Crossroads → Nicholas Scratch [CAOS]

xiv. unity

"This was your mother's journal," Matthew said, voice low and slightly shaky. "It has all the cases she's ever done, all her thoughts... everything she knew. I never found the key to it but I thought you might want to have it anyway." He let out an unsteady breath when Dani cautiously took the diary his hands. "And here... take this too. It was your mom's dagger." He handed her a small knife, the blade wrapped in a leather cover.

She stared at the journal, mesmerized. It wasn't particularly pretty, but to Dani, it was the most special and enthralling thing she had ever laid her eyes on. "Dad..."

"It's okay, honey. I want you to have it. Your mom would want you to have it," he insisted, nodding and wiping his hands on the sides of his jeans. "Take care of the journal, alright?" Dani nodded, her eyes too glued to the book in her hands to say a word. This book was her mother's journal– her mother's entire world, basically, filled with hunts she did, things she felt... filled with answers. And it lay right in Dani's hands. She didn't have a key to open it, but a warm sensation filled her chest and she already felt so much closer to her mother. "You go ahead. We can continue looking at our history and some more spells tomorrow if you still want to learn about it. Cal and I are gonna look over some cases now."

Dani looked up at her dad curtly, unable to draw her eyes away from the notebook, although still shut, for more than a few seconds. "Thanks, Dad," she said before standing up and leaving the room with the notebook pressed tightly against her chest. Dani almost tripped on the stairs several times, but still her attention to the book was undivided as she walked into her bedroom. Switching her lights on and closing the door behind her, Dani sat down on her bed with the book in her hands. Just as she was about to rummage through her bedside table for a bobby pin to try to open the book with, she jumped up from her bed to the sound of a loud whoosh. She gasped, frantically spinning around to search for the source of the abrupt sound. Immediately as she turned toward the window, she saw Nick.

"What the hell, Nick? I thought I told you-" Dani stopped herself from continuing when she saw the way he stood so distressed, both hands pressed against the back of his head and his eyebrows knitted together as he fought back tears. Dani frowned and started moving toward him. "What's wrong?"

"I messed up, Daniella." His voice was so soft it sounded fragile.

"I don't want to talk about this again, Nick." Dani sighed, shaking her head apologetically. While seeing him so upset made it feel like there was a weight on her chest, she couldn't let herself associate herself with him anymore.

"No." He stepped closer to the brunette. "Sabrina's in danger because of me."

Dani frowned, looking into Nick's eyes more attentively now. "What are you talking about?" She asked, but all Nick did was tightly squeeze his eyes and look away as tears fell. "Nick, what happened?"

"I didn't have a choice, Dani. I had to do what the Dark Lord asked of me." She frowned, trying to comprehend what he was saying but none of it made any sense to her. "I'm so stupid," he cried, throwing his head back. "Now Sabrina's in trouble and it's all my f-"

Cupping his face with both her hands, Dani forced the distraught boy to look at her in the eyes. "You need to tell me what happened so I can help you, okay?" She wiped a tear from his cheek with her thumb, and when he nodded, she held his arm and pulled him toward her bed. They sat down and Dani watched the boy as he buried his face in his hands. "What happened to Sabrina?"

"Nothing... not yet," he mumbled shakily, lifting his head up. "The Dark Lord— Satan... he asked a favor of me when Sabrina first started at the academy." Nick paused to swallow, a few more tears trickling down his cheeks. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "he asked me to keep an eye on Sabrina. To get close to her and find out more about her- but I swear, Dani, I didn't know this was why! I would never want to hurt Sabrina." Dani was at a loss for words, staring at her lap in an attempt to process what Nick had said. Her father had briefly described the world of witches and warlocks, including their ruler, Satan. Even so, she struggled to comprehend what Nick had said. She understood him, she did. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Nick would do such a thing. It didn't sound at all like the Nick she knew who, despite everything she'd been through because of him, was one of the kindest people she knew. He killed someone he considered his family for Dani... but what Nick was telling her now sounded like the exact opposite of that. "Say something, Dani... Please," he begged, eyes shimmering with tears again.