“I don't have the money to pay for two pizzas.”
“Ah, yeah, about that. I got this one,” she says, and with a flick of her wrist, a twenty-dollar bill appears between her fingers.
I look at her and shake my head.
“That's my twenty, isn't it?”
“Could be,” she replies, shrugging her shoulders and laughing.
“Just gimme it,” I say, snatching the money from her and picking up my phone.
A little while later, we're sitting in the living room, finishing off the last two slices of our pepperoni, Italian sausage, and mushroom pie. I decreed that there would be no discussion until we had eaten and Kateri agreed. Being at home, gives me more of a sense of control, and after disposing of the box and washing the plates and glasses, I turn and look at her.
“Now, let's talk.”
She gazes at me from the double sized easy chair in the living room. Her sword and knife are lying on the central coffee table, and she looks more like a normal girl than ever before. I sit down on the couch, leaning forward.
“So, you're called Shayds, right?”
“Yes.”
“What's a Shayd? Where do you come from?”
She leans back and looks down for a second before answering.
“We come from everywhere. We are the ignored, the disappeared, the missing ... the ones the world has forgotten. The more people pass you by without a glance, the more you begin to fade into the background and slowly the shadows erase all evidence of your existence.”
I swallow hard. “You mean, everyone who’s ever disappeared is now one of you?”
She shakes her head slowly. “No. I don't mean the people who've been killed, but those that the world has passed by, and not everyone becomes a Shayd. Some people are too far gone.”
“I don't know if I understand.”
She takes a deep breath and frowns. “You remember that homeless man who used to live in the alley down by Trenton and Alabaster?”
I nod, recalling his weathered face, long grey hair, and ragged clothes. It's then that I realize it's been a long time since I've seen him.
“Yeah. I remember him.”
“You know his name?”
“No,” I say quietly, although I do remember giving him a few dollars once.
She nods and sighs. “His name is Ken, and he's one of us, now.”
“And he can do what you can do? I mean with the shadow streaming and stuff?”
“He can, although it takes time to learn and some never really get the hang of it.”
“It doesn't seem like you'd be able to find new people that easily, you know, to take the place of those who've died,” I say.
“Humanity's capacity to ignore the suffering of others is more than enough to keep us in good stead,” Kateri says, sounding older and wiser than she appears.
There is a truth in her words that chills me to the bone.
“So, does everyone come from ... the discarded?” I ask, unable to come up with a better word.
“No, of course not. We do have sex. Being a Shayd is not all bad,” she says, smiling and winking at me.
I can't help but laugh, but it fades quickly, as my next question comes to mind.
“You asked Father if he told me what I am. What did you mean?”
Without a word, Kateri stands and walks over to the couch and sits down next to me. Instead of moving away, I inch myself closer, until our knees are nearly touching. She stares at me and I look deep into her indescribably beautiful eyes.
“You sure you don't want to ask Father about this?”
I shake my head.
“No. I want you to tell me. I need you to tell me.”
She sighs and frowns. “Okay, but no running away,” she says, as a smile banishes the frown.
“Yeah, yeah. No running away.”
I can tell she’s still reluctant to talk about this without Father.
“Please,” I say quietly, pleading with her.
She nods. “So, you already know who we are, and where we live.”
“Yeah, you're these Shayds and you live in the Umbra.”
“Right. So, you've got the world of light, the Solas and you've got the Abyss, or the world of darkness. The Umbra lies between the two, as a sort of barrier.”
I nod, although I don't quite understand, but I think Kateri's making it as simple as she can.
“So, what we do is protect your world from the Abyss. We keep the darkness at bay.”
“How do you do you that?” I ask, glancing quickly at her sword and knife on the coffee table.
“We fight,” she says, touching the cut on her cheek.
“Who do you fight?”
“Demons, monsters, creatures from your nightmares. There are things dwelling in the dark places that are always looking for a way to breach the wall between worlds.”
I lean back and study her for a moment. “So, what does all this have to do with me?”
Once again, she falls silent, then says, “I really think Father should talk to you about this.”
I sigh loudly and grumble under my breath, turning toward the window for a moment. I don't know if I want to face him again, after running away earlier in the evening.
“Can he come here?” I ask, looking over at her.
“Sure. Give me a minute,” Kateri says, as she pulls a cell phone out of her pocket and steps into the kitchen.
A few minutes later she walks back into the living room and sits on the couch next to me again.
“He'll be here soon,” she says.
“You guys have cell phones?”
“Of course, you saw the control center, we have everything, even things that you don't.”
“Then why did you give me this?” I ask, pulling the paper out of my pocket.
“We’re not on the same network,” she says, showing me her phone and grinning.
“Sometimes Kateri likes the old ways,” Father says as she steps out of the shadows in the corner of the living room, scaring the hell out of me.
“Damnit! Do you all have to do that all the frickin’ time?”
“My apologies, Eve. As far as the paper goes, she only gives those to special people,” he says.
