Winter of Discontent (Four Seasons Book 1)

by T. S. Harvey

  Having made myself a cup of coffee I curled up in a ball on the sofa and turned on the TV. Jeremy Kyle USA or re-runs of Little House on the Prairie? No contest really – Jezza it was. I was miserable enough without crying over some Ingles trauma in Walnut Grove! By 11 a.m. I had fallen asleep, the next thing I knew Aunt Suze was waking me up.

  ‘Hey there, I tried to call and you didn’t answer. Are you OK?’

  I looked up at the clock; it was just before 2 p.m.

  ‘I’m fine. I just fell asleep. I’m sorry.’

  ‘No problem. I hope you’re better for when your dad gets back tomorrow.’

  The thought of seeing my dad made me feel a bit brighter. He was due into base today and was flying into town tomorrow morning.

  ‘Can I come to the airport to meet him? I’ve missed him so much.’

  ‘Well, you shouldn’t really. But I guess this once wouldn’t hurt. See if you can get notes from one of your friends, though. I don’t want you falling behind.’

  I was over the moon. I could meet dad and I didn’t have to run into Erik.

  It was just before tea when Kacey called.

  ‘Hey, Trump, you thrown a sickie?’

  I tried to sound genuinely ill but she saw right through me.

  ‘Look, it’s understandable after what’s happened with Erik but you can’t avoid him forever.’

  I couldn’t believe he’d told everyone already. What a bastard.

  ‘Yeah well, it does sting a bit. Who told you?’

  ‘Well. He turned up at school this morning with her. She dropped him off in the lot. We couldn’t believe it – he was all over her, and she is really old. I mean she must be twenty-six at least!’

  I felt wretched. How could he do that to me? He didn’t know I wasn’t gonna be in today, so chances are he expected me to see him with her. I couldn’t believe just how hurtful he was being.

  ‘The arrogant bastard even came and asked me where you were!’

  ‘What did you tell him?’

  ‘Nothing. I didn’t know anything. You didn’t even text me to say you weren’t coming in.’

  ‘Yeah, sorry. I just felt like shit. My dad is flying in tomorrow so I won’t be in then either. The more time I can get away from having to see Erik the better. Don’t tell him anything, though. Don’t let on why I’m not in.’

  I changed the subject and asked Kacey to take notes for me. I fully intended trying to take the rest of the week off, so I’d need to catch up at some point.

  The following day Aunt Suze and I set off for the airport just after breakfast.

  ‘So no chance of you and Erik making up yet then?’

  Aunt Suze never pried, never stuck her nose in where it wasn’t wanted, but she cared about me. It was only natural she would ask eventually.

  ‘He dumped me. He has another girlfriend.’

  ‘Already? Christ, that was quick. He didn’t let the grass grow did he?’

  I just shook my head. I didn’t really want to talk about it. I’d cried my tears and didn’t want to cry any more. Unfortunately just the thought of him made me well up. I wasn’t taking the break-up well, not well at all.

  ‘Never mind, sweetheart. Give it a couple of weeks and you won’t even remember his name.’

  I tried to smile. I didn’t want her feeling guilty about raising the subject.

  We got to the airport just as the plane was landing. Dad looked great. He had the most fabulous smile and he looked really relaxed.

  ‘Hey there,’ he said, as he picked me up and swung me around. ‘I’ve missed you, baby girl.’

  ‘I missed you too, Daddy.’

  I hung onto his neck so tight I thought my arms might break.

  The journey home was pretty loud, the three of us all trying to talk at once, trying to cram two months catch up into twenty minutes.

  By the time we got back, I felt brighter than I had in days. I’d convinced dad to let me stay home tomorrow on the understanding that I went in on Thursday. Not what I wanted but better than nothing.

  The following day he took me shopping. He insisted he buy me some new clothes and I saw no reason to argue with him. He was actually pretty great when it came to girls’ stuff. I was never much for discussing girls’ issues willingly but he was always ready to listen. I very nearly told him about what had gone on with Erik but I wasn’t really ready to talk about that with anyone just yet. In the end, I just said ‘no one special’ when he asked about boyfriends.

