Witchling (Curse of Kin)

by Ari Harper

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Eat up, children and then we can go outside and practice,” Jasper said.

  ***

  Brie was nervous and couldn’t hold her protection for very long.

  “Brie, if you don’t concentrate on the task at hand, that will be a reality, not just a thought in your mind. Now concentrate and try again,” Bones ordered.

  Brie blushed up to her hair line. “I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”

  “Do it again, please,” Bones said.

  Roman and Sully stood still beside her, and once again she set her spell. The white light glowed around them and settled. Roman grabbed her hand and smiled at her. “Told you it was okay, Brie,” he said.

  She held them in until Bones let her put it away. “There is nothing else we can do now except wait,” Bones said.

  “We are not just going to sit and wait,” I said. “We’ll get the swords out again.”

  “Can you fight with me, Nera, please?” Roman asked.

  “Sure, buddy. Was Jasper too tough for you yesterday?”

  “No, but I know you are faster,” Roman said.

  I shared a questioning look with Jasper. He shrugged his shoulders. Roman had never seen me pick up the sword, I had only used it a couple of times, and that was with Bones and Jasper. With what Roman was capable of, who knew what he had seen.

  We picked up our swords and spent the next hour practicing cuts and thrusts. Our technique was terrible, but we made up for it with enthusiasm. It was after Roman knocked my sword out of my hands that we called a truce.

  Jasper came out to tell us Dad would be over shortly. The atmosphere changed suddenly.

  “What is the matter with you, Nera?” Sully asked. “You were the one that was so keen to kick butt with the evil side and now it’s nearly here, you are getting cranky. What’s up?”

  “Nothing, Sully,” I replied. “Just a little stressed.”

  Dad called out a cheery hello coming through the gate. He looks happy after his evening out with Mom.

  “Thanks for looking after Roman, Jasper.” He swung Roman up onto his hip and cuddled him. “We had a lovely romantic dinner in town, and we went dancing afterward. We haven’t done that since before Roman was born.”

  “That’s wonderful, Jack. I’m so pleased Hannah is feeling better,” Jasper said.

  “Jack, you need to listen.” Bones walked up to stand beside me.

  “Whatever is wrong, Bones? You look so grim all of a sudden,” Dad said. His gaze darted to me and then Jasper. “It’s happening, isn’t it?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Jasper said. “We feel she will be here by sunset tonight.”

  “I thought something was shifting. I could feel something last night when we were out. That’s why I didn’t want to bring Hannah this afternoon to pick up Roman. What do you want me to do?” Dad asked, looking over at me.

  “Why didn’t you tell me, Dad?” It was too late to get angry at him for keeping this secret, but I wanted to know why.

  “Honey, it would have done no good. We decided you would be better off learning without my involvement. Besides, Jasper thinks I am just a little too close to the solution to get involved. He has been keeping me up to date with your learning, Nera,” he said. “We are all very proud of you.”

  Bones glanced at me and spoke before I could get emotional and lose it. I knew that it was just a waste of energy. Energy I would need before the day was out.

  “We are putting Roman downstairs with Sully and Brie. Brie can hold a protection spell to cover them all for as long as she needs to. The rest of us will stay up here.”

  “Right, then. Good idea,” Dad said, looking around at us.

  “I think it is time to get the kids settled downstairs, Bones,” Jasper said.

  “Okay. I’ll take them down now, then,” Bones said.

  Dad held Roman tight before letting him go. “Be good, little man, I will see you shortly, okay,” he said, his voice catching as he put him down.

  “Yes, Dad, bye,” Roman said, his face calm. Bones took his hand and led them through the kitchen and down into the dungeons for safety.

  Dad turned to me. “You can do this, honey,” he said gathering me in his arms. I shivered, and he pulled away to look into my eyes.

  “Honey, it’s okay to be scared. I would be worried if you weren’t, but you are up to this. We know you are.”

  I looked at him in utter confusion. To spring this on me now, just before I had to take his life. Why, I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “Everyone is settled downstairs.” Bones looked a little bit relieved when he came back. “Brie is holding the protection spell, but I gave it a bit of a tweak so it can’t be moved until I go back and lift it.”

  “Good thinking, Bones,” Jasper replied. “We can all feel easier for knowing that.”

  I broke away from Dad and went to sit under the tree beside Hugo, my body trembling with a jumble of emotions. A hissing noise from above the roof startled me. I looked up and saw the gargoyles that guarded the front door hanging over the parapet. Their stone faces were smirking at us as they slithered along the edge of the roof, taunting us. Their long, black tongues dripped saliva, and they rolled their eyes as they watched, ready to attack.

  I rose and went to stand beside Bones. “I knew there was a reason I hated those ugly things.”

  The gargoyles launched themselves off the roof and flew over my head. They swooped over the garden, and I heard Hugo grumble deep in his chest. They turned and aimed for him, dipping low. His growl turned to a blood-chilling howl of pain as they clawed down his back, leaving a raw gash from his neck to his tail.

