Somehow I got this chapter done faster than I expected...


The next few days were long, between Balestrom's project and making sure that my house is still in one piece, I was exhausted. I didn't even really have time to even mourn over Sean's death. It was if I was slowly being brought back to my normal self. It doesn't feel right. I shouldn't move on like that after someone important to me has died.

"Melody what's wrong?" Jack asked. His white hair flopping in his face as he sat next to me. He looked at me with great intent to figure it out. I sighed. If there was one thing I learned with Jack is that he is one determined son of a gun. He would pester me to death until he got an answer. "The week before you appeared my boyfriend died, I've not been quite myself and have been spacing out a lot." I answered him. I looked at my perfectly white couch and then the brown oak wood floor before looking at his face.

His face peeked with curiosity but also of slight sadness. That I don't understand how he can be sad and curious, without ever asking another question. Sometimes he is a mystery to me, though at the moment I think he's a mystery to himself. It sucks that he still doesn't remember really anything. I held my hopes high, but maybe it was because I didn't want to share my space. Sure Sean and I did, but that was different, to everybody else we were just boyfriend and girlfriend, but they didn't know that he was really my fiance, and the day that he died was the day that we were going to announce it to the world...

One week earlier


Sean walked over to me. His smile was the brightest I have ever seen it. Today was the day! Everything was supposed to work out. When he got close I kissed him and he kissed me back. No one would ever doubt that we were in love. Not falling, we fell a long time ago.

"Hey Babe are we ready?" He asked. "Let's do this!" I replied happily. What I didn't know was that this would be the last time that I would see his face, because after that things did not go according to plan. Some of the undead had escaped from the streets. We didn't know that so we walked out of the shopping district and into the commons. I should've realized that something was wrong after everything was mysteriously silent. Especially since there's always a lot of wizards there.

It snuck up on us. We couldn't hear it. It's irony really; a death wizard killed by an undead creature. I happened to turn around in time to see it when I felt an unbelievable cold. I guess that a necromancer would be used to it being that they work with them daily. I didn't have enough time to alert him, or attack, before the creature brought it's blade into his chest. I wish I could have, I really do. That way everything would have worked out.

I looked as his body, now covered in blood and when the thing tried to do the same thing to me, I channeled enough electricity to completely destroy it. The headmaster happened to see what had occurred from his window. He came out of his office. Luckily the rest of the undead were already taken care of.

"Come inside Melody." The headmaster told me. I was on the brink of tears if I was not already crying. I didn't want to follow him, but I did. There was nothing I could do. What's dead is dead.

Sean's funeral was three days later. I was silent through the entire thing, just like I was the other days. The wizard city graveyard was full of people. I wondered if this is what would happen if I died. Malistaire came over and tried to comfort me, but his efforts were useless. The necromancers attempt only made things worse for me.

To say that he is the worst person to go to for emotional anything is an understatement. At least I acted like it helped. He would be going through the same thing because of his wife's death.


I got a hug from Jack. I hate that when I space out everything is dulled and then when I get back to reality everything comes back tenfold. It sucks, but I manage to smile. I needed to show that I was as alright as I say I am. I'm starting to doubt it now, everyone is so concerned, it's sad to say but I think that they may be right. Something's not exactly right with me.

There was a knock on my door and I got up to answer it. It wasn't far from my couch. I was on the bottom floor of my castle.

"Hey Mel, um... can I come in I need to talk to you." Reed asked. I didn't think he even knew where my castle was. Why would he appear today? "Okay, it's not as if I have anything better to do." I reply, slightly irritated. He always shows up in my life at horrible times. He always has.

We even met at a bad time. We were eight and I was accused of stealing something. I don't remember exactly what, it wasn't that important. Reed decided to help me out of the situation by telling the store's manager that he had done it. That was ten years ago.

He walked in and found a seat next to Jack. They started to talk and I decided to walk around my estate and look at all my flowers and plants. It always relaxed me, calmed me down and when one of them needed help I could. Sometimes I wish I could help more. Make things better for others, that was why I chose Life as my secondary.

"Hey!" Reed called. He was moving towards me. I stayed quiet sitting on the green grass. "Are you ever going to respond when I talk to you?" "What did you want to talk about Reed?" I asked. The serenity of the flowers was wearing off. He sat next to me.

"I wanted to inform you that Daniella was murdered yesterday and she was found with a note that says you killed her." He told me. I don't know why I burst into tears, but I did. My entire life was falling apart, both the good and bad parts. "I didn't kill her Reed. I didn't even know she was dead." I said. For once in his entire life he decided to stay. When ever I got really emotional he usually left. He can't have changed that much in the last two years?

"I know you didn't I just thought you would like to know, before you know what happens..." He said. I ended up with another hug. I didn't mind it. Though I don't think I could mind anything. I felt so numb inside. All I could feel was the tears dripping down my face.

I felt myself disappear far away. I didn't care anymore. I didn't care that it felt as if all the sunshine was disappearing from my life or that Reed was much closer than I would have liked. For once I felt nothing and it was wonderful.

"Are you okay Melody?" He asked. I didn't really notice past the world that was inside. I was crumbling and there was nothing I could do about it. Reed now really looked concerned and repeated his question. I stared ahead blankly. I felt a lot of the life I felt before disappear. I could no longer feel the electricity. I could now only feel the cold.

I closed my eyes and let everything take over me. Suddenly all the emotions came back from wherever they disappeared off to. All the anger and sadness hit me. Why did she have to die? She was the only thing that I was secure of. I knew that she would always be there, even if I hated her. It's strange how life can be so evil in an instant and how it can take away everything.

