descendant,
Katrina. Your blood comes from the direct line of Astina Somer. That is where you get your power, but there is
another part of you—the part of you that comes from your mother.”
My blood runs colds as
Rose continues.
“After we took your
mother in, I did what I do for all people who come to me. I wanted to help her
find her family so that she could regain her memory. I thought there would be
people out there missing her. After all, she was a young girl.” I see tears in
Rose’s eyes now. I shiver.
“The only possession your
mom carried with her from wherever she came from was that pendant. She wasn’t
wearing it when we rescued her though. She was holding it tightly in her fist. I
recognized it immediately as an Equinox symbol. I could never forget that
horrific representation of the infinity serpent.”
I wait. Just come out with it Rose.
“But there was something
about this particular use of the symbol that caught my eye. The fact that it
was branded to a heart pendant told me that it was something different than anything
I’d seen before. Remember, the Equinox was not created to choose evil. It was the
God of Darkness, Erebus that led his people into his own darkness. He ruled the
Equinox community and threatened to destroy all those that refused to enter his
dark world. The pendant, the one your mom carried, proves to be the only
protection an Equinox has against Erebus, or the Serpent, as some call him. If
he finds something to gain from it, he will possess any Equinox with whom he
comes into contact.”
Rose shudders. This
conversation is clearly taking a toll on her. “Your mom was an Equinox, Katrina,
but not evil. She may not have even known what she was. If she did, she never
spoke of it. I studied her and I would have never let her live with my family
if I hadn’t known in my heart that she was good—and so are you.”
“What happened to her
parents? Why was she alone?” My voice shakes now with sadness for my mom. No wonder
she kept me locked up all those years.
Rose shakes her head. “I
don’t know. I tried to track them down. Isaac helped me for the longest time
too, but we couldn’t find any trace of them. It was like they just vanished
into thin air.” Rose looks angry now as she continues. “But someone stripped
your mom of her power and left her to die at sea. It’s a miracle that Isaac
found her when he did.” Rose’s hand lands on the chair arm and she looks as
though she’s catching her breath. Charlotte moves quickly toward her and holds
her hand.
I wait for Rose to regain
her energy before asking another question. “What does that mean for me?”
A defeated expression
clouds her face. “It means that you have Equinox blood. You have a
vulnerability that Erebus will possess if we don’t find that pendant.”
The thought of an evil murderer
possessing my body creates a wave of emotions that I don’t want to deal with— ever . “You both talk about an engraving
on the pendant, but I never saw one.”
Rose sighs. “I cloaked it, a long time
ago. I instructed your mom to wear it at all times to keep her safe. She was
stubborn so I eventually had to brand it to her. The only reason she could
remove the pendant was to give it to you. I made sure that you received the
same protection when you were old enough to need it.”
So it was Rose. Rose is the reason I have
the pendant now—or rather, had the
pendant. Strange that Isaac didn’t know that detail.
“Did my dad—Paul—know about
her?”
Rose flinches. “That’s something I’d
really not like to get into right now.”
“Oh no you don’t, Rose.” Charlotte is on
her feet. “You tell Kat exactly what happened. She knows enough now and you
can’t keep on with these secrets—and I want to know too.” Charlotte sits back
down and I give her a grateful look.
Rose glares at Charlotte. “Fine. After
your parents married, your father was excited to reveal himself but I
encouraged him not to. I
Katrina. Your blood comes from the direct line of Astina Somer. That is where you get your power, but there is
another part of you—the part of you that comes from your mother.”
My blood runs colds as
Rose continues.
“After we took your
mother in, I did what I do for all people who come to me. I wanted to help her
find her family so that she could regain her memory. I thought there would be
people out there missing her. After all, she was a young girl.” I see tears in
Rose’s eyes now. I shiver.
“The only possession your
mom carried with her from wherever she came from was that pendant. She wasn’t
wearing it when we rescued her though. She was holding it tightly in her fist. I
recognized it immediately as an Equinox symbol. I could never forget that
horrific representation of the infinity serpent.”
I wait. Just come out with it Rose.
“But there was something
about this particular use of the symbol that caught my eye. The fact that it
was branded to a heart pendant told me that it was something different than anything
I’d seen before. Remember, the Equinox was not created to choose evil. It was the
God of Darkness, Erebus that led his people into his own darkness. He ruled the
Equinox community and threatened to destroy all those that refused to enter his
dark world. The pendant, the one your mom carried, proves to be the only
protection an Equinox has against Erebus, or the Serpent, as some call him. If
he finds something to gain from it, he will possess any Equinox with whom he
comes into contact.”
Rose shudders. This
conversation is clearly taking a toll on her. “Your mom was an Equinox, Katrina,
but not evil. She may not have even known what she was. If she did, she never
spoke of it. I studied her and I would have never let her live with my family
if I hadn’t known in my heart that she was good—and so are you.”
“What happened to her
parents? Why was she alone?” My voice shakes now with sadness for my mom. No wonder
she kept me locked up all those years.
Rose shakes her head. “I
don’t know. I tried to track them down. Isaac helped me for the longest time
too, but we couldn’t find any trace of them. It was like they just vanished
into thin air.” Rose looks angry now as she continues. “But someone stripped
your mom of her power and left her to die at sea. It’s a miracle that Isaac
found her when he did.” Rose’s hand lands on the chair arm and she looks as
though she’s catching her breath. Charlotte moves quickly toward her and holds
her hand.
I wait for Rose to regain
her energy before asking another question. “What does that mean for me?”
A defeated expression
clouds her face. “It means that you have Equinox blood. You have a
vulnerability that Erebus will possess if we don’t find that pendant.”
The thought of an evil murderer
possessing my body creates a wave of emotions that I don’t want to deal with— ever . “You both talk about an engraving
on the pendant, but I never saw one.”
Rose sighs. “I cloaked it, a long time
ago. I instructed your mom to wear it at all times to keep her safe. She was
stubborn so I eventually had to brand it to her. The only reason she could
remove the pendant was to give it to you. I made sure that you received the
same protection when you were old enough to need it.”
So it was Rose. Rose is the reason I have
the pendant now—or rather, had the
pendant. Strange that Isaac didn’t know that detail.
“Did my dad—Paul—know about
her?”
Rose flinches. “That’s something I’d
really not like to get into right now.”
“Oh no you don’t, Rose.” Charlotte is on
her feet. “You tell Kat exactly what happened. She knows enough now and you
can’t keep on with these secrets—and I want to know too.” Charlotte sits back
down and I give her a grateful look.
Rose glares at Charlotte. “Fine. After
your parents married, your father was excited to reveal himself but I
encouraged him not to. I
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