  We shopped for hours, then had lunch at a quiet little restaurant in town. By the time we got home I had three new dresses, two pairs of shoes, a handbag, the latest Killers CD, and feet that could burn for Texas. Could it be that shopping really was the best cure for a broken heart? I might have thought that for a short period before we turned into our street – however, when I saw Erik stood by the wall opposite the house, my stomach turned over. It wasn’t just the thought of talking to him that concerned me; it was the look on his face. He looked livid. As we got out of the car he came storming over to us, his face was almost contorted in anger. As I walked towards him I thought he might explode. Dad seemed oblivious to him and just took some of the bags from the back seat and took them in the house.

  ‘Who the hell is that?’ he spat angrily at me.

  ‘What? It’s my dad. And what the hell has it got to do with you?’

  ‘Your dad? You’re kidding me right?’

  ‘No I’m not and you need to leave. Who I choose to spend time with is none of your business. Now piss off!’

  I didn’t swear that much, certainly not like Britney, but this seemed an appropriate time to do so.

  ‘Sarah. He is … he …’

  ‘Yes, he’s my dad.’

  I took the remaining bags out of the car, closed the door and walked away. I liked the fact that he’d been jealous but it was a bit weird. Who the hell would think my dad was my date? The very thought was disgusting. Erik might like older women but I sure as hell wouldn’t date someone as old as my dad.

  As I closed the front door behind me I realized that Erik was stood back over by the wall. I pretended I hadn’t noticed. I didn’t want to get into another stupid fight with him. He’d made his choice and he’d have to live with it.

  There was no way I was gonna take him back, especially now he’d turned into some kind of jealous freak. I’d had enough heartache and I certainly didn’t need any more.

  When I finally went up to bed, as I shut the blinds I could see he was still stood there. It unnerved me a little. Erik was a Warlock and although he’d never showed signs of violence, he’d told me once that he was capable of it. But why would he be violent? He’d dumped me, not the other way round. I turned it all over in my head but in the end I let it go, I hadn’t slept much over the last few days and I was pretty shattered. I doubted he’d be there for long once I turned my light out, so I just pulled the quilt up around my neck and fell fast asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-one – The Visitors

  Erik

  I’d felt bad all week. Sarah never took time off from school so she must have been really upset to cut out. I did try to find out from Kacey how she was, but she wasn’t letting on. Of course I could have cast a notion or tried ghosting in, but I couldn’t take the risk of her seeing me again. I still hadn’t worked out how she’d seen me last time. I’d wanted to talk to Dad about it, see if he had any ideas what had gone wrong, but when Lorcan called everything else seemed to be pushed to one side. The last couple of weeks had been dreadful – I felt like I was on a runaway train, losing all control and spiralling off the rails. Events had overtaken me; I’d allowed dad and Jared to guide me as I didn’t have a clue how best to ensure Sarah’s safety. I didn’t question what they’d suggested; I just trusted they knew best as they usually did. But things were really changing fast. If I didn’t have a clue last week, I had even less of a plan now.

  I stood outside her house for most of the night. I’d called my dad and told him I needed to
get some air, which was true, but I didn’t mention where I was getting it. I didn’t know how to handle this latest piece of information. Clearly by Sarah’s reaction she thought I’d flown into some kind of jealous rage. However, nothing could have been further from the truth. I’d gone around to the house after school because I needed to know she was OK. I’d stayed away as long as I could but I just had to know. I’d remembered that I had lent her some DVDs so went around on the pretence that I wanted them back. When I arrived there was no one home so I waited by the wall. I felt uncomfortable though. I thought I sensed something but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Warlocks have a real gift for sensing people and their feelings, for sensing changes in the weather and picking up on changes in temperature before the barometer even. I was still young though and I hadn’t quite gotten the skill down, not like dad and Jared. I would recognize something wasn’t quite right but couldn’t always work out what it was. This was just such an occasion. When she’d turned up, the feeling got stronger. At first I thought she’d been released but as she got out of the car I could feel that wasn’t it. It was only when her father got out of the car that it hit me and a feeling of sheer terror rushed over me. My first instinct was to protect her, I rushed over to her but when she said he was her dad it threw me. I backed off almost immediately but I had to wait, I had to be sure she was OK. I wanted to cast a notion to make sure, but I couldn’t. I’d promised her I would never practise around her again and I just couldn’t break my word. Despite everything that had gone on, I hoped that one day we could work things out. That was never gonna happen if I practised around her again. It was just after midnight before I felt it was safe to head back home.

