by Ari Harper
“Nera, girl dear,” Jasper said when I walked into the kitchen. “I didn’t expect to see you today. Is everything all right?”
“I guess it depends on what you call all right.” I jumped up on the counter and proceeded to tell him about what had happened at school. He leaned against the kitchen table and listened to me without a word until I had finished.
“I hope your father has a word with that boy.”
“It has been dealt with, Jasper. That’s not why I told you. Sully, Brie, and I were talking afterward, and they thought it more important that I may have already tapped into another type of power. What do you think?”
“I don’t have to think about it, girl dear, because I know what it is.” Jasper was watching me closely. “And I think that you do too.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I could feel myself falling farther into the realm of the unknown. It was a heady but sick feeling that fluttered deep in my stomach. I looked at Jasper beseechingly, wanting the reassurance only he could give me. My whole world changed in that moment. The last slim thread of normality in my childhood slipped away before my eyes.
He quietly wrapped his arms around me, and the tears slid down my cheeks. We stayed there, holding each other until my tears dried and my heart slowed. He stepped back until he could see my face.
“Welcome to my world, Nera.” Jasper smiled, the small movement lifting the corners of his mouth, his blue eyes twinkling.
“Thanks, I think.” I laughed at myself. Had I accepted my fate so easily? It had crept up and taken over while I was still trying to put it in its place. It left me shaken and anticipating the future at the same time.
Would I be the girl that Jasper thought I was? Could I change the curse so that he could have a normal life? We both had different hopes for the future. Whose would come true?
By the time I left Jasper’s for home, I was more at peace than I had been for awhile. He had a way of soothing me. Afterward I was able to look at things so logically that at times it infuriated me. Clever or sneaky? I wasn’t sure, but he had a way of convincing me that he was always right. If I was honest, I’d say it was a good thing that someone was able to get the better of me. Life would be boring otherwise.
Dad was waiting for me when I ran in the back gate. His eyes were dark and angry, his mouth tight, and a sheen of sweat sat on his top lip.
“Are you all right, Nera? He didn’t hurt you when he grabbed you, did he?”
“No, Dad, I’m fine, honestly.” I put my arm over his shoulders. “I think he ended up worse off, as he was the one that will be left with a scar, not me.”
“What about scars that cannot be seen? I don’t want you frightened to be around young men, thinking they will all treat you so roughly. One day you will have a relationship that is serious, and I don’t want what happened at school to come back and haunt you.”
“Honestly, Father of mine, that will not happen. I am fine, believe me.”
“I couldn’t bear it if anyone hurt you,” he said while he hugged me and started to relax now that he could see I was okay.
“Settle down, Dad. It was just a grope in the hallway. I dealt with it, okay?”
“So you say, but I felt sick when Mom told me. I could cheerfully have gone over and hit him.”
I laughed at the vision of my pacifist father hitting anyone. With our arms around each other, we headed for the house where the smell of Mom’s cooking reminded me of how hungry I was.
“How about I bathe Roman tonight and you help Mom do the dishes, Dad,” I suggested when we had finished dinner.
“Thanks, honey. That would be great.”
***
I watched Roman stir up the water and make a mass of bubbles while I texted Brie and Sully and told them of Jasper’s plans for the weekend. Not surprisingly, they both loved the idea of spending time over at Jasper’s house. The whole witch deal was giving them a buzz, and they were eager to dig into it a lot deeper. They were much keener than I was, but they weren’t the ones that had to break the curse.
When Roman decided to pull the plug from his bath, I wrapped him in a big towel. I followed him to his room to help him get dressed. Afterward I curled up in his bed and read him a story. His eyelids started to droop with tiredness and he snuggled down into his blankets. I brushed the hair from his head and kissed him good night.
I stopped when I walked in my room. A chill hung in the air. I checked to see if I had left the window open, but it was closed. I could see nothing out of place and no reason for the coldness that filled the room.
