by RM Walker
“Oh damn, they’re going to go ballistic when they find out.” She thumped her head against the backrest.
“Tell them I’ve dealt with it already.”
“You dealt with it? What do you mean?”
He looked at her briefly. A smile tugged his lips, but he didn’t answer her.
It clicked, and she smirked at him. “You won’t know about the lighters then?”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
“It’s a shame you don’t know the lighters exploded in their faces, singed their eyebrows and fringes, which led the driver to use the fire extinguisher on them.”
“Really? Lighters are dangerous things especially around bullies.”
“Do I call you Karma now?”
“I’m fine with Dad.” He smiled at her.
A warmth settled into her stomach. “I can’t say thank you for something you didn’t do. But I did get a kick from seeing Connie.”
“Connie?”
“Matt’s ex.”
“Is it a case of she doesn’t want him, but you can’t have him?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. All I care about is that Matt isn’t interested in her.”
“No, he’s not. He’s infatuated with you. Completely and utterly spellbound. He won’t be attracted by any other girl until it wears off.”
“Wears off? Spellbound? I haven’t spelled him.” That stung, and she glared at him.
“It’s just an expression. I didn’t mean you’d literally spelled him.”
He slowed as he pulled into the entrance of the multi-storey car park in town, and it reminded her of what they were doing.
“You really don’t need to do this,” she told him.
“Yes, I do.” He parked and turned off the engine. “C’mon, get out. If we’re quick, we’ll be back before they even know I’ve kidnapped you.”
“Seriously, I mean it, you don’t have to do this.” She got out, not sure how she felt about him buying her a phone.
He indicated for her to walk with him. “If a man fathers a child he’s responsible for it no matter what. I wanted to be responsible for you but we both know what happened. I couldn’t get you things you needed. Lynda refused to take any money for you, so I opened an account and put it in there. It’s yours.”
“I can’t take—”
“Yes, you can, and yes, you will.” He stopped outside the phone shop and caught her shoulders. “If things had gone the way it should’ve done, it’s no more than what I’d have spent on bringing you up. In fact, it’s far less than what I’d have spent. I want to give you this, Lily. I need to give it to you. I can’t change the mistakes I made in the past, no matter how much I wish I could. I’m not trying to buy you, I just need to know you’re going to be okay if something happens to me. You’re mine, my daughter.”
She studied his eyes and saw nothing to make her doubt him. She took a tentative step forward and he met her half way, wrapping her tightly in his arms. She relaxed into him, her arms going around his waist.
“Thank you, Dad,” she whispered.
“I’ve always loved you, kiddo. Don’t ever forget that, no matter what,” he muttered and squeezed her tightly before letting her go. “Come on. iPhone?”
“Good lord, no. They cost a fortune. Just a pre-paid one will do.”
“You’re not getting a pre-paid one, so stop arguing and come on.”
“And if it gets damaged?”
He rolled his eyes at her, caught her arm and tugged her into the shop. “It won’t get damaged. Have you got a laptop?”
“Yeah, I have.”
“One that’s not powered by steam?” He arched an eyebrow at her.
She stuck her tongue out at him and laughed. “It’s good enough for me.”
“So, you can google if you need to?”
“We don’t have the internet, so it makes no difference.”
“You don’t have... ” He frowned. “You used to have it.”
“Mum stopped it a while ago, it was just too much of an issue having to update every time we moved. Mr Pringle manages a website for her, and I only used it for games and research, nothing social.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. “How did I miss that? Damn. Right, okay, listen, we’ll get your phone and then nip into the supermarket on the way home.”
“What for?”
“A laptop. Don’t argue!” He lifted a finger at her. “It’ll all be under my home address in Wells, so you can have internet at home and on the phone.”
“I don’t need—”
“No arguing!” He shook his head at her. “I can set it all up, VPNs will work for you too. It’ll be fine. I know I can’t buy your love, and I’m not trying—”
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, her mouth by his ear. “Stop. I don’t need clothes, or shoes, or anything else. But if I do, I’ll ask you, is that okay?”
“More than.”
She stepped back from him. “Actually, there is something I’d like you to do.”
“What?”
“You used Obscurus Arcanum spells,” she whispered. “You were scrying to see on the bus. Teach me how to do these things, please?”
The pupils of his eyes expanded in delight before he blinked it away. “I’m going to teach you everything I know. I promise.” He caught her shoulders and turned her to face a wall of phones. “Which one?” he asked.
“Would you like some help here?” An assistant came forwards, smiling brightly.
“Yes, my daughter is looking for a phone.”
She was unable to wipe the silly grin from her face. His daughter. Her father. Words she’d never associated with herself before. Happiness surged through her and it wasn’t because he was buying her things, it was the knowledge that he loved her.
She had a dad, and he loved her.
Catch me
“Have you been shoplifting?”
“No!” Lily dried her hands and went into her bedroom.
“Well, if you didn’t steal these, where did you get them?” Her mother pointed at the laptop and phone on her bed.
