Faithless

Chapter Twenty

It was getting late in the evening and it occurred to Jasmina that she still had dinner to cook if she was going to convince her father that she could handle herself. Cam agreed to drop her off at the supermarket so she could get a couple bits for dinner, as much as Jasmina really didn't want to considering everything on her mind. However her determination to prove to her dad that she could handle being independent, was all it took for her to get focused. Jasmina was expecting Cam to drive off once she was out of the car, but in the end he jumped out of the car and headed into the shop with her.

“What are you up to?” Jasmina frowned, tilting her head.

“Thought I may as well come with.” He shrugged, but she could sense how worried he actually was. Obviously the hunters were playing on his mind more than he would like to admit. The pair stepped inside the shop and Jasmina grabbed a basket, which Cam swiftly took from her. Jasmina sighed, but she didn’t mind really. She couldn't deny that she found the notion sweet.

“Why are you worrying?” She finally asked, with a small frown on her face.

“I have my reasons.” He shrugged.

“Which are?”

“It’s just that we’re going back to look at the damage to the house pretty soon. It’s a little nerve racking.” He shrugged. “Not to mention the hunters could be anywhere.”

“Which is why you’re now food shopping with me?” Jasmina smiled.

“Yeah. Why is that so amusing to you?” He grinned.

“Oh it’s not, if you want to get all protective I won’t complain, it’s cute really.” Jasmina smirked. Cam just smiled and shook his head. She could sense he was a little embarrassed, which made her laugh.

“Whatever.”

“How do you know if they have even done anything to the house?”

“It’s just what we expect.”

“Can I come with you? When you go to the house I mean. I know it’s probably a little inconvenient, but I feel like I need to.” Jasmina asked, after a couple minutes. It was playing on her mind and she felt like it was the push she needed, to bring the threat of the hunters into her own reality, rather than just sitting around being told ghost stories.

“It’s hardly ghost stories we’re telling you, but yeah. I’ll pick you up before we go.” Cam shrugged. Jasmina was only caught off guard for a moment before she just nodded and carried on shopping. “What are you making anyway?”

“Lasagne.” She shrugged. “I was going to just buy a microwave one to wind my dad up, but I figured now was not the time to push his buttons.” She grinned.

“Yeah. Please don’t, it would be nice for you to actually come with us when we move.” Cam said, rolling his eyes. She ignored him and headed for the checkout. He was hot on her heels, and Jasmina knew he was watching the way she walked, which put her off.

“Can you do that in a way in which I don’t hear all about it?” Jasmina sighed and stopped where she was, pushing him forward so he was no longer walking behind her. He smirked as she did so.

“What?”

“Checking me out! It’s weird.” Jasmina said quietly, frowning as she did so. Cam just laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Come on, it’s getting on a bit and you still need to cook all this.” He smirked. Jasmina nodded, loading her stuff onto the checkout. She paid at the till then the pair left, with Cam driving stupidly fast yet again. Jasmina knew he could hear what she thought about his driving and she didn’t bother masking it. She was thankful when he finally slowed, when he noticed it was making her nervous.

“How long will this link thing will last?” She asked after a while.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never really experienced anything like it. The link with you feels even stronger than my coven link, yet it hasn’t ended up with you being in the coven. It’s strange. I mean if I wasn’t in a coven, I would say that you managed to start your own one with me by creating that link.” Cam mused. He was talking more to himself than Jasmina really, which made her smile. “What?” He smirked, but Jasmina could tell he was a little nervous.

“Just you. The way you seem to explain things to yourself first, then the last bit seems to be directed at me.” She grinned. Cam just smiled, keeping his eyes on the road.

“You will join the coven won’t you?” He asked after a little while.

“Just let me tackle tonight first, that can be some other day’s problem.” Jasmina shrugged. Cam sighed to himself, but he didn’t say anymore on the matter. “Besides, I like keeping you guessing.” She joked. Cam smirked, looking over to her briefly.

“Do you now?”

“Yup.” She replied, popping the ‘p’ for extra measure. She could see in Cam’s mind that it reminded him of Aiden, just for a second. Jasmina frowned at that briefly, but decided it was best to just leave something unsaid. She didn’t understand what was going on with their whole sibling rivalry, and she didn’t want to get involved when it wasn’t her place.

“Well good luck, considering I can hear what you're thinking now.” He smirked. He pulled up in front of her aunt’s house and Jasmina jumped out quickly. They said their goodbyes and he drove off, before her dad had a chance to open the door.

