Katy felt the spell hit her, she felt her spell take place, and then she felt nothing. The next thing she knew she was able to sit up. She looked around the empty place where only moments ago she was surrounded by many magical plants of her world. “Where am I?” She asked more herself than anybody else, since nobody seemed to be here.
“You are in a go between place.” A soft female voice told her.
Katy looked around for the sound then found a spot of light. Inside a light was a very small being, she was so beautiful. She had the same dark eyes Katy herself had, the same long hair, and the same pale features. “Who are you? And what is a go between place? A go between what?”
“Between life and death. I am a judge of this place. We call it Limbus, many know it as limbo.”
“You look familiar…” Then what the being said hit her. “I am dead?” Katy was shocked.
“Yes… and no… I am a reflection of your inner self that is why I am familiar. I am to judge if you should remain here, go on to paradise or into the very bowels of misery and destruction.” The being explained.
Katy started to cry, she had just made up with Deen, she had a family, and now they would have to fight an upcoming war themselves. She couldn’t protect them if she was here. “Ma’am… I know that everybody must ask to go back… but… you have to send me back.”
“Why?” The being gave a smug smile.
“Because I can’t protect my family if I am dead. I have to go back, there is an upcoming war, and I have to help them. I have to protect them. I know it may mean a lot more pain for me if I go back. I know it will, I know that because I have had visions of that pain, but I have to go back. I have to try to prevent it if I can.” Katy spelled out her case and waited in silence as the being took in her words.
What she said visibly shocked the being before her, so much it wiped the smug grin from her face. “Katherine Lillian, most people tell me they were not ready to die. That there are so many pleasures they didn’t experience. Yet you stand before me and state you know nothing but more pain awaits you. You don’t know the good that awaits you, but you know the pain is extreme and yet you still want to go back. Not for yourself, but for them, those you say you love.” The being paused and produced a wand. “Katherine Lillian, I have chosen, but before I give my answer, a word of warning, don’t make me regret my choice. You may go back, after all if you don’t win, then Darkness shall. And we must make sure that is prevented.”
Before Katy could respond, she saw the being wave her wand and then she saw a bright flash of light then she felt something warm and heavy, and it sobbed on top of her, and the wet cold ground on her back. “Deen?” Katy pushed at him, and saw that there was a group of people around them, Antonio his eyes red, Headmaster O’Cuinn’s thoughts full of panic and pain and Nurse Rice as she tried to pull Deen off her, a whole bunch of students that had come to see what had happened.
“Katy! You were dead!” Deen grabbed her in a huge hug and didn’t let go. “How? Who cares? Katy!” Deen helped her sit up, never once did he release her, as if he was afraid it was not for real, that she would die again if he let her go.
“Move it along students.” Katy could hear Headmaster O’Cuinn, but none of the student however left. “Attention! Everybody back to their dorms! Heads of House will be up with information! Professors please see the students to the dorms!” At the sound of his raised voice the students and professors left. Soon it was just Katy, Deen, the headmaster, Nurse Rice and Antonio “Deen,” Headmaster O’Cuinn started. “Why don’t you go get your brother Jerome and Katy’s brother Riley and send word to your mom and Sandra?”
“No! I am not leaving Katy!” Deen said and tightened his grip; as if afraid they would take her from him.
“Deen… Can’t breathe!” Deen was about to crush her.
“Oh… Sorry.” Deen said. He loosened his grip, but didn’t let go of her.
“No problem.” Katy was still sat upon the ground. “Why don’t you help me up?”
“No, please stay seated while I check you out.” It was Nurse Rice who spoke up.
“I am fine Nurse Rice; please I need to stand up.” Katy said.
“Fine, but I expect you to report to the hospital wing.” Nurse Rice said and looked over her glasses at the headmaster.
“We shall follow you there.” Headmaster O’Cuinn stated.
“She really shouldn’t be walking…” Nurse Rice let the sentence linger.
