The oars parted the water, forming small waves as Katherine rowed the small boat toward the island. Katherine had borrowed the rowboat from a closed boat rental business on the docks of Merytonburg. Not knowing how to drive a motorboat, Katherine had figured that the small wooden craft would have to suffice. She had thought that the work of the constant rowing would be tiring but surprisingly she found it easy, and she soon found herself within view of the lighthouse's brightly shining beacon.
Somehow, Katherine knew that Convel had ordered it just for her, to make him easier to find.
The closer each row brought Katherine to the island, the more she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Convel had already proven himself dangerous to her, even if only indirectly. Some part of her tried to hold onto the belief that it hadn't been on his order that those lycanthropes had invaded her home, yet the fact that he merely laughed at her when she asked him about it didn't bode well with her. She knew him to hold the lives of humans cheaply, and he had particular reason to resent her parents -and they were her parents. Katherine no longer referred to them as the Other Parents. They were her only parents. The Scott's, Giselle, and possibly Convel, had all lied to her, yet the Scott's were the ones who had raised her.
Out of the two sets of parents, they were already ahead so far, at least in Katherine's book.
She wasn't even going to think about their treatment of her at the moment or the fact that her father had thrown her out of the house that wasn't part of the equation at the moment.
Katherine continued to row the boat through the heavy fog surrounding her. She hit the sandy shore of the island with her boat before she saw it.
Katherine drew the oars back inside the boat before stepping out into the water and sand, pulling the light weight boat ashore so that it wouldn't be washed away in the tide. She stopped and looked around, trying to force her vision to pierce the heavy fog and allow her to see Convel's form.
Not even her vampire-lycan enhanced sight could see through the cloud surrounding her.
Katherine removed her shoes and sockS, allowing her feet to sink into the sand. She felt the grittiness beneath her feet, and suddenly she felt as though she was n0 longer in the real world, but in that of her dreams where everything felt surreal Katherine removed her shoes and socks, allowing her feet to sink into the sand. She felt the grittiness beneath her feet, and suddenly she felt as though she was no longer in the real world, but in that of her dreams where everything felt surreal.
Slowly, Katherine walked inland, looking around through the fog, as though expecting Convel to Sneak up on her at any moment. The further in she got the more rocks she stumbled over and the blinding light of the lighthouse seemed higher up now that she was so close to it.
"Convel" Katherine called out. "I'm here, Convel! It's time for that explanation!"
"What? No hullo' to yer own father, Katherinet?"
Katherine spun around to see Convel walking toward her through the fog.
"Don't you Katherinet me, you would-be murderer!" Katherine said, pointing her finger accusingly at Convel as he came closer. "You tried to kill my family!"
Convel was now less than five feet away from Katherine and her enhanced eyes caught the roll of his eyes.
“Ye, me dear, are as dramatic as your mother. And for the record, Katherinet, those... creatures... he continued, unable or unwilling to hide the disgust in his voice. "...are not yer family. If anyone is a would-be murderer, it's them. They've been slowly killin' ye for the past fifteen years."
"What are you talking about?" Katherine asked in confusion.
"They've been killin' yer spirit- who ye are, everything ye were ever meant to be. And despite the fact that I would have loved to be a part of the giving of any pain that befell yer worthless tormentors, I must tell ye that I was not the one who sent those lycans. IfI had wanted the Scott's dead, don't ye think they would be by now?”
Katherine just stared at him for a moment, trying with all her might to see the sincerity she hoped was in his eyes. Yes, just there... she thought. I can see it.
Somewhere behind his disgust and revulsion for the Scott's there was a hint of sincerity.
"All right then, if you didn't send them, then why did they come to my house and attack my family?" Katherine asked, ignoring his previous statement about the Scott's not being her family.
"They were members of me coven who decided to take matters into their own hands. They believed that they could win me favor by destroyin' people they knew to be bothersome to me. They were... rewarded accordingly," Convel said with obvious distaste.
"Oh, so you didn't send them, you just taught them that it was perfectly alright to destroy perfectly defenseless, albeit bothersome', humans? No, that's not your fault at all, is it?" Katherine asked sarcastically, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the man-wolf before her. "And what do you mean they 'were' members of your coven? Did you throw them out because of what happened?"
“I made an example of em. They acted without orders and were treated accordin'ly. They won't be a threat to anyone anymore, Katherinet. I promise ye that," Convel said, his anger and disgust for the two Lycanthropes spoken of more than obvious.
Katherine's eyes widened in horror as she realized what her would-be father meant.
"No, you didn't... You couldn't have...
"Katherinet, ye have to understand," Convel said pleadingly. "I can't allow anyone in me coven to usurped me authority. I have to be a leader, and leaders sometimes have to do unpleasant things..."
“You mean like executing members of your own coven because they followed your teachings, your beliefs? What is wrong with you?" Katherine asked in utter disbelief, tears welling in her eyes.
"What kind of man are you?"
“Katherinet-" Convel began with slight impatience in his voice.
"My name isn't Katherinet O'Donnelly," Katherine interrupted, her voice so cold that Convel visibly shivered. "It's Katherine Anne Scotts. My parents are George and Margaret Parker. They may not be perfect but they raised me, and I love them unconditionally. You're not my father. I already have a father, and there isn't anything you can say or do to change that."
Katherine took a small step back and then very slowly turned around. She had nothing left to say to this man. He wasn't who she thought he was. He was just another disappointment in her life, and she had too many things to look forward to now to waste her time wishing things were different- wishing he was a better man and the father she had always wanted.
"Do ye really think those monsters are going to ever accept ye for who you are? Do ye think that they can help ye be all that ye were meant to be? It will catch up to ye, Katherinet. If ye go back there they will do everythin' in their power to suppress who ye are and what ye were meant to do, and in the end ye will know that."
The desperation in Convel's voice halted Katherine's progress back to the row boat.
Katherine's body was tense with irritation as she whirled around to face Convel, the fog so thick that it nearly blocked her view of him.
"What I'm meant to do?" Katherine demanded, her voice waspish. "What exactly is it that you think I'm 'meant to do, Convel?"
Katherine's voice was snappy and harsh. She was so incredibly sick of this everyone telling her what she was 'meant to be' and meant to do. It was crap, and Katherine was sick of it.
Convel took a step forward, his eagerness to explain his point of view pathetically obvious.
"Do ye really think that we were given these powers to lurk in dark alleyways, waitin' for Someone our next meal to cross our paths?" he asked sincerely. "That we deserve nothin more than a place in popular fiction? Holy water and crucifixes? Silver bullets? Wooden stakes Garlic? Do ye really believe that humans deserve to walk in daylight while we, a naturally superior race, are forced to skulk in darkness? No, Katherine! We were meant to take our rightful place as rulers of mankind. That is our true purpose! Lovely, but misguided people like yer mother have twisted the truth in their compassion toward a lesser race. Surely ye must see that?"
Convel's eyes were wide and eager, his accent more pronounced due to his excitement. It hit Katherine like a ton of bricks that he believed every word he said.
"You're insane," Katherine whispered in horror, taking an unconscious step backwards. "Completely and totally insane.
"I'm sorry ye feel that way, Katherinet," Convel said, his voice and eyes becoming hard and cold, his body tense and upright.
Katherine's blood turned cold at the change in him and she felt the ice running through her veins and pumping in and out of her heart.