Body and Soul (Body and Soul Trilogy) (19 page)

“Blaire, I think it would be nice for Kate to stay in today. I haven’t seen her all week.” Aaron turned to Kate. “Would you mind staying home with me today?”

Kate looked down and played with her fingernails, searching for the right words.

“Aaron, why don’t you let her go out today? She can stay in with you tomorrow. I think she deserves today after all of the time she spent taking care of you.” Blaire said, coming to Kate’s defense.

“I suppose,” he said sadly. “You have to promise that we’ll spend time together tomorrow, though. Okay, Kate?”

Kate smiled. “Of course, Dad. I promise.”

Kate hugged her father and mother before heading upstairs to get dressed. While upstairs Kate mused about how her mother and father had seemingly switched places during breakfast. Blaire was defending Kate, and Aaron was attempting to hold her captive; it was odd that Blaire was more understanding and sympathetic toward Kate’s current situation, while Aaron was not. Normally, Kate’s father would push Kate to escape the house after being trapped inside for so long.

Kate walked downstairs after getting dressed, eager to see Rico now that their relationship was easier.

Chapter 23

Kate knocked on Adriana’s front door a while later. She wore a mint green dress and Rico’s necklace.
Leather wedges were strapped to her feet, and a dark leather clutch held her possessions. Kate’s hair was down, her curls tumbled down her back; an opal headband sparkled in the sun, changing colors like the sunrise.

Rico answered the door and shut it behind him. He took Kate in his arms and kissed her fiercely. Kate was breathless when he let go.

“I’ve missed you,” he said.

“I’ve missed you too,” Kate said. “So what are we doing today?” she asked next.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Is everything going to be a surprise?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow at him.

“I think so,” he said, grinning.

Kate found herself sitting in Rico’s Ferrari, speeding down the interstate minutes later. She knew they were headed north but didn’t know where Rico would stop. The car ride was pleasant, a nice escape from the week she had been having with her father and his illne
ss. Rico was supportive while Kate complained and whined about it.

By the time that Rico pulled off the interstate, Kate felt much better. They were in Lake Wale
s this time, their destination: Bok Tower Gardens.

When Kate stepped out of the vehicle, she was instantly hit by the glorious scent of blooming flowers. She glanced at Rico and broke out into a fit of giggles. This was exactly what she needed. Kate h
eld her arms out, stretched her fingers, and spun around, basking in the warmth of the sun. The sensation was exhilarating, and Kate grew dizzy with excitement. Rico watched her, admiring her carefree spirit.

Kate stopped spinning and held her hand out. Rico took it
, and they began walking into the gardens. Kate pointed out different flowers and talked to Rico about the gardener, Mr. Evans. She followed him as he led her around the gardens. They took different paths, exploring everything while they were there. Kate loved seeing the firecracker plants, azaleas, and snapdragons. Rico was partial to the Mexican sage bushes and trumpet trees.

Rico and Kate sat on a bench near the tower after they were finished walking around the gardens. They alternated between talking and kissing until they were tired of both, and then walked toward the car, hand in hand.

“This was perfect,” Kate said quietly; she was almost afraid to ruin the mood.

“I thought that you would enjoy the open space after being cooped up in your house. I didn’t want to go to a place that was too crowded. I wanted to be able to enjoy my time with you; I wasn’t ready to compete with the other spectators.”

“You know that you have my undivided attention, Rico.”

Rico smiled. “I know.”

Kate pushed him softly and ran toward the car. The smile that crept across her face was strong and real, concrete evidence that it had been the perfect day.

Kate let herself in her house after Rico dropped her off. She was completely enthralled with him; her thoughts rifled through every detail of their afternoon together. She thought of their hands, tangled in one another’s. She thought of Rico’s lips and how they were soft yet urgent when they touched hers. Kate allowed her thoughts to continue on their path and slipped upstairs before her parents had the opportunity to force her to commit to a movie. She was too caught up in Rico’s cobalt eyes and beautiful smile to focus on anything else.

Kate stood in the gardens at Bok Tower. The sun was radiant, shining down on the Earth and painting it gold the way it always does in the late afternoon. She stepped forward, drawn to the tower.

As Kate walked, she let her fingers trace the soft petals of the azaleas. Her bare feet relished the feeling of the soft grass, the crunch of the gravel. She walked calmly along, ready to see what was waiting for her at the bottom of the tower.

