Winter of Discontent (Four Seasons Book 1) (12 page)

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 8
th
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.’

Thankfully, Jess had slept through everything. I sat on the end of her bed for a while, watching her sleep. She was a nice woman. What we were doing with her was wrong. I couldn’t justify it but I had to do it. I told myself I’d look after her. She would never want for anything; I would never mistreat her, leave her short of money. She would never be unhappy. At least, that’s what I told myself. The fact was, though, everything she believed about me, about my family, was a lie. We didn’t have a history – it was just a memory trail that Jared had laid down that morning in Ontario. She was in the right place at the right time – at least, for us she was. I would see to it she had everything she wanted; everything except love. No matter how bad I felt about what we were doing, I could never give her that.

Chapter Twenty-two – Revenge

Sarah

The Thanksgiving parade went really well. Kacey and the rest of the volunteers had made a great job of the school float and the costumes looked fabulous. I’d helped out with some of the decorations and managed to avoid getting roped in to dressing up as one of the characters on the float. I loved to watch anyone who enjoyed that sort of thing but never felt the desire to be the centre of attention myself. I never wanted to get left out of things, mind you. I wanted to be a team player but never wanted to be the quarterback.

Kacey, on the other hand, had bagged herself top billing as head pilgrim-mother. Her costume was supposed to be a simple black and white number. Kacey however had other ideas. Once the float had set off and the teachers could do nothing about it, she hoisted the costume over her head, throwing it into the crowds that lined Main Street revealing a rather short, far racier black and white number. If I said Hugh Hefner would have been impressed then you get the picture!

The marching bands were really loud. The local schools were really competitive and the Drum Majors would practise twirling their batons for weeks on end ahead of an event. Dad loved Thanksgiving and he loved the parades. When I was a little kid being dragged around the world from school to school, he would always find time to celebrate as many US holidays as he could. The bases would hold parties for the camp kids, but Dad and I mostly lived in the community, so I missed a lot of them. I’d enjoyed joining in at school to get our float right, but standing on the roadside with my dad watching it go by was the perfect place for me. We’d gotten to Main Street early so we could get a good spot and had been waiting for a couple of hours before the first float came into view. The street was pretty packed on both sides and the tension, the excitement was mounting. The first float was from a middle school on the other side of town. They had picked
The Simpsons
as a theme and although that was all a bit old now it was still a good effort. Dad did a great Homer impression; he even had the bald head to go with it. He always could make me laugh and the thought of him being closer to me made me feel so much happier. By the time Monday came around again I was feeling so much better, so much more positive. Unfortunately, it was a feeling that didn’t last long.

I caught up with Kacey and girls before school and braced myself for the inevitable questions about Erik and his new girlfriend. Brittany swore a few times – bastard this and bastard that – but on the whole, the girls were really quite supportive. The chances were Kacey, who had been really kind about the whole thing, had spoken to them about not being too hard on me. In the end I told them I was pretty cut up but that it wasn’t something I would let get me down. I hadn’t ever told a lie that big before but deep down I just hoped that if they could believe it then perhaps I might.

The bell had just gone and we were walking across the grass when Erik arrived, driven in by ‘her’.

‘Don’t look, Trump. Don’t give him the satisfaction.’

She was right, of course, but unfortunately curiosity got the better of me. Kacey had said she was a lot older than him and not as pretty as I was, but I needed to see for myself.

‘Is he kissing her?’ I asked quietly.

‘No. Well, he was, but he’s finished now. He’s walking up the path now.’

I turned briefly toward the lot. Kacey hadn’t been entirely honest. She was older than he was by quite a bit, that much was true, but she wasn’t plain. She looked to be shorter than I was, but she was really very pretty. I turned back quickly; I didn’t want to give her, or him, the satisfaction of seeing me look.

‘Come on, Kace, let’s get inside.’

I was struggling again. I thought I’d got it cracked after the weekend spent laughing and joking with Dad and Aunt Suze but now, in the cold light of day, I felt as wretched as I had when he dumped me.

‘We need to find you a date.’ Kacey smiled.