  Dad and Jasper raced to help Hugo, and I focused on the ugly creatures flying around ready to swoop again. I imagined a small but powerful blast of wind build up inside of me. The blood rushed through my body, and when the roar of the wind reached my ears, I launched it at them. The force of the blast rolled them to the ground and shattered them into tiny pieces of rubble to lay spread out on the grass.

  “Hugo!” I ran to him and dropped down by his side on the grass.

  “It’s nasty, Nera.” Jasper ran his hands over Hugo’s body. “Bones, can you fix this quickly before they strike again?”

  “Nera, you can help me,” instructed Bones as he took Jasper’s place on the grass. “Here, put your hands beside mine and focus on the heartbeat of your amulet.” He put both of his hands on Hugo. The poor animal quivered with pain and fright as we knelt over him.

  I felt sick looking at the deep, bloody gash down his body. His big brown eyes were half closed in pain, and he trembled under my touch. The stone glowed warmly, and my heart pounded as we worked on my big dog. Sweat broke out on my forehead, and it trickled into my eyes, but Bones kept his hands steady over the wound. The smell of fear and blood flowed through my senses and I stayed my protector, the warmth more comforting than I would have thought.

  My energy spiked and dropped, and I started to feel slightly lightheaded as my power radiated down my arms into Hugo. I watched the blood flow ease and the gaping wound gently closed together. The skin lost its raw coloring and slowly the hair covered the fading scar as I watched in awe.

  Bones moved back and let me cradle Hugo’s head in my lap. “Oh, Hugo, I’m sorry, my friend. I didn’t mean for them to harm you.” I brushed my fingers around his face.

  “She will always hit at what is closest to you, girl dear,” Jasper informed me. “Hugo will be fine now, just a little tired. You probably will be too after that.”

  “I will be fine, Jasper. Don’t worry.” I turned to Bones. “Thank you for that. I owe you one.”

  “No problem. I like him too, always have.” Bones gave me a small grin

  “W-what?” I stuttered, the words registering in my brain. “No, don’t tell me. There will be more time later.” I shook my head. “We will have lots to discuss, and I’m sure Hugo will be one o
f many things that you guys have left out. I will get to hear all of it. That you can count on.”

  I looked over at the pile of stones that were minutes ago two ugly low-flying gargoyles. I walked over and kicked it and sighed.

  “Well, that’s two down. I wonder how many more there will be?”

  “Hi, honey.” I heard Mom as she walked through the back gate.

  “Hannah, I thought you were staying home.” Dad frowned as she walked toward him.

  I looked over at Bones and gave a small shake of my head. It’s not Mom. It doesn’t feel right. I had the familiar chill down the back of my neck.

  She grabbed hold of Dad’s arm and snuggled close to him. “I thought I would pick up Roman,” she said, her gaze sliding from me to Bones and Jasper. “I miss him, Jack.”

  “I told you I would bring him home, Hannah. You should be resting.” Dad tried to untangle her fingers from his arm, but her grip tightened and he grimaced.

  “I want my son, Jack. Get him for me,” her voice turned nasty, and spittle started to dribble from the side of her mouth. She dug her fingers harder into his arm, and Dad cried out.

  “You are not Hannah.” He pushed her away from him, and she fell to the ground.

  From the edge of the forest a movement caught my eye. I nudged Bones and pointed with a tilt of my chin. “Look at that.”

  We watched as her followers came out of the forest toward the house, one by one in single file. They all smelled of wet, decayed flesh, and I wanted to gag. These were the same dead beings who tried to get me into the Widows Lake. The smell seemed more pungent here, the air was warmer, and I breathed through my mouth.

  Jasper moved closer to me. “Ready, girl dear,” he whispered as the woman got to her feet.

  She still looked like my mother, but the foul smell seeped from her body as she began to change once again into a being like her evil friends. Everyone except Dad took a couple of steps backward to get away from the stench. He stood rooted to the spot, and seemed horrified that this creature could look so much like my mother. Her clothes started to gather dirt and rot before our eyes, and water dripped from the hem of her dress. The flesh on her body changed from clean, white skin to the shriveled pallor of the long dead. Still it did not stop there. She spoke while she continued to decay.

  “Scared, are we, children? You have every reason to be.” She cackled, the flesh dropped from her body to the ground at her feet. “When she who waits is finished with you, she will roam the earth freely. None of you will be able to stop her. You should have come to us when we called you, Nera. You could have been one of us.”

  “One of you, right. You take the shape of someone I love and belittle their existence. I would never even look at your type sideways.”

  “You will beg to join us before we are finished with you. Wait and see.” Her scream echoed through the skeleton her face had become as she advanced on me. “When she who will rule comes for you, it will be too late.”

  Her followers were in the same state as my mother’s look-alike: skeletons dressed in decayed clothing. I backed away from them, listening to what Bones was thinking. I let him know I understood and waited.

  At his signal, I turned my mind off from what was happening and concentrated on my inner core. I could feel the heat rising through my veins, the heat burning its way around my body. Although I had little more control than I had the day I had burned Sully in the forest, Bones had decided that for this particular battle, it would serve me best.

  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?”