Witchling (Curse of Kin)

by Ari Harper

  It was my own father who had tried to elope with Jasper’s daughter, and he was the reason I was here learning to fight this curse.

  Future Roman must have known about the curse and the story behind it when he visited me and said I had to watch out because Jasper didn’t have it all under control. It was our father he was eluded to, and it was his mother—my grandmother—who was after my family.

  “You bastard, I won’t do it. How dare you think that I would?”

  Bones’s face was twisted with grief, his eyes filled with unshed tears, but I refused to see his pain. This was my father we were talking about, and I was intent on showing him my anger and my own tears.

  “There is no other way.” He stood with his back to the window. His hands clasped together, knuckles showing white against his dark clothing. “I truly am sorry. No matter what you think of me, I am.”

  “There has to be another way. I won’t do it, I won’t,” I cried as I dropped down again in the chair, sobbing. “You can’t make me.”

  “No, I can’t. But if you don’t do it, Roman must. Do you want to do that to him? He does not understand. At least you do.”

  He came to me and grabbed my hands, holding tight when I tried to pull away from him. “There is no other way. We have looked and looked. There will be a blood sacrifice, of that I am certain. I fear your father is planning on taking his own life in the hope that Edrith will back off and leave the rest of you alone. She won’t, Nera. He is desperate for this curse to end, and he will die regardless and possibly by his own hand if not by hers. But if you take his life yourself, the rest of you will all survive. I will be with you, but it has to be done by his blood, and that means you.”

  I was almost hysterical when Jasper arrived in the room. Bones must have summoned him after he had shown me the passage in the Book of Shadows that related to my father. I sobbed in Jasper’s arms, and his own tears ran onto my hair while he held me.”I can’t, Jasper. Don’t do this to me, please.” I begged him to change things. “I can’t kill my own father. It’s not right.”

  “Girl dear, if there was any other way, you know we would take it. But after what Roman told you in the future, we knew there was nothing we could do. I am so sorry. So very sorry,” he whispered, holding me tight against his chest.

  “There must be another way. Why would killing him do anything?”

  “Self-sacrifice is frowned upon by the gods, Nera.” Bones spoke quietly from the other side of the room, his voice filled with pain. “The curse would still go on if he took his own life. But if you do it in the name of the gods for the future of humanity, Edrith cannot and will not take any of you. It will be the end of her. We will be able to help you after it is done but not before.”

  I had a vision flash through my mind as I looked into his sad, dark eyes. Mari had visited Bones after our last big spat.

  Bones stormed upstairs in the war room. He vented his frustration, yelling at the walls that surrounded him. “Doesn’t she know what will happen if this fails?” he cried. “Does she have any idea what is in store for her? All these years I have waited and prepared, and I get saddled with this, this ungrateful, surly stubborn slip of a brat.”

  The clouds rumbled and crashed over the house while Bones cursed and bellowed his anger. A blast of lightning heralded Mari’s arrival. Bones dropped to one knee and bowed his head. Mari put out her arms, signaling him to rise. She held him close before releasing him.

  “My son, your patience wears thin. I fear that you are weakening, and I will not allow it,” she said.

  “Mother, I am truly sorry,” Bones replied. He looked contrite as he apologized. “I know what I must do, but I feel I have reached the end of my tether with this child. She has no sense of responsibility. Everything is but a game to her, and personal problems seem to override her duty. She is lucky I have not banished her to the Otherworld by now. She is the most irritating creature on God’s earth,” he finished.

  Mari shook her head and laughed. “My dear boy, that is just a human trait, a female one at that. You’d best get used to it. She is the chosen one, just as you are. You will be together for a long time. She needs a gentle hand to tame her. I can see some interesting times ahead of you.”

  “And if I do not wish to continue, Mother? What then?” he asked with a petulant look on his face.