As soon as Jasmina was inside she started cooking. She was cheating by using jars, rather than making everything from scratch, but she doubted her dad would even notice a difference. He didn't exactly have a refined palate. Her dad was in the living room watching the sports channel, which Jasmina hated, so she stayed in the kitchen, waiting for everything to cook. Once the lasagne was compiled and in the oven she had no choice but to join her dad in his sports fest. She did it begrudgingly, but was determined to stay in his good books but any means necessary. He had a beer in his hand and there was a bowl of popcorn which he was eating from. Jasmina stole the bowl and took some for herself before giving it back, her dad frowned as she did so.

“You’ll spoil your dinner.” Jasmina frowned.

“You sound like your mother.” He smiled sadly. She hated how sad he got whenever he mentioned her, but she couldn’t help but try and hear what he was thinking. Jasmina failed to do so though, because she was worried about knocking down her own wall that she had worked so hard to build, and to keep. But Jasmina couldn't help but yearn to know whatever he knew about her, and her death. It had occurred to Jasmina that for her to have powers, there must have been a witch or warlock in her family somewhere and it was pretty obvious that they weren't hiding on her dad's side of the family, which left her mother. Jasmina didn't know her mother's family and she didn't really know much about her mother other than she died when she was four and everyone just said it was a car crash. Jasmina never believed that at the time and she certainly didn't believe it now.

Even when Edith came home, Jasmina held her ground and stayed downstairs. She was hardly Miss. Hospitality, but anything was an improvement. It was her attempt to prove to her father that she could act like an adult, even around people she didn't like. Edith was displeased by her presence, but Jasmina only knew that because she could sense her feelings, on the outside she wore a brilliant façade which suited her well. Jasmina wanted to know what else she was hiding behind that mask, but didn’t feel like she should be prying when she still wasn’t all that good at reading minds just yet, but Jasmina vowed to herself that one day she would find out Edith's deepest, darkest little secrets, and finally get to the bottom of why everyone on her dad’s side of the family hated her so much.

They took a dislike to Jasmina way before she ever ended up in hospital. Jasmina knew from them that she was just like her mother, but she couldn’t believe that it was because of that. It seemed far too petty to warrant the amount of hatred they seemed to harbour for her.

It wasn’t long before Jasmina dished up dinner for the three of them. Her dad was full of compliments, while her aunt said nothing. They all ate together and once they were done her dad washed up while Jasmina dried and put everything away.

“You did good today.” He said after a while.

“Thanks.”

"I was thinking, it's been a while since you last visited Miss White hasn't it?" He said cautiously. Jasmina groaned loudly, throwing the tea towel on the side. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know exactly where he was going with this.

"Because I don't need to anymore. I haven't had a breakdown in a long, long time." Jasmina muttered out. In truth, she never had any kind of breakdown in her life, but Jasmina didn't think she would be able to convince her dad to believe that. Not without a little magic involvement at least.

"Jasmina you are about to make a big life change. I just think it would be wise for you to have an evaluation before we go any further with this... Request of yours." Her father explained with a pained look on his face. "You haven't even told me who it is you're planning on living with yet." He pointed out expectantly and Jasmina just grumbled to herself.

"I met them at school. There's Ewan Black, who is your age, I guess he would be like a guardian to me.” Jasmina shrugged. It made her smile, how that was technically no word of a lie. “And his son Cam who is eighteen, and Ashleigh who is just a little older than Cam.”

“Do they know about your condition?” He asked. William didn’t look at his daughter when he said it. Jasmina reached into his mind and saw the embarrassment he felt. She bit my lip, instantly regretting her actions and trying to ignore it.

“Yes.”

“I just want to make sure they…” He trailed off.

“Know how much of an inconvenience I am?” She muttered.

“Jasmina no, I would never look at you like that. Don’t ever say that again. You’re still my daughter, even if you wish you weren’t sometimes.” He sighed. Jasmina didn’t say anything, and she knew it hurt him. She couldn’t help but be silently glad about that. “So this Cam, is that the one who dropped you off yesterday?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Jasmina replied, refusing to look at him. She knew exactly where this conversation was going.

“What’s going on there exactly with you two?”

“Dad, stop.”

“What? I just need to know whether I should be painting a target on this guy.” Her dad joked. Jasmina just sighed dramatically.

“Okay I have had enough of this father daughter thing for one night. I’m going to my room. You go and enjoy your crappy sports.” She glared. her dad just laughed as she ran away to her room.

Jasmina got changed quickly and lied down in her bed. She lied on her back looking up at the ceiling for a while. She liked the moments where she could just lie down and think for a while. Jasmina couldn’t help but think of Cam, and secretly hoped that he would pay her a visit in her dreams. Jasmina smiled at that idea, but it scared her a little as well. Jasmina already figured that dream walking could be dangerous. Cam said that her power had basically messed it up before when she first started to dream of him. Jasmina wondered what that meant exactly. She already knew what Aiden's opinion was, but if her dreams were glimpses of the future, then what exactly was going to become of Aiden. In her dream he terrified her, what if that was how things were going to be soon?