Katy walked through the door and dragged Riley behind her. She got the response she had expected when she brought him into the living room. Every single member, of the group she considered her family, of the family stood up and drew their wands. Katy waved her own wand; she created a shield between them and Riley. Then she went and sat down in the chair by the fireplace. She said nothing; she waited for them to make their own peace; her smile stayed on her face. Tomorrow was Yule and she wanted her family united by then and she knew things would have to play out for there to be true peace among her true family.
It was tense each person knew that if they shot something it would come right back at them, and Riley had yet to move to withdraw his wand. He had his bag and his eagle on his shoulder, and one could see his eyes were bloodshot, they could tell he had cried quite a bit. They all just stared at each other, not a soul spoke or moved. Suddenly the silence was broken; Katy could not stand the silence any longer.
“Riley, your eagle, what’s his name? He better not get any ideas about eating any of the other pets around here either.” Katy said with an almost straight face; but she was too happy for her smile to be hidden. Katy knew this moment would not last. But she could not help but laugh.
“Umm… Abe…” Riley tried to relax but there still were seven witches and warlocks that were pointing their wands at him.
“Why did you name him that?” Katy asked, as she walked over and took a better look at the eagle.
“I didn’t, he is a familiar, that is his name, but I like it since he is an American Bald Eagle, and his name is Abe.” Riley said, as he tried to smile, while he kept an eye on the other people in the room; he knew they would kill him if they thought he was threat to Katy. And they thought that, only Katy’s shield kept him safe for now, and they all knew that was because they were afraid that any of the spells they performed would bounce back toward them.
“Oh I get it A B E, American Bald Eagle, Abe…” Katy said and started to laugh again. “I have a familiar as well her name is Starlight, she is a cat. And speaking of Starlight… where is she?” Starlight choose at that moment to walk into the room, she was a lot larger now, and wrapped herself around first Katy’s then Riley’s legs, before she went over and plopped down in front of fireplace. “Ahh… there she is.” Katy went and sat back down; Abe followed her to her chair and perched on the back. Starlight suddenly looked extremely interested in Abe. “Starlight, no.” Katy knew her tendency to chase Charlie around when he came and delivered Deen’s letters to her. In fact, Starlight probably just came from chasing him around since they were at the Hepburn’s place. Charlie was Jane’s familiar, and an owl. Starlight just looked at Katy and then back at Abe, turned her head to the side, then laid back down. Katy looked back up at her family. “Well…”
“Maybe you should explain to us what is going on?” Tony asked, as he relaxed his stance, he knew he was not going to get past Katy’s shield; she was so happy and strong emotions just made her more powerful. And right now, she was showing exactly why both her bloodlines were considered leaders, or they were outright feared, in the magical world.
“He came seeking forgiveness. I told you I already forgave him. He was just doing what he thought was best for his family; I would have done the same. And none of you better lie; I know you all would have done the same. He knows the truth now. He doesn’t have any place to go, he thinks he has been expelled from the school and he can’t go back to his father. He is already risking sneaking back in to visit our half-brothers. He doesn’t want them corrupted like he could have been.” Katy stated and waited; she was not a patient person, not when her emotions were running high, and they were running extremely high now.
“Umm… Katy how do you know all that?” It was Riley who asked, he was confused on how she could know so much that was running through his head. She just turned twelve!
“You are not a very good blocker, and I am a very good reader.” Katy stated simply, as she tilted her head and looked at her family.
“Sounds like I should have taken telepathy after all instead of Wand Studies. And here I was thinking I was a good blocker, I guess I just never met a good reader.” Riley stated, he stood still and watched the others in the room, only Tony relaxed his stance, the others were still ready to strike at any moment, but they all had their wands out. All but Katy and Riley, and Katy was the only truly relaxed person in the room.
“Look, no offense Katy, but don’t you think you are letting down your guard because of your wish for a happy family?” Edgar asked as he looked from Katy to Riley, he watched to see if Riley would attack. He was not prepared for the answer he received.
Katy stood up, her wand automatically drawn, anger filled her; how could they think she would put them at risk just so she could have a perfect world. She seemed to glow with the colors of the elements when she spoke; “of course I want a happy family but I wouldn’t put those I love in danger if I wasn’t sure, do you think I haven’t reached into his mind to make sure? I don’t have any doubts. You weren’t there; you didn’t see his face when the journal opened. You didn’t feel what went through him. I did. I felt everything in that moment, just as I did before my father raised his wand to kill me! Now you all stand there judging and ready to strike at the person I have already chosen to forgive, if anybody has a right to be angry it isDeen, Tony, and myself. And before you say anything, I understand you are parents, but that doesn’t give you the right to assume anything. He is family; he is blood; that was what my spirit vision was about back at school. It was about my having to save Riley. And if I turn my back on him, then I can’t save him.” Katy had not told them some of those details, Katy knew she let a few things she kept from them slip, but it upset her that they thought there was a chance she would put their safety at risk on purpose.
All their mouths were hung open; Katy had not given any details to what happened with Wesley and Richard Solomon, even Riley did not know what happened after he ran. The only people that knew everything single detail of the events that occurred, were Wesley, and he was dead, Katy, and Richard. Katy said no more, she did something else; she put a bind against each person in the room. Not a physical bind but a magical bind. They could not perform a spell until she dropped it, and her shield had kind of started sparking off the elemental powers, so she dropped it, and put up the binds.
“There was no need for that.” Deen said as he realized what she had done.