I felt Reed push my body closer to his and wrap his arms around me. I still didn't open my eyes. "I'm here for you I always have been. From when we were kids on, even those two years. I even knew of your engagement to Sean. He went to me to ask before he proposed not your parents. It crushed me, but I told him that he could. I knew that you'd be happy for once... But what happened was horrible. Please come back to your usual self, because I cannot stand you so unhappy." He told me.

I finally manage to say something. "Thank you. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you." I open my eyes to find myself inside my bedroom on my green rug. "I'm more sorry for never apologizing about what had happened two years ago. Even though I don't remember it, I still did it, and so I'm owning up to it." He told me. I blinked he's never apologized. I hugged him. Something that I haven't done in I don't know how long.

"I missed that, Mel." He said. He moved his arms from their position and leaned back against my bed. All security I once had was gone. "I remember when you drew those pictures. Do you still have them?" "No, I purposefully got rid of those. They were horrible Reed." I replied. "Yeah, I know, you were never much of an artist. Remember when I asked why you kept those, and you told me that you only kept them because they reminded you of how different you are from your family." He said.

Sucks to say that the only art form that I'm good at is music. I can sing and play several different instruments. But that was never acceptable; I had to be able to draw and paint. When they found out about those talents they almost disowned me. Who does that to their eight year-old child?

"It must be terrible to be a Shade. To have to live up to your family's expectations, never getting tested for what school you really are." He said. "Well you're a Shadow, not much better, but at least they allow something other than a diviner. Because of that I never know what I am." I replied. He laughed. "You know our families... Always thinking they know what's best when they really know nothing."

The door opened and Jack entered. I wondered how long it would take before he would come in. His curiosity is even worse than mine, and that's saying something. My curiosity has always gotten me I so much trouble it's amazing that I haven't killed myself or someone else hasn't killed me. It's horrible that I can say that about myself.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" He asked. I guess that I could let him into this conversation. He actually needs to know this stuff since he's supposed to be my distant cousin that no one's ever heard of. It wasn't my idea, it was the teachers. If they even still trust me.

No, I shouldn't think about that. I have to stay somewhat optimistic and put up my mask. That way people think I'm okay, even though I'm not and never have been. My perfect mask, my perfect emotional disguise, so nobody sees what's underneath. Nobody except Reed, but that was because he caught it down, like he always seems to.

"Our crazy families." Reed replied. "Things that you should probably know because you're supposed to be some long lost cousin of mine." I said. Reed raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. I guess he wasn't suspecting that. I nodded at him silently hinting through our secret hand language that the teachers decided that he would pose as my cousin and that his ship arrived late because he comes from a world without a spiral key.

Yes, they were that inventive. I have to admit it was pretty fool proof, except he doesn't know much of anything, so if anybody asks he wouldn't tell them much. So that's what I'm for. I come up with a excuse like "he is pretty bad at explaining things about himself." He's mostly at home anyways so I don't have to worry much.

I started explaining about my family, leaving out some parts, like how I truly feel about them. The important things like what they do, that we're a family diviners, you know that crap. The stuff that everybody knows about them. It sucks to say that, I shouldn't have to. Most families have a few secrets, but mine has a ridiculous amount of them that I can't just let out, no matter how I feel about them.

11 years earlier


"Mom why don't I look like dad?" I asked my mother as she was fixing my long red hair into two braids. She stopped what she was doing and let the hair fall loose onto my back. She sighed. I know now that she never suspected me to ask. Normally she would have came up an excuse, but she didn't.

"Melody that's because he isn't your father. When we found out that your father couldn't... produce you, I started to... make love with other people." She said choosing her words carefully. I was secretly horrified, and still am. I don't know who my father really is, and I probably never will.

"But sweetie that doesn't make him love you any less." She continued trying to smooth things over. "In fact he was the one that suggested it." Now that I'm older I don't doubt that a bit, he needed a child and this way he had one. He can be slightly heartless and so can mom.

"Who is my dad, mom?" I asked. She smiled slightly. "I don't know, sweetheart." She answered as she started braiding my hair again. I could tell then that this was supposed to be a secret and one I couldn't tell anyone, even blossom. I wanted to cry but my mother would never allow it. I had to stay emotionless like the rest of my family, it didn't mean I wanted to, I had to. Sometimes I wonder how my family are diviners and not something else, but then I remember the artistic traits that I didn't inherit.

"Okay mom." I said. I was ready to go to school. She let me exit the house and walk the next few blocks to the school.


Reed finished talking about his family. He was equally as brief as I was. Neither one of us thought it was a good idea to talk our real families in front of the amnesiac. He might slip up and expose them for what they really are, evil.

I heard a knock on my door again. This time Reed answered it. Probably a good thing because if I was accused of anything I would be seriously irritated. I hid against the staircase to hear what was going on.

"Mr Shadow where is Ms Shade?" The figure asked Reed. "I don't know what you mean, she's not here at the moment, maybe you should come back later when she is here." Reed lied. "Then where's the other one?" The figure asked. "You know what will happen if you're lying to me..."

I chose that moment to teleport into my room and signal absolute silence to Jack. Whatever this guy wanted it wasn't good. Soon Reed came up the stairs and asked. "Melody how do you know the Nightshade's?"

"That's a long story Reed... And one I don't feel comfortable talking about." I lie. Sure it's a long story. The Shades are part of the Nightshades and they are the deadliest of the families. "Well they're looking for you, and usually that isn't a good thing." He replied. "Fine but both of you have to keep the secret." I said. They looked at me expectantly.

"During the revolution there was a family called the Nightshades. They started infighting and it split into two families the Nightshades and the Shades. No one knows exactly what happened, some of my family says murder and some say something else... And lately the Nightshades have been trying to make up to the Shades. It can't be a coincidence with everything that's happening."

I was greeted with silence. At least it wasn't questions. That would have been way, way worse.