Kitty stormed down the steps of the capital, raging from the earlier Council meeting. Certainly, Piper and Mr Button were nice enough, but she could NOT stand those overfed suits looking down on her like some mangy commoner. This was hard, this was very hard. She sat down on the buildings step and buried her hands in her hair, and took a couple deep breaths.
So far it seemed all they could do was argue about fishing trade policies in the northern ports. Not exactly the radical change she had hoped for. She had visited the graves of her old Resistance friends, hoping to find some inspiration, to lay some flowers; but nothing came of it. Maybe Nathaniel had been wrong...she thought, remembering her dream with a slight grin and leaping heartbeat.
No. No. No. NO. She started pounding her head. This was silly. Getting all worked up about a dead guy she had been hallucinating about. But it had been so real...it had felt real at least...she needed to clear her head. She stood up and descended the capital stairs, melding into the busy crowds of London. And she walked.
She walked and walked and walked until she felt as though her head was at last empty. And where was she? Wreckage of the Glass Palace. No one was here today, the silence echoing among fallen pieces of iron and chunks of furniture. He said he would be back, he said he would be safe, he said he would take care of it, he said he would come back. And now here she was, alone. She could still see him now, confident smile, glowing eyes, gaping wound oozing from his side, smartmouth djinni spewing out more lies.
Djinni? Bartemaeus! She had almost completely forgotten about him, and now his memory came back just to make him sad. He was most definetely gone as well. How depressing. He had trusted in her, brought her to the other side, and was repaid with this? She started to walk back to the city, and ran into a familiar face.
"Kitty!" Jakob smiled. "There you are," He said.
"Hey Jakob," She replied happily, eager to get her mind on anything except her fallen friends and a dead ghost who was kind of making her want him...
"Kitty," He started, taking his arm as they fell in step. "I heard about you joining the council, thats wonderful! You can finally start to change things for England, this is great! I'm so happy for you." Kitty nodded.
"I've read your letters you sent to your parents home for me," She said. "You seem to be doing well,"
"Oh yes," He said energetically, as he continued to jabbering on about profits and stores, and employees as they turned into a small cafe and sat. "Kitty its all coming together for us both! Just liked I've dreamed..."
"You would think," She said. "Jakob, what do you think about dreams?"
"Dreams?" He stopped. "They day dreams are the way the spirits communicate with each other, to warn and inform, and to inspire and guide." He said. "Some people even claim they have seen the future revealed through their dreams!"
"Spirits?"
"You know," He said. "Those around you, those from the earth, and even people who have died, why? Bad dreams?"
"No, its nothing," Kitty shook her head.
"But Kitty," He said, sticking his hands into his pockets. "There's something I've dreamt about for a long time, and I wanted to ask you," He said, slipping out of his chair and to the ground on one knee. From his pocket he pulled a little box. "Kathleen Jones, will you, marry me?"
-*-
She was in a large house. Persian rugs covered wooden floors, and a few modest paintings hung from the walls. Some ornate trinkets decorated tables and the like tastefully. And now she was wearing a white dress. It was plain, more similar to a sundress or the like, but it made its point.
"What do you think of it?" She heard him call down the long hall she was standing in. "I used to live here, you know? It's a little plain, comparitively, but I think its restful." He turned a corner, and walked down beside her. "Come on, more things to do."
"Its very pretty," She mumbled, guilt weighing down on her. "Nathaniel," She breathed. "I said yes." He paused.
"Yes?"
"Yes."
"Why? You don't love him." He stated, more annoyed than anything else.
"You don't know that!" She snapped. "He's a good person; honest, he cares greatly for me, and, here's a key point, he's alive."
"What are you implying?" Nathaniel said.
"I'm implying nothing!" She said. "I just can't keep waiting around for someone who's not coming back," She said weakly. "You said you'd just catch up in a moment, that you'd be there soon...and you never showed..."
"Kitty, it would have been too dangerous, the only reason your not in the hospital, or worse, is because the amulet-"
"So you lied to me, just to protect me?" She said sadly. "I thought you knew me better,"
"I knew you'd never go otherwise." He said, softly.
"Maybe I should of stayed there then," She said, angry. "It sure beats falling asleep every night knowing the one thing I want," She breathed, letting her shoulders sag. "I can never have." She took his hand, and held it.
"Do you want me to leave?" He asked, drawing her into an embrace. She couldn't answer him at first. All she wanted was for this moment to last as long as possible. "I'm making you sad then?" He asked a second time.
"I make myself sad," She said.
"Stupid girl," He mumbled, kissing the top of her head. "Maybe I'm just selfish,"
"Yes, yes you are." She murmured. "Kindly shut up," Was she snuggling? Yeah, this counted as snuggling...
"I'm sorry,"
"Didn't I mention something about shutting up?"
"You can't move on, that's why you needed me."
"Mhm, I'll bet." She said.
"Why do I feel slighted?"
"Mmm isn't that interesting..."
"Kitty." He said, pushing her away. "I have to go." He said entirely serious.
"What?" She said. "Why?!" Snuggling...?
"I was wrong to say you shouldn't get married to Jakob." He said, shaking his head. "You have a new life now," He held up his hands. "The government, you're parents, Jakob...you don't need some dead magician guy hanging over your shoulder."
"Wait, I didn't mean," She jumbled her words.
"Summon Bartimaeus," He said, turning to walk away from her. "He'll probably be missing you by now..." He said, leaving.
"Nathaniel...!" She called. "I love you!" She yelled. "Don't go..." He turned to look at her with sad eyes.
"I love you too Kitty." He said. "Wake up."
-*-
