Witchling (Curse of Kin) (23 page)

He pulled out another chart, this one with planets and timelines on it and laid it over the top. “This is how the moon lines up with past battles. You can see that the Others have never tried to start early before. It’s the first time they have shown their hand like this, and we still have four weeks till Summer Solstice officially starts. It’s because of what you are, Nera, I’m sure of it. We have never seen anyone as strong as you. They must be aware of it, or why would they try to take out Roman,” Bones said as the excitement built in his voice.

“Bones thinks that Brie and Sully may have some limited powers too, Nera,” Jasper said. “It’s something that we have to find out, the sooner, the better. Even if it is minor, it will help. If the Others wanted you all here together, it makes sense. I think Bones was right when he said that they think that they can take you all out together.”

My mouth went dry and my heart thumped as Bones took my hands in his. I looked over at Jasper, who stood serenely watching us.

“You will succeed but at a cost to yourself personally. You cannot let that sway your determination to win. Objects will be put in front of you that may cause you some distress; they may be real, and they may not. It is up to you to act on the truth and the truth alone, casting aside the false. You must hold fast and be true to your powers. I will be with you and can help guide you. I cannot do the work for you. It will be entirely in your hands. Will you go forward, Nera, to win this battle against the Others? Will you fight to release Jasper from this evil curse?”

I gulped a much-needed breath and looked into Bones’s hypnotic eyes. “Of course I will. For someone that’s been with me forever, you don’t know me very well, do you?” I pulled my hands from his and clasped them together behind my back.

“I know you better than you think. Jasper, bring the amulet please.”

Jasper went to the sideboard and retrieved a deerskin bag from a small box. “This was my dear wife’s.” He held it gently. “Now it is for you, girl dear. It holds great power; you must not part with it. It could be the difference between life and death.”

He handed it to Bones.

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

Bones held the amulet between both of his hands. Eyes closed, he chanted quietly. He placed it around my neck, his hands warm where they touched my skin. I gazed at the beautiful, cool green gem that was shaped in a heart the size of a baby’s fist. It was surrounded by silver, fashioned as a tree branch, clasping the heart in its leaves. Jasper and Bones watched my face as the amulet started to glow and shine.

“I can feel the heat in my body,” I whispered. “It’s coming alive.” The blood coursed through my veins with a rush that went straight to my head. The stone slowly started to beat to a pattern that matched my own heart. Now I truly understood what they meant when they said the power was within me. “Jasper, it is alive,” I cried.

Jasper stood rooted to the spot, the tears running down his handsome face as he watched my excitement building.

“Why do I feel different?” I asked.

“How?” Bones watched me.

“I just feel, I don’t know exactly, like I am lighter, kind of floaty, and free too. Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I think I understand where my power comes from now. I… well, it’s hard to explain.” I ended with a little laugh.

“That’s because you are in a sense free, Nera,” Bones said. “Your subconscious has finally accepted your power, and that gives you a feeling of light and easiness. But do not be lulled into a sense of false freedom. The Others will always be waiting for you. Everything that is happening is part of the plan. It has already been written. It is in place.”

“What do you mean ‘written’?” I asked.

“Bones, enough,” Jasper said. “Don’t scare the girl. I’m sure she realizes the danger by now.”

“I disagree, Jasper,” Bones replied. “She can never be too wary or complacent. We have only four weeks before the moon starts to change and the solstice is upon us. We will be prepared this time. I want all the kids to stay over the next couple of weekends. They need to learn more of the spells.”

“Back to me,” I said, getting impatient. “What is written and where?”

“In the realm that Mari, the Queen of the Witches, lives, is a sacred book. It is called the Book of Tears. Few have seen it, but we have heard tell of the stories inside. It tells of a young girl with the strength of a warrior, the courage of a lion, and the grace of a gazelle. Humanity rests on her shoulders, but as I said, at great cost to herself.”

“You are kidding, right?” I laughed at Bones nervously. “That’s just taking things a little bit too far.”

“Think what you will, Nera.” He looked over my head to Jasper. “That is your right…for now.”

“Bones. Wnough, we will be prepared better this time. We need to find out if Brie and Sully have any power and how that can help, Nera. She needs more training as well,” Jasper said.

“Are you talking about us?” Brie walked into the room with Sully.

“Where have you two been? I thought you would have been here ages ago?” I was grateful for their arrival.

“Sorry. Couldn’t get moving this morning. I was feeling lazy.” Brie stretched her arms over her head and looked at me.”Hmm, that’s a nice necklace, Nera. Pretty color too.”

I felt myself relax now that my friends had arrived. Bones always seemed to bring out the worst in me. It took just seconds for him to get my back up. It was annoying.

Bones explained what he had planned for the weekend, and Brie’s face lit up at the thought of being involved with anything to do with spells.

“Well, Brie’s obviously in. How about you, Sully? Want to stay over and get a little wicked?” I giggled at him as he rolled his eyes and nodded his head.

Brie and I burst out laughing, breaking the tension that had been filling the room.

“Why not?” he said. “In for a penny, in for a pound. Besides you two will need me to keep your heads out of the clouds anyway. I’ll give Mom a call and go and get a bag of clothes and my toothbrush later. Do you want to come with me, Brie? We can stop at your house on the way.”

“Sure, Sully. I can’t wait to get started. It’s all so exciting, isn’t it?”

Jasper and Bones looked at each other and sighed.

“Whatever have we done, Bones?” Jasper asked, pretending to be distressed. “Three teenagers in the house for the whole weekend; my life may as well be over now.”

“Give it up.” I wrapped my arms around him. “You know you can’t live without us. We keep you young.”

“Well, young at heart anyway. Off with you, children,” he instructed. “Gather your belongings and be back in time for dinner. We can start with the spells. That should whet your appetite.”

