A Witch Like No Other (27 page)

“
Where’
s your magic?” Ted
said, trying to stay on target. “Tell me, if you really are a
witch. Where do you keep it?”

“
I was born
with power, if that’
s what you
mean,” Dreamer said coolly. “And yes, I really am a
witch.”

“
Oh yeah? Show
me a trick!”

Before he could react Dreamer pulled a shining silver wand
out of her blazer pocket, then she said
“Repento!”

“
I’
m sorry,” Ted gushed
immediately, mind spinning. “I didn
’
t mean to offend you, I
really didn
’
t. I was only- hey!”

“
That’
s a spell to make
someone sorry?” Ted asked, and she nodded. “That
’
s quite cool, just- just
don
’
t
use it on me next time.”

“
Ok,” smiled
Dreamer, “But you did owe me an apology.”

“
All right,
you’
re a witch. A
little
witch,” he added, smirking. “I
’
d like to speak to your
mother Agnes Black, or your father Paul Black.”

“
Mama
isn’
t home right now- neither
is Papa.”

“
Well can you
take a message?”

“
Never,” Ted
said fiercely, though that was what he was dying to do. Tomorrow
he’
d tell his mates he
actually went inside the weird house. “I
’
m not coming in there to
have my eyes ripped out of their sockets or get dipped into a giant
cauldron, or be force fed rats and stuff-”

“
What’
s your name?”
Dreamer interrupted, making him stop.

“
Ted. Ted
Stone. What’
s
yours?”

“
Dreamer,” she
said, almost shyly. “How old are you?”

“
Sixteen,” he
said proudly, then he frowned. “I haven’
t heard of you.”

“
Mama and Papa
don’
t want me to have
publicity,” Dreamer answered, holding the door open invitingly. Ted
hesitated, wondering whether to bolt and leave her. But she was so
pretty! Doing what any boy would have, he stepped inside. Closing
the door, Dreamer continued “So nobody really knows they have a
daughter- well, people who don
’
t know us. Only I
know.”

“
Duh,” said
Ted, and she giggled. Ted liked the sound, but he also realised
what she just said. “Only you? Where’
s the rest of you?”

“
They rest of
my family are mortals,” Dreamer answered casually, “And they hate
Mama because they gave birth to a witch- I mean her when I say
that. They hate me even more, because of my father.
Papa’
s family are mortal like
Mama
’
s- they hate me because of her too.”

Dreamer
’
s beautiful green eyes had filled over, both in
Ted
’
s
memory and in the present.

“
Oh,” said Ted,
not knowing what to say. “But… why you? You
didn’
t do anything to hurt
them: it
’
s not your fault you
’
re a- a
witch-”

Tears coursed down Dreamer
’
s face as she said
“They
’
re mortal, my relatives- they hate magic. They think
we
’
re
evil and we
’
re not, we
’
re normal people just like they are but we still get
treated like dirt-”

“
I’
m sorry,” he mumbled.
“I didn
’
t know you felt like that- I just-”

Dreamer smiled into his shirt, saying “If Papa answered the
door and you got rude to him, you wouldn
’
t have made it
home.”

“
Really?”
smiled Ted, letting go of her. “What would he have
done?”

Dreamer stood in front of Ted, saying “Papa, Mama-
you
’
re… early.”

“
Wrong choice
of words,” muttered Ted, as they stared at her disbelievingly.
Paul, at least two feet taller than Ted, said
“We’
re only thirty minutes
early, little one. Who is this boy?”

“
He’
s-”

“
My name is Ted
Stone,” Ted said strongly and clearly, surprising Paul. “Please
sir, I mean no harm. I was coming to um… er…”

“
Give us a
piece of your mind?” Agnes said coldly, and Ted nodded.

“
He
apologised,” said Dreamer quickly, taking Ted’
s hand. “Mama, he apologised. Please
don
’
t
be upset with him.”

“
You’
re not upset with
him?” Paul asked his daughter, and Dreamer said no with a shy
smile.

“
He
wasn’
t afraid to touch me,
Papa. He gave me a big hug just now.”

“
Really,” said
Agnes, looking at Ted thoughtfully. Ted squeezed
Dreamer’
s hand nervously:
Dreamer squeezed back. “Tell me, Ted Stone. What did your parents
teach you about people like us?”

“
That
you’
re evil,” Ted answered,
“And other things. But they
’
re wrong.”

Paul joined his mistress
’
s side with a weird
smile. “Are they, Ted?”

“
Yes sir. Well…
I think so anyway,” he said uncertainly, staring at
Paul’
s expression, mirrored by
Agnes
’
s. “I think so.”