Lily had dashed up the stairs when she came home. Her mother had been in the kitchen and she thought she’d got away with this discussion. But she’d come up when Lily went to the bathroom.
“Da—Drew.” She almost slipped up and by the look on her mother’s face she’d picked it up. She’d called him Dad several times shopping and each time it became more normal.
“Oh, so it’s Dad now, is it? Thinks he can buy you.”
“No, that’s not it at all. He wanted to get me—”
“And what was wrong with the phone I bought you?”
“It got broken.”
“How?”
“It was dropped.” She wasn’t going to tell her mother what had happened. It would open a whole new can of worms she just didn’t need to deal with right now.
“And the laptop?”
“He’s got it all set up, I can access the internet, it’ll help so much with studying. I won’t need to keep asking to borrow Matt’s phone.”
“And when we move? Or he loses interest in his shiny new toy? What then? Who will pay for the internet and phone then?”
“You don’t think he could love me for me?” Didn’t she have any worth in her mother’s eyes?
“He’s not capable of loving anyone.” Her mother walked out of her room. “I don’t think there’s much I can help you with for camping.”
She closed her eyes, she’d forgotten all about going through her clothes. “I was late, I’m sorry. I had to catch the bus as Matt couldn’t bring me home, and I couldn’t let anyone know as my phone was broken.”
“I’ll be leaving first thing in the morning. Remember to lock up well before you go camping with the boys. The tablets are on the side. Take them, or risk the boys seeing your true form.”
“My true form? You make me sound like I’ll turn into a dragon.” She tried to la
ugh as she followed her mother down the stairs.
“Evil takes many forms.”
“What?” She faltered and almost fell down the last step. “What did you say?”
“Saturday and Sunday’s meals are in the freezer, but you’ll need to cook yourself something when you come back. For the washing machine, remember: three for normal wash, four for a dirtier wash. You’ll need to get milk when you get back. If you need me at all, call me, or Gerry. I want an early night, so I’m off to bed now. I won’t disturb you in the morning, so take care, and I’ll see you when I get back.” She kissed Lily’s cheek, hugged her briefly and moved to the stairs.
“Mum.”
She didn’t answer just kept going up the stairs. Lily’s hand curled into fists at her side. “Mum! Don’t walk away from me.”
“I’m not. I’m going to bed.”
“You think I’m evil?” Lily followed her. “Why didn’t you put me up for adoption when Sarah died? Or let Dad bring me up?”
“I don’t think you’re evil. I think magic is evil.”
“I am magic.” Lily folded her arms as she faced her mother by her bedroom door. “If you think magic is evil, you think I’m evil. You’ve made that quite clear so many times now.”
Lynda slumped, rubbing her forehead tiredly. “I don’t know what you want from me. I’ve always done my best, always. I love you, but I don’t like your ability, and I never will. You have a warped view of magic, it’s not like fairy stories, there are no dragons to fight, frogs don’t change into princes. But there are evil witches, dark secrets, hidden societies—”
“Hidden societies? Like another world?”
“Not like you think. It’s not a hidden world that runs parallel to ours. There are no separate schools, or hidden alleyways. It’s in plain daylight, companies running under legitimate businesses but hiding their true forms. There’s little regulations and what laws they have don’t work.”
“The Council?”
“What?” Her mother leant her head against the door jam.
“Well, y’know, like a Council?” She held her breath.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She frowned at her. “I’ve never heard of that, I only remember what Sarah and our parents told us.”
“Are they still alive? Your mum and dad? My grandparents?”
An eternity passed before she replied, “They are. But we don’t speak.”
“Why not?”
“They refused to have anything to do with Sarah once she left the house. They wouldn’t take her in, and they wouldn’t take you in. They gave me an ultimatum, take you and I was no longer welcome there. It wasn’t even a choice, Lily. I didn’t even need to think about it. I never have.”
“Until now,” Lily whispered, her throat painfully tight.
“No. Not even now. You’ve got it into your head that I don’t love you. That I hate you because I’m scared for you, terrified of what you can do, of what could happen to you.”
“Nothing will happen, honestly.”
“And what happens when someone gets you angry? Or upset?”
“Nothing.”
“How do you know that? How can you know that?”
“Because I just do. I came home on the bus tonight and a few kids were being idiots. That’s how my phone broke. I was angry, but I didn’t do anything. I didn’t use magic to stop them, I didn’t even think of it. If there was evil in me, don’t you think I’d have done something? Given them boils, or pushed them down the steps?”
“Maybe you did, and you just don’t realise it.”
“I think I’d have known if I had.”
“Would you? You didn’t know you broke the mirror.”
“They didn’t fall down or get boils.”
“Have you done any magic in the last few weeks?” she asked. “And don’t bother to lie to me. I know you see him on the weekends.”
“I haven’t done any magic. Dad is”—she steeled herself against her mother’s wince—“helping me make my own plant healing journal. It’s just normal remedies with plants. Any magic needed so far he’s done, and—”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”
“What? Oh, no, thanks, we’re going to the Jamaica Inn. I’ve always wanted to go there.” She sounded lame and she knew she did, but at every turn her mother was able to knock her for six.
