Witchling (Curse of Kin) (18 page)

Brie was grinning like an idiot. Why on earth did people get like that over babies? Didn’t they scream all the time and either poo or chuck constantly? Really can’t say why Brie gets all gooey.

I rubbed my eyes before dragging my fingers through my hair, tugging it hard, a sure sign of my mind racing. “We need to speak to Jasper,” I said. “We’ll have to tell him tomorrow.”

“You know we are with you all the way on this, Nera. Anything you need, just ask.” Sully gazed at me with a look that any other girl would die for. I unfortunately didn’t feel that way about Sully, and he knew that.

“Thanks, Sully, I don’t know what I would do without the two of you. Brie, pick a movie before Mom comes back in and has a go at us again, will you? I need to think without her worrying about me.”

We curled up together on the floor in front of the movie and blobbed out.

After a big meal of Dad’s chili, Mom opted to do the washing up while Dad and I sat out in the garden with Roman asleep on Dad’s knee.

Brie and Sully had gone home before it got too dark with the promise to come over to Jasper’s tomorrow.

***

Mom sat brushing her hair in her bedroom. Dad came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her belly. He felt her back stiffen and met her eyes in the mirror.

“When were you going to tell me, Hannah?”

“Oh, Jack.” She turned to face him. “I didn’t plan this, honestly. But I’m really happy, and I’m sure you will be too once you get used to the idea. Just give it some time, please.”

“I thought we agreed,” he replied, his voice raised. “We would wait until Roman was older so we could give him the time that we gave Nera.”

“Please don’t be like this.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “We both agreed that we would have another child someday.”

“Yes, we did,” he yelled, “but not now! It’s the wrong time, don’t you see?”

“No, I don’t,” she yelled back, getting as loud as Dad. “I really don’t know what your problem is, Jack. It’s not like we can’t afford it or we don’t love the kids we have. It won’t hurt Roman to have a little brother or sister now rather than later. We’ve always said the baby chooses the time to be born, not us.”

She threw her hairbrush down on her vanity and turned back toward the bed.

“I’m not happy about it, Hannah,” Dad said. The frustration was clearly showing on his face. He dragged his fingers through his hair, a habit he shared with me. “I just think it’s the wrong time, and I thought you respected me enough not to go and do this without discussing it with me.”

“It has nothing to do with respect. You know I respect you more than any other. It’s all about this child wanting to be born now. We both believe that things happen for a reason, so I don’t see your reason for going off.”

“I just wish we had discussed it more,” he said.

“You mean argued more,” was her reply. “I don’t get it. You’ve changed lately. We used to be so close, but it’s like you would rather not be around me. Have I done something to you?”

“No, my love, nothing like that.” Dad grabbed her and pulled her close. “I really don’t know why I’ve changed. I can feel it too. It feels like I’ve grown old all of a sudden. It’s a strange feeling, and it has put me out of sorts, I guess.”

He tipped her head back to gaze into her warm, brown eyes as he drew his finger down her cheek. Her skin was so soft and smelled just right. He could lose himself in her so easily.

“We will get through this, that I promise you,” he said. “Just be patient with me, my love that is all I ask.”

They wrapped their arms around each other, holding tight.

Down the hall, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I must make sure that Jasper doesn’t find out that I used my powers to invade their space.
He had told me not to, but I was so worried about them that I gave in to temptation, and I felt bad about it. It was too late now.

Well, this is just peachy
. I lay back, staring at the ceiling, my arms crossed behind my head. There was stillness in the house. The only sound was the wind softly blowing through the trees in the backyard.

I rolled over in my bed and tried to sleep. My mind had other ideas as usual. What was it that had attacked Brie? It didn’t make sense. There was no mud there as Brie had insisted. So what had dragged her under, suffocating her? That part was very real for both of us. And who was the person that she insisted was there with her?

I couldn’t see who it was, and Brie hadn’t seen them. The other kids from school hadn’t seen any stranger around, either. Could it have been the Others? Jasper did say that we were all in danger. How would we know if it was that, or just Brie being a drama queen? No, that couldn’t be it, she wouldn’t do that, and the feelings I got were real.
Never mind
, I thought. I snuggled down under my blanket and slept.

***

When I woke the next morning, Hugo had his wet nose on my face, and his big brown eyes were focused on me. “Yuck, Hugo. Get away,” I said, throwing my blankets off. I sat up and stretched my body before my feet hit the ground. After brushing my teeth, I pulled on running clothes and headed downstairs.

My parents were both out in front with a cup of tea.

“Hi, guys.” I leaned in to give them both a kiss. “Hugo and I are off for our run.”

The smell of pancakes drifted my way as I ran into the house on my return.

“Mom, save me some.” I headed up the stairs. “Be back down in a minute.”

I jumped in the shower and then quickly pulled on some old shorts and a T-shirt before running back down to the kitchen.

“Slow down, Nera,” Mom said. “You are always on the go at a million miles an hour. How many pancakes for you?”

“Four, please.” I ruffled Roman’s hair.

“No, no, Nera. Leave me,” he complained.

“Come on, squirt, chill out. Just playing.”

“Not fun. I don’t like it.”

“Well, looks who’s touchy this morning,” I said. “You get out of bed on the wrong side, Roman?”

“Leave him be. He’s in a huff,” Mom said. “He wants to go next door already, and it’s just too early, and he’s not happy he has to wait.”

“Don’t worry, mate.” I laughed. “Old people like to sleep in. She’ll be up soon and then you can drive her nuts.”

“Do not!” Roman snapped.

