Witchling (Curse of Kin) (38 page)

“Done well? I killed my own father. How have I done well? My mother is a widow. My brother and I have no father. You may call that doing well, maybe in your world, but not in mine. It was your council that sent her here in the first place. I had to fix that, and I will never forget it. And just what did Roman have to do with this?” I asked, hands on hips, my attitude starting to rise again.

“Your little brother is very strong. Maybe stronger than you are. He will make a powerful witch one day. He knows what is coming for this world, and he is prepared to make sacrifices for the future. He remained calm today in the face of battle even though he could see your every move. You will be able to rely on him as he grows.”

“I don’t want to rely on him. He is a child, just a small boy. He needs his childhood, and he needs his father. We both do. I want things to go back to what they were before. I want my father back.” My voice cracked, and the tears started to threaten once again. I held Roman to me, my gaze going to my father’s body lying still on the couch.

“What you ask is not impossible, Nera. It will cost you greatly.” Mari glanced at Jasper and Bones.

“I don’t care. I just want him back. Take my powers or whatever you have to do. Just do it,” I said.

Mari spoke to Jasper. “Jasper, Nera has asked for her father to be returned to her. You know the price. Are you prepared to offer it on his behalf?”

“No,” I said before Jasper could answer her. “I want to give my powers. I took his life. I will give it back.”

“That is not possible, Nera. There are certain people who cannot surrender their powers. You are one of them. Jasper, are you willing?” Mari asked with a small smile.

“My dear Mari, you know that I would gladly give you mine if you would take them. I have no hesitation in giving you permission to take his powers, though. I know he would agree,” he said, coming closer.

“Thank you, my friend.”

“Girl dear, it’s all right. To bring your father’s life back to you will only take away his powers. Edrith is gone now. You and Bones have everything under control. He can live without being a witch. Being a normal human being will be enough for him,” Jasper said. “It is all he has ever wanted.” He came and held me tight. Jasper leaned back slightly and smoothed his hand over my unruly hair.

“It is also the price he must pay for betraying the laws that rule his world, Upper Theruss,” Mari frowned.

“What do you mean, his world?” I asked. “He was human more than witch.”

“No, child. His mother was stripped of her powers when we banished her to earth. That did not stop them from being passed down to her children. You father is a demigod. It is from him that you and Roman get your powers. Even though he was born of this land, the laws of his mother’s world are what he must follow.”

I looked at her stunned. My father a god, and I had just killed him.

“Brian, if you will. Nera, I need you too.” Mari held out her hands to us as she approached my father. “Nera, come with me please. Put both of your hands on your father’s heart,” she instructed. Bones placed his hands over mine, and Mari place hers over Bones.

The air around us chilled and swirled with mist. Mari quietly chanted her magic spell, the words foreign and unrecognizable to me. My amulet started to heat up. I could feel the slow steady beating, and I pushed its energy through my body toward my father. Under my hands, the chill left his body and the warmth return. Each minute that passed drained me more. I felt sick and lightheaded, but I refused to let it slow down. I could see the sweat pour down Bones’s face like it had with Hugo’s healing. This was taking longer and much more energy, but it was my father this time, not an injured dog.

Mari finished her spell, and I felt Dad move under our hands. His mouth opened, and he gasped for air. His eyes flickered, and his mouth worked as he tried to say something.

“Dad, Dad. Wake up, please,” I cried, my eyes filled with tears once again.

He struggled to sit up, but sweat broke out on his forehead and he fell back onto the pillow, too weak. He looked around the room and panicked until I reassured him that she was gone.

“Dad, she’s dead.” I squeezed his hand.

“Dead? Are you sure?” he croaked, his voice hoarse, his eyes full of pain.

“Jack, look at me,” Bones said. “It’s over. Nera sent her back to the Otherworld. Everyone is okay. Roman is here too.”

Dad slowly pulled himself to a sitting position, the color left his face, and he swayed. He breathed deepfor a minute, his head resting in his hands. He still looked confused. “But she had Roman. She wanted me to kill my own son.”

“Dad, it wasn’t him. We told you that. It was one of her followers. Roman was never in danger. He was downstairs with Brie and Sully,” I said.

Bones told Dad what happened. When he got to the part of me killing him, I hung my head and quietly wept, ashamed of what I had done. When Bones finished the story, he moved away.

Dad lifted his hand and took hold of my chin, tilting my face upward so he could see my eyes. “Honey, I’m so proud of you,” he said, smiling. “I am so very proud of my little girl.”

“Proud. How can you say that? I killed you, Dad. I killed my own father. You should hate me. I would,” I sobbed. “I would hate me for what I’ve done.”

“It was the only way. We all knew that, even I did deep down, but I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I always knew you would be the strong one. You are better than I could ever be, Nera. I am so proud you are my daughter.”

“What do you mean, you all knew?” I turned to look at Bones and Jasper.

“What your father is trying to tell you, girl dear, is that you have done what no other could possibly do. Bones and I could deal with Edrith’s soldiers any day of the week once you had dealt with her. We knew that, but what we did not tell you was how hard it was going to be. And to do that you needed more energy than you could muster on a good day so early in your training. We knew what Jack had in mind, and we couldn’t allow that to happen. Taking your father’s life was the only way to give you the anger to produce the energy you needed. It is exactly as we told you. And we knew from the day you were born that you would be the one. The only thing we did not know was that Mari would come to heal Jack,” Jasper said.

“Nera, remember I told you it would be okay.” Roman snuggled up to me. “I saw you. I knew you could do it.”

“Does he see everything?” I asked Mari.

