Chapter 4
Arriving back cottage I don’t fail to see Cloud hidden in the trees. “I’d invite him inside, but I don’t want him eating Snow,” I say standing outside and Nicholas nods his head.
“Once he is used to us and trained he will know not to touch Snow but for now it is for the best.”
“I’ll bring you some food out when it’s done,” I call to him and hear a bark echo through the trees as though answering me.
Before we can open the door Conrad opens it. His eyes widen seeing our score and he takes the basket from me.
“Oh, wow. Where you get all that?” Vincent asks following us but not taking anything from his brother.
Conrad definitely seems like the kinder of the two so far.
“Woods,” I answer as we put that stuff in the kitchen. Before the older brothers have a chance to say anything, I speak again. “I know I shouldn’t eat magical food all the time but can I use magic to prepare the boar or will it…? I don’t know.”
Nicholas smiles and answers. “You can prepare and cook food with magic. It’s just if you magic food out of nothing it lacks nutritions the food should have. You will get energy from the food, but not much else.”
“But if I magically prepare food I do have, it will have nutritions?” I guess.
“Exactly,” He leans down steals a quick kiss.
“Okay. Then this is the plan, thing one, you set the table,” I indicate to Vincent. “Thing two, you keep Snow out of the kitchen or he might accidentally get made into dinner,” I order Conrad who agrees without argument.
“And you can tidy us up whilst I think of a fantastic spell,” I tell Nicholas. His older brothers exit the room.
“They did as told,” I say more than a little surprised.
“I know. That’s a first, for Vincent at least. Caring for Snow is a given for Conrad.”
I nod in understanding.
“Do you know what you are cooking?” I nod again.
“Alright, create a real spell, that can be you task for today.”
Whilst I am thinking of the right words he chants his own spell cleaning all the dirt and grim from us.
“Could you move the fruit away.” I’m not including them in my spell, but I am still learning so I might mess up.
He does as asked. “Any preferences, Nick?”
“No, my love.” I can’t help but smile. “Your brothers aren’t veggies, right?” I probably should have asked before.
He chuckles and shakes his head.
“Roasted boar, kind of pig, with roasted veg all on a big dish!” I say excited and full of meaning.
Nicholas shakes his head and chuckles, “That isn’t a spell.”
But a huge dish appears on the sideboard now with the cooked boar and roasted vegetables around him.
“But it worked.” Nicholas goes to get his brothers and with their help they carry the dish to the table. “We need one more plate,” I say only seeing four. They look confused until I start pulling snails and worms out of my pockets and putting them on the plate in front of me.
Snow is straight over and Conrad looks pleased. “Thank you, Katrina. You didn’t have to.”
I shake my head. “It’s to make up for the belly ache my butterflies gave him.”
“That’s pretty gross,” Vincent finds it hilarious for some reason.
Where as Nicholas just chuckles to himself. “You are the only girl I know who would ever keep them in her pockets.”
He pickes me up and carries me into the kitchen to wash my hands and magic my clothes clean once again.
When we return another place is set out, Snow is happily eating and Vincent is craving the hog.
“There is way too much here for just us.”
“I know. I’ve already promised the left overs to Cloud.” I don’t know how, but I know he is still in the trees outside. At least between him and Nicholas it explains why I always felt like I was being watched.
“Cloud?” Conrad asks curiously.
“Katrina’s got a familiar but didn’t realise,” Nicholas answers for me.
“Understandable. She’s new to this all.”
“What is it?” Conrad asks interested. “I’m guessing your familiar is how you got this and into the woods without harm. So big?”
“Ha, you’re smart. Yes, but he’s a real sweetheart.” I’m still not sure how to address him as one or plural.
“He’s a white dog.”
“Interesting.”
With our plates full and drinks poured (magic made drink, but that doesn’t matter) we sit down to dinner. I am besides Nicholas, his brothers on the other side of the table.
“Tell us how you won our brother over? He was never the one we suspected to find our wife.”
“Well, I only recently learned about the Forster brothers sharing. So…” I say unsure what to say about that. “As for Nick… When I first saw him I thought he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen, then he opened his mouth and I wanted to kick him in the nuts.”
“I pursued her,” Nicholas confesses, clearly his brothers weren’t expecting that. “It was love at first sight. I knew straight away we’d marry. The moment I saw her exit the car I knew she was mine.”
“But you always say how frustrating she is, that she never listens and can’t do spells.”
“She can’t and she is. She is so perfect.”
Vincent looks amused, Conrad doesn’t look any less confused.
“He sent me love letters but didn’t tell me it was him. I thought he hated me.”
“We have already consummated our love,” Nicholas says before his brothers said anything. “I know we are meant to wait to decide together, but I love her. I don’t want anyone else.”
“The oldest is meant to go first, in age order.” I stare at Vincent and then to Conrad who nods his head. It’s as though it’s completely normal.
“She is very appealing to us.”
I’m a little annoyed how they speak about me as though I’m not there. But I bite my tongue and give them a chance. Throughout dinner we… Or should I say the brothers speak mainly about me. With Nicholas excitedly telling them all about me. But surprisingly, never mentioning my magic.
“Surely you want a high level wife?” I ask them.