I didn’t say anything. I hoped my look and the raise of one eyebrow told her that I wasn’t up for that just yet.

First period Math wasn’t something to look forward to and when Ryan Enders came and sat on the seat behind me it got worse.

Mr Cartwright had been talking quadratic equations for about 20 minutes when I felt a nudge in my back. Looking around I saw Enders was trying to pass me a piece of paper.

“Forget about the geek, I’ll show you how it’s realy done,” it said.

What a dick! I wrote quickly on the back of the paper and passed it back to him.

“Really has two L’s and you don’t have a chance in one.”

Clearly annoyed, he screwed up the paper and threw it at the back of my head. I just ignored him and got on with the class.

When the bell went for next period I gathered my things, rose from my seat and, before I knew it, was picking myself up of the floor. He said it was an accident but I knew Enders had tripped me on purpose. He was pissed with my reply to his note and wanted to teach me a lesson.

Kacey helped me to my feet as I rearranged my skirt and my dignity.

‘You’re an idiot, Enders, a puerile infant!’ I snapped.

Of course, my words did nothing to wipe the smile off his face. It wasn’t until lunch that I realised I’d twisted my wrist quite badly. It was the same wrist I’d hurt when I pulled out in traffic and the memory of that didn’t help my mood. As we walked into the canteen, my mood didn’t improve.

‘Oh great, look who’s here,’ said Kacey, as she realised Erik was in front of us in the queue.

I very nearly said ‘hello’, but the look on his face wasn’t encouraging; it was almost like he was looking right through me, like I didn’t exist.

‘Who the hell does he think he is, treating you like that?’ said Kacey in clear support. ‘You’re better off without him; anyone who dates a woman that old has to be a pervert.’

‘Don’t, Kacey. I know you’re only sticking up for me but this isn’t all his fault. I think I drove him away; I didn’t accept him for who he was, so he dumped me and found someone else. I just have to deal with it.’

‘Yeah? Well from where I’m sat, you’re not dealing with it very well,’ she said, putting her arm around my shoulder. ‘You will though. What you need is a girls’ night out.’

I shook my head but I knew it was no use arguing. Once Kacey decided on something, it would take someone stronger than me to resist.

The rest of the week dragged by. I only saw Erik again once, when he was late for school on the Thursday. I was looking out the window during Physics and saw his girlfriend’s car pull up in the parking lot. It was odd really. They both got out of the car, as they had when I saw them on the Monday, but this time, when she went to kiss him goodbye, he pulled away. On the Monday he had been all over her but today it was like he didn’t want to know. I found myself wondering whether they’d had a fight, or whether she’d got bad breath or something equally unattractive. I even wondered whether Monday’s ‘performance’ had been for my benefit. I shrugged that off, though. After all, he knew I hadn’t wanted to break up, so what would be the point in trying to make me jealous? You only did that if you wanted someone back, which clearly he didn’t.

Some of the girls were going back to swim at Kacey’s after school. I’d said I would go with them but I’d forgotten to bring my swimsuit with me. I wasn’t that bothered about going really but Kacey was working hard to take my mind off Erik so, when our Geography teacher failed to show that afternoon, I decided to cut out and go home to get it. As I walked through the corridor passed the girls’ lockers and into the foyer that led to the outside of the front of the school I noticed Erik and some of the other geeks waiting outside the Secretary’s office. I tried hard not to look in his direction but the more I tried, the more I wanted to. When I finally gave in to the urge to look, I felt a real sense of embarrassment. Nothing happened, no awkward glances or smiles, nothing. He wasn’t even looking at me; by now he had turned his back to me and was talking to one of the guys. I was embarrassed because I’d gotten myself worked up at the possibility that things weren’t going so great between him and his girlfriend and that there might still be a chance for us. I was embarrassed because I’d gotten it completely wrong. Red-cheeked and with my head down, I just walked toward the door and out of the school.

Ever since the accident, I’d had to take the bus to and from school; this time I found myself daydreaming somewhat and before I knew it, I’d missed my stop. I was going to get off at the next one and walk back the half mile or so to home but I didn’t. Instead, and rather foolishly, I decided to do something really dumb. I stayed on the bus until it got to Erik’s stop.