“I will carry her up.” Antonio said, his voice thick with emotion, as he scooped her up and held her tightly to him. Katy could see into his thoughts, even he feared he was imaging this, that she was still cold on the ground, but his mind wouldn’t let him process that grief, instead it showed him a miracle. In his mind the scene played out as he had ran out of the school after Deen screamed, and he found Deen as he cried over her. Antonio had bent down and checked her pulse but she was so cold, his soul broke, his blood turned to ice. The color drained from his face and tears formed in his eyes. He tried to pull Deen off of her, but could not, and gave up, he slumped to the ground as students started to circle around them and the headmaster ran up to the scene and stopped in midstride as he saw Katy laying on the ground. He helped Antonio stand up, and they both looked at each other, hatred in Antonio’s eyes. Before anything could be said, Katy gasped in a breath and well she knew the rest, so Katy moved away from Antonio’s thoughts.
Deen looked unhappy about the fact he had to let her go, but he couldn’t keep his hold on her when she as she was carried. He too was lost in his thoughts. Katy sighed as she felt the pain and the anger in his thoughts. Pain of losing her, anger at the powers that be for taking her from him, and now he was even more confused, as she was fine.
“Good.” Nurse Rice said and started back up to the school.
“Come on, we can hear the explanation in the hospital wing.” Headmaster O’Cuinn said and swooshed after Nurse Rice. Katy chose to focus on him as he had blocked his thoughts from her and as long as she didn’t push, she couldn’t even get the tone of his feelings about the situation. He was empty space of thoughts, and she focused on that emptiness to avoid trapping herself in her own thoughts. And her thoughts were a lot darker than those around her, and she struggled to keep those dark thoughts buried deep within her, as they scared even her.
Deen followed after the headmaster, followed by Antonio, who carried Katy. Katy didn’t like being carried. “This is so stupid. I can walk.” She knew she was fine, she could walk, and what about Professor De Medici. “What happened to Professor De Medici?”
“She was knocked out by whoever did this. She is fine; don’t worry just a bump on the back of the head. The headmaster made her cancel the rest of her classes today to rest.” Antonio responded, and they continued in silence to the hospital wing.
Soon Deen was seated by her on a bed in the hospital wing; Katy crossed her legs and sat up. Deen got right up the bed as well and sat there and waited for the explanation. Katy closed her mind to everybody but Deen. “Deen, you okay?”
“Yeah, you?”
“Yeah, did you see who did this?”
“Nah, you pushed me out of the way. Did you?”
“I could tell it was a woman, really pale, had cold blonde hair and her eyes were just as icy cold. I don’t know who she was. She looked kind of like Wesley Solomon. Do you think that could have been Raven Ebony?”
“I don’t know, could be, didn’t you tell me Riley said she is seeking revenge? But how would she have gotten on campus?”
“Can’t parents come and visit their kids whenever they want?”
“Nah, they have to give twenty-four hour notice first, so they don’t get expelled off the property… maybe she came under the pretense. We can ask.”
“It wouldn’t hurt…”
“Katy what happened? I know you were dead, no pulse, and so cold… so cold…” The pain that Deen had felt at the moment she was dead filled her, and it broke her heart.
“I was dead, I went to a go between place where this judge took the form of my inner older self, whatever that means, and she was to judge me. I told her I had to come back and she sent me back. But she told me to make sure I don’t allow her to regret that choice.” Katy kept her thoughts way from what she felt, she didn’t want Deen to know the darkness of her thoughts, the darkness that was slowly evading her soul, the only thing that kept her grounded in light was the people around her, Deen, the main and most important reason, she didn’t want to lose him because of the darkness of her soul.
“Wow… but she sent you back, which is great… I was so… I couldn’t face the thought of losing you right after we made up. Katy, don’t scare me again, please. I can’t lose you.”
“I know…I can’t lose you either…”
“Stop it you two, the headmaster has sent word for…” Antonio started but could not finish because at that moment the doors burst open.
“What happened?” Riley asked and rushed over to Katy’s bedside. “Someone said Katy was killed, she looks fine.” Riley said as he looked at her, the fear and pain showed in his eyes. “She is alive at least. So what is going on?” The confusion that went through him was echoed by every mind in the room. Katy saw that Jerome was right behind him.
