Over the next couple of days, Katy avoided people of all houses, by this time they all knew what had happened, and Katy was involved with another Solomon death. Katy spent her time next to Riley’s bed, she only left to take her finals and spend time with her Aunt Lua. Katy had told her more than the other adults in her life, and Lua didn’t judge. Katy knew where she stood with Lua. And she figured out where she stood with all of her family, and though she would keep secrets, she would try not to keep as many any longer with them, they would just have to accept her.
On the last day of school Nurse Rice talked to Sandra, and released Riley to her care for the winter break. Katy took that time to leave early, first she stopped to talk to Riley.
“Riley…”
“Katy, don’t run again?”
“I am not, I just have to get some answers from Edgar first, after I get them then I will know where I stand.”
“They love you. They don’t care. Did you really drain her?”
“I know that, it is not where I stand with them, but with Deen, and most importantly with myself. I just have to know more about myself. And Edgar has the answers, maybe. As far as Ebony’s death… she was drained by the dagger. I didn’t know it would do that. I just thought it would kill her.”
“I expect you back at your home. Soon.” Riley stated and accepted a hug from Katy, and Katy turned to leave.
She walked to the end of the property of the school, looked back, a tear in her eye, and walked out of bounds and teleported to the Hepburn’s front door. Before she could knock however the door opened.
“Katy, I was expecting you come in.” Edgar stated, and Katy followed him to his study.
“Tell me.” Katy stated simply.
Edgar said nothing. He went to his desk and grabbed the same folder Katy had seen at Yule. The one with her name on it. “Here are your answers. But they feel wrong.”
“Wrong?” Katy was confused.
“Something doesn’t add up.” Edgar stated simply. “Read the notes, tell me what you think. I must go now.”
Katy stared at the folder, and then she felt Deen in his room. He must have teleported as well, even though they were to take the planes. Katy slowly walked up the stairs. The folder in her hand. She walked in to his room and placed the dagger on his dresser. Katy had tears in her eyes; she had to talk to him. “What do you want from me?” Katy asked him.
Deen turned to face her, he said nothing, but let her hear the confusion in his head. The stories of Darkness rushed through them.
“I am not Darkness.” Katy stated.
“How do you know?” Deen asked with sadness that reached his very soul. He knew it had been all too easy for her to take Raven Ebony’s life.
“Darkness could not love. I love you. Don’t give up on me. I am not Darkness.” Katy said, as she tried to convince herself more than Deen. “I am sorry for being a freak. You are standing by me perfectly.”
“Katy…” Katy didn’t let Deen finish.
“I am working on my temper; I am working it all out. I won’t let you down. I wouldn’t normally try to keep you in my life. You know that, as I ran before, but you have saved my soul, my life. You have made sure I am not Darkness. I am just me. My family has saved me.” Katy finished.
“You have power. A lot of it, the dragons, the fairies, they seek you out, even the professors. If you are not Darkness, could you be Goodness?” Deen asked hope in his voice.
“No, I have taken lives, I am not pure…” Katy stated but she was interrupted before she could finish her thought.
“Neither was Goodness.” Said a mysterious voice behind them.
They both turned their wands pulled, to find a warlock dressed as if he stepped out of the past.
“I can’t hurt you. I am not really here. I am an image, a message to be found by the ones who are worthy.”
Katy just stared; she was at a loss for words.
But Deen wasn’t. “What do you mean Goodness wasn’t either?”
“She was a mix of light and dark. They both were, except, you, young witch, are correct. Darkness could not love. She gave herself to the Darkness that is in all of us, becoming pure Darkness. Goodness knew there had to be some balance. She did only what needed to be done, and that sometimes included using and tapping into her dark side. She did things that weighed on her soul but would have done them again if needed. Goodness was good, and light, but she had evil and darkness in her soul as well. She just knew how to control it. Everybody has a darkness about them, some just know how to control it. Or hide it. But it is there in everybody, even those such as Goodness.”
This threw Katy and Deen though a loop, and all of sudden they realized that Edgar must have told them the story of Goodness and Darkness to let them know what he thought, or in this case who, Katy was. Katy turned back to the image to find it gone.
In its place was the Banshee Queen, the one they had met and traveled to another dimension to talk to, and they knew something was serious. “Katherine Lillian, things are not as they seem. The file Edgar Hepburn gave to you, things are hidden from all, things are not as they seem.” She said then she disappeared, she left Katy and Deen to ponder her words in silence.
“What do you want from me?” Katy whispered to the world, she however already knew the answer. And she let the tears fall as she realized once and for all who she was, and what that meant. She was born from Darkness, to destroy her, to save the world. She felt the weight of the world on her shoulders and just cried into the silence, she held on to the only thing she knew, held on to the fact Deen and her family would be her salvation, and that those she loved were in her life to make sure she followed her fate. She let the silence fill the room, as she slowly accepted her fate.
Kris Charles - Author 