Free Winter of Discontent (Four Seasons Book 1) by T.S. Harvey Page B

hesitated.
    ‘It’s a long story.’
    ‘Well, you have an hour, tops. Then I have to go home, I have a concert to go to.’
    I picked up my latte and took a slow sip before I began. I told her all about The Council. About how they had spent decades tracking down our line to eliminate the threat of one of us mating with a Moirai.’
    ‘So what’s a Moirai?’
    ‘Quite possibly the most powerful witch of all time. The Council thought they had killed the line off a long way back but a seer prophesised that a Warlock and a Moirai would mate and produce a child that would topple them. That’s why we stay in the shadows. We don’t practise magic in case a Tracer picks up our scent.’
    Before she got chance to ask, I continued.
    ‘A Tracer is another line of Warlock. They work exclusively for The Council. They go from town to town, working their way around the country, around every country, trying to find us. Not just us, though. There are other covens, other lines that pose a threat to The Council. Our magic is like an invisible flag being waved. The Tracer picks up a scent, a sort of instinct when they are close to a spell being cast. Each coven has its strengths, its abilities. We can all sense other sorcerers, other Warlocks to one degree or another but Tracers are particularly good at it. There are other mercenary Warlocks that are used to track witches and wizards but the Tracers are the most efficient. So you see, by not practising magic we have a better chance of staying safe. By wiping your memory of what you saw, what we said, I was keeping my family safe and I was keeping you safe. If you are anywhere near me when a Tracer turns up, it could end really badly for you.’
    Well, that was just about everything. Everything, that is, except telling her Jared and my dad thought she was the Moirai that The Council was looking for!
    I waited for her to comment but she didn’t. I guess I was expecting too much. This was normal for me, it was my life. I hadn’t known the whole truth about why the Tracers were looking for us until recently but everything else was everyday life. It wasn’t this way for Sarah. She’d been thrown from being your average American girl into a world of magic and fear. I wouldn’t have blamed her for running for the hills but I was delighted that she hadn’t.
    ‘I think I need to go. I need to get my head around this, it’s all so crazy.’
    ‘Do you want me to take you home?’
    ‘No. Thank you. I need some space. You understand?’
    ‘Sure. No problem. Call me if you need me?’
    She didn’t answer.
     
    As she walked out of the coffee shop I wanted to go after her, but I didn’t. Pressing her on this would force her further away. I stayed in the booth for more than an hour. I needed to be sure she wouldn’t be stood at the bus stop when I left, I couldn’t be sure I would be able to resist following her if she had. It was OK though – when I did finally leave she was nowhere to be seen.
    I headed back home. Dad and Jared where shouting at the TV when I got back, so I managed to creep upstairs unseen and change out of my joggers without them ever suspecting where I’d been. I lay down on the bed for a while. The urge to cast a notion to see what she was doing, what she was up to was quite overwhelming but I didn’t. I stayed strong. I knew if I was to ever get a chance with her I had to play it straight. She wasn’t impressed by me, at least not now. I think she really liked me before she knew the truth and that was more of an aphrodisiac than any notion I could ever cast. In the end, I got up and went downstairs.
    ‘Hey there,’ grinned Jared. ‘Don’t speak to Dad. He’s sulking. Bulls are down by fifteen,’ he roared.
    I got myself a can from the fridge in the kitchen and went through and joined them on the couch. I knew I’d not hear from Sarah, as she was at the concert tonight, so I settled down to watch the end of the match. Things weren’t going to go quite the