A Witch Like No Other (40 page)

“
You’
re welcome,
Ma
’
am.
Take a seat. I
’
m Harry, your driver.”

“
Nice to meet
you, Harry.”

“
I just want to
spend time alone with my son.”

“
Well said,”
said Barbara’
s husband,
smiling at her. “I
’
m Hugh, by the way Dreamer. What
’
s your son
called?”

“
Julian.”

“
He’
s a precious little
thing,” Barbara said, slightly disappointed that she
didn
’
t
want to communicate. “Well, I
’
ll see you when the ride
is over, Dreamer. It
’
ll be two hours or so.”

“
Ok.”

Dreamer stared out the window, deep in thought. She knew
she couldn
’
t hide forever, especially when she had two other children
to think about, along with their father.

Ted must be worried sick,
she thought ruefully.
But I have to let him go. I
’
m not going back,
I
’
m
moving forwards. He
’
ll never accept Baby Julian- and I
don
’
t think Pandora and Marlon will either. Papa foresaw it. I
foresaw it. I have to let him go and move on.

Baby Julian gazed up at her, wondering why
Mummy wasn
’
t doing anything. He
nestled closer to her under his baby blanket, Dreamer looking down
at him.

“
I thought you
were sleeping, sweetie.”

“
No sleepy
yet,” smiled Julian, and Dreamer tweaked his tiny nose.

“
Well, when we
get home you’
ll have some warm
milk like Mama said, and then me and you will go to sleep and dream
about cookies.”

“
I’
m right here, baby.”
Dreamer stroked his hair, murmuring “I
’
m here.”

“
Quit bossing
me around, Shadow!” she snapped, as her mobile rang. Shadow fell
silent as she picked it up, looking at the screen.

“
Hello?”

“
Pandora,
it’
s me.”

“
Me
who?”

“
James.”

“
What do you
want?” Pandora asked coldly, sitting down on her bed.

“
I need to see
you.”

“
That’
s funny,” she said
sarcastically, “Because you couldn
’
t wait to get away from
me six days ago.”

“
Don’
t,” said James
painfully. “Don
’
t. I need to see you… and Marlon.”

“
See Marlon
first.”

“
I’
m seeing him tomorrow.
I think he
’
s going to punch me.”

“
So do I,”
Pandora answered. “When do you want to see me?”

“
Right
now.”

“
Where?”

“
The
park.”

“
Well?”

James whipped round, startled. He didn
’
t even hear her
arrive.

“
I want to say
sorry. I never should have ran with the others-”

“
So you admit
you was running, then.” Pandora could feel her temper rising. “You
wont blame it on your mother, no?”

“
No. I
wouldn’
t lie to
you.”

“
At least
you’
re honest with me. But
you
’
re
still a friggin
’
coward.”

“
Pandora, you
don’
t understand,” James said
desperately. “Come on, put yourself in my shoes. That was
Paul Black!
Didn
’
t you hear what he was saying? He
would
’
ve made us feel his wrath!”

“
Maybe your
mother would have,” Pandora replied, scowling. “She was there to
see
my
mother and grandmother get burnt to a
crisp.”

“
I
know-”

“
You
should’
ve told her you was
staying. You should
’
ve told her to let you out of the car when you saw us
walking. Damn, James, you should
’
ve jumped out the car
and rolled into the road,” said Pandora wearily, and James
chuckled. “It
’
s not funny- it felt like you betrayed us.”

James sobered up instantly, saying “I
didn
’
t…
mean
to betray you.”

“
Uh-huh.”

“
I was scared.
Come on Pandora, he had
lightning
stabbing the
ground.”

“
Good. I really
wanted Brown to get hit,” Pandora answered, making him smile again.
“I don’
t know where he ran to,
but I know for sure he
’
d better get out of the country. Because
Paul
’
s
going to get him so badly.”

James agreed with that. “You don
’
t call him Grandpa,
then?”

“
James, the man
looks like he’
s thirty and
he
’
s
hundreds of years old. How can I call someone who looks like that
Grandpa?”

“
Mmm. Come
here, ‘
Dora.” He pulled her
close to him. “I missed you.”

“
I missed you
too,” she mumbled, then she snapped out of it. “No.
Don’
t! I
’
m not speaking to you
until you apologise to my mother for running.”