Kateri frowns and shakes her head and I swear she blushes. I feel a little tickle in my stomach as I look at her.
“So, you're ready to talk?” Father asks, as he sits in the big armchair opposite the couch.
“Yeah. Sorry about before.”
He shakes his head. “Don't worry about it. I think we sort of overwhelmed you. So, what do you want to know?”
“Kateri told me about the Abyss and the Umbra and so on, but I don't understand how I fit into all this.”
I'm also not sure about all the rest of it, but one thing at a time.
“Well. I assume that she told you about where we come from.”
“Yes.”
“And she told you why we're here.”
“She did, you ‘hold the darkness at bay’, whatever that means.”
“Good, we can talk about that later. For now, you need to know that you are the key to—”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I say, interrupting him. “I've read all the books, seen the movies, and played the games, so please don't tell me that this is my destiny, or something.” I look back and forth between Kateri and Father.
They look at each other and then back at me.
“You're the only one who can stop the coming storm,” Father says.
For a second, I don't respond, and then ...
“Crrraaap!”
“Not the response I was expecting,” Father says quietly.
“You can't be serious,” I say, looking at both of them.
“I'm afraid we are.”
I get to my feet and begin pacing around the living room.
“You're not planning on running, are you?” Kateri asks.
I look at her and frown and she puts her hands up.
“Sorry.”
/> I wasn't kidding when I said I've read all the books; Divergent, Legend, The Mortal Instruments, The Hunger Games.
Come on, this cannot be happening to me!
“You should probably sit down, Eve. There's more,” Father says.
I move back to the couch, but I sit a little further away from Kateri this time.
“What? What now?”
“There's a reason why you're so important,” he says.
“And?”
“Humans can't see us, they can't hear us, and they certainly can't travel into the Umbra.”
I look at him for a few seconds as the weight of his statement begins to settle in on me, but before I can respond he continues.
“You see, as Shayds we can move freely between the Umbra and this world, but we cannot enter the Abyss. The denizens of the Abyss can move between the darkness and your world, but they have to fight their way through the Umbra to do so, which is where we come in.”
“Okay,” I say slowly while still thinking about his previous statement.
“But you are different, Eve. You're human, but you can see us, hear us, feel our touch,” he says, and I glance quickly at Kateri, “and you can freely enter the Umbra.”
I shake my head slowly. “And what does all that mean?”
“You are more than human, Eve.”
“More than human?” I ask, becoming instantly nervous.
Kateri moves a little closer on the couch, as if she's afraid I'm going to run away again.
“Are you telling me I'm a Shayd?”
“Not exactly,” Father says.
“All right, let's cut the shit. What the hell are you talking about?”
I see Kateri snicker out of the corner of my eye and it makes me smile, although I cover it quickly.
“It would be better if your mother talked to you about this, but clearly she hasn't.”
“There you go again, talking about my mother. If someone doesn't tell me what's going on, I'm gonna seriously freak out!”
“Your mother had sex with a Shayd. You're a hybrid,” Kateri says suddenly.
“Kateri!” Father says loudly, scolding her.
“Hey, someone had to tell her,” she replies with the same tone.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I yell to get their attention, my pulse racing.
Father sighs and shakes his head. “Eve. What do you know about your father?”
“My father? Not much, just what my mother told me. I don't even know what he did for a living, but he died saving me from a fire when I was an infant,” I say, desperately trying to stay in control of my emotions.
I see Father look at Kateri and she lowers her head.
“What? What now?”
“That's only partially true. Your father was a Shayd, Eve. He was killed saving you from a fire demon that had broken through the Umbra to find you,” he says.
“Hold on, stop,” I say, burying my face in my hands for a few moments.
I can feel my heart beating out of control as my breathing becomes quick and rapid, with short bursts and I can feel myself starting to blackout. Kateri moves quickly to my side and lifts my head slightly, holding my face between her hands. She looks deep into my eyes.
“Listen to me, Eve. You're hyperventilating ... breath with me,” she says as she slows her own respiration.
I stare back at her, concentrating on her voice, the feeling of her touch on my skin, and the swirling colors in her eyes. Gradually, I'm able to slow my breathing and gain control of myself.
“You okay?” she asks me, with a tenderness in her voice that I never heard before.
“Yeah. I'm good, thanks,” I reply.
“I'm sorry about all this, Eve. I wish there was a better way to do this, but there isn't,” Father says, his voice full of concern and kindness.
I nod, and then look at Kateri.
“Keep going. My father was a Shayd, and my mother ... she's human, right?”
“Yes, she is,” Father says.
“So, you're saying I'm half human and half Shayd, right?”
Father nods, and I sit quietly for a few seconds, staring straight ahead, at nothing in particular.
“Wait. You said humans can't see you, and my mother is human. So, how did she meet my father?” I ask.
“I really think that question may be best answered by your mother. I will say that there are a few times a year, during specific moon cycles that we can be seen by humans.”