“Give it a couple of minutes Sandra, Jane and Edgar are on their way.” Headmaster O’Cuinn stated as he swooshed in and sat down in a chair at the foot of the bed. Assistant Headmistress Notte-Preto stood in the corner of the room, her anger evident in her eyes. Again Katy focused on the spot where the headmaster’s thoughts would be, to keep the darkness in her from spreading. They didn’t have to wait long shortly after he sat down the door burst open again and in came Sandra, Jane and Edgar.
Sandra came right toward Katy and Deen and checked them both out. Jane hovered right behind her and waited for Sandra to give her opinion on their condition. “They appear to be just fine. What happened? The message I got from Oeric said something bad had happened.”
“I was killed.” Katy said bluntly. “But this judge being sent me back, because I told her I needed to be here.”
“WHAT?!” Sandra and Jane both yelled, and then they turned their attention to Antonio, Edgar and Headmaster O’Cuinn.
“How did this happen? Who did it? How did they get on the property?” Jane asked and grabbed Deen, as Sandra again bent down to check Katy.
“Well, Deen got an explanation; I guess it is our turn.” Antonio stated as he looked down at them.
“They can tell us what happened. How it happened is another story, how could someone get on the school grounds?” Sandra asked.
“I don’t know let’s hear what the kids have to say.” Antonio stated.
“Okay, so what happened is this, we were waiting in the greenhouse for the professor. I went outside to look to see where she was.” Katy stated.
“I felt fear coming from Katy, so I followed her outside.” Deen stated.
“I saw the woman get ready to shoot a curse at us, I told Deen to get inside.”
“She put a protection spell on the greenhouse to prevent anything or anybody from entering or leaving, after she pushed me in of course.”
“The curse hit me and I fell.”
“The shield fell…” Deen said and tears filled his eyes at the thought of the pain. “I ran to her…but she was cold… so cold…”
“I died. I went to Limbus, and this being said she was a judge, and I told her I had to come back. So she sent me back.” Katy finished.
“Why?” Edgar asked.
“Why, what?” Katy knew he asked why they sent her back.
“Why send you back?” Edgar clarified, but he knew, she knew what he had asked.
“Don’t know.” Katy lied.
Edgar sighed. “What are we going to have to do to get you to trust us with the truth?”
“Don’t know what you are talking about.” Katy denied.
“Fine, don’t tell us; but I know there is a reason a judge sent you back. They never send people back. What form did this judge take?”
“A bright ball of light.” Katy told a half truth.
“Katy Lily, please…” Antonio started to plead and knelt down in front of the bed.
“Leave her alone!” Deen placed himself between Katy and Antonio “I don’t blame her for keeping some things back look what happened when she told us the truth about what happened with Wesley Solomon! You ran, I ran! We left her alone to deal with it! We ran from her, we closed ourselves off and we almost lost her forever because of fear! Leave her alone! If she doesn’t want to tell what happened or why, then let her keep it a secret!” Deen yelled at Antonio
Katy looked at Deen shocked at his outburst. “Deen…” Katy didn’t really know what to say. “I am not keeping anything big back just a couple of minor details.” Katy stated, she wanted to down play the reason why they allowed her to come back to life.
“What is this about running from Katy? What has been going on?” It was Sandra who was upset now; Katy could feel the energy around her charged with Sandra’s power. “You left her alone… what does that mean?”
“I showed them the full story of what happened down in the dungeon of death.” Katy started to respond to her question.
“And we were too weak to accept it right away. After she told me, I closed myself off from her, for this whole semester. We had just made up before whoever tried to kill Katy. I finally realized that this has to be harder on Katy then any of us, she lived it. She did those things; she kept it a secret from us for months, so she could protect us. Yet, when she told us, and she needed us, we left her alone in the cold. How Katy could just forgive us like nothing happened I will never know. Riley was right about one thing. Katy is goodness personified.” Deen stated. “We keep so much from Katy, that we shouldn’t, I have to because I overhear it but no more. I will not make any more oaths to keep information from Katy. If I know, she knows. I am bond by my previous oaths, and those alone I shall honor.”
“She told you and you turned away from her!” Sandra yelled now at Antonio “We have been trying to get her to open up for months! And when she did you turned your back on her! Of all the stupid things you have done in the last three hundred years, Antonio Cain MacCathmhaoil, this has to be the dumbest of them all!”
“I…” Antonio started to explain.
