AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“This is a nice surprise,” Rose said, smiling at Cara. “What’s the occasion?”
“Oh, nothing important,” she said, and then she gestured to the weeds. “Do you want help?”
Her father snorted. “Not likely.”
Rose ignored him. “I appreciate the offer, but you’ve never known the difference between a flower and a weed, and I don’t want to risk the lives of these poor innocent plants.”
Cara grinned. “If you’re talking about the daffodils, I already said sorry. And I was five.”
“You were ten,” her mother said. “And that wasn’t the only time it happened. Now, I know you well enough to know that you’re not here for a gardening lesson.”
Cara hesitated. “I think we should sit down.”
Her mother frowned. “Is this big news?”
“Yes, kind of.”
Her parents exchanged a significant look, and she quickly threw out her hands. “No! Not that. Something else.”
“Are you sure?”
“We’re definitely not having this conversation right now.”
“Then, what is it?” her father asked.
“It’s about... magic,” she said. “Can we sit down?”
They sat at the patio table by the back door, and she struggled to decide how to begin.
“Are you struggling with a ritual?” her mother asked.
“No, it’s...”
For a brief moment, she wondered if she should tell them at all. They waited patiently, ready for whatever she had to say. They were always there for her. Her father was wearing his usual, faded jeans and old boots, and her mother was still wearing the gardening gloves. They were covered in soil and dirt. She couldn’t count how many times over her childhood she had seen them just like this. They always knew what to do whenever she needed them.
“I met a void.”
They stared.
“Last night. But I’m fine. Nothing happened.”
There was a long moment of silence, and then her father jumped to his feet. “Where’s the void now?”
“In the city,” Cara said. “But it’s okay, Dad, it’s fine. We’re safe.”
“What city?” he demanded.
“Edinburgh, obviously,” Cara said. “What other city would I be talking about?”
Eric ignored her and scanned the garden, as if Nick was going to jump out of one of the bushes or appear from behind a tree.
Rose glanced at him before speaking to Cara. “You said nothing happened?”
“No, nothing.”
“Are you sure he was a void?”
“Yes, but it’s fine. Nothing-”