  “It has nothing to do with your wish, Brian,” she said in a sterner voice, her eyes suddenly turning cold. “You know that as well as I do. It will be done, and you will see to it.” Her voice softened. “I know that you did not choose this task, my son, as I did not choose mine, but that does not change the issue. It is your job to see that she is ready and lead her forward to the next task. I am sorry for it, but I am also proud that it is your calling. Don’t forget. You have your uncle to help you. He is a good man.”

  “I know this, Mother, and I am deeply sorry to give you cause for concern. I will do my best to keep my displeasure under control,” said Bones.

  “Just try to remember that you were brought up for this purpose. You knew from birth what your future would hold. She did not. That is the reason you lived with your aunt and uncle in this house for most of your childhood. To learn, and you have. For an earthly child to be chosen is a powerful thing indeed and very frightening,” Mari said.

  “I beg forgiveness, Mother. I will not have a lapse in my temper again,” said a more somber Bones. He looked at his mother standing before him. “I swear that I will complete the task. You can count on me.”

  “I know that. Now I must take my leave. Please give my best to Jasper,” Mari said, leaning forward to kiss Bones on the forehead. “Blessed be, my son.”

  She was gone as quickly as she arrived.

  After Mari had left, I knew now that Bones had found the book she left for him.

  Roman’s little head peaked around the door. The look on his face pulled me away from my dreaded thoughts. I withdrew from Jaspers arms and sat in the chair next to him. Roman crept over to me and eased onto my lap. Wrapping his arms around my neck, he snuggled in. “You can do it, Nera. You have to,” he whispered.

  “No, Roman. It isn’t right. I can’t do it.”

  “Yes, you can. Dad wouldn’t mind if he knew. I’m still too little or I would do it for you.” I looked at him shocked, convinced he had no idea what was going on. “I told you I’ve seen it. I know,” he said.

  Both men watched us as I listened to what Roman was saying.

  “He’s right, Nera. You have to do it.” Bones cautiously came over to the table and sat opposite me. He pulled the beautiful book closer to him and opened the marked page, running his fingers over the hand written words that made my heart ache.

  Jasper knelt down and held my hands in his. “Girl dear, you have no choice in this matter. As much as it pains me to say it, both Roman and Bones are right. It is written, and I truly believe that it is the way it must be.”

  “No,” I screamed. “No, no, no!” I pushed Jasper and Roman away from me and stormed out of the room.

  Sully and Brie were in the garden laying in the sun when I burst out of the kitchen door. I doubled over and knelt on the grass, trying to breathe. They both rushed over to me, but I brushed them away. I couldn’t tell them what had happened upstairs; it was too horrible to think about. I needed to clear my head, so I curtly told them I was going for a run and took off with Hugo at my heels.

  I ran until my legs ached and my lungs burned. I made my way through the forest and ended up at the head of the cliff. I dropped to the ground in exhaustion on the warm flat stone and rolled onto my side, the ability for tears long past. I felt separated from my body as I watched the waves below crash onto the jagged rocks. If I could throw myself to my death, I would do it in an instant. Anything was better than the alternative, but Bones had pointed out that if I didn’t take my father’s life, Roman would have to. I couldn’t do that to my little brother. I couldn’t kill my father, either.

  If Dad took his own life, the
curse would go on until the next third generation came along. That would mean it would fall to Roman or my great-grandchildren, if we survived this battle…and no one liked our chances. It was a no-win situation, back against the wall. Hugo lay beside me while my mind rambled on to nowhere, around in circles, and back to the same place again. I knew I would have to go back to the house eventually. At that moment, I needed the serenity of Jasper’s favorite spot on the cliffs. Just for a while I wanted to distance myself from those closest to me.

  ***

  I walked slowly through the kitchen gate. My hand rested on Hugo’s head, and my gaze settled on Jasper’s face. Just the two of us in the library. Now please.

  He poured a fresh pot of tea, picked up the tray, and followed me down the hall to the library. “Bones, would you mind occupying the others for a while? I need a few minutes with Nera.”