“No! You turned your back on her! You don’t get to explain! You are over three hundred years old! You know better! You knew she was trying to open up, and now you have set us back with getting her to trust us!” Sandra continued to yell at Antonio “Deen, I can expect to have issues; he is ten just as she is, but it didn’t take him to long to realize he was wrong! How long did it take you?” Sandra demanded.
“Longer than I thought it would. But I had to work out things in my mind! What would you have done?” Antonio asked Sandra.
“Dad didn’t have to work though it long.” Deen stated. “I know Katy must have told him when she was called to the headmaster’s office.
“Edgar knew already! He had a lot longer than I did to get use to the idea!”
“STOP!” Katy yelled; she was sick of this. “Let’s forget it ever happened. I am fine, and Deen and I have made up, and I have already talked with Antonio” Katy just wanted to get over the things that happened in the dungeon of death.
“Sandra doesn’t know, Jane doesn’t know. Are you going to show them?” It was the headmaster who turned to Katy. “Of course you might want to let Lua know.”
Katy sighed and opened her mind to Assistant Headmistress Notte-Preto, Jane and Sandra and took them from the time she was taken from the castle by Riley to the last moments in the Solomon mansion to when she struggled to use what strength was left to teleport to the town outside the school. “There everybody knows that truth. Can we not talk about it or worry about it anymore?”
Assistant Headmistress Notte-Preto walked over and slapped the headmaster. “You fool.” She then turned to Katy. “I am sorry that the men in your life seem to be weaker than the women. I hold no judgment; I would have done the same.” She then walked out of the hospital wing.
“Oh, Katy Lily!” Sandra gasped and grabbed her into a hug. “You poor dear having to hold on to that pain. I am so sorry that you felt like you couldn’t trust us with that information. Oh, sweetie.” Sandra didn’t let her out of the hug.
Jane hugged her on the other side. “Poor darling. And the guys turned from you, you poor darling. If you need to ever talk just remember Sandra and I are here for you. You poor darling.”
Katy was shocked; their reaction was so different then Antonio’s or Deen’s. It was like they understood. “You’re not…” Katy didn’t know how to phase the question.
“You did what had to be done to protect your family. I would have done the same.” Sandra stated.
“As would I have. Wesley Solomon wouldn’t have stopped if he had lived. The world is better off without him.” Jane agreed.
“Now I think it is time that Katy and Deen get some rest.” Headmaster O’Cuinn stated and winked at Katy, as if he had known this would be their reaction. “I am sure Nurse Rice can take care of them.”
“Umm… Excuse me.” It was Riley. “Don’t I get to know what is going on? She is my sister.”
“And what about me? She has come into my family, she has become like a sister to me.” Jerome spoke up.
“Sorry… I don’t know if…” Katy started and then looked at Deen, who just nodded. “Okay, Jerome, Riley, you know Riley took me from the castle. Took me to Solomon Mansion. Here” Katy opened her mind and hopefully for the last time relieved the moment that would forever be a defining moment of her life.
After it was done they both looked shocked. But it was Jerome who spoke first… to Riley. “You just left her? You ran? I knew that… but you left her… She forgave you… wow…” His thoughts didn’t make much sense; it was a lot to take in, but there was anger there. Which showed itself; Jerome turned to Riley, “You left her!” Then he took a swing at Riley and hit him square in the jaw.
“I deserved that.” Riley stated as he rubbed his jaw. “But I wouldn’t suggest a second hit.”
“I’m sorry, but you left her.” Jerome stated.
“Not as sorry as I am. I… that is what happened? I guess I should have known… I just thought… I don’t know what I thought…” Riley let his thoughts trail off, he was full of shame, and he felt he got off easy with a punch to the jaw, and he knew Jerome could have thrown a lot more at him than a punch.
“Katy, I think you did the right thing.” Jerome stated. “I hope if I was in the same situation I would have had the strength to do the same.”
“You shouldn’t have had to go through that alone. I should have been there. I shouldn’t have run.” Riley stated and hung his head.
“It is the past. Now Edgar you have been pretty quiet aren’t you going to ask me if I saw the person who killed me?” Katy stated and changed the subject.
“Yes I am. Well did you?”