When Kate reached the tower she didn’t see anything immediately. However, she walked to the bench that she and Rico had spent part of the afternoon at, and saw what she was meant to see. There was a small photograph of her as a child. It was the day that her father yelled at her so many years ago. The picture was a shot of her sitting in the sand during the time that she was alone; her parents were still working somewhere down the beach. Kate’s back was facing the picture but it looked like it had been taken right behind her. Her thoughts traced over the events of that day, and she never remembered anyone standing behind her, let alone with a camera. Next to Kate, on her left side, was a drawing etched into the sand. It was the burning world.

Suddenly the photograph caught flame, and Kate dropped it. The green grass began to blaze. Kate attempted to stop the burning by stomping on it, but it spread like wildfire, claiming the plants and tre
es around her. Within minutes Kate was trapped in a ring of fire that spread all around her, claiming the gardens as its own.

Kate woke up screaming again. A moment later, she felt Rico’s strong arms around her. She stopped screaming at once, comforted by his presence, but she shook so violently that Rico rushed to the bathroom, turned the hot water on, soaked a towel, and wrapped it around her after ringing it out. When she was calmer he called Adriana and asked her to come over.

Adriana slipped into Kate’s room a little later, a worried look on her face.

“You had another dream, didn’t you?” she asked.

Kate nodded, affirming what everyone already knew.

“What happened?” Adriana asked.

Kate shook her head, knowing, for some reason, that she couldn’t tell them when they were here
, in her bedroom. She had the strangest feeling that someone would be listening to the words she was about to say. Instead of speaking at all, Kate grabbed a notebook and scribbled down her thoughts. Adriana and Rico understood immediately, and the three of them silently snuck out, making sure to lock Kate’s door behind her, so that her parents couldn’t get in easily.

Kate snuggled in Adriana’s bed, the blankets warm and cozy. They comforted her somehow, and made her feel safer. She sipped on hot chocolate, preparing herself to tell Adriana and Rico everything that she had kept hidden. She knew that she couldn’t keep her darkest parts to herself now. Rico and Donovan had told her their
blackest secrets; it was time for Kate to do the same.

“I lied to you,” she started. “I have had more dreams. I was a
fraid to tell you because they were much worse than the dreams I had warning me about Erik.”

Adriana put her hand on Kate’s.

“Kate,” she said, “Rico and I love you. No matter what you say, we’ll be there. You don’t need to feel ashamed or frightened.”

“I know that now,” Kate said honestly.
She looked into Rico and Adriana’s eyes before continuing. Adriana squeezed Kate’s hand, letting her know that it truly was okay to be afraid of the truth.

“In the very first dream, I was searching for something. I was walking in the woods, looking for something that I knew I had to find before it was too late. The worst part about it is that I craved it, the thing I found.”

Rico placed his hand in Kate’s empty one and squeezed gently, letting Kate know that he would always love her. Adriana sat patiently waiting, her hand seemingly warm in Kate’s own.

“It was the world,”
Kate whispered. “The world was catching fire.”

Kate looked at Rico. “It was the same image I drew in the sand that day on the beach.
I lied to you when I said that I didn’t remember it, but it wasn’t a complete lie. I don’t remember drawing it; I was in some sort of trance when it happened, but I did see it when I woke from it. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for lying,” she said sadly.

“It doesn’t matter, Kate. You’re telling us now,” he said with a small smile. It comforted Kate somehow, and she continued.

“In my second dream I stepped on to a beach covered with the pictures I drew, showing me that I knew that this would happen. It was almost as if the drawing was a prediction or premonition. For some reason I wanted this to happen even though I knew that it would hurt the people I love. It scared me. I thought that I was evil for craving this somehow. I thought that you would hate me, that you would leave. I know now that I was wrong. Your friendship is stronger than all of this,” Kate said calmly.

“
Our
friendship, Kate. It’s ours, not just mine or Rico’s. And you’re right. We will never leave you,” Adriana stated, agreeing with Kate.

Kate continued. “The
last dream, the one I had just now, had a photograph in it.” She described her most recent dream to Adriana and Rico while tears tumbled from her grey eyes.

“I drew the same image when I was five. I didn’t remember it until now, but after I saw the picture I remembered that moment. I was scared of what I had drawn. I was so scared that I never left my father’s side again when we were on the beach. The first night here was the first time I had been alone on the beach since I was five. Even in Australia I was accompanied by my parents because we didn’t live right on the water,” Kate sobbed.
She pulled her hands from her friends’ comforting embraces, and wiped the tears that were still falling. Kate knew that if she didn’t pull herself together soon that she would hyperventilate, and she wasn’t prepared to look so weak; she couldn’t appear weak anymore.

“It’ll be okay, honey. Rico and I are going to take care of you,” Adriana said comfortingly.

“I’m afraid,” Kate said honestly. “I don’t know why I’m seeing these images. I’m afraid that it’s what I want. What I secretly want to happen.”

