Witchling (Curse of Kin) (35 page)

“Nera, I understand better than you think, and I will do the best I can to help you. I don’t like this any more than you do, believe me. Jack has been my friend for 800 years, and I do not take what we are about to do lightly. It is going to be a terrible day for all of us. We will just do the best we can and get through it,” Bones replied. “Jasper has a cup of tea for you. Why don’t you get that down before Brie and Sully wake up? They are stirring and will be out shortly.”

I looked at him, letting my mind tick over.
He knows more than he lets on. He can sense more than just me. I wonder how much more he can do. One day I will find out. But today, today is another day.

Sully and Brie were excited and just a little bit afraid of what was going to happen. I knew they didn’t want to ask too much. They had both gone very quiet since yesterday.

“Brie, we want to go over your protection spell again this morning. You will be in the dungeons with Roman to look after him this afternoon. That will be your task. Sully, we want you to stay with them.” Jasper dished up breakfast. “It is important that we know where each of you is when the battle commences. We can’t have the worry of you being involved. It’s too risky.”

“There must be something that I can do, sir.” Sully took his breakfast and sat at the table. I knew that he felt frustrated ,and it showed, but there were more important things to worry about now. “We’ve still got time to see what I have.”

“I’m sorry, Sully. We don’t have time. We expect her to hit us before the sun sets tonight. Our energy must go into working with what we have. That is Brie and her protection for Roman and Nera to fight Edrith. That’s the way it will go today.” Jasper was adamant.

“Yes, sir.”

“Eat up, children and then we can go outside and practice,” Jasper said.

***

Brie was nervous and couldn’t hold her protection for very long.

“Brie, if you don’t concentrate on the task at hand, that will be a reality, not just a thought in your mind. Now concentrate and try again,” Bones ordered.

Brie blushed up to her hair line. “I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”

“Do it again, please,” Bones said.

Roman and Sully stood still beside her, and once again she set her spell. The white light glowed around them and settled. Roman grabbed her hand and smiled at her. “Told you it was okay, Brie,” he said.

She held them in until Bones let her put it away. “There is nothing else we can do now except wait,” Bones said.

“We are not just going to sit and wait,” I said. “We’ll get the swords out again.”

“Can you fight with me, Nera, please?” Roman asked.

“Sure, buddy. Was Jasper too tough for you yesterday?”

“No, but I know you are faster,” Roman said.

I shared a questioning look with Jasper. He shrugged his shoulders. Roman had never seen me pick up the sword, I had only used it a couple of times, and that was with Bones and Jasper. With what Roman was capable of, who knew what he had seen.

We picked up our swords and spent the next hour practicing cuts and thrusts. Our technique was terrible, but we made up for it with enthusiasm. It was after Roman knocked my sword out of my hands that we called a truce.

Jasper came out to tell us Dad would be over shortly. The atmosphere changed suddenly.

“What is the matter with you, Nera?” Sully asked. “You were the one that was so keen to kick butt with the evil side and now it’s nearly here, you are getting cranky. What’s up?”

“Nothing, Sully,” I replied. “Just a little stressed.”

Dad called out a cheery hello coming through the gate.
He looks happy
after his evening out with Mom
.

“Thanks for looking after Roman, Jasper.” He swung Roman up onto his hip and cuddled him. “We had a lovely romantic dinner in town, and we went dancing afterward. We haven’t done that since before Roman was born.”

“That’s wonderful, Jack. I’m so pleased Hannah is feeling better,” Jasper said.

“Jack, you need to listen.” Bones walked up to stand beside me.

“Whatever is wrong, Bones? You look so grim all of a sudden,” Dad said. His gaze darted to me and then Jasper. “It’s happening, isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid so,” Jasper said. “We feel she will be here by sunset tonight.”

“I thought something was shifting. I could feel something last night when we were out. That’s why I didn’t want to bring Hannah this afternoon to pick up Roman. What do you want me to do?” Dad asked, looking over at me.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Dad?” It was too late to get angry at him for keeping this secret, but I wanted to know why.

“Honey, it would have done no good. We decided you would be better off learning without my involvement. Besides, Jasper thinks I am just a little too close to the solution to get involved. He has been keeping me up to date with your learning, Nera,” he said. “We are all very proud of you.”

Bones glanced at me and spoke before I could get emotional and lose it. I knew that it was just a waste of energy. Energy I would need before the day was out.

“We are putting Roman downstairs with Sully and Brie. Brie can hold a protection spell to cover them all for as long as she needs to. The rest of us will stay up here.”

“Right, then. Good idea,” Dad said, looking around at us.

“I think it is time to get the kids settled downstairs, Bones,” Jasper said.

“Okay. I’ll take them down now, then,” Bones said.

Dad held Roman tight before letting him go. “Be good, little man, I will see you shortly, okay,” he said, his voice catching as he put him down.

“Yes, Dad, bye,” Roman said, his face calm. Bones took his hand and led them through the kitchen and down into the dungeons for safety.

Dad turned to me. “You can do this, honey,” he said gathering me in his arms. I shivered, and he pulled away to look into my eyes.

“Honey, it’s okay to be scared. I would be worried if you weren’t, but you are up to this. We know you are.”

I looked at him in utter confusion. To spring this on me now, just before I had to take his life.
Why,
I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

C
HAPTER
T
WELVE

“Everyone is settled downstairs.” Bones looked a little bit relieved when he came back. “Brie is holding the protection spell, but I gave it a bit of a tweak so it can’t be moved until I go back and lift it.”

“Good thinking, Bones,” Jasper replied. “We can all feel easier for knowing that.”