For a moment, I feel like pressing him for more, but they've already answered all my other questions, and now it seems like it's my mother's turn. A second later, another question pops into my head, one I hope they will answer.
“What about the voices?” I ask.
Father and Kateri look at each other for a moment.
“Voices?” Father asks when they turn their attention back to me.
“Yeah. I don't hear them all the time, just every now and then. Sometimes it's overwhelming, like a thousand conversations going on at the same time,” I say.
“Eve. Those aren't voices.”
“Okay, if they're not voices, then what are they?”
“Thoughts.”
My mouth drops open as I sit there staring at him. It takes me a few seconds to respond.
“Thoughts,” I repeat.
Father nods.
“Whose thoughts?”
“Ours,” he says. “The Shayds that are nearby.”
“You can read minds?”
He tilts his head to the side. “Sort of. It's more like your head is a wireless device picking up signals that are floating through the air.”
“You all can do this?” I ask, frowning.
“No, very few of us can.”
I look at Kateri and she smiles awkwardly.
“Can you?”
She nods slowly.
“Kateri is a very gifted individual,” Father says, “as are you, apparently.”
“I'm not that gifted, it's just a jumble of voices.”
“That's how it starts,” Kateri says, “like with the shadow streaming, it takes practice.”
I smile at her and nod. Father leans forward in his chair.
“Listen, there's a lot more to talk about, but I think we may have laid enough at your doorstep tonight,” he says as he stands slowly.
I look over at Kateri. “Can you stay?” I ask, a little shocked that I did, but there it is.
She looks at Father for a second and then back at me.
“Sure, for a while anyway.”
I smile, happier than I thought I would be that she said yes. Father extends his hand and I take it. His fingers wrap gently around mine.
“I'm sorry for all this, Eve, but I hope our talk helped.”
“It did,” I reply, squeezing his hand.
“Good,” he says, smiling warmly. “I'll see you later, Kateri.”
“Father,” she replies, bowing her head.
“I'll let you out,” I say, before I realize that I don't really have to.
“I can let myself out. We'll talk soon.”
He walks around the back of the couch and into the hall. In a few seconds, he's swallowed up by the shadows cast by the living room lights. When I turn back to Kateri, I suddenly realize we're alone together and I become instantly nervous.
“So, did you want to talk about something?” Kateri asks.
I sit down, a few inches from her and when I look into her eyes, I can feel that little spark deep down inside me, flare up again.
“Yeah. I don't know how to ask you what I want to ask you though.”
“Go ahead and ask me, like ripping off a band-aid, do it quick.”
“Okay. Where did you come from? I mean, you said some Shayds are born but others used to be human. So ... which one are you?” I swallow hard as soon as I ask the question.
She takes a deep breath and pauses. For a second, I think she's not going to answer.
“I used to be human. When I was seven, my paren
ts started abusing me,” she says, and I immediately wish I hadn't asked. “They beat me, a lot ... burned me with cigarettes, did everything that you should never do to anyone, especially a kid. One day, my dad broke my arm, so they had to take me to the hospital. Social workers got involved and after that, things got ... worse.”
Out of reflex, I reach out and place my hand on her leg. She looks up at me and smiles weakly. I can see the pain on her face, and I want to hug her, but I'm not sure how she would take it.
“On my tenth birthday, my dad raped me. That night, I ran away.”
“Jesus, Kateri,” I say as I move closer and then I'm hugging her.
She doesn't respond immediately, but then I feel her arms wrap around me and she pulls me tighter. I close my eyes and rest my head on her shoulder. After a few minutes I feel her grip lessen, and I move back. She smiles a sad smile at me. I know I have tears in my eyes, and I can see a few in hers as well.
“We don't have to talk about this anymore,” I say. “I didn't mean to bring all this up.”
She shakes her head.
“It's okay,” she says. “I told you to just rip it off.”
We both laugh quietly.
“Anyway, after I left, I wandered the streets for a long time, for a few years at least. Got into some really bad stuff ... really bad stuff,” she says, looking past me before making eye contact again. “And then one day, after being mostly ignored for more than two years, I noticed that people seemed to be passing me by without even a second glance. I mean, I was a twelve-year-old girl living on the street. You'd think someone would notice me, but no one did.”
“Not long after that, I met a girl, Lena. She said she could help me. I was pretty reluctant to go with her. I think I punched her at least once, but eventually I gave in and she took me to the Factory, and the rest is history. Although if you asked Father, I'm sure he would have a lot more to add.”
“Something tells me he would,” I say, laughing.
She nods and laughs along with me and then we both fall silent for a few moments.
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Sure.”
“Why do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Why do you protect a world that turned its back on you?”
For a minute she just looks at me before she answers.
“Ya’ know, I’ve thought about that a lot. A long time ago I decided that I couldn’t blame the whole world for the failings of my parents. Besides, helping people gives me a purpose, it gives my life meaning,” she says, her expression and tone conveying both a deep seeded sadness about what she had been, and a fierce sense of pride in what she has become.
All Things in the Shadows Page 6