“We know that it’s not, Kate. We know you would never want that,” Adriana said.

Kate shook her head, tears and snot leaking from her face at this point. She was attempting to pull herself together but it wasn’t working. She was not just crying out of fear; tears spilled out of frustration at her weakness as well. Kate grew increasingly embarrassed and angry at her faults, momentarily forgetting the real reason behind her tears. Rico grabbed a handkerchief out of one of Adriana’s drawers and used it to wipe her face. Kate looked into his eyes and felt them pull her back into Adriana’s room.

“What is it, Kate?” he asked. “I promise that you can tell us. I promise that you will always look the same in our eyes.”

Kate shook her head again.

“Kate,” Adriana said, “Rico and I have tried to kill. Rico has killed. You could never do anything worse than we have done, I promise that. Please tell us. We can help you overcome this. We can go through this together. You don’t need to hold the weight of this on your shoulders anymore. Rico and I are here to free you from this burden. We are here to share it with you.”

Kate looked into Adriana’s eyes and decided to tell them the truth; she had no choice if she wanted this terror to end. Kate drew in a deep and shaky breath before speaking.

“When I traveled to the alternate dimension, I saw the same burning world when I was there. I know that it contained my deepest desires, so don’t try to convince me otherwise,” she ad
ded evenly, sensing the truth in her words.

Adriana and Rico looked at one another and nodded.

“I think it’s time that we tell you something, honey. It’s time that you hear the truth,” Adriana said.

Chapter 24

“
Adriana and I believe that you were born to have visions,” Rico stated. “We think you were born to determine the fate of the world, Kate. Adriana and I guessed this about you the day that I saw the image in the sand; we didn’t know for sure, though, until now.

You see, demons like Erik and Kern haven’t been able to take over the world because a catalyst has never come along. You, Kate, are a catalyst. You are what keeps the human race safe from demons. There has always been a catalyst on Earth. Once one dies, another is born. You are the single pure soul out there in the world.

Kern has never been able to find a catalyst until now. I don’t know how he found you, but he did Kate. That’s why he’s sent Erik. He probably wants to keep you safe until he’s ready to claim your soul as his own.
If
Kern claims your soul, the purest soul in the universe, he will tip the scales in Darkness’ favor.

Remember when I told you that Light cheated Darkness by ensuring that demons die if they are unsuccessful in their possession?”

Kate nodded once.

“The catalyst
was Darkness’ way of keeping things even.”

“Kate,” Adriana said, “How are you feeling about this knowledge?”

Kate sat there, stoic. She couldn’t focus on anything. Her thoughts whirled around her mind, giving her a headache. She sat there, growing increasingly dizzy until her vision blurred. In another moment she was sprawled across the bed; Kate had blacked out.

Kate woke up on the kitchen table. Donovan, Adriana, and Rico were sitting around her. Rico was running
his fingers up the inside of Kate’s arm, tickling her gently with his touch. Adriana and Donovan were whispering in an attempt to figure out what to do next.

When they all noticed that Kate had woken up, they sat quietly, waiting for her to sit up. Kate’s head still hurt but she wasn’t reeling from the knowledge anymore. She sat there, figuring everything out, trying to match the puzzle pieces.

“Are you all right?” Adriana asked finally. Her brow was furrowed, her lips set in a frown.

“I’m processing,” Kate said weakly.

“Take your time,” Rico whispered to Kate. “We can wait for you.”

Kate thought about this new information and mixed it with the things she already knew about herself. She knew that the image of the world on fire was real, was something that could happen sometime. She also felt as if she wanted it to happen. If Darkness created the catalyst – created Kate - she could see how she would feel these emotions; Rico had stated previously that demons were evil in nature, so Darkness would, essentially, equate to evil as well.

Kate moved her thoughts, focusing on how she felt about being a catalyst. Was she supposed to start the fire? Was Kate supposed to do Darkness’ bidding? Was that her purpose in life? She knew that if Darkness created her, that she was meant to stand next to him, to be on his side. But Kate didn’t want to be on his side. She needed to figure out how to relinquish the hold that Darkness had on her soul; Kate needed to figure out how to be free of the Darkness within her soul.

The first question that popped out of Kate’s mouth when she was ready was: “Why me?”

“We don’t know, Kate. We just know your purpose,” Donovan said.

“And my purpose is to determine the fate of the world?”

“Your purpose is to keep the balance. The scales are very sensitive, Kate. We need your soul to stay on this side,” Donovan said, clearly taking over the conversation.

“What do I need to do?” she asked.

“Kern is going to attempt to possess you at some point. We need to make sure that he isn’t successful. Have you located your talisman yet, Kate?”