“Nera, can you hang back for a little bit?” Bones asked. “I just have something I need to talk to you about before we start.”

I looked at him quietly. When I first saw him in town, I thought he was a loser like Connor. Brie always gave people the benefit of the doubt while I was quick to judge. Usually I was right with my assessment of people. Had I been right about Bones?

He watched me watching him, keeping his face void of emotions, probably listening to my thoughts. He would know that I was having second thoughts about him. But that could change in an instant.

“Yeah, I guess. What’s up?”

“We just want to make sure you understand the terms of the curse before it hits us,” Bones said.

“What’s to understand?” I replied. “I get to fight the evil hag with her dark sidekicks with you guys for an audience and then Jasper gets to grow old. End of story.”

Jasper watched my interaction with Bones, shaking his head. One day I would learn to keep my mouth shut because it constantly got me into troubled, and he knew that.

Bones glanced at me, his eyes going dark and unreadable before answering. “You have Jasper and I as your teachers, me as your protector, but do you understand what those jobs actually cover?”

“Jasper will teach me all I need to know, and you cover my back. Right?” I deliberately left out his teaching, hoping to annoy him even more.

“Yes, I will. Although this battle that is looming is the main issue, it does not end there.”

I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck start to stand. This was getting to be a habit I wasn’t enjoying. “What does he mean, Jasper?”

“Let Bones explain, girl dear,” he said.

“It means that your powers are not for the short term,” he said. “Once this battle is over, Jasper and I will still teach you, and there will always be more that you need to learn.”

“And?”

“It also means I have been charged as your protector for life,” he replied looking me in the eye.

“You have got to be bloody joking,” I retorted. I swung around to face Jasper. A cold sweat had broken out on my face, and my chest felt tight. I tried to process Bones words, but I struggled to believe it. “Tell me he is joking, Jasper. Please.”

“Sorry, girl dear. We are all joined for life if you will. Nothing we can do about it, I’m afraid.”

“No, no, no. You really can’t mean it, can you? Come on, Jasper, you I can live with but this…this…guy for the rest of my life. When you first told me, I thought you were joking. I thought that once I broke the curse, he would be gone. This isn’t right. You can’t be serious.” I pounded my head with my hands and pulled my fingers through my hair before I let forth a torrid of curses.

“It’s not all about you, Nera. Don’t forget I have to put up with you too,” Bones said.

“Put up with me!” I turned on him once again, shock clearly making my voice squeaky.”What’s wrong with me? I don’t spy on people and watch them from birth. I’m normal. You? You’re just plain weird.” I was disgusted with the latest news.

I continued to pace and mutter while Jasper and Bones just shook their heads. Hugo lifted his head to see what the fuss was about but even he ignored me.

“Settle down, girl dear. It’s not that bad.” Jasper tried to soothe me.

“What can possibly be good about it?” I cried. “Having him as my shadow for the rest of my life is all bad as far as I can see, and now we have to save the world together forever. It can’t get any worse.”

“You think that having to put up with a bossy, temperamental, snappy, ungrateful teen like you is easy?” Bones sounded ready for a fight. His eyes had turned to dark, bottomless pools, and his hands were clenched into fists at his side. I could tell his patience was coming to an end but still I pushed at him eager to find his snapping point.

“Bossy? Me? That’s rubbish, and you know it. You are just pathetic,” I said, turning for the door still muttering.

“Come on, Hugo, let’s go home. This is bullshit.”

I was almost at the door when a white-hot knife stabbed through my body. I grabbed my stomach and bent over, screaming in pain. Jasper and Bones were at my side in seconds.

“Child, what is it?” Jasper asked, kneeling beside me.

“It’s my stomach. There are knives running through me. Help me, Jasper.”

Bones and Jasper picked me up between them and carried me into the library. They laid me on one of the overstuffed sofas and knelt down beside me.

“Nera,” Bones spoke quietly. “Can you tell me what you are feeling? This is not for you, this pain. I can see that, and if you look closely, you will as well.”

“Are you sure, Bones?” Jasper looked down at me, his brow creased.

“More than sure,” he replied. “I can see Nera clearly in my mind. She is okay. She’s wearing this for someone else.”

“Who, Nera? Think, girl dear, who is it?”

“Oh God, it hurts so much. It’s ripping me apart,” I screamed at him. “Please stop it, please.”

Bones put his hand on my forehead and closed his eyes. “Nera, focus. Breathe through the pain. You know you can do it,” he said. “Look inside and see who this is meant for.”

I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate the pain away. Sweat poured down my face, and my breathing was ragged. Still I fought it.

“It’s Hannah,” Bones whispered.

“It’s the babies. Oh, Mom,” I cried, looking at Jasper with distress. I struggled off the couch and, holding my stomach with both hands, stumbled out of the house.

Bones followed me, catching up to hold my pain-wracked body against his for support. The pain eased the closer we got to home. Jasper had tried to follow us, but I had heard the phone ring in the kitchen.

***

I held Roman, both of us cried together as Mom sobbed with pain and heartache by the time Jasper caught up with us.

“Jack, I am so sorry,” Jasper said standing helplessly beside him.

The paramedics were giving Mom painkillers before they moved her to the ambulance, but nothing could take away the pain of losing a baby.

Dad took her hand and kissed her brow.

“I’m coming with you, darling. I won’t leave you.” He clutched at her hand and walked with the gurney outside to the ambulance.

“Don’t worry about the children, Jack. I’ll stay with them as long as you need,” Jasper said as he followed them outside. “ Take care of, Hannah. If you need anything, just call. We will be here.”

When Jasper returned to the kitchen, I was sitting at the table with Roman on my knee. Bones was standing at the window looking out at the garden.