  I sat on one of the couches with my hands clasped tightly together. Hugo was at my feet, watching me when Jasper came into the room. He put the tray down and sat beside me.

  “Girl dear, I am so sorry.” He held my hands, his thumbs stroking circles over my skin in a soothing motion as the break in his voice showed the extent of his grief. Unshed tears made his blue eyes bright. “I would do anything, Nera, to save you from this.”

  I looked at his familiar face, my heart heavy as he held my hands. “I know you would, Jasper. Believe me when I say this, I would give almost anything to take you up on that offer. But I know that it is not how it will be.”

  Jasper seemed to have aged in the last few hours. No longer did I see the carefree light in his eyes. They were saddened beyond belief.

  “I understand that now, Jasper, I don’t like it at all, but I do understand.” I tore my gaze from his face and looked out of the window toward the sea. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I spoke to him. “I had time to think. Not about me but about Dad. I know what he would want. If he’s going to die anyway, it may as well achieve something.” I lifted my head to look at him. “Do you know what the hardest part will be? Telling Mom. Telling her I killed my father and living with that for the rest of my life. I don’t know if I can do that, Jasper. Do you understand how I feel?”

  “No, I don’t think anyone can understand that, girl dear, but I will do all I can for you. You know I will.”

  “Can you make my excuses to Brie and Sully please? I’m afraid I was rude, but I can’t help it. I need to go and read that book again, and I think I should have Bones with me, just to make sure I understand it properly. I don’t know if I can mess it up and have another shot, probably just a one attempt thing, if you know what I mean.” I leaned into his chest, needing to be held. He was the natural person for me to go to.

  ***

  I spent another couple of tense hours upstairs with Bones going over the book once again. This time I managed to keep my shock and horror locked inside. I asked questions when something was not clear, and Bones answered me calmly. Otherwise he held his thoughts and opinions to himself.

  I came back downstairs on my own to find Jasper in the back garden with Brie, Sully, and Roman puttered around, collecting vegetables for dinner. Although I had no appetite, I offered to help and tried to appear to be acting normally. I knew I was failing miserably but couldn’t help it. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. The only ones who had no idea of what was in store were Brie and Sully. I’m sure they thought I was still sulking about my session with Bones. It was easier to let them think that way, I had decided. They were used to me protesting about Bones and his demanding, so I let them believe he was still being a major pain. If they knew what I was about to do, I dreaded to think what they would say.

  My main concern after not knowing if I had the guts to go through with it was letting it slip to my father what was going to happen. I can’t let him know. The look in his eyes while his life drained away was going to haunt me forever. I would have to live with this, and I doubted that I could.

  I helped the others make dinner and tried to act cheerful, but I failed miserably at that too. Even if the prospect of killing my father was not in the equation, my nerves would be strung too tight for lighthearted chatter anyway. We settled down in the library afterward and watched while Jasper worked on his telescopes. He was trying to get Sully interested in the mechanics of them, but he seemed more interested in searching for more secret panels with Roman.

  ***

  I woke the next morning from a restless night with dread in the pit of my stomach. I did not want to get up and face the day. I knew how it would end, and I desperately wanted to sleep it away.

  Roman crawled out of his sleeping bag and crept over to me. He moved in close and put his little arm around my neck, his head tucked in under my chin. I breathed in his fresh smell and let it ease the tension I was feeling. I would at least keep him safe, if that was all I could do.

  We crept out of the library together and headed to the kitchen. Bones and Jasper were already awake. They were both glum and looked like they were waiting for the world to end, exactly how I was feeling. I don’t think either of them had been to bed, and if they had, they hadn’t slept well. Bones’s normally tidy hair was looking unbrushed, and Jasper hadn’t plaited his hair. It hung down his neck without his leather strip to hold it in place.

  I sat down at the table with Roman on my knee. “Are you sure it will be today?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Bones said. “We will be ready, Nera. We have to get Roman somewhere safe with Brie. I’m sure she can protect him. Probably downstairs would be best.”