Kate looked down, ashamed. She had been so caught up in Rico that she had forgotten about the talisman.

“No,” she said at last. “I sort of forgot about it. I know that it’s not an excuse, but it’s the truth. I’m sorry. You gave me one task to complete, and I couldn’t do it.”

“It’s fine, Kate. I think you still have time,” he said
reassuringly.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“No, but it’s all we’ve got, right?”

“Yes, I guess you’re right.”

Donovan nodded.

“So at some point I have to, sort of, allow Kern to possess me? I have to sacrifice myself?”

“No,” Rico said. “You won’t sacrifice yourself, Kate. I promise that we will save you. Your soul is the strongest there is. You’ll be able to fight.”

“Only if she has her talisman, Rico,” Donovan interjected. “You need to find it, Kate. I’m serious.”

“I know,” Kate said, feeling worse than ever.

“Kate,” Donovan said. “I want to make sure that you understand the severity of the situation. If Kern succeeds in taking your soul, in possessing your body, the world will be destroyed. The visions aren’t telling you what you want, even though it may seem that way. They are telling the truth. Your soul is the only thing protecting the fate of the world as we know it. Your soul is the only one that matters; it is, essentially, Light himself.”

“You mean to tell me that I am the reincarnation of Light? I thought that I was created by Darkness.” Kate claimed.

“No,” Donovan said. “You are Light’s
daughter.”

“Donovan,” Adriana said warily, “Don’t you think you’re putting too much pressure on Kate? You’re clearly frightening her,” she said, looking at the expression on Kate’s face.

“No, Adriana. I’m doing what’s best for her, what’s best for the world. If anything, you and Rico are babying her. She’s sixteen, Adriana; she needs to know what’s at stake.”

“He’s right,” Kate said in agreement. “It might scare me now, but at least I know what’s going on when things start going. I want to be as strong as you are. I want to be ready to fight Kern and Erik.”

“We can prepare you for that,” Donovan said.

“No!” Rico interjected
, standing up quickly. “We are not going to attempt to possess Kate!” he shouted, pounding his fist on the table.

“She says she wants to be ready to face Kern, Rico!” Donovan shouted back.

“She is prepared! She’s strong enough on her own, Donovan!”

“No she’s not. She has no talisman, and little luck of finding one before Kern strikes. This is the only chance she’s got.”

“I don’t care,” Rico said. “Neither of us is trying to possess her. You’re too knowledgeable. I’m too skilled. What if one of us succeeds? What happens when one of us tips the scales?”

“It would be better than Kern tipping the scales!”

Rico punched Donovan in the jaw. Donovan went down and Adriana stared at Rico, angry tears burning in her eyes. She crouched down, leaning over Donovan.

“You’re letting your love affect you,” she said
simply. “Donovan is trying to protect Kate. Your heart is weakening your judgment, and you are weakening Kate.” Kate watched tears fall onto Donovan’s chest as Adriana tried to bring him back to her.

Rico moved toward Kate, but Kate pulled away. She was angry at him.
After all of this time, after everything that they had been through, he still thought that she was too weak to face Donovan, who had never even tried to possess a human. What made it worse was that Rico had hit Donovan to make sure that he didn’t try, even for the sake of further preparing themselves for the ensuing battle. Kate was the type of person to speak for herself, and she wondered if Rico would always be this controlling with Kate’s life, with her soul.

“Kate,” he said. “Come on.”

“No,” she said angrily. “Donovan and Adriana are right. I need to learn how to fight Kern. If I don’t find a talisman, I’m useless. I don’t want to see the world catch fire like it did in my dreams, Rico. You can go, but I’m staying here. I’m going to learn to fight, whether you’re here beside me or not.”

Rico flinched at her words but stayed where he was. He sat back down in his chair and moped. Kate felt bad for her harsh words but knew that she needed to make her own decisions. She wouldn’t let Rico’s feelings
for her come before the safety of the world; she wouldn’t make that mistake like she had before, when she let her feelings get in the way of telling Rico and Adriana the truth. They could have known this already; they could have been prepared for this long ago.

Donovan was getting up now. He wiped his hand across his jaw and stared at Rico. He stood up, with the help of Adriana, and turned to leave.

“Wait, Donovan. Please don’t leave,” Kate pleaded. “I want to practice.”

Donovan paused and turned to face Kate. “
What about Rico?”

“He has nothing to do with this, Donovan. He can’t make this decision for me.” Kate knew that this hurt Rico, that this was the w
orst thing that she could say about him, but she had to say it. She knew that it was the only way to get Rico to leave her alone about this.

“Okay,” Donovan said
calmly. “Let’s get started.”