Witchling (Curse of Kin) (28 page)

I gathered my powers again until I could feel it pounding behind my eyes. I pushed at my best friend, trying to imagine the Others instead and what they would do to Roman if they got hold of him. I sent Brie spinning away from me in a gust of wind like a rag doll, toppling head over heels in a blast of dust and leaves to land in a heap two hundred feet away. She remained still, facedown on the forest floor.

A hand grabbed my ankle and pulled me to the ground. Sully was on top of me with his hands around my throat. Stars burst in the back of my eyes, and I tried to free myself from his iron tight grasp. His fetid breath filled my nostrils, his fingers tightening on my throat. I tried to keep my senses alert for what I thought would be my final minutes. I heard someone yelling at me. I couldn’t hear the words for the pain rushing through my head. I kicked and rolled, but Sully stayed on top of me with his hands around my neck. My brain was screaming
fire, fire
as I struggled for air.

With what little energy I had left, I imagined flames licking wildly all around my body as Bones had taught me in one of our sessions and pushed outward with all my might. The heat shocked me, and I could smell the hairs on my arms burning. The forest rocked with the explosion, and Sully was thrown from me. I lay on the ground, winded by the forces I had used, my throat raw from being strangled.

“Nera, Nera, take a breath. It’s okay. You are just winded. Breathe slowly,” Bones said as he helped me to my feet.

“Roman. Oh God, is he okay?” I cried as I remembered my brother.

“He’s fine, Nera,” Jasper called out, his breathing heavy.”He’s appears to be resting in the wheelbarrow.”

I tried to work out what had just happened, but my legs began to shake, and I dropped to the ground. I was more shocked than I thought. My heart was pounding so hard it was all I could hear.

“Just breath for a minute, Nera. You will be fine.” Bones pressed his hand on my shoulder.

I pushed him out of the way and crawled over to my brother. “Roman, wake up, little buddy.” I leaned into the wheelbarrow and put my arms around him gathering him close. I stroked his head, and he woke up from his induced sleep.

“Nera, what happened? I feel sleepy.”

“It’s okay, little man. I think you must have been a little bit tired. You fell asleep from the rocking of the wheelbarrow.”

I looked up to see Jasper and Bones watching me with concern.

“Are you okay, child?” Jasper asked. “Bones could feel your energy building up, just about the same time as you called me.

I looked over at Bones.
So he could feel me now could he? Interesting
.

“Tell us what happened.” Bones returned my stare.

I took a few minutes to calm myself, snuggling close to Roman and wiping his hair from his face while I breathed deeply.

“We were coming in to collect firewood for tonight. Dad wants a barbecue, and Roman wants to toast marshmallows. I thought Brie and Sully were right behind me. They were, only it wasn’t really them. They tried to take Roman from me, and I had to fight to keep him.”

I let go of Roman and stood up to face Bones.

“I thought we were going to attack first!” I yelled at him, poking him in the chest with my finger, my anger overflowing. “So much for your bright idea, I nearly lost him again.”

“It is not something we can predict, Nera. You know that.” Bones didn’t flinch.

“Always an excuse ready. You’re supposed to be my protector and where were you, sitting in the sun drinking tea, no doubt.”

A thought crossed my mind, and I looked at Jasper in horror.

“Oh my God! Brie and Sully, I think I killed them,” I cried. “Where are they?”

I looked around distraught. Jasper made a move to come to me when we heard Brie cry out. “Nera, help me please. I tripped over and hit my head. I’ve got scratches all over me. What happened?” she asked as she tried to dust herself off.

Jasper went over to help her up as I turned, looking for Sully.

“Sully, God, no. Jasper, look I burned him,” I cried.

Bones came over to kneel by my friend. He ran his hands over Sully’s body, talking quietly to himself.

“He’s okay, just knocked out. He should come around soon. The burns are just superficial.” Bones sat and watched when Sully started to mumble as he regained consciousness. He moved his hands over the burns, stirring the air and the angry red blisters slowly faded away.

