Kitto also placed his food back down and his face assumed a most serious expression. He didn't speak at first and Kiera thought he might be ignoring her question. But then he drummed his fingers lightly on the table and began to speak to her, “She was the last of her kind. I think she was initiated into witchcraft because Mother Nature recognised her kind heart. She sought to take care of every living thing, she had such capacity to love. She dedicated her long life to her work and her coven. She had two sisters who were also witches, Ailla and Kelyn. They were very close. But she judged all her fellow Daughters of the Earth as sisters and it was hard for her when they died.”
Kiera nodded sympathetically, “Yes, it must have been. And it must have been hard for you when she died?”
Again Kitto was silent for a moment before he answered, “I tried to protect her but, in the end…in the end I couldn't.”
“I'm sure you did all you could,” Kiera tried to reassure him, “it must have been difficult times to live in. I can't imagine what it must be like to spend your life being hunted like that.”
Kitto nodded thoughtfully, “She was incredibly brave. She was never afraid to fight for what she believed in or for those that she loved. Most of the time it wasn't so bad. The coven…your coven…” he corrected himself with a slight smile “…contained the most powerful of the witches. Their power was enough to keep us all hidden from the Creatures and we lived peacefully, but eventually they caught up with us.”
“What did they look like?” Kiera asked fearfully, “the Creatures?”
Kitto's entire body seemed to tense as he recalled and he shook his head at her, “They looked like death,” he whispered, “and that is all they brought.”
The talk with Kitto made Kiera feel tired and sad. After lunch she retreated to the library and curled up in one of the armchairs. She would have gone to lie down on her bed but couldn't be sure if Jack had finished in her room or not.
Kitto had said 'your coven'. My coven are all dead, she thought, and she curled herself a little tighter. If she had been born a few centuries earlier then she would have called them her sisters, she'd have lived alongside them and practiced magic with them. Now they were just voices in her head and images that she could never be sure were real.
After a while there was a faint knock at the door and Kitto poked his head round, “Ready?”
“For what?” she asked frowning.
“For training,” he said pleasantly.
She followed him downstairs and into the kitchen where Jack was leaning against a wall, twirling something absent-mindedly between his fingers. She blanched when she realised it was a knife. As they entered he slipped it back into his pocket and looked at Kitto expectantly.
“You two need to learn to work together,” Kitto stated firmly, “you won't be successful otherwise. Think…”he paused and stroked his beard “…Sonny and Cher.”
“They got divorced,” Jack said, “and you're a few decades out but nice try.”
“Drat,” Kitto said with mock annoyance, “thought they were still hip.”
“Even the word hip isn't hip,” Jack informed him, his lips twisting upwards into a slight grin.
“Perhaps you mean like Beyonce and Jay-Z?” Kiera chipped in helpfully.
“Who?” Kitto laughed. “Okay, well you need to learn to be like them. And we are starting right now. Jack, Kiera wants to learn how to drive and you are going to teach her.”
The grin on Jack's face quickly vanished, “Surely you just send her to a proper instructor. What car will she use?”
“The convertible of course,” Kitto replied and patted his shoulder, “there's no time like the present.”
Jack looked horrified as Kitto left the room. He turned to Kiera, his brow furrowed and his shoulders were tense.
“Have you ever driven before?”
Kiera shook her head. Technically it was a lie. She had driven once with her dad and crashed it into the garden wall. She decided it was better to keep that to herself.
“I'll put my shoes on,” she said and smiled at him sweetly.
“Don't bother,” he pointed at the kitchen table.
For a moment Kiera stared at him confused, then as the realisation dawned on her she put her hands on her hips, “You are not going to teach me how to drive at the kitchen table.”
“Just to start with,” he said and he mockingly mirrored her sweet smile and she was overcome with the urge to punch him.