I broke away from Dad and went to sit under the tree beside Hugo, my body trembling with a jumble of emotions. A hissing noise from above the roof startled me. I looked up and saw the gargoyles that guarded the front door hanging over the parapet. Their stone faces were smirking at us as they slithered along the edge of the roof, taunting us. Their long, black tongues dripped saliva, and they rolled their eyes as they watched, ready to attack.

I rose and went to stand beside Bones. “I knew there was a reason I hated those ugly things.”

The gargoyles launched themselves off the roof and flew over my head. They swooped over the garden, and I heard Hugo grumble deep in his chest. They turned and aimed for him, dipping low. His growl turned to a blood-chilling howl of pain as they clawed down his back, leaving a raw gash from his neck to his tail.

Dad and Jasper raced to help Hugo, and I focused on the ugly creatures flying around ready to swoop again. I imagined a small but powerful blast of wind build up inside of me. The blood rushed through my body, and when the roar of the wind reached my ears, I launched it at them. The force of the blast rolled them to the ground and shattered them into tiny pieces of rubble to lay spread out on the grass.

“Hugo!” I ran to him and dropped down by his side on the grass.

“It’s nasty, Nera.” Jasper ran his hands over Hugo’s body. “Bones, can you fix this quickly before they strike again?”

“Nera, you can help me,” instructed Bones as he took Jasper’s place on the grass. “Here, put your hands beside mine and focus on the heartbeat of your amulet.” He put both of his hands on Hugo. The poor animal quivered with pain and fright as we knelt over him.

I felt sick looking at the deep, bloody gash down his body. His big brown eyes were half closed in pain, and he trembled under my touch. The stone glowed warmly, and my heart pounded as we worked on my big dog. Sweat broke out on my forehead, and it trickled into my eyes, but Bones kept his hands steady over the wound. The smell of fear and blood flowed through my senses and I stayed my protector, the warmth more comforting than I would have thought.

My energy spiked and dropped, and I started to feel slightly lightheaded as my power radiated down my arms into Hugo. I watched the blood flow ease and the gaping wound gently closed together. The skin lost its raw coloring and slowly the hair covered the fading scar as I watched in awe.

Bones moved back and let me cradle Hugo’s head in my lap. “Oh, Hugo, I’m sorry, my friend. I didn’t mean for them to harm you.” I brushed my fingers around his face.

“She will always hit at what is closest to you, girl dear,” Jasper informed me. “Hugo will be fine now, just a little tired. You probably will be too after that.”

“I will be fine, Jasper. Don’t worry.” I turned to Bones. “Thank you for that. I owe you one.”

“No problem. I like him too, always have.” Bones gave me a small grin

“W-what?” I stuttered, the words registering in my brain. “No, don’t tell me. There will be more time later.” I shook my head. “We will have lots to discuss, and I’m sure Hugo will be one of many things that you guys have left out. I
will
get to hear all of it. That you can count on.”

I looked over at the pile of stones that were minutes ago two ugly low-flying gargoyles. I walked over and kicked it and sighed.

“Well, that’s two down. I wonder how many more there will be?”

“Hi, honey.” I heard Mom as she walked through the back gate.

“Hannah, I thought you were staying home.” Dad frowned as she walked toward him.

I looked over at Bones and gave a small shake of my head.
It’s not Mom. It doesn’t feel right
. I had the familiar chill down the back of my neck.

She grabbed hold of Dad’s arm and snuggled close to him. “I thought I would pick up Roman,” she said, her gaze sliding from me to Bones and Jasper. “I miss him, Jack.”

“I told you I would bring him home, Hannah. You should be resting.” Dad tried to untangle her fingers from his arm, but her grip tightened and he grimaced.

“I want my son, Jack. Get him for me,” her voice turned nasty, and spittle started to dribble from the side of her mouth. She dug her fingers harder into his arm, and Dad cried out.

“You are not Hannah.” He pushed her away from him, and she fell to the ground.

From the edge of the forest a movement caught my eye. I nudged Bones and pointed with a tilt of my chin. “Look at that.”

We watched as her followers came out of the forest toward the house, one by one in single file. They all smelled of wet, decayed flesh, and I wanted to gag. These were the same dead beings who tried to get me into the Widows Lake. The smell seemed more pungent here, the air was warmer, and I breathed through my mouth.

Jasper moved closer to me. “Ready, girl dear,” he whispered as the woman got to her feet.

She still looked like my mother, but the foul smell seeped from her body as she began to change once again into a being like her evil friends. Everyone except Dad took a couple of steps backward to get away from the stench. He stood rooted to the spot, and seemed horrified that this creature could look so much like my mother. Her clothes started to gather dirt and rot before our eyes, and water dripped from the hem of her dress. The flesh on her body changed from clean, white skin to the shriveled pallor of the long dead. Still it did not stop there. She spoke while she continued to decay.

“Scared, are we, children? You have every reason to be.” She cackled, the flesh dropped from her body to the ground at her feet. “When she who waits is finished with you, she will roam the earth freely. None of you will be able to stop her. You should have come to us when we called you, Nera. You could have been one of us.”

“One of you, right. You take the shape of someone I love and belittle their existence. I would never even look at your type sideways.”

“You will beg to join us before we are finished with you. Wait and see.” Her scream echoed through the skeleton her face had become as she advanced on me. “When she who will rule comes for you, it will be too late.”

Her followers were in the same state as my mother’s look-alike: skeletons dressed in decayed clothing. I backed away from them, listening to what Bones was thinking. I let him know I understood and waited.

At his signal, I turned my mind off from what was happening and concentrated on my inner core. I could feel the heat rising through my veins, the heat burning its way around my body. Although I had little more control than I had the day I had burned Sully in the forest, Bones had decided that for this particular battle, it would serve me best.