Witchling (Curse of Kin) (36 page)

I could smell the demon skeletons as they shuffled closer toward me. Still I kept my thoughts on the fire in my body. My blood was almost to boiling point when I heard the message.

Go, now.

I opened my eyes, and the rush of heat left my body, sucking the air from my lungs. The flames burst forth to incinerate the collection of bones advancing on me. The backrush of heat from the skeletons singed the hair on my arms and face, sending me flying into the garden. I lay on my back where I had fallen among Jasper’s plants while I sucked in the cool air. My body felt like it was on fire. I swear I almost self-combusted while I’d waited for Bones to let me loose. Hands pulled me to my feet and held me steady as I swayed.

I kept my eyes closed as my head spun. When I managed to force my eyes open, I realized I was safe in the arms of Bones. I froze, reluctant to move for a few more seconds. Willing my body to cooperate with my brain, I pushed him away and stood on my own.

I looked around the garden. Jasper and Bones were both watching me, a mixture of shock and relief on their faces. My father was staring at me, his mouth open as if he was surprised at what I had done. Funny that he didn’t have the voice to tell me what he knew and now he struggled to find it to comment on what I had just achieved.

“You know she won’t give up. Not until she gets what she wants,” Dad said, shaking himself out of his trance-like state.

“Don’t even go there, Jack.” Jasper’s voice was angry. “We’ve had this all out before. We can beat her our way. Nera is quite capable now, as you can see.”

Bones took my arm and guided me inside. We settled in the library, hoping for a break before she struck again. Hugo lay against my legs, still stunned and looking very sore.

“This kind of magic sure takes it out of you,” I commented, my head back against the big, puffy cushions. “I didn’t realize that it was so draining.”

“I know, girl dear. We have to hope that you get a bit more of a break before she shows herself because that will take most of your energy. I would like to see if you can build up a bit before she hits,” Jasper said.

“As you get older, you will find that you can do more for longer,” Bones tried to reassure me.

“Wonderful. Like a race horse, a bigger track run each year as I get older.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice.

“Don’t be so damned pigheaded. You know what I meant.” Bones turned on me. “As you grow with your powers, you can learn to sustain them for longer without draining yourself so much.”

“Great. That’s something to look forward to if we can survive the night.” I rubbed my eyes. My nerves were already frazzled, and the evil hag had yet to surface. I wondered how many more there would be before her.

“Do you go out of your way to piss me off, Nera, or does it come natural for you?” Bones looked annoyed, his lips set in a tight line.

“I’d say that it comes natural, only because I never have to think very hard where you are concerned.”

“That’s enough, you two,” Jasper said. “We should be putting up a united front, not bickering with each other.”

“Sorry, Jasper. You are right as usual,” Bones replied in a weary voice. “It would appear that is a bad habit I seem to be falling into.”

“Yeah, me too. Sorry. Dad, are you okay? You are very quiet.”

“Fine, honey. Just thinking if there is more that I can do. This is my fault so I feel responsible.” Dad hung his head.

“What does he mean, it’s his fault?” I asked Jasper.

“We will discuss it after this is over and done with, Nera. It is not worth worrying about now.” Jasper turned to Dad and gave him a withering stare. “Don’t go there, Jack. We have been through this a million times. You know it won’t work.”

“We don’t know that. You just assumed that. It isn’t a tried and true theory as far as I know.” He jumped out of his chair to pace angrily around the room.

“I’m sure it is, Jack, and that is enough talk of it for now,” Bones said.

A child’s frightened cry suddenly ripped through the air. We ran outside to see what was happening. “Look, up there,” I said. “It’s Roman. They have him up on the roof.”

They looked toward the roof of the house where I pointed. The parapet was a favorite spot for Jasper to test out his telescopes and was easily accessible. I turned to go back into the house.

“Nera, wait,” Bones called. “It can’t be him. He is with Brie and Sully.”

“How can you be sure?” I started to panic. “She could have gotten past Brie.”