I stood staring down the lane thinking ‘this is a bad idea’. I know I should have just turned back to home but, for an intelligent girl, I can be a bit stupid and where Erik was concerned my judgement was definitely clouded.

Mr Zauber’s car wasn’t out front and there was a strong chance that Jared would be in classes at this time of day, I knew Erik was still in school so I was pretty confident Jess would be on her own. As I walked tentatively toward the house, I had no idea what I would say if she answered the door. I was a couple of feet from the porch when I felt my courage desert me. I had turned away to go home when I heard a voice call out.

‘Hi there, can I help you?’

As I faced her, I felt a rage of jealousy I hadn’t felt before. I wanted to go up and thump her, tell her to go back to Canada and to stay away from Erik, but of course I didn’t. She was smiling and she looked really friendly.

‘I just wondered if Jared was home,’ I said, rather meekly.

‘No, he’ll be a good hour yet, maybe more.’

‘OK, no problem, I’ll come another day.’

‘Don’t go. Come on in. I don’t get many visitors. Please.’

She looked quite sad now and I started to feel guilty about the real reason I’d come round. I wasn’t here to see Jared, I was here to find out more about her, about how long she had been seeing Erik; whether he’d cheated on me with her or whether he really had fallen in love at first sight. I should have said ‘no’, I should have just smiled and walked away but I didn’t. The temptation to grill her about how things were between her and Erik after what I’d thought I’d witnessed that morning was just too strong.

‘OK, just for a little while though, I’m meeting friends later.’

‘So where do you know Jared from?’ she asked as we made our way through to the kitchen.

‘Oh, you know, here and there.’

We sat chatting like old friends; the clock on the wall seemed to turn too quickly. I knew if I didn’t ask her my questions soon I might not get another chance. Jared would be back soon, as would Erik. I had to get a move on.

‘So tell me more about you, Jess, are you from around here?’

By now, I was so anxious and I didn’t feel any guilt about pretending I had no idea who she was.

‘No, I’m from Canada. I moved back here with Erik and his family a couple of weeks back. We’re engaged to be married.’

She looked so happy as she said this. I wanted to wipe the smile off her face. How dare she be happy about stealing him from me!

‘Congratulations,’ I said through gritted teeth. ‘Have you been engaged long?’

‘About six months. I had to work my notice and sort things out at home before I could move here.’

‘Six months!’ I couldn’t help the shock in my voice ‘Six months!’

‘Yes. Why do you look so surprised?’

She was clearly confused by my reaction. Any decent human being would have made up a convenient lie; any decent human being would have just smiled and said ‘that’s wonderful’ or ‘right, I’d better get going’, but not me. No, I did the exact opposite of decent; I turned into a real bitch.

‘Well, until three weeks ago he’d been dating me for two months. I figured he’d met you when he went to Canada last month. I didn’t figure he’d been cheating on both of us.’

‘That’s not possible. Erik wouldn’t do that. I think I’d like you to leave now. Clearly it was Erik you were looking for, not Jared. Now get out!’

Her eyes were welling up and she looked ready to burst into tears. Finally, at last I felt guilty. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She’d trusted him the way I had; he’d betrayed us both. The only satisfaction I got from all this was knowing that he’d find out that we knew what he’d done, that she might leave him. There was no way I’d take him back now, not if he came crawling on bended knee. I may have felt bad for how I made her feel but I felt better for knowing how Erik would feel.

It was getting quite late as I ran down the lane toward the bus stop and I just prayed I didn’t run into either Erik or his brother. Fortunately I didn’t have long to wait for the bus and managed to be on my way before anyone came home. I sat back as the bus turned away and, to my shame, I felt really good about having gotten my own back on him. By the time I got home, Aunt Suze was back from work and she offered to drop me off at Kacey’s. I spent the next two hours splashing, jumping, and diving into the pool. I didn’t mention what I’d done to anyone. I wanted to wait and see what the fallout was first; I didn’t have too long to wait.