  ‘So come on then, what’s going on?’ said Dad, when I finally reached home.

  It was clear he knew where I’d been, who I’d seen. I didn’t try to justify myself or my actions but I needed to tell him what I’d sensed.

  ‘I don’t know for sure but there’s just something about him. I don’t know if he’s a Warlock or a shapeshifter but he definitely has magic.’

  ‘Right. OK, I’ll check it out,’ he said reassuringly. ‘I’ve never heard of a Warlock fathering a girl. We need to be sure he’s not a shapeshifter.’

  ‘What if he is, though? That would mean he’s here to hurt her. We can’t let him, Dad.’

  I felt panicked, the thought of anyone hurting her made me feel sick. It had been bad enough that I’d hurt her emotionally but if anyone laid a finger on her I’d kill them, and I knew I could.

  ‘Don’t get wound up. I told you, I’ll check it out. Besides, if he was gonna hurt her he’s most likely had ample opportunity today so if he hasn’t by now, then chances are he isn’t going to. Hello, Jared.’

  We didn’t turn around as Jared walked quietly into the room. Like I said, we could sense people.

  ‘What do you think? Have you sensed anything?’

  ‘As it happens, I have,’ he said as he went and opened the door.

  ‘Why don’t you come in, Mr Trent.’

  Dad and I stood up quickly as in he walked as bold as brass.

  ‘Hello, Erik, I’m Sarah’s father. What’s all this about you messing her around?’

  ‘Come on in. Erik, get Mr Trent a drink.’

  I shot a look at Dad. I didn’t feel happy about leaving the room. I wanted to know what was going on.

  ‘Now, Erik. Please.’

  ‘Come on, E.’

  I looked over at Jared and he was beckoning me to the kitchen.

  ‘What’s going on, J?’

  ‘I’m not sure. Let Dad handle it.’

  ‘No. This is my business. You stay here if you want but I’m going back in.’

  Dad didn’t look too pleased with me but he didn’t argue as I took a seat next to him on the couch.

  We sat silently as Mr Trent talked. By the time he’d finished I didn’t know if I was on my ass or my elbow.

  He was a Warlock. He didn’t say he was from a Segan line but his family went back much further than ours. His lineage went all the way back to the 8th Century.

  ‘Her mother and I decided a long time ago we would never tell her, but things are changing. She is in more danger now than she ever was. She is the last of the Moirai line and if The Council and you Segans have anything to do with it she won’t be that for much longer.’

  ‘How do you know the Segans are looking for her?’ Dad asked.

  ‘You’d be surprised at what I know,’ he said, shooting me a look that sent me cold.

  ‘We wouldn’t hurt her. My family would die to protect her,’ said dad.

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I would die to protect her, but why would he do the same? I was confused.

  ‘She is the best chance we have to bring down The Council, to break their hold over all of us, to stop the senseless killings of the childbearers.’

  ‘So you want to use her as a weapon? Well that’s not gonna happen. I decide when she gets released, no one else. I think we’ve said enough for one night. You stay away from my daughter, all of you.’

  His voice was angry now; he didn’t raise it but its tone was sharper. As he turned and walked out the door, I went after him.

  ‘Leave him, Erik. Let him calm down. He needs to think this through.’

  ‘Think what through, Dad? What the hell is going on? What did he mean “you want to use her as a weapon”?’

  ‘Don’t you get it, E?’