Chapter Eighteen
Jack thought that the lesson at the table went pretty well. For one thing, there were no crashes. He sat her at a chair and fetched a plastic plate that she could pretend was a steering wheel. Then he told her where the pedals and gear stick would be and explained when to use them.
“Wouldn't it be easier to show me in a real car?” Kiera grumbled.
“We'll move into the car when you're ready,” Jack informed her. If it was down to him that would be never, he wasn't a driving instructor and no-one else had ever driven his car before. But it wasn't down to him, Kitto had given him an order and he'd have to do it, he was only prolonging the inevitable.
“Okay we're about to turn a corner,” Jack said, “so slow down, drop a gear and turn the wheel gently.”
He saw Kiera roll her eyes, then she pretended to accelerate and tipped herself to the side as she took the corner and made a screeching sound. Jack managed a small smile which quickly turned into a frown. The idea of her doing that in a real car was unnerving.
Kiera sighed in exasperation, “Okay, it's time to show me in the real thing. Otherwise it'll be dark soon.”
Jack glanced at his watch, “Perhaps we should leave it until tomorrow then?”
Kiera shook her head adamantly, “No way. Pleeeease let me drive the car.”
Jack looked back at his watch and then nodded in resignation, “Fine but it'll be quick. We don't want to be driving in the dark.”
Kiera jumped up excitedly and Jack picked up his car keys. He handed them to her with a scowl. He had a sense of foreboding as they made their way outside.
Jack had a shiny black BMW Z4 convertible. The car had been gifted to him by the council the year before. He wasn't sure where the money came from but it seemed that the council were loaded. It was a generous gift but, then again, he'd worked pretty hard for it too. He'd spent the last twenty years either fixing up the house to a habitable state or training. A car was the least they could do.
As they neared the car a thought struck him and he smiled, “We need 'L' plates. I'll get some tomorrow and then we can go out.”
Kiera pouted but then grinned, “Looks like Kitto thought of that.”
Sure enough there was a red and white 'L' stuck on the back of his convertible. It just didn't look right.
She smirked at him as she unlocked the car.
She's enjoying my discomfort, Jack thought with a frown.
He paused as he lowered himself into his seat, “Why don't I reverse it on to the road and then we'll swap?”
“I'll be fine with you directing me,” Kiera said gripping the wheel protectively as though he might decide to push her out the car.
She thought this fear was about to be realised when he lunged towards her; but instead he grabbed the seat belt and pulled it across her. It took her by surprise.
I'm not a child, she thought.
Then he strapped himself in and eyed her expectantly. After a moment's silence he raised an eyebrow, “The best way I've found of starting a car is by putting the keys in the ignition.”
“Oh yes,” Kiera fumbled with the keys, “you do know sarcasm is the lowest form of wit?”
The engine purred into life.
“Before we start, this is your accelerator…OK? This is your brake pedal and this is your clutch,” he watched her intently to ensure she was listening, “now look at the gear stick…”
Kiera made a big show of thoroughly inspecting the gear stick, “Yes, very impressive, can we go now?”
&nb
sp; Jack was still frowning at her and he seemed to be holding on to his seat belt a little too tightly, “Clutch in and put her in reverse. When I say go you will slowly release the handbrake.”
“Why don't you have an automatic?” Kiera asked as she tried to find the biting point on the clutch.
“Don't like them,” Jack replied, “concentrate on what you're doing.”
She stalled twice before the car started to move. The car began to bump and jolt backwards down the lane and she stalled again.
“Are you sure you don't want me to do it?” Jack asked.
Kiera shook her head and turned on the ignition determinedly. The car started to reverse once more.
“Slow down,” Jack snapped as the car hit a pothole.
“I am going slow,” Kiera snapped back, “I'm trying not to stall.”
Kiera thought she drove pretty well for her first time. Not that you'd think that from Jack's reaction. He continued to tell her off for driving too fast, even though she wasn't breaking the speed limit. Kiera found it hard to drive steadily under his disapproving and critical gaze.