“It was a woman, really pale, had cold blonde hair, really bright, and it looked to be long as it was in a huge bun at the top of her head, and her eyes were just as icy cold.”
“That is Aunt Raven!” It was Riley who yelled out.
“Raven Ebony?” Edgar asked him.
“Yes, that is exactly how she looks. What was she doing here?”
“She had a meeting with Professor Plato in regards to her two sons.” Headmaster O’Cuinn answered.
“Well that explains how she got on the property. How did she know Katy’s schedule?” Edgar asked.
“I told Wesley and my father last year. I followed her, and gave them a detailed schedule. Katy is a creature of habit. It is entirely my fault.” Riley stated.
“Don’t blame yourself they lied to you.” Katy stated. “How are the twins?”
“They are so little. I don’t like that they are still with our father. Our stepmother isn’t any peach either. She is just as cold and hard as Aunt Raven.” Riley stated.
“So what happens now? Edgar?” Antonio asked.
“I put a closer watch on Ebony and then station more Guardians here. And it looks like I am going have to go on the Archeology trip again.”
“Actually we are canceling the trips this term. All professors will be in meetings during break, to discuss how the school is going to prepare for the upcoming war. We do not know when the major battles are going to start. Or when this will all end.”
“WHAT?!” Deen yelled out. “We don’t get a trip?”
“The professors were going to announce the news today to the students.” The headmaster responded.
“That makes it a little simpler to keep an eye on Katy.” Edgar stated as he thought out loud.
“That sucks… I was looking forward to China.” Deen was disappointed.
“We may just postpone it to next term. We have to see what happens.” The headmaster told him.
“I have postponed enough of my classes I have to get back.” Antonio stated. “Katy you rest.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed then walked out of the door.
“I am going to go fill out some paper work. You two behave.” Edgar stated and left behind Antonio
“I am kind of tired.” Katy said and stretched and forced a yawn. Katy moved to lie down.
“Me too.” Deen said as he laid down beside her.
“You two sleep, we will be here if you need anything.” Jane stated.
“Have a good nap.” Sandra stated, and she and Jane followed the headmaster to the door.
“Everything will be fine, you shall see.” The headmaster stated and then swooshed out the door, all left Katy and Deen to rest.
It took about an hour but soon Nurse Rice was busy in her office and Sandra and Jane had gone to get something to eat down in the dining hall. But soon Katy and Deen were alone. “Deen, I think I have to leave.”
“Leave? Leave school?” Deen was confused.
“No, I think we need to leave America for a bit.”
“What are you saying?”
“Look, Raven Ebony is after something. She thinks I have it. I heard her thoughts fleeting, thinking it was a pity she chose to kill instead of stun. She thought of the dagger. This means she knows something that we do not, we need to know. I don’t need to be in the dark, we don’t.” Katy explained to Deen.
“How could she know anything about the dagger? You read everything and you haven’t found anything! We only have those pages!”
“I don’t know. Maybe someone told her. Maybe she is the one who sent us the pages. Maybe she just knew about it… maybe… I don’t know but it upsets me. I never thought some dagger from Egypt would cause problems.” Katy jumped off the bed and started to pace.
“Katy it is not your fault. We were meant to find that dagger. So stop pacing.” Deen stated.
“How can you be so calm? She knows my classes, she knows where I stay, where you live, no this woman has to be taken care of, and we have to find out what she knows.” Katy let some of her dark thoughts slip.
“How are we going to do that?”
“First we ask Riley. We never told him about the dagger. We really haven’t told him much.” Katy didn’t fight the ‘we’ part of his question. She knew she would lose.
“He hasn’t given us much information either, for example how much he told the Solomons. Or where he went after he ran, or how he found us, or well anything!” Deen stated as he got up and pushed Katy back down on the bed. “Stop pacing, none of this is your doing!”
“Then why does it feel like my fault? Why does it feel like my doing?” Katy blamed herself; Deen almost was killed, again, because of her today. Katy lay back down, emotionally exhausted.
“Because that is how evil wants good to feel; so they fail at defeating evil.” Deen stated and proved once again that young witches and warlocks were mature beyond their ages. “Now let’s really nap.” Deen lay down next to her and soon they both were asleep.
Kris Charles - Author 