Page 69 of The Spirit Key
“But I’m not of the people.” I was so far out of my depth. I half expected Sofia to give up on me too.
When Sofia gazed at me, I could see affection in her eyes. “Oh, Scott. You wept when you saw what happened to us at Hitler’s hands. Your eyes were opened to the plight we all shared. And, most importantly, you are loved by one of us. If that doesn’t make you family, what does?”
My heart swelled at the faith she had in us, but also that she accepted our love. “I hope we—I—don’t disappoint you.”
“You’ve already done well, and I don’t think you could possibly disappoint anyone.”
“I have my whole life.” The truth of the statement burned like bile in my throat.
“No, you can’t think like that. I love my people, but sometimes we fail too. Beth and Rebecca should not have listened to the old ways. They should have stepped up and forged a new path, because you are the key and it was their responsibility to teach you.”
“What do you mean?”
She shimmered for a moment, a flicker of light I could see through. “They should have prepared you. There are dark chapters in our history, and one day they might come back to haunt you.”
“I don’t understand.” And I didn’t. What she was saying made no sense to me.
Sofia sighed. “There are things even I don’t know. If I could, I would at least warn you, but… if I’m honest, my hands are tied. Just remember, while Vano and I were the first lock and key, we were not the most powerful.”
She nibbled on her lip. “And there is one very important thing they should have imparted on you. A lock and key draw on their own life energies to help spirits, as you found out when you aided Burton. Very few make it beyond fifty years, and most are lucky if they reach forty. You and Timbo need to decide together if you still wish to continue down this path.”
Forty years? That means I might have sixteen left, maybe a few more. Sure, I could ignore the spirit’s needs, but seeing Burton? Watching as he found peace? Was it worth it for me to die young?
Yes.
“I’ll talk to Tim. Just so you know, I’m in.”
“I know, but this has to be something the two of you agree to. A key must have a lock, and a lock needs his key. Without each other, you cannot help those who seek you out.”
“How did I get chosen for this?”
“It was unforeseen that Beth’s husband would die. With his death, the chain could have been broken. We needed someone else to take the place as Timbo’s key, and when the two of you met, it was obvious that you were perfect for him.”
“But there’s a problem. Tim has a spirit inside him. It’s evil and has murdered children.”
She sighed. “Spirits are very much like the humans they were. There are good ones, who merely need a gentle nudge to get them where they’re meant to go. Others are dark, insidious creatures, who only exist to hurt others. Your lock must learn the difference in order to protect you both.”
“Is what’s happening to him my fault?”
She pursed her lips. “In a manner of speaking. As his key, you would have been able to protect him. Without you there, however, the lock remained open and the darkness was able to gain a foothold.”
The realization that I was to blame slammed into me with the force of a freight train. Never in my life would I want to hurt Tim. At least not more than I had already.
“You bear a heavy responsibility, Scott. The role of key is not one to be taken lightly. Should Timbo agree, your lives will not be your own. There is, however, one thing that you need to forgive yourself for. Fleeing protected your mind. You were ill prepared to take on such a harsh task. That rests on our shoulders, not yours. No one told you who you were or what you’d become, and if you had stayed, you both would have suffered a worse fate than Timbo.”
“Tim is why I saw the ghosts when I was a kid, isn’t he?”
She nodded. “As you saw, our deaths begin our new lives. It shouldn’t have happened to you at such a young age. It was a tragic accident, one that no one could have foreseen. The day you died, Tim’s role started early. But as neither of you were more than children, there was no way for you to train without help. Which we did not provide.”
“And that’s why you came to us.”
“Yes, that’s why.”
There was one burning question I needed an answer to. “Why are you still here?”
She drew herself up to an impressive height. “As I said, some spirits are good, others are not. However, there are some spirits who simply don’t wish to move on. They’ve set themselves up as guardians for something, usually their family, and have no desire to leave.”
“Is that you?”