“Look, I know they won’t hold up against anybody butDeen but I want you all to work this out without killing each other if you please.” Katy said and sat back down, Starlight went and jumped on her lap, and Katy closed her eyes and pinched and rubbed the bridge of her nose, like it hurt. And emotionally it did. Starlight meowed words of comfort, and Katy absently mindedly petted her.
“Katy, he…” Deen started, but he would not get to finish.
“I know very well what he did; you know why I know what he did? He did it to me, he did it to you, and he did it to Tony. And I felt it; you didn’t know that part. I felt it when you and Tony were attacked. My connections to the two of you are the strongest I have ever had to another person. And I felt it, even if Starlight hadn’t told me, I would have gone looking for you. And you know what? I could have killed him after he attacked you and Tony. Did your parents not tell you what I did?” Katy thought they told them both that she let her temper get out of hand, that she could have killed Riley.
Deen and Tony looked at each other and then their parents. “Umm… mom… dad… what did she do?” Deen was the first to speak up.
“She about killed me.” Riley answered, when the parents were not going to speak. “She would have to; if the headmaster hadn’t come and calmed her down. She was so full of a power that even I couldn’t have controlled. That temper of hers, well her emotions, make her so much stronger. She is already strong for her age, and she will only get stronger. I would have lost, because she was emotionally attached to the outcome, I was not.” It was the first time Riley spoke directly to them. “I am sorry for what I did. I can’t take it back, and I don’t expect a single person in here to forgive me. I thought when I tracked Katy here, she was going to… Well I don’t know what I thought; never did it cross my mind she would forgive me. I just wanted to see her… to say sorry… That she would see me as anything but evil never crossed my mind. She is goodness personified.” Riley just stood there and waited for one of the others to say something, anything. He was prepared for the worst.
The others relaxed their stances but kept their wands out. But nobody said anything; they did not know how to respond. Then Deen broke the silence. “Look, it will be awhile before I can forgive you; and even though you are an Air, I will give you a chance. For Katy, but if you hurt her, even the headmaster won’t be able to stop me from taking you down.”
“The same goes for me. It may be against the law to kill you, but it won’t stop me.” Tony growled at him, as he put his wand away.
“Fine, fine, fine.” Edgar said and threw his hands up in the air. “We will give you a chance. Don’t blow it. We are going to keep an eye on you; well we were going to do that anyways; might as well have you close by.” Edgar said as he rolled his eyes. “Now if you will excuse me, I have things to do at the office before our Yule celebrations tomorrow.” Edgar walked out of the door passed Riley; he paused to give Jane a kiss goodbye. “Oh, Deen and Katy please don’t blow anything up today. Seriously, you are not out of the hospital for twenty-four hours and you almost blow yourselves up.” Edgar said as he shook his head and rolled his eyes, then he was gone, he teleported just outside the front door.
They all stood there for a second, Katy dropped the binds, and just sat in the chair and smiled, she was happy, but drained; now she understood why Sandra was so against them doing any spells for a while. She was content for now, no matter what the school year brought, no matter what Richard Solomon threw at her she knew she could handle it. She knew she stood a chance to win against him. She also knew the happiness she felt now would not last long. Not with Richard Solomon still out there, after all he did vow revenge. She also had two half-brothers and that filled her with worry. As long as they were exposed to their father, as long as he had custody, there was a chance she might lose them.
“Umm… Riley have you had a chance to go and purchase your school supplies for the New Year?” Sandra asked, as she put her wand away and sat down on the coffee table in front of Katy, to check to see if she was okay after that blatant disregard for her own welfare.
“New Year? I thought I would have been expelled.” Riley was confused he was sure he had done more than enough to be expelled from school, now that they knew for sure it was him. And even if he was not expelled, how was he to afford the supplies, he had about only ten berries total to his name.
“That would be Katy you can thank, she made a deal with the headmaster, and you can go back. Now I take it then you don’t have your new school supplies?” Antonio stated.
“No, umm…” Riley did not know how to state he did not have money for school supplies.
“The school has set you up a fund, just like they have for Katy and any other student that can’t afford to go to the school.” Tony stated as he rolled his eyes, only a rich student would be unaware of the policy that involved a student’s school expenses.
“Oh, I will, umm…” Riley did not know what to say.
“The money is at the bank under your own vault. I must go there anyway, so I will go with you. I have a couple more Yule gifts to buy.” Tony stated, as he glared at Riley.
“Umm… okay.” Riley still did not know where he would stay but the worst-case scenario, he would go back to the school, and that situation was million times better than any alternative. He went over and gave Katy a hug. “See ya soon.”
Tony still glared at Riley as he pushed Riley away from Katy. Tony bent down and gave Katy a hug. “I will be back soon, remember you are not supposed to do anything that will zap your energy, and before you say anything, I promise not to do anything to… taxing… on myself. I think Deen and yourself have yet to blow up Edgar’s study.” He said with a wink. “Later.” With that he and Riley walked out the door after Tony said bye to everybody else.
“Katy, do you really think he can change?” Jane asked after they left, she wondered how Tony and Riley were going to get along. Knowing what she knew about Tony and his future.
“Of course, he only did what he did to protect his family, you can’t blame him for the lies he was told.” Katy said with finality that everybody knew to drop the subject. Katy and Deen slipped out to work on some potions, since they were not supposed to try any big spells until Sandra gave them the all clear. The rest went on and prepared for Yule.
Kris Charles - Author 