Witchling (Curse of Kin) (31 page)

I felt the cold before I saw him. He was leaning casually against the parapet on the roof of Jasper’s house.

“I have been waiting for you to come, Nera. What took you so long?”

“Roman. Is that you?” I walked slowly toward the handsome young man who looked so much like our father: the same eyes and strong-shaped jaw. His hair was the same color as Dad’s, just a different style. I reached up and touched his cheek and was rewarded with a smile exactly like our father’s.

“You know it is, Sis. I will tell you more after the full moon.” He chuckled at me.

“Why are you here now?” I wanted to reach out and touch him again, but I was scared that he would disappear, so I kept my hands gripped together.

“It’s Dad. You need to watch him. There is more to this than you think. I know it kills you, but you need to buddy up with Bones more. I am still too young to be of any help to you. Jasper thinks he has it under control, but he doesn’t. Don’t worry, Nera,” he said. “You can deal with it. I have faith in you.”

I woke up with a start. All was quiet, and the fire had burned down to embers that gave off a ghostly glow. Hugo was asleep beside me, along with Brie and Sully. I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

That put a new twist on things—Roman in the future. What could that possibly mean? I wonder if he knows what is happening
.

Could this really happen? I shook my head and realized I should probably assume it wasn’t my imagination. With everything else going on lately, what was one more little strange tidbit?

What didn’t Jasper have under control, and how cozy did I have to get to Bones to make this work?
I was too tired to try and figure it out. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

***

The next day brought more of the same—Nera, do this. Nera, do it that way. More, Nera. Try harder, Nera—until I thought I would scream, but still I trained. I did everything Bones asked of me, not wanting to leave anything to chance. Even if I believed last night’s dream telling me we would win.

I debated about sharing it with Jasper, but he would no doubt tell Bones, and I wanted some secrets from him for now. I didn’t feel like being the laughing stock if it turned out to be another trick of the Others.
Time will tell
, I thought to myself. I was exhausted when I returned home on Sunday afternoon.

My parents were both in the back garden, sitting in the shade of the trees with a cup of tea. Roman was playing in his sandpit when he looked up and saw me coming in the gate. “Nera, I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Hey, little buddy. Give me a big hug,” I said as I got down to my knees.

“Did you learn lots of magic, Nera?” he whispered into my ear.

“Yes, Roman, lots. Our secret, okay,” I whispered before getting up and walking over to my parents. “Hello, parents. Did you have a good weekend?”

“Yes, love. Productive as usual,” Mom said. “Did you kids have a good time with Jasper? You look exhausted.”

“We had a ball, Mom. We stayed up late discovering tunnels and dungeons. Sully was in his element. He just about wants to move in with Jasper. I know I will sleep well tonight.” I dropped to the ground beside my father, and Roman leaned against me.

“Roman was impressed as well,” Dad said. He ran his hand over my head. “He’s already making plans for next weekend. Poor Jasper. I wonder if he knows what he has let loose with you kids?”

“He enjoys it, Dad. Otherwise he would have told us by now.”

“I think we should have dinner and an early night. You have been looking a little worn out lately, Nera, and it certainly won’t hurt you to get some more sleep now that you are on holiday.” Mom got to her feet and helped Roman up.

“You’re probably right, Mom. Maybe I’ll sleep in too,” I said, stretching like a cat.

“As if you could sleep in. You are always out running.” Mom shook her head. “Come in, family. Let’s get some dinner.”

***

I continued to practice on Brie and Sully, even when we were not together. By the end of the week, Sully breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t think I can handle you in my head anymore,” he said, throwing himself across my bed. Brie stood in front of my mirror fluffing her hair.

“Toughen up, Sully, you know I have to get this right or Bones will snap, and we can’t have that.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice. I leaned back on my pillows.

“When are you going to accept that he is just trying to help?” Brie swung around to bite at me, her face flushed. “If he didn’t help you, do you think any of us would have a chance? We could all be dead in a week, and you still don’t give him any credit.”

“Suck it in, Brie.” Sully gave her a dirty look. “Since when did you become his one-man cheer squad?”

“Cut it out, you two. Let’s just get a drink and chill for a while. We’ll get enough stress tomorrow when we go to Jasper’s. Last weekend and all that before the summer solstice.”

With Sully’s help I raided the fridge and took the food and our drinks up to my room with Roman in tow. I wanted to relax before we had to buckle down and practice again. Sully put on some music, and we chilled. I went over in my mind what we had all achieved over the last few weeks. It seemed like a lot longer since this had all started.

Bones seemed reasonably happy with my progress. Grudgingly so, but at least it was something. Jasper had tried various different spells with Brie and Sully. Brie was starting to show some promise with protection spells, and that seemed to be where her talents would stay, at least for now.

Sully on the other hand could do no magic or spells. He had the odd flash of “something.” Jasper couldn’t tell whether it was premonitions or flashbacks of the past. Nothing had come through yet that gave them a clear picture to base his skills or lack of them on. Jasper knew there was something there, but just what it was, was eluding us.

Maybe we’re trying too hard
.
Look at Roman
.
No need to push him to do anything. It all came so easy. A shame, considering he was still a small child. It would have been better if he had been spared for a few more years
.
That is a lot to put on one so young.

I glanced down at Roman cuddled up beside me. “You okay, little man?”

“Yeah, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay if you’re okay,” I replied.

“Is it going to hurt?” he asked me.

“Oh, baby, I hope not. I’ll do my best not to let it, promise.”

“Okay. Don’t tell Mom, though. She’ll get mad. Madder than when I fell in the river.”

“It’s our secret, Roman. Brie and Sully will help. So will Bones and Jasper.”