“All the men in our family are level nine,” Vincent brags. Nine is basically the highest since level tens are almost unheard of. “But our mother is a level three and our fathers mother had no magic abilities.”
“Magic doesn’t come into a Forster marriage. We only marry for love.”
“But you don’t love me, so I will only marry Nick.” I probably sound a little too happy if the frown Conrad gave me is anything to go by.
“We care for you, about you,” He argues.
“You wouldn’t be wearing the ring if we didn’t feel as our brother does.”
“But you don’t know me.”
“We know enough. It’s like Nicholas said, love at first sight.” I don’t believe them but don’t argue.
We eat until we are full.
“Do you want to invite Cloud inside?” I shake my head. “Let’s keep him outside until we know he can be trusted with Snow.”
They all agree and instead they carry the large platter to the garden.
With Snow locked in the cottage, we are all in the garden and they are encouraging me to call Cloud.
Taking a few steps away from them, I call him.
“Cloud, come here, cutie.” I can see his tail wagging in some bushes before he leaps out of them and rushes at me.
I hear the brothers gasp.
“This is Cloud,” I introduce him to the others. They all look confused, maybe a little scared.
“Don’t be scared. He’s a good boy.” I prove to them but hugging the dog who is happily dancing around me and nuzzling my hands with his heads.
“K.. Katrina, that’s not a dog,” Vincent says sounding a little scared still.
“It isn’t?”
“Remember I taught you about Cerberus?” Nicholas asks taking a step closer to me.
I nod. “The hell hound, three headed guard dog of hades. Large, protective and mean. But you said they were black. Cloud is white and he isn’t mean.”
Nicholas is besides me now and touching the dog’s heads. “I know, but this is a Cerberus. He is kind because he knows you trust us and we wish you no harm.”
His older brothers are a little more nervous to approach.
I take some meat from the boar and hold it out to one of the heads. He accepts it, careful not to catch me fingers.
“I wouldn’t advise you guys doing that, but it clearly loves her. He is her familiar. He can be trusted,” Nicholas tells his brothers.
“I don’t understand. Cerberus are meant to be evil creatures. They can’t be controlled. They are one of the reasons no one can go into the woods.”
“She a high level, she is bound to have a unique familiar.”
“I’m a high level?” I ask honestly surprised.
“High level? No offence, Katrina, because you know we love you. But you said she can’t do spells,” Vincent says the last part to his younger brother. But all I hear is love. I believe him. But I don’t understand why or how.
“Will you make us tea and cakes, Katrina?” He wants me to do magic. I’m not sure why but do as told.
“Eat your dinner.” I give Cloud a push in the direction of the platter and they quickly starts chowing down, giving me some much needed space.
Seeing a garden bench and table I walk over, “Cake, cake, cake, cake and tea.” Plates of cakes and a pot of tea with cups appear out of nowhere.
“What? How?” Conrad asks confused.
“That wasn’t a spell and she didn’t even use a wand or staff,” Vincent says equally confused.
“Wand? I thought they were optional?” I ask now confused.
“No, my love. People use them to focus their magic. But you don’t need help focusing.”
“That’s good, right?” He smiles and steals another kiss. “Very good. I had thought you were just very centred. Principal Harington knew I was interested in her but warned me off. Told me not to pursue you unless it was real. I didn’t understand then. But he was worried you’ll be used for your power.”
I listened confused.
“I didn’t find out what level you are until recently. The principal told me to teach you basics. I knew weren’t a level six, but I honestly didn’t care. I originally planned to consummate our love just before graduation but when I saw you with Luke I got jealous.”
“You know Luke’s homosexual, right?”
“Yes, but you are too beautiful. I didn’t want to lose you.”
I can’t help but smile. “But what level am I?”
“I’m not meant to tell you.”
“She’s a level nine, like us, right?” Vincent guesses.
“I really can’t say. But yes, she is a high level. Since I am a high level too they wanted me to teach her exclusively. As you know, minus the principal and some of the teachers, I am the only level nine in the school. She needed the attention the teachers can’t give her.”
His brothers are convinced I am a nine, I, myself, am more leaning to eight since I struggle with Nicholas’s spells.
“We can help teach her.”
“Yes, she would gain a lot with the three of us teaching her together.”
Nicholas doesn’t look convinced.
“I don’t think I’m nine, I can’t even do a protection spell.”
Nicholas looks amused remembering my earlier attempt.
“It doesn’t matter what level you are, we still want to be with you.”
I just nod not sure what I want or feel about them.
The rest of the day moves fast. No, I don’t do anything with Vincent and Conrad apart from hug them. Im not ready for anything else. But I did end up sharing a bed at the cottage with Nicholas again. Yes, we had sex, but I tried to keep it down so his brothers wouldn’t hear. But the dumb owl somehow got in the room again and well…
“Thank you for giving my brothers a chance. They have really taken with you,” Nicholas had said before we went to sleep.
I still don’t understand it. But he explained it was the same for all Forster men. One would fall in love at first sight with a woman – not that unusual. Then his brother/brothers would meet her and the same would happen. Before the pact to share a wife was made the brothers would end up in dangerous magical fights over the woman.
When it ended up in the death of one of the brothers, that was when the pact was made.
They were since brought up to share, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t feel jealous sometimes.
Seeing them in a new light, the next morning I decided to try to be kinder, less awkward.
