Ink Magic (Ink Sorceress Chronicles) Read Online Free PDF Page B

asked.
    “That’s what I suspect.”
    So, I was getting tired of her staring at me while she talked about a new Ink Sorcerer on the loose. I didn’t know what an Ink Sorcerer was, but I guessed by their reaction, it wasn’t a good thing.
    “An Ink Sorcerer made me do this?” Kirsten said, I couldn’t tell if she was relieved to be absolved of responsibility or frightened by the prospect of being controlled.
    “Do you remember running into someone? Maybe some guy who bumped into you on the way?” Daniel asked.
    “Or perhaps it was a girl.” Margot suggested, continuing to obsessively stare in my direction.
    Okay, she may as well hold a sign above my head saying ‘she did it’.
    “Yes, it could be anyone,” Daniel agreed, putting emphasis on the last word. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to steer her away from blaming me, but I hoped so. For some reason the notion of being defended by him felt good. Way too good.
    Tim sat up and started to groan. He had a bump on his head from where he fell. No one seemed interested in him, so I decided to give him a once over.
    “Don’t touch him,” Margot said, so sharply everyone gasped.
    “She saved my life,” Tim mumbled. “I wasn’t awake and I felt her tattoo coming up my arm.”
    Kirsten frowned and even Daniel looked worried. Margot just looked smug, like she was glad the others also suspected me, though I still didn’t know quite what I was meant to have done wrong.
    “Is this true? Can you make your tattoo go onto people?” Daniel wanted to know.
    I didn’t know what to say. Yes, my tattoo had moved onto Tim’s skin, but I got the distinct impression this wasn’t something that happened to most Ink Mages.
    “I . . . I don’t know what happened.” Not a lie. “I just wanted to check for a pulse and I couldn’t hear him breathing and then he just took a breath.”
    “Come, Tim. We’d better get you to a hospital. Kirsten, I want you to come with me until your guardian arrives. He can determine if you’re still under the Ink Sorcerer’s powers. You two, get back to class.” She started to lead Tim away before she halted. “We’ll meet at the gym after school to discuss what happened. I want to see all of you there.” She didn’t look at me this time, but I could tell this was directed at me.
    I couldn’t believe it. I still hadn’t been told exactly what it meant to be an Ink Mage and it looked like I might be something more, something worse. I tried to catch Daniel’s eye, but he pointedly avoided looking at me, hurrying off to class instead.
    Daniel didn’t seem like the type to just roll over and do as he was told. He wasn’t racing to class to be subservient; he was trying to avoid me. That more than Margot’s scathing looks worried me to death.

 
     
    Chapter Five
     
    I had to get Daniel alone. I suspected his guardian thought I might be an Ink Sorcerer and I wanted to know why. I’d somehow used my tattoo to heal Tim, but I didn’t see why that made me so frightening.
    Carrie agreed to meet me for lunch at the backfield instead of our usual spot on the main lawn. She didn’t seem to mind. Might have had something to do with how the sporty guys tended to strip off their shirts. Our position in the stands, under the shade of pine tree, gave us a perfect view of the field.
    “ Check out the guns on that one,” Carrie observed.
    She might have been referring to any one of the shirtless guys currently kicking a football around the field; they were all pretty well armed as far as muscles went. Some of them even had personalities too, but Carrie was less concerned about that. She pushed her sunglasses down her nose for a clearer view.
    “ Hi, ladies.” Nick, Carrie’s friend from the party, helped himself to a seat beside me.
    “ Oh. Hi, Nick,” Carrie said, sounding a little too surprised by his presence.
    Carrie started to grill Nick about the boys on the field. I phased out when I caught sight of Daniel arriving.
    His