“Roman, can I help?” Sully asked, leaning closer to us.

“Maybe, maybe not.” He watched from under his eyelashes. “You have to remember first.”

“Remember what, Roman?”

“You’ll know.”

I looked at Sully, shrugged my shoulders, and got off the bed.

“Roman, my man, let’s go see what Mom is up to.”

Sully and Brie followed us downstairs to the kitchen, saying they had to head for home. “Do you want us to meet here tomorrow or at Jasper’s?” Sully asked.

“How about out there? That way I can get my run in on the way?”

“And I can sleep in,” Brie said.

I laughed at her and waved them off.

With my friends gone, I followed Roman out the back door. Mom was in the garden, pottering around touching her flowers and deadheading them. She looked fragile. The loss of the baby was still troubling her. As much as I wanted to help her heal, it was up to her to work her way through the grief she felt.

My father was in his office, working on another project house. I went to the door and tapped gently. I hated to disturb him when he was buried in a design.

“Hi, Nera. What’s up?” he asked when he saw me.

“Nothing much. We have to get to Jasper’s in the morning, more sword training. I can take Roman with me if you like, or you can bring him over later, up to you. We’re going to spend the night, if that’s okay?” I walked in and pulled out the spare chair. I sat down and gazed over Dad’s plans taking shape on the drawing board.

“That’s no problem. I can bring Roman over later in the day. I know he’s keen to be with you, and he did badger Jasper to let him come over this week. To tell you the truth, I could do with some time alone with your mom. She still seems very down about the baby,” Dad said, putting down his pencil and smiling sadly.

“I know, Dad. I really feel for her. I wish there was something I could do.”

“I know, honey. I think it’s a time thing. We just need her to know that we are here for her, and time will do the rest.”

“Is this a private meeting or can anyone join in?” Mom leaned in the doorway.

“Always room for a pretty lady and a handsome young man,” Dad said as he spied Roman following Mom into the office. “It must be my lucky day. Three visitors in one afternoon.”

Dad held his hands out for Roman, and he climbed onto his lap. “We were just working out the plans for the coming week. Nera wants to spend time with Roman at Jasper’s, but I was thinking of taking him over later in the day so the kids can go exploring to themselves. If he wants, he can stay the night, and I can take my darling wife out for dinner somewhere. What do you think, Hannah?” Dad asked with his lovely, clear blue eyes sparkling at her. “We can neck on the way home.”

“How can a girl turn down an offer like that?” Mom laughed at him. “Sounds like just what the doctor ordered.”

Roman and I shared a quick glance at each other, grinning.

“But for now, young man, how about a bath before dinner?” Mom mussed up Roman’s hair.

“I’ll start him in the bath, Mom,” I said as got to my feet. I reached over and took Roman from our fathers lap and pushed him to the door.

I took Roman upstairs to run the bath, and the house was bathed in light.

***

The following morning, I loaded a backpack with a change of clothes and headed out to Jasper’s. My first task was to try and speak with Jasper, and if necessary Bones. I needed to find out what Roman had eluded to when he said that Sully had to remember. And I still had to decide if I was going to say anything about the visit from an older Roman, warning me about my father.

Jasper was puttering in the garden when I arrived. Hugo raced over to him, excited to see him.

“Down, boy. I know what you are after. Let’s go and get your treat then shall we. Cup of tea. Nera?”

“Good idea, Jasper. Can we have it outside? I need to talk to you before Sully and Brie get here.”

“That sounds serious, girl dear. Do you want me to get Bones?”

“Yeah, maybe you should.” I shook my head. “No. I’ll do it.”

I went and sat under my favorite tree and cleared my mind. As Bones came into my mind, I thought about what I wanted to say to him. After some serious thought, I had decided they needed to know about Romans visit.

When Jasper came out with the tea shortly after, he noticed the smirk on my face, and I could tell he wondered what I had been up to.
No doubt stirring Bones up again. When will she learn?
I blushed listening to him.

“Here you are, girl dear.” He passed my cup of tea. “Is Bones coming down? Do you know?”

“If he got my message, he will be,” I replied, leaning into Hugo.

We sat and sipped our tea quietly for a while, silently looking around the garden.

Bones came out through the back door with a scowl on his face. “Was that supposed to be funny, Nera, or are you serious?”

“Deadly serious, actually. Why? Don’t you believe me?” I asked innocently and looked at him from under my eyelashes. “You don’t have to, you know. You can just go along with your own idea or you can listen to what I have heard. It’s your choice.”

“What am I missing out on?” Jasper glanced between the two of us.

“Roman visited me the other night, the adult Roman from the future. Don’t look at me as if I’ve lost my marbles, Bones. It happened.” I scowled at him.

“Nera, are you sure it wasn’t just a dream?” Jasper didn’t look convinced.

“Yeah, I am. First off I thought maybe it was, but yesterday he said something to Sully that makes me sure it was for real,” I said. I told them what had happened in the dream and what Roman said about Sully remembering.

Jasper shook his head. “I don’t understand why this would be happening, though.” He looked at Bones for advice.

“We have never had direct descendants before.” Bones took a seat next to Jasper but kept his gaze on me. “All the others were from another line.”

“But to come from the future. That’s not something I have seen before.” Jasper shook his head.

“Nor I, but that doesn’t make it impossible.” Bones raised his eyebrows. He looked at Jasper and shrugged his shoulders.

I sat quietly and watched them debate my news. All the things they brought up, I had run through my mind as well. Roman must have a different kind of magic than me. That still did not explain the problem with Sully. “Why would Roman say that Sully had to remember to be involved at the end?” I asked.