Roman’s flowers, I couldn’t believe it. The beautiful little red flowers drooped over the edge of the vase black and dead. I picked them up and looked at them, stunned. A shiver ran down my back followed by goose bumps. I took them out of the vase and threw them in the trash. There was no reasonable explanation for them to die so quickly, and the thought jarred in my mind. I gasped and jumped back, my hand at my throat, when a scraping noise sounded at the window. There was nothing there but a bird flying past in the night. I had to pull myself together. I was letting my imagination run away with me. We probably hadn’t put enough water in the vase, no big deal. I tidied up my mess and crawled into bed with a book. It only took a couple of pages, and I was ready to turn out the light.
As I relaxed under the covers, I could feel myself slipping into another dream. The cold hit me first; then the darkness grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I called for help, but my voice was lost in the depths, and I struggled to breathe. The pressure around my head was building. I panicked and tried to get myself free. Then I felt weightlessness as the dark took over.
I threw the blankets off and pushed myself up, gasping. Sitting on the side of the bed, my body heaving, I gulped down oxygen, breathing the air had been sucked from my lungs. Hugo pushed his nose into my face, bringing me back to the present. I was fighting for control of what I did not understand. Wrapping my arms around Hugo’s neck, I held onto him until I calmed down.
Shaken, I took a pillow from my bed and went to sit on my window seat and looked out at the black night. Hugo stayed by my side until I braved my dreams and fell into a troubled sleep.
***
The next morning when I woke, I was stiff and sore from sleeping at the window. I struggled to straighten my legs and rubbed my calf muscles while watching the sun came up. The thud of the newspaper hitting the path made me lift my head to look out my window. His gaze bored into mine again before he passed, prickling something in the back of my mind.
I dressed in my sweatpants and an old shirt before pulling on my running shoes. A quick run before school would shift some of the doubts that my nightmare had left behind. I would ask Jasper to help me try to sort them out. Were they premonitions of things to come? Or were they just plain nightmares? I needed to know before they drove me insane.
Mom was in the kitchen making tea when I ran down with Hugo at my side. I grunted to her when she passed me a jacket. It was raining outside, but it took more than that to put me off my morning routine. I pulled the jacket on and headed out, determined to go to school today with a clear head. If I hurt someone because I wasn’t thinking straight, I would end up in all sorts of trouble, and there would be questions that I couldn’t answer. Not yet, anyway.
Hugo and I made our way around the still sleepy streets. Lights were coming on in the homes we passed, the day slowly starting for the town. I ran toward the newspaper shop. The dirty white van passed me and pulled into the driveway to park behind the shop. Mr. Jakes was hobbling around the front door, putting out his posters.
“Hi, Nera,” he called to me. He leaned on his crutch, and I had no choice but to stop beside him.
“Hi, Mr. Jakes. How is the leg healing?” I stretched my calves back one at a time to avoid cooling down too much while we spoke.
“It’s getting better.” He rubbed his finger around the top of the plaster. “Thank your mom for me. She sent over a casserole this week to help out. It wa
s much appreciated.”
“No problem. Anything to help.” The skin on the back of my neck began to prickle, and I watched a young man come through the shop. His jet black hair hung over his cheeks, and he flicked the loose strandsback with a small movement of his head. His dark eyes roved up and down my body, stalling on my face before he spoke to his boss.
“All done, Mr. Jakes,” he announced in a rich, deep voice that was surprisingly warm. “Is there anything else I can do for you before I head off?”
“Thanks, Bones, but no. What you have done has been great. I couldn’t have coped without you.” Mr. Jakes turned toward me. “Nera, I want you to meet Bones. He has been helping me out since I broke my leg. Bones, this is Nera O’Reilly. She lives around the corner. “
Bones looked at me, his eyes going cool, one eyebrow raised in a scornful look from underneath his long, black fringe. “Well, I will go, then. See you tomorrow.” He turned away and walked down the path, not saying a word to me.
“He’s a bit of a recluse.” Mr. Jakes made an excuse for him. There was no cause for bad manners. Mom had always drilled that into me. It looked like his mother didn’t bother to do the same.
