𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

It's been three nights since capturing Igor, and everything seemed to be normal, though Lana was still scared and she still had to deal with the almost being killed thing. But she was alright. At least that's what we thought.

Helen and I stayed in the library after dusk, it became our little safe place, where we could talk for hours, or just read something next to one another, discussing it later.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked after a while, raising her head from Oliver Twist. She has, of course, had already finished The Great Gatsby, and of course, cried at the end.

"You already did," I said, smirking as I turned a page. "Sure, spill the tea."

She nodded. "Why was it so important to you, that we finish her case?"

"What do you mean?"

"I could see it on you. You didn't even know Margaret, but you desperately wanted to find the one who did this to her. Why?"

In her eyes, I saw honest curiosity and unsaid trust towards me, as if she knew she was about to hear a secret.

"I know how it feels to have somebody you loved be gone, and having no answers for the 'hows' or 'whys', you keep asking yourself," I said quietly, looking down at my hands.

"Did you lose somebody?" she asked rather carefully, trying not to push anything.

"My older sister. Remember, I told you about public school? Well, I got to go there because I wasn't supposed to lead. I wasn't supposed to grow up so fast as my parents needed me to now. My sister was about to become the leader of the coven. But she... she couldn't take it anymore. Her human boyfriend found out about her powers, and called her a monster..."

I couldn't continue, but she understood the situation perfectly.

"Sorry, for your loss," she said with sadness, in her voice.

"Don't be. It was years ago..." I said.

I didn't want her pity. I saw pity in all of their eyes. I was sick of it.

But she didn't start to babble about how sorry she was, and how my sister must have been an amazing human being, one of her kind. She just sat there, understanding the situation.

And then it hit me.

"Did you lose somebody too?" I asked.

She nodded.

"It was my first turning, three years ago. I didn't know what was happening, I just felt outraged, and...confused. I remembered the "dog" attacking me a month ago, but I didn't care until then. I got the symptoms. I was with my first girlfriend, we had a late-night date in the park... I don't remember much, only her screams, and myself. Being exposed, kneeling over her body... my mouth still had the taste of blood..." her voice tumbled, she wouldn't look at me. She was ashamed, and her conscience still tore her apart on the inside.

"What your sister did... I tried to do that too. But the beast wouldn't let me go. I healed faster than I could have..." she was crying now.

I stood up, and rushed to her, hugging her head tightly to me. She was crying into my sweater, wetting it whole, but I didn't care. I ran my hand through her hair in a soothing motion, telling her, none of it was her fault over and over again until her cries reduced into sobs, and her tears have dried up.

"You are not a monster. You didn't choose this path. Somebody forced you to take it. What happened, was not your fault, dear," I told her again, raising her chin, slightly forcing her to look up at me. She nodded her head, though she didn't trust her voice. We stayed like that for a while, until we heard the shouting and the heavy footsteps. Somebody was looking for us.