hard that she snorted.

  James was hot, but I’d known him since we were nine. It would just make things weird between us. Besides, he was normally the dumper and the women begged him to take them back. Apparently, he really was good in bed, but bad with remembering to call you the next day.

  “No. I think I’m done for good. I think it’s romance novels and vibrators for the foreseeable future. Which reminds me, I need batteries.” I sighed and leaned my head down on the bar.

  “Don’t worry, Dahlia. You’re smart, talented and a successful businesswoman. Once you find a guy who isn’t looking for a quick fuck, he’ll realize how amazing you are and scoop you up
.” She nodded to the guy across the bar and filled his glass with more red wine.

  I shrugged. “Let’s face it. Either guys want to screw around or they want a woman who won’t freak out because she has nightmares or terrifying visions of monsters. Who wants to stay with a woman who dreams of tech demons and angels? Who has bizarre sexual dreams about aliens coming to town? Not to mention the weird dreams about vampires who inhabit a local nightclub and a teen witch who kicked the shit out of a group called the Shadow Masters. Normal women don’t dream about shit like that, nor can they see how the relationship will end long even before it starts. I’m a freak and guys don’t like freaks.”

  I didn’t know why I was the way I was, but I would give anything to be boring, or more boring. I wanted to be Dahlia, the successful tattoo artist, not Dahlia, the weirdo, who has painful visions when she touches people and knows when their grandmother will die.

  I wanted to be the boring girl with the normal life and a small town with the adoring guy. Was that too much to ask for?

  Apparently, it was, which was why I decided to stop dating completely.

  Chapter 2 Daire

  “Come here, sweet cheeks!”

  “We want to play with you, Daire!”

  I pedaled faster past the old cemetery and rounded the corner of the church, counting the seconds until I was far enough away that I couldn’t hear the catcalls and the hollering. It was bad enough that the spirits always begged for favors or tried to follow me home to ask me to commune with a family member who was probably already dead; I also had to deal with horny ghosts commenting on my perky ass. It gave me a new appreciation for what women went through on a daily basis. I shouldn’t complain since the living never noticed my ass or my face, but it made me feel cheap.

  I crossed the street and gave the finger to the rude bogle haunting Beastie Besties, the pet store. The dogs managed to keep the malevolent spirit locked in the room above the store, so I wasn’t too worried about him, but the bastard liked to taunt me.