CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWO
CATHERINE’S POV
Nikky kept pacing around in the small hut, her eyes were fuming with anger.
“They tried to kill me, Ava tried to kill me,” She kept on repeating herself, as she walked around, looking helpless.
I didn’t know what to say, I just sat on the bed quietly, and El was sitting on her usual bed.
“They didn’t kill you, you drank a smell that won’t kill you even if you drank poison,” El said, trying to remind her.
“I know that, but the fact she tried to kill me using Tafana means we need to strike and read the writing on the wall,” Nikky yelled, still pacing around.
She was still wearing her hospital’s dress, and there was a drip, she held as she paced around.
“Burke would be looking for you; you left that hospital through the windows; you need to go back, Nikky, don’t blow up our fucking cover,” El yelled, as she got up from the chair and her height dominated the room.
“Burke, that’s a rare name,” I whispered and Nikky and El stared at me with questions in their eyes.
“What?” I asked, confused, as they didn’t remove their eyes from me.
“Does the name ring a fucking bell?” Nikky asked, walking towards me.
She sat on the bed and didn’t take her eyes off me for a second.
“I mean, yes, the name sounds familiar, and it’s a rare one, too,” I said, totally confused.
“Think, you need to think of where you heard that name from,” Nikky ordered, with pressure in her voice.
“Nikky, take it easy; we don’t want to go hard on Catherine; her health is the priority,” El said, trying to prevent Nikky from triggering my memory because it hurt like hell.
“Yes, I care about her health. She is my mother, but we don’t have that much time; you need to remember something, g, mum, anything,” Nikky pressured further, with tears in her eyes.
I couldn’t remember the kind of mother I was to her, but I felt bad for making Nikky want to cry, she is just a lovely little girl who wants the best for her mother.
“Nikky, I can’t remember who Burke is; I’m sorry,” I apologized, trying hard not to get triggered; the pain was unbearable.
“Burke is suffering, Mum; you are making me suffer and make choices he never thought he would make if the pack doesn’t progress; if Burke dies, his blood would be in your hands,” Nikky said harshly. Her voice wasn’t steady as she was already amidst tears, which flowed down her cheeks uncontrollably.
“Enough, Nikky, wipe your tears and stop playing the victim,” El scolded before I could speak up.
“Playing the Victim? I am the victim El,” Nikky yelled, walking towards El, where she stood.
Nikky was barely up to El’s waist, but she didn’t look intimidated by El’s huge status; rather, she looked into El’s eyes and spoke.
“Look at me. I almost got killed today, and if they kill me, they’ll come after my father and my siblings; I can’t let that happen,” Nikky gestured at her sick-looking body as she spoke.
“Them trying to kill you is your fault, Nikky; you were too exposed; you don’t even try to hide the fact that you are coming after them,” El said, rolling her eyes at Nikky.
“I may be a child, but I’m not a hypocrite; I’m coming after Ava, and I’m not going to make it seem like I’m not,” Nikky stated sternly, and I envied her courage.
El’s face flushed with anger upon hearing Nikky’s words, I had never seen her that angry, and Nikky didn’t try to back down.
“I put my life at risk for you and the only thing you care about is yourself and your ego,” El asked, with bitterness in her voice.
I didn’t know what to do, so I just sat in silence listening to their heated-up conversation.
“El, I appreciate… ”
“No, you don’t, child; if Harley entered my house now, I’d be dead even if I’m an elder in the coven, and do you know why?” El asked, and I was certain it was a rhetorical question.
“I don’t know why because you refused to tell me. I think that’s clear enough,” Nikky said sarcastically, shrugging her shoulders.
“It’s because I was withdrawn from all my titles, and my powers were taken away from me, that’s why; I mean, what’s a witch without her powers,” El yelled, with her eyes red like fire.
“I didn’t know that, but I didn’t ask you to do all these for me; you volunteered,” Nikky said coolly; she didn’t want to kid El off.
“The reason I helped you is not your business, but just know that I put my life at risk here and I’m not going to let you destroy our little plan because of your ego,” El continued talking.
“What do you want me to do? Go back, fall on my knees, and apologize to Ava and Harley?” Nikky sneered, and El just smiled at her, giving her a slight nod.
“That was sarcasm; I’m not going to apologize to Ava; she almost stripped me of my life,” Nikky yelled after reading between the lines.
El wanted Nikky to apologize so their cover doesn’t get blown away. I don’t give a shit about that, but my memory doesn’t recall having a fearless daughter like that.
“If you don’t appear weak, they will come after you again and this time, they might succeed and do to you what they did to your mum,” El retorted, pointing in my direction.
*What did they do to me?” I asked myself in shock because the fear that appeared in Nikky’s eyes might mean that people did wicked things to me.
“New Flash, El, I’m not my mother, and also, I am not apologizing,” Nikky said sternly; she knew El would always have her back and that Nikky could stand up against her order.
” I think we need to calm down,” I said, after minutes of silence, and not being sure what to do.
“Not now, Catherine,” they said simultaneously.
When I could speak again, a knock sounded on the door.
“Don’t tell me Burke followed you here,” El whispered to Nikky.
“No, he didn’t; no one knows I’m not at the health center at the moment,” She replied to El’s accusations.
The knocking sounded again, and this time, it was louder than before.
“Open up, El, it’s me, Harley,” a familiar voice spoke.