“Come away from the kerb,” he said shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
The benefit of driving around Cornwall out of season was that the roads were fairly empty. They didn't meet much traffic and so Kiera didn't have any added pressure of holding up fellow drivers.
“We need petrol,” Jack told her, “take the first exit at the next roundabout.”
As they neared the roundabout she was momentarily distracted by the sight of a lorry approaching from a different direction.
“Wrong lane!” Jack yelled.
She swerved quickly and a car horn beeped at her from behind. Jack swore as she wobbled on to the roundabout. He took hold of the wheel and, since her heart was in her chest, she let him guide her into the petrol station.
“What were you playing at?” He demanded angrily. “The car behind almost rear-ended us!”
“It's my first lesson!” Kiera replied indignantly. “What were you doing taking me on to a roundabout? Besides, I probably would have been fine if you hadn't spent the whole lesson talking to me like I'm a child!”
Perhaps Jack conceded her point because he didn't answer back, but he was still scowling, “I'll put petrol in and then we're swapping and I'm driving home. Just stay here and don't touch anything.”
Kiera was seething as she listened to him unscrewing the petrol cap and filling the tank.
What is his problem? She glared angrily at the back of his head as he disappeared inside to pay. She glanced around the petrol station. There was only one other car about. It was at the pump in front. She slipped the keys in the ignition. Jack would be mad but all she'd do is drive to the door and pick him up. She was perfectly capable of driving a car without being treated like an idiot. Besides, the way she felt about Jack right now she didn't particularly care if she made him mad.
She shifted the gear stick and tried to slowly move out to the right but her foot caught on the accelerator and the car jolted. She didn't see the Peugeot 206 come along her side until she hit it with a thud.
She was pale as she switched off the engine and reached for her door. Jack was going to kill her. But as she climbed out she realised that it might not be Jack she had to worry about.
A man jumped out of the Peugeot and marched aggressively towards her waving his arms about in temper.
“I'm so sorry,” Kiera apologised, “I didn't see…”
“What the hell were you playing at?” The man shouted with his face only inches away from hers. He was in his forties and he was big. His stomach protruded over his jeans and his face was flushed in anger, “You didn't look! You just swung out!”
“Yes,” Kiera held her hands up, “it was my fault.” She backed up towards the car but he followed her until her back was against the door.
“Look at the damage you've done,” he grabbed her arm and spun her round to face his car.
As far as Kiera could see the damage wasn't too bad. The paintwork was a little scratched but it could've been worst.
“I'll pay for any damage,” she said and tried to shake free her arm but his grip was tight, “now let go of me.”
“Damn right you'll pay for the damage!” The man hissed at her menacingly.
Her heart was beating fast and she was just debating whether she was at the right angle to land a kick at the man's crown jewels when suddenly she felt a presence at her side.
“Let go of her arm,” Jack said quietly.
The man turned to face him but he didn't let go of Kiera's arm, “Have you seen what your girlfriend has done to my car!”
He was shouting and his face was still red. Then it all happened so quickly. One minute her arm was starting to hurt under the angry man's grip, the next her arm was released and Jack had the man pinned against the car with one arm behind his back. Even the man looked shocked by the turn of events. He had tried to use his weight to push Jack away but Jack had pinned him as though he weighed nothing. He kept the guy in place with an elbow on the top of his back, and Jack's other hand held on to the man's wrist. The man cried out in pain.
“I told you to let go of her arm,” Jack spoke through gritted teeth, “your car is fine. I suggest you get out of here.”
The man nodded. Jack released him and the man scampered off towards his car, throwing one last scowl over his shoulder as he climbed in and sped off.
Jack moved around the car to survey the damage. Kiera followed him sheepishly. There was a dent in the bumper and the shiny paintwork was scratched.