“Not everything, but he can see much already. It will be a power that will develop as he grows. Much like yours will grow over time and with experience and a lot more teaching. It will now mainly fall on Brian’s and Jasper’s shoulders because your father no longer holds any power.” Mari smiled at her son as she said this.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me about Dad, though? Didn’t you think that I had a right to know?”

“Your father has not used his powers for hundreds of years, Nera. He no longer wanted to be part of the magic. The failure of the girls before you saddened him,” Mari explained. “His powers will now slowly ebb into you. It is a gradual process. It is meant to be.”

Bones made a small coughing noise. His face was flushed. I merely lifted my eyebrow and threw him a scornful look. I felt like I had been betrayed by Bones. He had made it his mission to befriend me, and I had succumbed, fighting all the way, but I had come around eventually. I should have stayed with my original instincts. Now I knew better.

“Brian, before I take my leave, I must ask that you prepare Nera for the ceremony.” Mari turned back to me. “Nera, my child, I thank you for your work today. I know that you do not fully accept or understand what you have and how we work yet, but that will come in time. Look out for your family and heed my son. He will teach you well.” She kissed me on the forehead and smiled.

Her beautiful green eyes clouded slightly, and she ran her hands over my hair, bringing them together to cradle my face, she spoke to me quietly. “This is just the beginning, Nera. I think you know that, deep down. For that I am sorry. Sorry to steal your youth from you, but I must. One day you will understand. And you will forgive us.”

Mari knelt on one knee. “My favorite young man, Roman.” Mari smiled as he came to her.

“Thank you for doing this for, Nera. It will make her feel better when she remembers it later,” he said to her in his wise little voice.

“I’m sure she will, Roman. And you can remind her when she is feeling a little less than happy with her performance of all that she has achieved so far.”

“Okay,” he replied.

Mari stood and motioned to Bones.

“Nera, if you will,” he said, coming over to me. His cheeks were getting redder by the second. “Mother has a ceremony to perform today, and it would be pertinent if you were to go and shower, clean up somewhat. There is a dress for you to wear hanging in your room. If you could put that on and return here.”

“Why should I do what you want? After today, you are the last person I want to listen to.”

“Girl dear,” Jasper said, coming over to us, his voice soothing. “This is not Bones’s idea. It is a normal ceremony for a girl your age. Just let Bones explain and keep in mind that he has done nothing to hurt you. He is no more guilty of anything than I am.”

I turned cold eyes back to Bones. He stood tall and met my gaze. “When a young goddess reaches a certain time in her life, her powers start to become apparent. The ceremony that Mother is talking about will help your powers to emerge and grow.”

“And what time would that be?” I asked, full of attitude. I knew exactly what he was talking about and was amused to see that it embarrassed him. He could do the whole explanation. I was not going to make this easy for him. I saw Jasper standing behind him with a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Bones took a deep breath and continued. “When a girl reaches her first menses.” Bones dropped his gaze from mine.

“Really,” I said, keeping my face stern. “But why would you want to celebrate that?”

“I have already told you.” Bones tried to keep his voice steady. “It is the time that your powers really become noticeable Women are stronger when the moon is full. It is as it should be. I understand we should have done this a couple of years ago but the timing was not right. There was no reason to tell you until you became more aware of the changes yourself. This ceremony will help you to remember who and what you are.”

I looked at him, one eyebrow cocked.

“You are a goddess, Nera. And now your time has come to embrace that. If you would be so kind as to go upstairs and shower and change, we will wait for you.”

I looked at Jasper and my father. They stood with Mari, looking serene and happy.
What the hell.

C
HAPTER
T
HIRTEEN

I ran upstairs and looked at the dress that was hanging on the mirror. It was white and frothy, like nothing I would ever wear. I shrugged my shoulders and quickly showered. Taking clean underwear from my drawer, I put them on. Then I slipped the dress over my head.

I stood in front of the mirror and what looked back at me was a tall, slender girl. The dress clung to her lithe figure, and I knew it was me.
But wow, it must be the dress because I never look this good
. I used my fingers to tidy my hair, and I slipped out the door. I ran down the stairs in my bare feet, feeling the floating layers of the dress around my legs.

They all turned to stare when I walked into the library. Jasper, Dad, and Mari smiled. Bones stood with a stunned look on his face, and Roman ran to greet me.

“Nera, you look like a beautiful goddess.” He smiled, and I picked him up. I hugged him tight. This little pest was so much more than I bargained for in a brother. I would keep my promise to him. Nothing would hurt him while I was on guard.

“You look a little anxious. You have no reason to be,” Mari said, walking toward me.

“It’s not like I do this every day, so I don’t know what to expect. Look at your son. He seems more nervous than me,” I said.

“Brian just wants everything to go right. This is his first initiation ceremony, and I have asked that he be the one to do the protection rite,” Mari informed me.

“Well, I hope this rite doesn’t include a knife. He seems a bit shaky,” I said. The petulant look Bones shot in my direction was ignored.

Mari laughed at the look on her son’s face.

“Now, let us get to more serious business. Nera, stand over here, if you will,” Mari instructed.

I passed Roman over to my father and moved to where Mari indicated. I moved over to the diamond shaped window, the sun streamed in and threw a rainbow of colors over my skin. The family gathered around to watch my coming of age in magic. Mari positioned herself in front of me, Bones at her right side. I closed my eyes and stood motionless, listening to the words that Mari chanted, letting them course through my blood and setting fire to my mind.

Darkness night and shining moon,

Hearken to the witches’ rune.

East, then south, west, then north,

Here come I to call thee forth,