“But not past me. It isn’t him.”

On the roof, Roman stood held firm by two soldiers, one either side of him, their hands gripping him by the arms. They stood at attention in chainmail jackets and metal helmets, ready to fight.

“Nera, help me,” he cried. He looked small and terrified.

My heart pounded, and I clawed my fingers through my hair as I struggled to believe Bones.

“Jasper, what should we do?” I asked fearfully. “What if it is Roman and we do nothing?”

Dad grabbed hold of Jasper as he answered me.

“If Bones says it’s not Roman, I believe him,” Jasper said.

“It is Roman, Jasper. I can feel it’s him,” Dad cried. “Do something, Nera. You have to save him.”

“Dad, it’s not him.” I forced the words out, trying hard to convince myself. “If Jasper and Bones say it is not him, I believe them,” I said in a more convincing tone.

“Well, well. Everyone is here, I see. How nice to see you all,” said a voice as an ugly old fat woman came out of the forest behind us and walked through the walled garden gate. She came to stand in front of us, just out of reach.

“That’s Mrs. Freeman, isn’t it?” I was confused. “She looks different. What is she doing here?”

“No, Nera. That’s not Mrs. Freeman. Meet your grandmother, Edrith,” Jasper introduced me.

I looked from him to my father. It was clear by the shocked look on his face that he hadn’t recognized his mother either. Not surprising considering Jasper had said she used her beauty to get what she wanted. She must have changed a lot over the years because there was no trace of beauty on the ugly face. Before I could get my words out, she was talking again.

“Charmed, I’m sure. It will be my pleasure to take out your pathetic excuse for a witch once again, Jasper.” She gave him a surly look. She was no longer dressed in her dirty housecoat. Dark green velvet cloaked her bulky body, and her hands were folded across her distended stomach. “You really didn’t think you could win this time by breeding your own did you, Jack?”

“You seem very sure of yourself, Edrith.” Jasper walked toward her.

“Why wouldn’t I be? For 800 years I have had the upper hand. I fail to see why that would change now. This one” —she pointed her finger at me— “could hardly do more damage than the last few.”

“Let go of my son, Mother, now,” Dad ordered.

Edrith pinned her beady eyes on my father and laughed; her huge body rolled and heaved as she did. “Oh, Jack, you never change do you. Always wanting what you can’t have.” She moved closer to him, a sinister smile on her fat, ugly face. “Why should I let you have the little pest? Serial pest, wasn’t that it, Nera?” she said, smirking at me.

“You shouldn’t listen at keyholes, you old hag. You may hear something that you don’t want to,” I said, my mouth letting loose once again in an attempt to cover up one of my biggest mistakes.

“Ooh, what do we have here? Someone with a bit of spirit from your loins, Jack. Maybe you aren’t so useless after all.”

“Leave her out of it, Mother. You know it’s me you want. We may as well get this done with.” My father walked over to her.

“Actually, it’s not you I want at all, Jack. You no longer interest me. It’s him,” she said, indicating to the rooftop where Roman was being held.

“You can’t have him. I would die before I let you take another son of mine.”

“It’s not like you can stop me. Remember who made this curse. So I remember the conditions, and it will be her” —she pointed a fat, bejeweled finger at me—”who gets to try to stop me.”

She looked at me again, then burst out laughing, her arms around her obese body as she rumbled and spluttered, saliva dribbling down her chins as she got more excited by the prospect of winning.”Stop me? Ha ha ha. Not going to happen.”

Stay calm, Nera. Just stay calm
. Bones looked at me.

I met his gaze, then turned away to watch Edrith once again.

“Bring the brat down,” she bellowed to the guys on the rooftop.

Dad screamed when they stepped off the roof with Roman between them. They glided down to stand unhurt before Edrith.

“Dad, help me,” Roman cried.

“Roman, come here to me.” Dad held his arms open to his son.

With a quick flick of her wrist, Edrith sent my father tumbling to the ground and away from her.