“
Fine. Where is
she?” James asked, knowing the answer already. Marlon had told him
everything between texts and phone calls earlier.

“
I
don’
t know where she is,”
Pandora said, pulling herself out of his arms. “All I know is
everything
’
s been so weird.”

“
Mmm,” James
said again. “Let’
s sit
down.”

“
What
for?”

“
Talk to me
about it.”

Pandora rolled her eyes. “I
’
ve already got a
mentor.”

“
With any luck
you wont need her anymore,” James said softly, “Because
I’
m here to take
over.”

“
She’
s my godmother, so I
do need her. Oh yeah, and
she
’
s
the one who rescued
us when we was freezing in the cold. About ten minutes after you
whizzed by with your stank mama.”

“
Oi!” said
James angrily, and Pandora glared at him.

“
What, you
wanna say something in her defence?”

“
Listen, Little
Miss American-”

“
No,
you
listen. I don
’
t forgive you for running. And I
shouldn
’
t be here with you either, it doesn
’
t feel
right.”

She was lying through her teeth, but he
didn
’
t
have to know that. Pandora gave him a pointed stare before she
turned and walked away.

“
I’
m going
home.”

“
Pandora,
wait!”

“
Bye,
James.”

An
hour later, Dreamer was lying snuggled under the duvet of her king
size bed, her bedside lamp on. Lying there feeling totally at ease,
she smiled. At least Baby Julian was fast asleep.
She
’
d
read him three stories before he finally nodded off, his tummy full
of warm milk.

Dreamer hoped he
’
d sleep peacefully
throughout the night. She was already looking forward to the
morning, knowing Baby Julian would be the one to wake her. Pulling
the duvet right over her head, Dreamer settled down for a good
sleep. Sticking her hand out of the duvet, she snapped her
fingers.

“
Dreamer
Black,” said Marlon desperately, but the ball simply glowed a
brighter blue than before. Ted stood behind him, biting his
knuckles. They’
d been trying
this every night for almost three months now, but it
wasn
’
t
working. Pandora entered the room, saying “No luck?”

“
No,” said Ted
bitterly. “I bet Paul’
s behind
all of this.”

“
So do I,”
Pandora said, “But that’
s not
what I want to talk to you about.”

“
What is
it?”

“
Let’
s go in the living
room,” Pandora said flatly. “Come on, Dad.”

“
Remember
Denise’
s dumb joke about a
baby?” Ted nodded. “Look.”

“
That’
s Mum right there,
in Mothercare World.”

“
Mothercare
World?” Ted repeated disbelievingly, Marlon as well.

“
What’
s Mum doing in
Mothercare World?”

“
Dreamer Black
seems much happier after the alarming incident at Bryant Stadium,
though still wary of ordinary people such as myself, Vera Smith,
writer of Celebrity News. Here Dreamer is shopping for her baby in
Mothercare World-”

“
Her baby?”
Marlon repeated, eyes wide. “What does that mean?”

“
It’
s a load of crap,”
Pandora answered. “Mum hasn
’
t had time to have a
flipping baby. Maybe she
’
s just… looking at the
clothes?”

“
Why would Mum
look at baby clothes, hermit?”

“
I
don’
t know, camel mouth. Dad,
what do you think?”

“
I think,” Ted
said slowly, “That it doesn’
t
make sense. Maybe someone saw her standing next to a baby and they
immediately thought-”

“
But remember,
that started ages ago in Denise’
s restaurant,” Pandora cut across. “And nobody knows where
Mum lives either.”

“
I
don’
t get it,” said Marlon
confusedly. “The baby thing was just an act-
what
’
s
Mum carrying it on for? Why did she go to Mothercare?”

“
I say we call
Grandma Agnes and find out,” Pandora replied. “Dad?”

“
I’
m not telling you a
thing,” Agnes said calmly. “Ask her yourself.”

“
I would if I
could friggin’
get hold of
her!”

“
Don’
t you dare talk to me
like that, Ted,” Agnes said smoothly, and Ted swallowed as he
apologised. He knew Paul was probably listening.

“
I’
m getting so
frustrated, Agnes- I just want Dreamer back home.”