The Lightning Thief

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Over the next days Ignatius studied the journal of his ancestor again and worked on his own theories. He regretted that there were no thunderstorms, so he could not really experiment with the Lightnings, but he searched in some books in the Cathedral and worked with the Lightning gems he had brought. For example he tried to turn them back into Lightnings again. He also left the tower to work at night. Ignatius could only leave if Catie was asleep, for she wanted him to get enough sleep and would not have liked him to work instead.

In the evenings, Catie was often so beaten down from a day of learning the Art of Shadows that she was close to tears. When darkness was floating through the windows, she thought of her friends, who had surely been killed by the Shadows in town...

In those hours, when Catie was so desperate, Ignatius was there for her. He noticed her sadness and since he knew the needs of a lady, he often held her in his arms until she fell asleep. When Ignatius was sure she would not wake up again, he carefully slipped out and continued to work outside. He did not want Catie to worry.

In fact, he began to miss her when she was not with him. This feeling was unknown to him, and he was not sure what to do with it.

Catie did not notice Ignatius' changed behaviour. She had problems of her own. The Art of Shadows was a difficult one, and Jennifer was a strict teacher. For practice, Jennifer, who could command some smaller Shadows herself, gave her temporary power over them. So Catie could learn to hold the Shadows to her body as if they were her own shadow on the floor and to send them out. The magical Shadows obeyed her.

Up on the mountain, they never received any news from the town; they did not know if the Shadows had left it yet to kill elsewhere. Catie learned as fast as possible, but she still had the feeling that she was not fast enough. Every night, when she slept, tired from all the learning, the Shadows continued their slaughter. Ignatius saw it and he was careful enough not to tell her anything he saw.

Now she was the one who needed caring.

And so happened what Jennifer had planned long ago: Ignatius Illuminon fell in love with Catherine Realowe.

Ignatius woke up after a night of experimenting to find Catie fast asleep beside him. This was unusual, for Catie used to get up long before him and to go straight to Jennifer after that. He had not really seen her for days.

Now Ignatius turned in bed to look at her.

Her face was tired and sad. Her skin was so pale- nearly white. Her shoulder-length, reddish brown hair was untidily spread out behind her. The few golden freckles on her nose had nearly disappeared.

What was she doing with Jennifer all day? Why was it so exhausting?

Ignatius hoped the Shadowsmith would return soon. Then they could leave this gloomy Cathedral and return to the town, or maybe move away... Maybe she would go with him.

He wondered why he suddenly wanted a woman to live with him. He used to hate long-time relationships.

Ygraine would have laughed, he thought. She always looked at me like she was laughing when I talked about Catherine.

Catie sighed in her sleep. A strand of hair fell in her face. Ignatius lifted his hand and gently pushed it back. Her mouth formed the beginnings of a smile. He thought she might wake up, but she did not.