“
What makes you
think they’
re
wrong?”

“
Dreamer,” Ted
replied, looking at her, and Dreamer smiled at him.

“
Can he stay
for dinner please Papa? Please, Mama? Please?”

“
I
don’
t see why not, as long as
Ted calls home and says where he is.”

Ted froze, Paul adding “Whose house he
’
s at, who
he
’
s
with.”

“
Can you do
that, Ted?” Agnes asked, though Ted knew it
wasn’
t out of concern. She
wanted to know if he had the guts. Ted nodded slowly, saying “Yes
Ma
’
am,
I can do that. No problem.”

“
Good,” said
Dreamer happily. “Papa, can I show him my room?”

“
I’
ll do nothing to breach
your trust, Papa.” Dreamer kissed him on the cheek before smiling
at Ted. “Right this way.”

After that first day Ted couldn
’
t get enough of the
Blacks. Even though his mother and father had giant fits after that
first day, his father threatening him even, he still went round
there as often as he could. It wasn
’
t long before he and
Dreamer had their first kiss, much to Paul and
Agnes
’
s delight, because they knew Ted would become
family.

The feel of Dreamer
’
s mouth on his brought
him back to the present, surprising but pleasing him all the
same.

“
What was that
for?” he asked breathlessly, when she released him.

“
I cant ever
get used to you thinking of me like that.”

“
Can we come
down now?” called Marlon sulkily, Pandora at his side.

“
Sure you can,”
Ted called back, “But Dreamer’
s going up.”

“
Surprise tea?”
Marlon asked his sister, and her face lit up.

“
Yes!”

“
Come on
then!”

And besides, she had a lot of paperwork to do. After having
so much fun with Dreamer for a whole week, she was kind of off
track. She had to go through her notes about her clients, get
herself back on track. Miriam cursed violently when she realised
all she wanted was to be in her best friend
’
s company, not sit at
home doing paperwork.

“
Damn
it!”

The long soak in the bathtub helped Dreamer relax. She felt
her anger at Brown leave her body, yet her fury at Damon stayed
there. She knew it would never leave her, knew she had to stop
thinking about it at least for these two weeks she was home. Miriam
was a mentor, she
’
d talk to her when she left here.

Dreamer dressed slowly, wondering why it was so silent
downstairs. She didn
’
t bother to psyche anything, because she knew if
she was the reason for the silence she didn
’
t want to ruin the
surprise. Not wanting to dress for bed just yet, she pulled on an
emerald green robe over a normal shirt and trousers, bringing out
her beautiful green eyes.

Ted
’
s eyes widened as she entered the living room, Pandora and
Marlon
’
s yell of surprise never leaving their mouths.

“
What’
s the matter?”
smiled Dreamer, Marlon stuttering “We haven
’
t seen you in one of
those since… since-”

Dreamer
’
s smile grew as they stared at her, then she looked
down at her robe, saying
“
Robes or gowns
I
’
ll
always wear, Marlon.
”

“
Can we watch a
movie?” asked Pandora happily. “Us four together?”

Ted stared to say that was a good idea, then he stopped
himself and looked at Dreamer. She nodded, so he said
“
All right
then. What kind?
”

“
Horror,”
Pandora said quickly, but Marlon said “No, hermit.”

“
I’
m not watching a stupid
sports movie, camel mouth, so-
”

“
A family film
then,” Marlon said decisively,
but Ted said
“
Pandora hates that kind of
thing.
”

“
Well
she’
s so
freaky,
”
said Marlon, grinning at his sister.
“
Who else apart from
Pandora can watch horror on a daily basis?
”

“
I
haven’
t watched a horror for
ages,
”
pouted Pandora.
“
Besides-
”

“
How about we
let Dreamer choose?” Ted suggested, making them stop short and look
at their mother. Dreamer stood deep in thought about something-
instantly they thought she might leave them.

“
Dreamer?” said
Ted cautiously. “Are you ok?”

“
Hmm? I’m
fine,” smiled Dreamer, then her eyes fell on the table in the
kitchen. “Did you make that for
me?”

“
Mum, do you
want some more hot chocolate?” Marlon whispered in the dark,
Dreamer whispering “We’ll
all
have some after the film.
”

“
Ok
then.”

Ted put his arm around Dreamer as she lifted her legs on
the sofa, disturbing Marlon, as he had his head rested on her
knees. Dreamer reached down and stroked his hair before he could
grumble, making him relax again. She smiled and rested her head on
Ted
’
s
shoulder, to Ted
’
s delight. Holding her close, he whispered into her
ear “You ok?”