“Yeah, sure. Anyway, hope the leg is better soon. See you.” I waved to him and ran down the same path Bones had taken. When I got to the corner, I looked both ways, but there was no one in sight. I headed for home in desperate need of a hot cup of tea and some warm clothes.
The rich smell of cinnamon toast hit me when I arrived in the kitchen. I snatched a piece off of Roman’s plate and headed to change into my school clothes. His cry of indignation followed me up the stairs, and I grinned to myself. Missing the opportunity to harass him was not going to happen.
When I was dressed, I jogged back downstairs, humming to myself. Dad was at the table, and there was a plate of fresh toast for me in my place. I handed one to Roman with a flourish, and he grabbed it with both hands, a big grin spreading across his face.
“Thanks, Nera.”
“Welcome, buddy. I saw Mr. Jakes, Mom. He said thanks for the meal. He enjoyed it.”
“Did he say he needed any help with the shop?” Mom asked, passing Dad a cup of tea.
“He’s got someone there,” I told her and thought about those dark eyes. “Some broody sort of guy who has been doing the driving for him.”
“If you see him again soon, let him know he can call if he needs any help. We are always here,” Dad said. He flushed and turned away suddenly.
“Yeah, sure. What’s wrong, Dad? You look a bit sick.”
“I’m fine.” Dad coughed, clearing his throat and took a sip of tea. “How do you feel about going back to school today and facing those boys?”
“It’s all good. Connor won’t be there till next week or the week after, but I can handle them anyway. They don’t scare me.” I gulped a mouthful of tea before grabbing another piece of toast and nibbling the edges.
“They are scared of you now, Nera,” my little brother spoke up, his gaze solemn.
“What do you mean, buddy?” Dad asked, reaching over to wipe the butter from Roman’s chin.
“They think Nera is scary after yesterday,” he replied, letting Dad dab at his face.
I looked at my parents and wondered if Roman had heard any of our conversation about what Connor had done to me. We would have to be more careful in future.
My breakfast eaten, I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. Saying good-bye, I patted Hugo on the head and ran for my bus. I was going to miss my first class this morning and retake my math test in the office. Now everyone would all know what had happened yesterday, and I would have to deal with their stares. Thanks for making me feel like a freak.
The bus pulled into my stop, and I took a deep breath, then climbed up the stairs. Keeping my head high, I walked past Connor’s friends to the back of the bus without being hassled. They had the good grace to look the other way. Brie started talking before I sat down about the coming weekend and going over magic with Jasper. Sully butted in to ask if we could explore Jasper’s house. Ever since he had seen the sliding panels, he constantly talked about finding more. I just wanted answers to the future. Overall, we didn’t think it was too much to ask.
***
“Nera, can I come with you?” Roman clutched my hand and pleaded with me the next morning.
“Maybe tomorrow, okay?” He looked at me with big puppy dog eyes, and I turned away so I wouldn’t give in. “I’ll take you over tomorrow, I promise. I just have to study today, and you will find that too boring. Go and play in the garden with your old friend for a while.”
“She’s not old. She’s nice.” Roman huffed before grabbing hold of me again. “Do you promise, Nera, tomorrow?”
“I promise, buddy.” I was feeling ashamed that I was leaving him behind, but I didn’t want to involve anyone else before I understood what I was getting into.
Brie called out when she came into the back garden with Sully, and I ran down the stairs to meet them. We made our way through the forest, anticipation making me edgy. When we got to the house, Hugo raced into the garden before us. I followed behind him and came to a halt. Someone was standing by the back door, rubbing Hugo’s ears and talking to him softly.
Sully ran into the back of me. “What’s going on?”
Bones looked up when Sully spoke. He turned to me and looked straight into my eyes, and a chill went down my spine. I returned his gaze. Brie nudged me, but I couldn’t make my feet move. My stomach felt hollow as Bones and I continued to stare at each other.