“Don’t touch. He’s mine now,” she screamed. “Mine. Do you hear me? You left me. You left me for that slip of a girl. You could have been so strong, Jack, but no, love came first. What a bunch of rubbish. Love. That never gets you anywhere. It’s power, Jack, power. You will never know what that is. You gave away your family and your heritage for nothing. That’s what you will always have, nothing.”

She turned and grabbed Roman by the hair and dragged him to where our father lay on the ground. “Impressive, isn’t it? Your father could have been one of the most powerful witches around and look at him now, reduced to a useless shell of a man and all for love.”

Calm, Nera, calm
, Bones reminded me.
And be ready.

Jasper, Bones, and I stood very still, watching and waiting for our chance to end it all.

Edrith pulled a jeweled dagger from her waistband and pointed it at Roman’s throat. The boy squirmed and squealed, but she held him fast, the point of the blade digging into his soft white skin.

“Do you want to watch this, Jack? It is so easy for me to take his life. Perhaps you would like to do it yourself. Redeem yourself in my eyes. Now there’s a thought, my son. You take his life, and I’ll give you back yours.” She held out the dagger toward my father.

“No, Dad. It’s not him,” I cried.

Dad stood up and looked at his mother. He slowly reached out his hand for the weapon. Bones tensed beside me, and I knew in that instant what my father planned. My heart clenched in my chest, and it was now or never. The cost was too great if I failed.

“If I kill him, Mother, you will lift the curse and let my remaining family live on?”

“Why, Jack, of course I will. If that is all you ask for. I always keep my word. You know that.” She leaned forward to hand him the dagger and looked back at me, her beady little eyes watching to see my reaction.

“Don’t do it, Dad. She’s lying.” I had one last chance to try to stop him and I had to take it.

“Honey, I love you all, but I have no choice.” Dad’s voice cracked with grief.

“Please don’t, Daddy,” I whispered and let my fear add to the buildup of power coursing through my body.

He took the dagger from his mother’s hand, turned to look at me, and whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

He raised the dagger above his chest. I gathered a surge of heat that had built up from the moment my grandmother had made herself known. I could feel it burn in my heart, in my veins, and under my skin. The air around me shimmered as my energy hovered in my body, blurring the image of my father holding the dagger in his hands. Deep from my soul, it grew. Stronger than anything I thought possible, I sent the energy rippling toward him, slamming into his body, crushing the life from him and shutting down his heart instantly.

“No, Dad, I’m sorry.” I ran to his side. He was already bitterly cold to my touch. I lay my head on his chest, wrapping my arms over him. I held him to me and sobbed with a grief I could not have imagined.

“How dare you,” Edrith screamed. “He was mine. Mine to deal with. You will pay for that, you meddling brat.”

I watched from the corner of my eye. Edrith’s face contorted in rage and her huge body shook with fury as she aimed her wrath at me. The blast of cold air that hit me sent me rolling me away from my father to land on my back. Winded and still shocked at what I had done, I lay still, struggling to breathe. My face was covered in a thin film of sweat, and my eyes were clouded with pain. I could hear her heavy breathing as she ambled closer to stand over me.

Come on, Nera. You can do it. Just breathe and build. Breathe and build.
Bones’s voice broke through the pain. I stayed down on the ground where I was and waited for Edrith to attack again while I gathered my energy inside my body as Bones had shown me. I had learned quickly how to control myself until the last minute when it would be directed to the precise target of the attack.

My ugly grandmother leaned over me. Edrith laughed, and her fat jowls wobbled. “What did I tell you, Jasper? This one is no better than any of the others. Imagine your white magic ever hoping to better my style of power.” She snorted, obviously getting more excited at the thought that she was going to win so easily once again. “Now all I need to do is deal with you and the queen’s brat, Jasper.” Edrith looked over at Bones. “This slip of a girl will not be anything much to worry about. She’s almost burned out now.”