Keep reading for excerpt #4 of this new YA paranormal!
Excerpt:
“What happened to the razor?”
Kassandra shrugged but didn’t say anything.
“You just had it.” He searched around.
“I must have put it down someplace.” She clenched her fist until the blade pressed into the palm.
He frowned. “Show me your hand.”
A tremor traveled through her arms. She couldn’t keep it hidden anymore. This was Dad. She curled her fingers back, revealing the razor.
“Why did you hide it?”
“It’s just…” Kassandra fiddled with the elastic band of the glove. The metal blade rested against the black fishnet of her palm. Why should she give it up? It was hers.
“Let me see your arms.”
Kassandra froze in place. The scars peeked out from beneath the fabric. Instead of being white the way they usually were, the raised flesh appeared yellow. Nooses. Each one like the rope he used.
Dad tugged one glove down, revealing bare skin. “Oh, Kassie, what happened to you?”
“Don’t look at me like that!” She jerked back. “You’re the one who left me all alone.”
“Honey… I’m sorry.” He kept staring.
The dam broke and tears flooded out. Kassandra slapped at her cheeks, trying to wipe them away, but they kept coming.
“It’s all right.”
“No, it’s not. I’m so screwed up now.”
Dad moved forward. At first she shoved him away, but he surrounded her with those massive arms. Kassandra surrendered and let his warmth press against her.
“I don’t want to live without you anymore.”
He released her. “Give me the razor.”
With her glove slid off, it felt like she was in her room again. Alone.
“Give it to me,” he said, invoking his Dad voice.
Kassandra handed over the razor, but eyed the box on the counter. She could always snake another when he wasn’t looking. Kassandra glanced away, tensing her shoulders. No, she couldn’t keep thinking this way. This had to stop.
He held up the razor. “This only makes more pain. For you and everyone around you.” Dad glanced at the rest of her, searching for more evidence of cutting.
An ache jabbed at Kassandra’s chest. “So killing yourself is okay, but not my cutting?”
“That’s not what I said…”
“No. I get it. My scars make you uncomfortable. What about me?” She jammed a finger at the rafters. “I had to find you like that. Every time I even see a piece of yellow rope, it makes me want to gag.” Kassandra thrust out her arms. “Look at these. They’re ugly and gross. It’s how I feel on the inside.”
Dad looked away and seemed to shrink. “What I did to your mother and you… It was so selfish. I know that now.” He lowered his head. “I wanted the pain to go away. I didn’t even consider what it would do to you. How it would make you suffer.”
He turned back. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry won’t fix anything.”
Book blurb:
After discovering an ancient tarot deck, Kassandra Troy’s life takes a thrilling and frightening turn. She triggers The Magician card and releases the mysterious and captivating Luke Rykell.
Luke has a dark secret. He wants the magical deck for himself. To save herself and her friends, Kassandra is forced to journey into the Tarot cards. But can she find a way out of the deck unscathed or will the darkness which follows her destroy them all?
Buy links:
About the author:
Tim Kane grew up in Southern California watching Toho movies and reading H.G. Wells. He has not lost faith in the sanity of the world. He studied writing as the University of California San Diego and has amused readers with many short stories. His first published book, The Changing Vampire of Film and Television, analyzes the past seventy years of vampires. He lives and teaches in Chula Vista, California, with his spectacular wife, daughter, and a dog that stands upside down. He enjoys traveling to the dark places of his mind and bringing back souvenirs. He hopes you have enjoyed this brief tour of his life.
Blog: http://timkanebooks.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/timkanebooks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tim-Kane-Books/120126928003556
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8119486.Tim_Kane
Tarot: The Magician Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22450583-tarot?from_search=true