“Nera, leave him be,” Dad insisted. “Are you going over to Jasper’s today? I’m helping him move some stuff in one of the storage rooms downstairs, so you can come with me if you like. I just need to help your mother in the glasshouse for a bit first, and then we can leave.”

“Sure, Dad. I’ll keep an eye on the serial pest for awhile if you like. Hey, squirt, want to help me do the dishes?”

“Can I wash, Nera? Can I?” He clapped his hands with excitement.

“Sure can, but you clean up the bubbles if you get them all over the floor this time.” I stacked the plates and took them to the sink.

“Thanks, honey,” Dad said. “You know how much he loves doing stuff with you. I know little brothers can be a pain, but we do appreciate it.”

“We will be out in the garden, Roman,” Mom told him. “When you are finished here, we will see if Mrs. Freeman is up and needing your help.”

I watched them go into the garden, hand in hand.

I’m so glad she told him herself. It’s not something that should have come from me.

I filled the sink with water while Roman squirted in way too much detergent as usual. “Look at all the bubbles I made, Nera.”

“Yeah, great, champ. Now let’s get cleaning and then you can go next door while I go learn some more magic.” No sooner were the words out of my mouth than I mentally kicked myself for letting that slip.

“Magic,” Roman copied me. “Nera’s going to go and learn magic.” He smiled up at me, his bright eyes so much like our mother’s, it pulled at my heart.

After we had finished the dishes, I cleaned up and helped Roman into his wellington boots and took him outside.

Dad was cleaning off the spade, and Mom was sorting out her seedlings from the glasshouse that Dad had built last year. Mom’s garden was one of her favorite pastimes, and both Roman and I had grown up with a deep respect for gardening and nature. We grow a lot of our own food and flowers. It had always been that way.

Part of the hippy culture, I mused to myself. I watched my parents with Roman sorting out seedlings for planting. Roman was going to grow up to be just like our mother, I was sure of it. He had the same earnest, gentle soul that she had. Nothing was ever too much trouble to either of them. Not that I was unlike my mother, but I tended to be more stubborn like my father. I wanted to wrap Roman in a big protective blanket, but this big sister mustn’t show too much emotion toward her little brother, even though I would die for him. Jasper’s words came back to me.

“Don’t change anything you do.”

I’ll just have to keep at him the way I normally do
. When this was over, things would change. You can be sure of that. Never again would I take anything for granted. Not family, nor friends. Brie could take anything she wanted from my closet, not a big deal. To lose any of them would be just too hard to bear.

C
HAPTER
S
EVEN

I looked over at the big tree in the back yard beside Roman’s sandpit. The leaves were heavy now that its branches and flowers were in full bloom. Spring had been good this year, and I could still smell the freshness in the garden with the rain on it. I imagined dumping the dew that clung to the leaves in a heap in the sand, making my own waterfall. I saw it in my mind and called it into being. The breeze picked up and swirled around the tree, making its way up the trunk. I smiled as the drops rained down to form puddles in Roman’s tracks.

I sensed eyes on me and looked up to see my father watching me with a confused smile on his face.

Oh shit
.
That wasn’t very clever
. I returned his smile and I walked over to him. “Are you ready to go where no man has ventured before, Father of mine?”

“Surely, it can’t be that bad.” Mom laughed as she came out of the house to join us.

“Mom, I know for a fact because he told me, that Jasper hasn’t looked in some of those storage rooms for hundreds of years. Who knows what we will find.”

“Off with you both, then,” Mom said. “I’ll see you later, whenever that might be. I have enough here to keep me busy all day. Have fun.”

I held onto my father’s hand, enjoying the close contact. We went out the back gate and down the lane that led over the river to Jasper’s.

“Dad, what happened last night? I heard you and Mom arguing. Is everything okay?”

“I’m sure she will tell you herself, Nera. Mom is pregnant. Her argument is that we let you kids decide when you wanted to be born, and now this is the new baby’s choice. I tried to convince her to wait, but it was already too late. We both agreed to that theory when you were born, so it’s a bit hard for me to go back on it now. We will just have to make the best of it.”

“You love babies, Dad. You are always cooing over someone’s if you get a chance.”

“I know, honey. I’m just not sure if this is the right time for us.”

We entered the house through the back door, Hugo pushing ahead to greet Jasper as if they hadn’t seen each other in ages.

“Down, dear boy.” Jasper pushed him back. “I know what you are after.” He walked into the pantry and reached into the bag of dog treats he kept for the big, black dog. Hugo took one gently in his jaws and raced outside to sit under his favorite tree and demolish his treat.

“That’s cupboard love for you, Jasper.” Dad shook his head. “That is one spoiled dog. If only life was so easy.” His face turned grim.

“What’s wrong, son? You seem a little shaky this morning. Something I should know about?” Jasper headed for the kettle.

“Yes, there is. Hannah is pregnant. She told me last night.”

“Oh dear.” Jasper turned to look at Dad’s haggard face. “That is obviously an issue for you. Does Hannah know how you feel?”

“Yes. I tried to convince her to wait until Roman was in school so he could have more time with us, but you know how we both feel that the child chooses the time. I can hardly go back on that, Jasper. I will just have to deal with it.”

“Let me put the kettle on, and we can sit outside with a cup of tea before we start to clean the store rooms.” Jasper turned to the sink to fill up the kettle when a chill crept over my skin, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I opened my mouth to call Jasper but before I could, my body went cold, and I struggled for breath. I felt like I was being sucked down into a deep well full of ice water. My lungs were squeezed so tight I could hardly breathe.

Jasper heard my quick intake of breath and reached my side before my legs gave way.