  Jasper looked like he had aged thirty years overnight. Shadows smudged under his eyes, his usually handsome face pale in the morning light. He looked at me sadly as he spoke. “I want to get Jack over here without your mother. We need to do this with no one else around. It would be much kinder that way.”

  “You can call him, Jasper. I won’t be responsible for calling him to his death. It will be hard enough causing it,” I replied.

  “I will call them shortly, my dear. Roman, can I get you some breakfast, young man?”

  “Can I have toast please, Jasper, with a cup of tea?” Roman asked.

  “Nera, anything for you?”

  “Just tea thanks, Jasper. I don’t think I could keep anything else down.”

  “Bones, anything for you?”

  Bones was standing by the back door and shook his head, looking away. He stepped outside, and I put Roman down and followed him. “Bones, can I have a word?”

  He turned to me with grave eyes, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders rounded in despair. It was not just my father that would die today, but someone that Jasper had known for 800 years. It was going to be hell. “Of course, what can I do for you?”

  “Are you sure that this is the only way? It’s final?” I dropped my gaze to my feet while I waited for his response. I shook my head and returned my gaze back at his face.

  He looked at me with sadness clouding his eyes. I knew he hated that he had been the one to show me this. He had no choice, but that did not make either of us feel any better. “Yes,” he replied as he reached out a hand to touch my shoulder, then squeezed lightly before dropping his hand. “It can be no other way. I think you know that already. She will come soon before the sun sets tonight. We have time to go over the protection spell with Brie again before we send her down to the dungeons with Roman and Sully.”

  “Can you be sure Roman will be all right?” I resisted the urge to lean into him. I wanted the comfort, but I was too scared to make the move. Instead I shook my head and moved away a few steps. “What if she gets to him?”

  “He will be okay, Nera. I can do a backup spell in case Brie isn’t strong enough, but I think she will be. Put your mind to rest at least where Roman is concerned. He will not be harmed today. Your mother is no longer a threat either. It’s just you and your father today.”

  “Yeah…well…thanks for that. Look,” I said running my hands through my hair. I pulled so hard I could feel my sca
lp protest in pain. “I know I haven’t been the easiest person to deal with. I don’t know why. I just don’t like being bossed around, I suppose. What I want to say is thanks for trying to help, for looking out for Roman, and for teaching me. I might not want to talk to you later but that’s just the way it is. Anyway…”

  “Nera, I understand better than you think, and I will do the best I can to help you. I don’t like this any more than you do, believe me. Jack has been my friend for 800 years, and I do not take what we are about to do lightly. It is going to be a terrible day for all of us. We will just do the best we can and get through it,” Bones replied. “Jasper has a cup of tea for you. Why don’t you get that down before Brie and Sully wake up? They are stirring and will be out shortly.”

  I looked at him, letting my mind tick over. He knows more than he lets on. He can sense more than just me. I wonder how much more he can do. One day I will find out. But today, today is another day.

  Sully and Brie were excited and just a little bit afraid of what was going to happen. I knew they didn’t want to ask too much. They had both gone very quiet since yesterday.

  “Brie, we want to go over your protection spell again this morning. You will be in the dungeons with Roman to look after him this afternoon. That will be your task. Sully, we want you to stay with them.” Jasper dished up breakfast. “It is important that we know where each of you is when the battle commences. We can’t have the worry of you being involved. It’s too risky.”

  “There must be something that I can do, sir.” Sully took his breakfast and sat at the table. I knew that he felt frustrated ,and it showed, but there were more important things to worry about now. “We’ve still got time to see what I have.”

  “I’m sorry, Sully. We don’t have time. We expect her to hit us before the sun sets tonight. Our energy must go into working with what we have. That is Brie and her protection for Roman and Nera to fight Edrith. That’s the way it will go today.” Jasper was adamant.