“Oh, my head,” Sully groaned. He tried to sit up. “What happened? I feel like I’ve been run over by a herd of elephants.”

“I thought I had killed you.” The anger I felt toward Bones was nothing like the relief I was feeling now.

“How could you? We weren’t even here,” Brie replied. Jasper came over to stand beside me.

“No, you were. You followed Roman and me into the forest. We were just about here, and I had a feeling something was wrong. You know that chill I get.” I rubbed my arms, the goose bumps rising on my skin at the memory.”When I looked around, the two of you, well, something had you. You were not you, if you know what I mean. You looked like you but you were just, well, kind of evil. You tried to take Roman off me, and I had to fight back. I honestly thought you were dead.” I looked at Jasper for an explanation.”Why are they still here if I killed them?”

“It was not them, Nera. Not fully anyway,” he said. “I would say that because they were possessed by the Others, you couldn’t kill them. Once you forced them back, they had no use for Brie and Sully’s bodies. Wouldn’t you agree, Bones?”

“Yes, you are more than likely correct. I would like to say, though, that I was rather impressed by your power, Nera. Quite controlled, I think. You are learning well.”

“What do you mean? How could you possibly know what I did unless you were here? I didn’t see you here. Where were you?” I walked toward him with hands on hips, my temper simmering again.

“I’m your shadow, remember,” he replied, giving me a haughty look. “Where you go, I go.”

“Well, if you were there smartass, why didn’t you help? That was my little brother, once again that they were after.”

“It’s not up to us, Nera. You know that. How many times do I have to tell you? We can help you plot and learn, but ultimately it is up to you. You know you have to do this on your own.” He glared back at me.

“Now, now, children, calm down,” Jasper intervened. “How about we collect the firewood and get this young man home. He’s looking just a little dazed.”

“Oh, Roman, I’m so sorry. Are you okay, little buddy?” I reached down and picked him up on my hip, holding him close.

“I’m thirsty, Nera. Can we go home now and get a drink?”

“Sure. Let’s just grab enough firewood for your marshmallows tonight; then we will get going.” I tried to focus on normal things to keep me calm.

“I might come back with you, Nera. I could use a cup of tea,” Jasper said, “and I think Sully could use an aspirin or two.”

“I’ll go back to the house, Jasper.” Bones turned away from us.

“Good idea,” I said. “If you can’t do anything to help us, you might as well run back to your hidey hole.”
And here I was, almost ready to give him a break.

Why did Bones bring out the worst in me?

“Nera, there’s no need for that,” Sully retorted looking slightly embarrassed.

“No, it’s okay,” Bones said, looking at me from under the dark hair that hung over his eyes. “I know how she feels.”

“How could you possibly know? It’s not like you ever had to save the world,” I shot back at him.

Bones looked at me with a chilling glance. Saying nothing he turned away once again toward home.

Jasper looked at me, shaking his head. “That girl dear, was uncalled for. Even from you it was below the belt,” he said. “All Bones wants to do is keep you safe.”

“Does he have to be such an idiot about it?” I asked.” I mean, if he was supposed to keep me safe, why didn’t he? He left it up to me again. Jerk.”

“He is nothing of the sort. He was or is one of our most trusted soldiers.” Jasper shot a hard glance at me. He was rarely cross at all, but I could tell he was getting to that point now. “He would lay his life down for me or you for that matter. You know he can’t end the curse. That is up to you, as we have repeatedly told you. You have to accept that, Nera. There is nothing he can do about it. Please curb your attitude toward Bones. If not for him, do it for my sake.”

“Sorry, Jasper. He just gets my back up without even trying. I’m sure he enjoys doing it too, like it’s his lifelong ambition or something,” I muttered to myself.

