Witch Clans

Part 55

Katie and Luke were allowed to drive back together, so they were told they would be able to sit in the back of Katie's father's car. The warlock doctor who examined them thought it wiser that they both avoid using transportation spells for a while. Luke was injured and Katie, while it hadn't been enough to kill her or deeply impact her magic, had been drained of a small part of her power. And that would most likely take its toll on her body, though fortunately, it would not be anything as severe as what survivors of Dispelling experienced. So Kendall offered to drive them back.

"Kendall?"

It was Loran. Katie and Luke, sitting on a stone bench leaning into each other, watched, wondering what was going to happen.

"... Can... Do you mind if I ride with you?"

Kendall paused, surprised, then smiled and said:

"Of course not, Loran. I'll just let my wife and children know Katie's okay, and I'll be back with the car. Deal?"

"Deal," Luke's father said, a tentative smile appearing on his lips.

Katie heaved a quiet sigh as she rested her head on Luke's shoulder. If her father and Luke's could get past their differences, then the whole mess would have been worth something at least.

"What happened? After I got knocked out?" Luke asked.

Katie tried to think back, but the fear and confusion made it a little hazy.

"It was really fast... I barely saw it myself... I ran out to find you, to make sure you were okay... then, Jessica blew the storage unit out and would have obliterated us if our dads and the White Guard hadn't arrived when they did..."

Luke squeezed her hand in his. The rain and clouds had completely vanished and now, the weather was cold but dry. There was a lot of mud mixed with slushy remnants of snow, but Katie barely took notice. She did, however, notice the chill going through her.

"Here, you must be freezing..."

Katie felt something thick and warm slide over her shoulders. She looked up.

"Mr Devon... thank you..." she said, wrapping the blanket more tightly around herself.

"Don't mention it," he said, glancing briefly her way as he put another blanket around Luke.

Then, without another word, he walked away.

"... Still not my biggest fan, is he?"

"He'll learn to like you," Luke promised her. "Don't worry about it."

Katie sighed, unsure what to answer.

"The main thing is we're alive," she finally said.

Luke looked at her.

"Yeah," he agreed. "You're right."

They sat in silence a few moments, then Katie asked:

"What d'you think will happen to Jessica, Luke? Do you think she'll be Dispelled?"

She didn't think she'd be able to forgive Jessica, but she didn't want that for her either.

"... Hard to say... she killed people, and that's pretty unheard of... but there is the mental instability, that will probably be taken into account."

"... I played with her as a kid..." Katie whispered. "I can't believe this was the girl I knew..."

"The pledge changed her, as well as a lifetime of resentment towards magic and our kind." Luke reasoned. "It doesn't excuse anything, of course, but... I suppose it explains it."