“Jack I'm sorry,” Kiera bit her lip, “it was stupid, I…”
Jack signalled for her to get back in the car. She wasn't angry with him anymore. She felt terrible about his car. As she climbed in she had the overwhelming urge to cry. Everything was a mess. She had only lived with Jack and Kitto for a couple of days and already she had trashed her bedroom and ruined Jack's car. Jack hated her. If they had to spend the rest of their lives together she was positive they were going to end up killing each other. She wanted to go back to Mags. Actually, she wanted her dad. She wanted to go back to a time when things made sense, when she was just like everyone else.
She couldn't bring herself to look at Jack.
“Thank you for helping me with that guy,” she whispered as she tried to hold back her tears, “it was my fault, I was trying to…but I didn't look…”
She stopped as a tear escaped from her eye and she turned to look out the window in the hope Jack wouldn't notice.
“It's only a car,” Jack said.
Kiera turned back to him in surprise. He didn't look mad with her. In fact, he was smiling at her reassuringly, “Please don't be upset about it.”
However, Jack being nice to her was the final straw and more tears escaped. She tried to wipe them away and quickly patted her pockets in search of a tissue. Jack produced one from the glove compartment.
“Thank you,” she muttered embarrassed, “I don't know why I'm crying.”
They drove in silence back to the house. She felt angry with herself for crying in front of Jack. She glanced at him a couple of times and he seemed deep in thought. Finally they bounced up the lane and he turned off the engine.
He didn't move to get of the car. He paused before turning towards her.
“I'm sorry about the lesson,” he looked down at his lap and took a deep breath, “the thing is I've basically spent the last twenty years with Kitto. I don't really see other people. Whatever social skills I may or may not have had before, I've lost. I guess I'm just not very good around people. What I'm trying to say is that I think I spoke to you badly and I'm sorry.”
Kiera couldn't keep the surprise from registering on her face. His apology was almost enough to start her crying again but she managed to restrain herself.
“Thank you, it's okay. I'm sorry too, it was daft driving the car without you. I know you didn't really want me in the car in the first place and then I go and crash
it.”
“I'm not bothered about the car,” Jack seemed to struggle internally with something before saying, “my parents died when their car was forced off the road. It's my job to protect you and cars just make me a little nervous that's all. You actually drove very well for your first time.”
Kiera blushed, partly from the compliment and partly from her own oversight. She had forgotten about Jack's parents. She could understand him feeling uneasy in a position where he was responsible for someone else's welfare behind the wheel of a car. They exited the car quietly.
“Is the Land Rover Kitto's?” Kiera asked, nodding at it as they passed by.
“It's mine too,” Jack told her with a smile, “the council bought me the convertible, but I saved up for the Land Rover. I guess I'm more of a 4x4 kind of guy than a convertible kind of guy. Kitto can drive, not that he ever does. If he does he uses the Land Rover, I guess he's not really a convertible kind of guy either.”
The walk up to the house was awkward after their honest exchange. When they reached the door Jack said, “Just let me know if you want to try again. If you still want me for an instructor that is.”
He grinned at her sheepishly.
“Are you sure you want to take me out in a car again?” Kiera asked.
“I'm game if you are,” he opened the door and stood back to allow her in.
Kitto was waiting for them in the hallway.
“How was the first lesson?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye as though he already knew everything that had happened.
Kiera turned to Jack. She thought she'd let him answer.
“Fine,” Jack said nonchalantly, “she did well.”
“Good,” Kitto said pleased, “and now dinner's ready.”
Jack winked at her as they made their way into the kitchen.
She smiled to herself as she took her seat at the table. What a turn of events. Who'd have thought it? Jack is actually likeable.
Chapter Nineteen
The next morning Kiera picked up Bersaba's book once more. She carefully turned the pages until she reached the one that she wanted; it was a page she had stared at many times. A scrap of paper fell out. She had been writing down the details of the spell as she deciphered it. There weren't too many ingredients; in fact there was only one more thing she needed. What on earth was Grim seed? She would have to do some research.
Nature of the Witch Page 13
