‘My curse?’ Nina says.
‘Yes, your curse.’ She replies.
‘Are you implying Nina has been playing with magic and cursed my son?’ mother asks.
‘No, but she has a curse shadowing her. It’s affecting Magnus.’
‘I’m sorry, but you must be mistaken? I’m not cursed.’ Nina says.
Yiselda looks Nina up and down.
‘Oh, you’re cursed, sweetheart. I can see it lingering all around you.’
‘What kind of curse? How do I get rid of it?’
‘What kind of curse, for I do not know and how to break it. Only the one who cursed you knows how. Until then, you are stuck with it.’
‘How do I find out who cursed me, then?’
‘Only time will tell.’ She looks back over at Magnus and approaches.
She hovers a hand over him and says an incantation. ‘The fever will break soon. But, in the meantime, until the curse breaks, I suggest you tell him to avoid shifting.’
‘Why is that?’ mother asks.
‘It’s going to hurt every time he shifts.’ Yiselda takes her leave without saying another word.
‘We need to have a pack meeting immediately.’ Mum says to Nina.
Everyone leaves the room—my fever breaks. I can walk to the bathroom and have a cool shower. I feel so much better afterwards. I find my favourite black tight-fitting shirt and my dark-coloured jeans and put them on. As soon as I’m ready, I walk down the stairs to find a meeting is being held.
‘Magnus, you are looking better.’ Seth smiles.
‘Yeah, I feel heaps better.’
‘You better join us, son.’ Dad says.
Seth and Mia sit at the end of the table while Nina sits with Leon and Amelia on the left side of the table. I take my seat next to my father.
‘As we all know, someone has placed a curse on Nina, but it’s also affecting Magnus.’ Dad says.
‘I don’t understand who would want to curse my daughter.’ Amelia cries. Leon rubs her back.
‘We will sort this out, Honey. We will find out who cursed her and have them break the spell.’
‘Nina, can you think of anyone who would want to curse you?’
She shrugs her shoulders and looks down with a sombre look.
‘Everyone loves Nina, Mum. I don’t understand who would curse her.’ I say.
‘Other than it is affecting Magnus, this curse hasn’t seemed to have affected Nina. She looks and sounds like Nina; she is gifted with great speed and has good grades. So how is she cursed?’ Leon says.
We are all at a loss and are silent in thought for a few minutes, trying to make sense of it all.
‘There isn’t much we can do other than monitor Nina and Magnus and figure out what the curse does and who is behind it. I also think we shouldn’t tell anyone about it for Nina’s safety.’ Mother says.
‘Why wouldn’t Nina be safe, Mum?’
‘Magnus, you are the future Alpha of the pack. Some pack members will go to great lengths to protect you. Many would even kill to keep you safe.’
Nina and I give each other a concerned look and nod our heads in agreement. We part ways. I decide to go outside and sit on the staircase. Unexpectantly, Nina joins me and sits beside me.
‘Magnus, I just wanted to say how sorry I am that I caused you to be unwell and that you won’t be able to shift easily. I don’t want to hurt you.’
‘It’s not your fault, Nina.’
She cries. I place an arm over her shoulder and pull her closer as she cries into my chest. ‘But it is my fault. Someone cursed me, and it’s hurting you.’ She cries.
‘It will be okay, Nina. We will figure this out.’
‘Magnus?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Do you wish sometimes we could go back in time and change the way things were?’
‘Every day. I wish I wasn’t stupid and didn’t ignore you for seven years.’
‘Do you mean that, Magnus?’
‘Every word.’
‘We can’t go back in time and change the past, but we can change the future right now.’
‘How so?’
‘Let’s forget the seven years never happened. Let’s be best friends again.’
‘Really? You mean that?’ My stomach flutters, and my heart is racing with happiness.
‘Every word.’ She smiles.
The next day we walk to school together.
‘I’m glad you are well again.’ Zak smiles.
‘Thanks, me too.’
‘I’m glad to see Nina is walking to school with us for a change.’ Josie smiles.
‘Me too.’ I say again. Nina and I smile at each other.
We arrive at school; I have science with Nina first.
We walk in giggling and laughing and take our seats at our wonky table.
‘Great to see you two laughing for a change instead of fighting.’ Mr Thomson says.
We opened our textbook and completed our worksheet with no drama. The bell goes for the next class. Moss approaches Nina, wraps his arms around her, and lifts her up. She squeals with delight while he holds her up, and she gazes into his eyes, and they kiss.
As hard as it is, I keep my cool. Moss puts her down gently.
‘I’ll see you later, Nina.’ I say, waving goodbye. She waves back.
‘I thought you hated him?’ I hear Moss ask her.
‘We have put our differences aside and are once again friends.’
‘I see…’ he says in a deep voice.
He glares at me. ‘Let’s get to class, babe, before we’re late.’ He says and leads her away.
Claire races towards me. ‘I’m glad you’re better. Let’s get to English class.’ She says, holding my arm.
It was lunchtime before I knew. Claire and I made our way to the cafeteria. Nina waves and smiles at me from her table with Moss by her side. I wave back.
‘Why are you waving at Nina? Magnus?’ Claire asks.
‘Because she is my friend, Claire.’
‘But I thought you weren’t talking to each other anymore?’
‘Well, we are now.’ I say and munch on my food.
I chat with Flint, Zak, Paul, and Josie. May keeps quiet but glares at Claire the whole time.
The bell rings.
‘What class do we have, Flint?’
‘PE…’
Great, PE with Moss, way to ruin my day.
Flint, Paul, and I change into our shorts and tank shirts and hit the oval.
Moss keeps up with us, trying to intimidate me, but it doesn’t work. We completely ignore him and finish the three laps.
‘Right boys, time for some dodgeball.’ Mr Tilley announces. ‘I want you all to form two groups.’
We form two groups; Moss is on the opposite team.
Mr Tilley places his hand on my shoulder.
‘This team will throw the balls first. After that, the other team is to dodge the balls and not get hit.’
My team lines up, and we throw them at random members of the opposite team. Moss is the last one on the oval still playing. He has excellent stamina and agility but is not as good as me. I aim the ball carefully and throw the ball. It taps his chest.
‘You’re out, Moss.’ I say with a smirk.
He glares.
‘Right, swap sides now, boys.’ Mr Tilley yells.
As we pass each other, Moss whacks my shoulder with his. I want to rip his head off, but I contain my anger and ignore him, making Moss even angrier.
He kept aiming for me and missing. He threw the ball with significant force, hoping to injure me. I’m the last player on the oval, and it’s been over twenty minutes.
Mr Tilley blows his whistle.
‘Time to pack up, and Magnus, well done.’ He says.
I walk away with Flint, Zak, and Paul back towards the school building until I feel a sudden pain in my head, and everything goes black.