I lifted Roman back into the wheelbarrow and headed for home, stopping along the way to gather firewood with Brie and Sully. Sully tried to get more information out of me on the walk home, but I cautioned him to wait until we were away from Roman’s hearing. We parked the wheelbarrow in the garden so Dad could unload it for the fire when he was ready

“Mom, we got the firewood,” I said. “We left it outside for Dad to sort out. We’re just going upstairs for a while. By the way, we met Jasper. He’s coming over for a cup of tea.”

We grabbed our drinks and raced upstairs to my room.

“I thought you guys were right behind me,” I said, throwing myself on the bed. “I know you were there just before I felt them in the clearing.”

“How do you know it was them?” Sully asked.

“It’s just a feeling I get. It sort of creeps down my neck like a really cold chill and I think that’s only happened when I have those dreams or when the Others are involved.”

“Well, what did we do?”

“You both lurched up behind us and threatened me. Tried to scare me into letting you take Roman. And boy, were you two evil.” I laughed, lightening the mood.

“Well, I kind of wish I could have seen us, but to tell you the truth, I don’t remember a thing,” Brie said shaking her head.

“Me either,” Sully said. “And I feel okay too. You would think that I would feel something if you burned me to a crisp.” He seemed to be amused by the whole thing as he lounged back on my bed listening to me tell the story.

“Yeah, I suppose,” I replied. “But it probably just as well or you would be toast by now.”

We stayed upstairs discussing the last few weeks and then headed back down to the kitchen. Mom was in the middle of making salads and asked us to go out and help Dad. He was in the garden, talking with Jasper. They both looked up as we joined them.

“We have everything under control here,” Dad said when I asked what we could do to help.

“Let’s go and help Mom in the kitchen, Roman,” I said pulling him along with us. “Come on, Brie, Sully. Let’s help finish up dinner.”

I converged on the kitchen, my friends following. The usual noise erupted, and we fought for turns to talk and stir each other up.

***

Later that night, we sat under the stars, wrapped in blankets in front of the fire and talking quietly. Roman was asleep on Dad’s knee, and Mom was puttering around in the kitchen, happily singing to herself. Dad turned toward me and put a hand on my arm, indicating that it was time to put Roman to bed.

“I think it’s time we hit the sack,” I said getting up from the ground. “Come on, little buddy.” I took Roman from my father’s arms. “Let’s get you to upstairs and snuggled in.”

Sully and Brie followed me, calling out good nights as we went. Upstairs in my room, I tucked Roman in my bed and arranged our sleeping bags on the floor. I settled down and everybody made themselves comfortable in their sleeping bags. I tried to sleep but I wastoo keyed up. Instead I turned to my friends and talked quietly in the night, until one by one, we dozed off.

C
HAPTER
T
EN

I awoke the next morning with a headache, which made me feel grumpy and unsettled. Sully, Brie, and Roman were still asleep. I could hear my parents downstairs talking already, so I crawled out of my sleeping bag and changed into my running pants and shoes. I quietly closed the door behind me and ran down the stairs to the kitchen with Hugo by my side.

“Morning, Nera, dear,” Mom said from the kitchen table.

“Hello, dear parents.” I grabbed a drink of water. “The others are all asleep still. Can you keep an eye on them, Father of mine?” I looked over at him. “I want to go for a quick run to clear the cobwebs from my brain. Won’t be too long. Come on, Hugo.”

I headed down my usual route. I jogged past the newspaper stand and around the corner, through the park, and over the River Laigin to the forest beyond. I refused to hide from Widows Lake after my close call there. Not because of that, but because legend or not, I could not allow myself to be spooked by evil spirits. I was coming into the realization that I was stronger than any of them and had to shrug off my scared little girl shell. The more I learned, the stronger I became.

Even Bones was making a difference in how I held myself. Not that I would have admitted to it. The last training session I’d had with him was intense to say the least. Things only I needed to know about, and that was all well and good. If I had to do spend the time to learn properly with Bones I would. The lesson today was going to be the same apparently.