Page 15 of Familiar of the Witch

‘He’s something of a legend,’ Bastion confirmed. ‘Think Rambo but guarding the bombed-out church instead.’

I wondered whether Mum had known what Oscar had done for a living before she hired him. Suddenly everything clicked into place. Of course she had; Oscar and Mum had datedbeforehe’d become her bodyguard. He’d only agreed to be her driver and guard on condition that their relationship was noted – and permitted – under the contract of employment.

I stared at Oscar dumbly and he grimaced as I finally connected the dots. Mum had worked several jobs to make ends meet, yet she’d been present during my childhood.She’d raised me and been mother and father to me until Oscar had stepped into the latter role. ‘You let her use the portal,’ I whispered.

‘You’ve met your mother, haven’t you?’ he demanded. ‘There was no “letting” her, not once she’d got her claws into my heart. She said it was essential, that there had been a prophecy… I shouldn’t have done it, but I did. There isn’t a day goes by that I don’t regret it.’

My jaw dropped. ‘Are you seriously saying that she used the portal to do … what?’

Oscar grimaced again. ‘I can’t tell you why she used the portal. You try saying no to your mother. She’s a force of nature.’

‘Shewas,’ I agreed harshly. ‘Goddess … her dementia. It’s not dementia at all, is it? It’s temporal displacement.’ I didn’t even try to keep the fury out of my voice. ‘It’s your fault she’s like this,’ my voice whipped out.

I was feeling the sharp sting of betrayal, never mind that the betrayal had been carried out three decades earlier. I didn’t have my mumnowand it was Oscar’s fault. It wasn’t just a heinous disease ravaging her but something more: a conscious choice on her part. She had chosen to raise me back then knowing that she would be leaving menow.It was a bitter pill to swallow – and Oscar had enabled it. Oh, he and Bastion were right – ofcourse they were. Mum was a difficult woman to say no to, but I didn’t have her to rail at right now so Oscar would have to do.

‘Amber—’ Bastion said softly.

‘No,’ Oscar interrupted. ‘She’s right. It kills me, but she’s right.’

‘Luna made her decision. She knew what it would cost her,’ Bastion disagreed firmly. ‘I warned her at the time. She is responsible for her own actions. She always was.’

‘Oscar enabled her actions,’ I spat. Bastion grimaced but had nothing to rebut that.

My world was imploding. I was angry not just with Oscar but with Mum. She’d meddled with time and lost her mind, and she had done it willingly. I suffered every day in her absence and she had chosen it.

And worse – I was about to do the same thing.

Chapter 13

‘Without a hellhound bond protecting my mind, if we go back in time I’ll end up like Mum with more holes in my memory than a Swiss-cheese slice,’ I asserted grimly.

Bastion shook his head. ‘It’s timeabusethat causes the phenomenon, not simply one or two trips. No one knows exactly how many trips it will take for your brain to be affected – more than three, certainly. Once the Connection learned about the issue, they tested extensively. Different subjects survived with their minds intact with different degrees of exposure, and four trips was the minimum number where a negative affect was recorded. Soon after that, the Symposium re-shuffled its members. The new members were aghast at the immorality of testing on their employees and shut the programme down.’ He raised an eyebrow at me. ‘Have you been back in time before?’

I shook my head. ‘Not properly. I’ve used my watch to slow time.’

‘Then we’ll be fine,’ he said with a shrug.

Oscar cleared his throat. ‘I’ve had my three times, so you’ll be going without me.’ He looked at me compassionately. ‘I still think you need one parental figure in your life, and I don’t want to join Luna and leave you bereft.’

Mad as I was at Oscar, I gave him a tight nod. He was right: the thought of losing him… No way in heck was he going through the portal a fourth time.

‘I can get you into the portal, though,’ he promised.

‘Fine,’ I said shortly. I couldn’t bring myself to be warmer than that, but I wasn’t shouting at him so he’d have to take that as a win.

‘I only saw you two – Ellie and Bastion – so I’d better stay in this time as well,’ Frogmatch grumbled, looking downcast. He’d want to cause mayhem so I had no doubt that it was in everyone’s best interests that he stayed right here. One Frogmatch wandering about felt like more than enough.

‘Just you and me, Bambi.’ Bastion smiled. ‘I guess it’s a date.’ He was trying to distract me from my emotions and I let him.

‘And you bitched about Emory taking Jinx to the Kelpies for adate?’ I teased archly.

‘I do a lot of things better than Emory,’ Bastion smirked.

‘Including dates and having a big head?’

He grinned. ‘It’s only big-headed if it’s not true.’

‘So for our first date you’re taking me to meet a Seer,’ I said flatly. ‘Romantic.’

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