  Jared had been listening at the door.

  ‘You aren’t gonna father the child that brings down The Council. He did. Sarah is that child!’

  I stood for a moment in stunned silence. This was a lot to take in. We’d all figured she was going to bear the child that bought down The Council; it never crossed our minds that she was the child.

  ‘I have to talk to him. I have to make him see we won’t let her be harmed.’

  Jared called for me not to go but I just shut the door behind me.

  ‘Mr Trent, please wait.’

  He stopped just short of his car.

  ‘Go back inside, Erik. I’m in no mood to talk’

  ‘I’m sorry I hurt Sarah. It wasn’t my intention. When we found out what the Segan were going to do, we believed that to keep her safe I had to dump her, to break her heart.’

  He was listening now. I paused in case he wanted to speak but he didn’t. I continued – in fact, I didn’t just continue, I actually started to ramble; starting to justify everything that had gone on. By the time I finished, I realized he wasn’t really listening at all. His face was still, focused. It was clear something was wrong but what? I went to move towards him but I couldn’t, it was like I was set in stone. He had done this! I tried to Whisper to Dad to get his attention but I couldn’t. I couldn't move my body and I couldn’t move my mind either. I was pretty scared. He’d been really angry; from his arrogance, it was clear he knew we were no match for him. I’d have closed my eyes and waited for the fatal blow but I couldn’t even do that. I found myself praying that Dad or Jared would sense my fear. It didn’t take long before I found out they had.

  ‘Let him go!’ shouted Jared.

  Mr Trent just put his finger to his lips, as if to shush him.

  ‘Stay very still, Jared. Don’t move,’ said Dad.

  I wanted to scream out; I wanted to know what was happening. Mr Trent moved toward my father slowly and he toward Mr Trent. When they got within a few feet of each other they both turned and faced the lane. I could only just see them; I couldn’t see Jared at all. Just then I heard him, Mr Trent.

  ‘I’m going to let you go, Erik, but stay very still, very quiet,’ he Whispered.

  ‘Do as he says, Erik,’ Whispered Dad.

  As he let me go I kept still, all but for my head. I turned it slightly to my right; Jared was as motionless as I was.

  ‘What’s going on, J?’ I Whispered.

  ‘Tracers, can’t you sense them?’

  I’d been so wrapped up in trying to square
things with Mr Trent that I’d lost all focus. I turned my head toward the lane. I could feel them now. I wasn’t fully competent, not like Jared, and certainly not like Dad. I still had a lot to learn. The first time I’d met Sarah I sensed something. I didn’t know what it was straight away but they did, but then they had been at this a lot longer than I had.

  Twenty minutes must have passed, the four of us stood stock still, barely breathing, and then we saw them. Tracers always travelled in twos.

  ‘Jared, Erik, do not move a muscle. They can’t see you until you move.’ Whispered Mr Trent.

  ‘What do you mean? I don’t understand.’

  ‘While you were trying to make pitiful excuses for your behaviour, I cast a notion. They can’t see you until you move. Now shut up, stay out of my head, and stay still.’

  The Tracers moved closer to the house. It was clear they couldn’t see any of us. Tracers didn’t have the same strength, the same power, as Warlocks but they were fast, really fast. As they passed by us and went on up the porch toward the open door, Mr Trent turned around slowly.

  ‘Looking for someone?’

  The Tracers turned around quickly but they weren’t quick enough. Without so much as a hint of effort they were lifted off the ground and thrown up against the wall, before any of us got the chance to react he’d done it. One minute they were hanging in mid-air, the next they were totally disintegrated. He hadn’t hesitated, not for one moment. I’d never seen anyone killed before. Maybe it was the Warlock in me but I felt an immense sense of admiration for how he’d acted, for the power he had displayed.

  ‘There will be others. If you are going to help protect Sarah, you have to be vigilant. Do you understand?’

  We said nothing but it was clear we had heard him. He said nothing more; he simply got in his car and drove away.

  ‘Time for bed, boys. Erik, check on Jess before you turn in.’