“Nera, hello. Brie, Sully, how are you?” Jasper looked at the standoff between me and Bones. Unconcerned, Bones continued to rub Hugo’s head, talking to him softly. “Come and meet Bones, Nera,”
Jasper motioned me forward. I walked over and stood beside Jasper with Brie and Sully right beside me. “This is Brian, Nera. Bones is what he likes to be called. Bones, this is Nera, but you now know that, and her friends, Brie and Sully.”
“We’ve already been introduced.” I paused, feeling antagonistic toward Bones for what I didn’t know. “Unfortunately.”
“Tsk tsk, girl dear. I told you she would react like this, Bones, didn’t I?” Jasper said to him right in front of me.
The young man didn’t reply. He merely returned my glare.
“Hi, Bones,” Brie said with her usual breathy voice as she bounced over to him. Fluttering her eyes, she leaned to rest her hand on his arm, her lips curving into an inviting smile.
“Lovely to meet you, Brie,” Bones said, his gaze flitting back to me as he charmed her. He looked over to Sully, who was standing beside me.
“Sully, how are you?” He held his hand out.
“Yeah, good,” Sully replied, shaking hands quickly and returning to my side.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’ve always been here.” He looked at me, the corners of his lips tilting up.
I glanced at Jasper, eyebrows raised for an explanation. He motioned us inside to the kitchen. “I think this is better discussed over tea.” It was his cure for every situation. Jasper bustled around, putting on the kettle while I stood against the door unsure of my next move.
“I think I’ll wait in the library, Jasper.” It was rude of me, but I had to get away from everyone for a minute. The air in the kitchen had suddenly become too stifling.
The fire was on in the library, and I walked over to it, holding onto the sill above and leaning my head on my hands. I felt tightly wound, ready to explode. Why was Bones here? And why did it affect me so much? I had no reason to dislike him like this; he had done nothing to me.
I let the warmth of the flames wrap around my body and slowly release the tension. I knew the moment he walked into the room. I turned toward him, watching him take a seat in one of the chairs by the fire. He crossed one foot over his knee and leaned back into the chair looking quite at home.
“There is no point in trying to run away from me, Nera. I have been wi
th you from the moment you were born and with you I will stay.”
He watched my face while I tried to absorb his words. “Why?”
“Jasper has told you of what is your future. I am here to make sure that it happens.”
“That doesn’t explain who you are or why you are here really, does it?” I was being stubborn. Just because Jasper had told me of my new destiny didn’t mean that I would accept this stranger in my life.
“I can probably explain better than Jasper.” He flicked his hair from his eyes. “You have been told some of what happened in the past and that you are the next in line to break the curse. With each girl, there is a protector. Me.”
This was my life he was talking about, and I felt that I deserved more than a casual conversation. I headed for the door.
“Jasper,” I yelled, walking back to the kitchen. I met him in the hallway, bringing in a tray with morning tea. Brie and Sully followed behind him.
“Coming, girl dear. Just calm down, and we can explain it all to you,” Jasper soothed and walked past me into the library. He put the tray on the only table that was not covered with his projects and poured tea for all of us. When he had his cup, he went and stood beside Bones.
“How far have you got?” he asked, looking down at Bones.
“Not very, Jasper. Perhaps you should have a go. You obviously have more experience talking to teenage girls than I have.”
I looked at him in disbelief. How hard was it to talk to a girl? I went and sat down on the floor in front of Brie and Sully and leaned back against Sully’s legs. His hand came to rest on my shoulder, and I reached up and squeezed it. Bones’s hawk-like eyes watched every move I made.
Jasper cleared his throat and started to talk. “You know about the ‘every third generation’ deal. This is how it works. What I didn’t tell you was about Bones’s involvement. He is the protector.”
“Why?” I interrupted. “I mean, why would I need one?”
“Because, girl dear, evil is always out there—what we refer to as the Others—and you need to be protected. It was the only thing Mari was able to do when Edrith cursed me. She could not reverse the spell, even though she is the Queen of the Witches. She could only aid someone else to fight it. So she sent Bones. He will protect you and also be your teacher.”