“Yes, you have, haven’t you?” She cleared her throat. “I was going to take you when we settled in here, but it seems as if our feet never touch the ground. Things have changed so much, you’ve changed.”
“I’ve changed?”
“I’ve never been able to leave you for too long, certainly not an entire week in London. I’m glad you have Matt. You’re an adult now and sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that.
A knock on the door caught their attention.
“That’s probably Matt now, he’s been around once already. Leave me your new number, or text it to me.”
“You really don’t mind me staying with him?” The push and pull from her mother was almost too much to bear sometimes.
“I’m going to spend a week with Gerry, bit hypocritical if I turn around and say you can’t sleep with your boyfriend. Just, please, be careful, and don’t get pregnant.”
“You too, although a baby brother or sister would be nice.” Lily tried to joke, but it fell flat.
“He’s knocking again, you’d better go.”
“Say hi to Mr Pringle for me.” She wanted to hug her mother, to hear her say everything would be all right. To hear her say she’d be there for her no matter what. Instead she went into her room and shut the door behind her. Lily closed her eyes against the pain of rejection, willing herself not to cry.
The knock came again, louder, impatient, and she went down.
“Are you okay? We’ve been trying to get hold of you. You weren’t here, and your phone is dead,” Nate demanded the second she opened the door.
“We were worried,” Josh added.
“Sorry, I forgot the time. Are you okay? Why did you have to stay?” She changed the subject as she stepped back to let them in.
“Nothing much,” Jake answered. “How was the bus?”
“I am never using the bus again.” She pulled a face of pain as she let them in.
“Told you. Those buses came off the ark.” Matt said.
“And are just as comfortable. Want a drink?” She went into the kitchen. “Mum’s gone to bed. She’s making an early start tomorrow.” She wasn’t going to think about what had happened.
“Early start?” Josh asked as they followed her in.
“Yeah, she’s spending the week with Mr Pringle, the gallery owner. Wanted me to go along with her.” She put the kettle on to boil. “Even if I wasn’t going with you, there’s no way I’d be a spare wheel to them.”
“Third. Third wheel,” Jake said. “Is it done?” He was standing in front of the uncovered painting of Crowder Manor.
“Bloody hell, that’s good.” Josh joined him, slinging his arm around his neck.
“She finished it yesterday. It has to dry before she takes it to the framers.”
“She’s amazing,” Matt agreed. “It’s uncanny, almost like a photograph.”
“I need to change, and I need to give you my new number.” She tried to say it casually as she headed to the kitchen door. “Help yourself to drinks.”
“New number? Your landline is changing?” Josh asked.
“My phone broke, and I needed to replace it.” She stayed in the doorway, her eyes on her mother’s painting.
“Is that where you were?” Nate asked her, getting the mugs out. “Getting a new phone?”
“Yeah.”
Matt whistled loudly. “This it? Top of the line.”
“Yeah, but not the newest,” she said, keeping her head lowered. “That was too expensive.” She picked up her phone and showed them her number.
“What happened to your phone?” Matt asked a
s he tapped her number into his phone.
“It got dropped.”
“Careless of you—” Nate’s head snapped up from his own phone. “Is that why you won’t go on the bus again? Were you picked on? Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?” Nate got into her space, checking her face and arms.
“No. They were picking on Percy more than me.” She caught his hands to stop him patting at her. “But my phone got dropped and broke. Drew took me into town and bought me a new one.”
“He bought you this?” Josh’s eyebrows rose sharply as he looked at Jake.
“And a laptop. I said no, but he wouldn’t listen. He said he hadn’t been able to help me growing up, so he was doing it now.”
“He could have sent payments to Lynda,” Matt pointed out.
“He tried to, but she refused to take them. He said he put them into a bank account for me. He seems to be trying. Please, don’t have a go, I’ve had enough today.”
Nate looked at Matt and then back at her. “If something happens again and Matt can’t take you home, get Drew to take you.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “He already told me that. I’ve never had a dad, it’s a nice feeling sometimes, and confusing at others.”
“That sounds the same as having one.” Matt snorted. “Except you forgot annoying as well.”
She gave him a sad smile, not knowing what to say.
“It’s fine. I’m fine as long as we’re all together like this and no one is arguing.” Matt made an exaggerated nod towards Nate.
“Get stuffed, I haven’t argued with you for at least an hour.” Nate grinned at him.
“Have you eaten yet?” Jake asked suddenly.
“No.” She looked at the clock and was surprised to see it was nearly seven.
“Well, it’s time for second tea anyway, let’s go grab something at home. Dad’s taken Mum out for a film and a meal, it’s their date night.”
“Second tea?” Lily frowned at him.
“I swear they were Hobbits in a previous life,” Matt said.
“We might as well have a drink there too.” Nate put the mugs back into the cupboard. “We can play games after or watch a film.”
“We vote for strip poker,” Josh suggested.
“Can you play poker, Lil?” Nate asked, smirking at her.