Erin looked at Elizabet, unhappy with her reason...'because' wasn't an answer. However, she wasn't about to pry any further. "Thank you and I'm sorry." Was all she could manage at the teary eyed almost broken succubus.
Elizabet didn't answer, she nodded her head that she understood, she didn't trust herself to speak. She turned away as Erin walked away. Elizabet lay her head on her knees hugging her legs.
Erin couldn't believe it, she actually felt bad for the succubus, the very demon she had painted as evil. She wasn't evil, not really, just misguided. I mean even halfway through the story she still loathed the woman. But now, she couldn't find it in herself to hate her. She could barely dislike her. What she felt towards the succubus was pity.
As her mind wandered away from thoughts of the succubus; she couldn't help but be drawn to the question, what was she? Clearly she wasn't exactly human. Mostly, but not completely. Did anybody else know?
Erin kept going around and around in her head. She asked herself the same questions that she had asked herself seconds before. However, she always came back to to where she started, which was she had no clue. She brought her palm to her forehead hitting it harder than she expected. The resounding slap echoed in her ears. "What am I?" She whispered to herself.
"So, you spoke with Elizabet?"
Erin whipped herself around to see Dinah leaning against the door frame.
Erin nodded, "yes, she just just finished her tale." She paused for a moment as something dawned her, "you know what I am?"
"Possibly?" Dinah answered.
"What does that even mean?"
"I may know what you are, but I am not certain. I think the only one who is certain would be Hattie absolutely and there is a high probability that Elizabet knows as well. But since she didn't tell you, I suspect that she doesn't know exactly what you are...only you are not 100% human. Elizabet was after all the first to identify you as party mythological being." Dinah shrugged her shoulders. "For whatever that is worth. Now it just seems like a death sentence."
"You all speak in riddles."
"Trust me girl, if I wanted to speak in riddles, your eyes would gloss over by being dumbfounded."
Erin sighed knowing the only one she could get answers from was Hattie. "So, where can I find her?"
"Who?"
"Hattie?" Erin spoke calmly, but she wanted to scream.
"I'm not sure, I haven't seen her all morning. By the way, are you ready for tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow, already?!" Erin's eyes grew wide. Where did the time go? She knew it was with the coven's stories and her own research, the grimoire was quite large. She knew where the time went, but was she ready? "Of course, ready as i'll ever be."
Dinah nodded and then left leaving Erin alone in the hall with nothing but her thoughts. Was she ready? No, not really, but did she really have a choice? Erin took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. She still had to find Hattie, but she hadn't seen her all day.
***
Hattie sat in the corner at the desk they all shared, she was writing notes about their subject. She found herself righting a pros and cons list. Would Heather be able to help them with their problem? It had the distinct possibility of working perfectly giving them a functional boy that could find their lady of the lakes. However, the chances of it working were next to impossible, while failure could spell their end.
Hattie took her fingers and began to massage her temples, she was beginning to get a headache and she was still no closer to coming up with a solution. Hattie was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't even hear the footsteps that came down the stairs or that began to approach her.
She let out a sigh and leaned back only to have her head land on somebody's stomach. Hattie tilted her head up and looked up into Dinah's eyes.
"Hello, Dinah. Why did you sneak up on me?"
"I didn't, I made no efforts to conceal my movements. You were too preoccupied by your thoughts. What has you so perplexed?"
Hattie turned and looked at the unconscious boy, "him. still trying to wake him up in a way that he won't be a danger to himself or anyone else."
"And?"
"And, I am wondering if we should use Heather's talents, maybe she could help us understand what is going on?"
"Ah, let me help you analyze the situation, you know that is my strong suit. Oh! And, Erin is looking for you."
"Really? Already?"
Dinah nodded.
"Did you tell her where I was?"
"No of course not, I understand we must take our time with her, but you are the only one that remains."
"How was she after Elizabet's history?"
Dinah shook her head, "why don't you ask her yourself?"
Hattie sighed, "yes, yes I know. Here." She said after she handed the notebook to Dinah, "help me go through these and analyze all possible outcomes will you?"
"Sure no problem, I don't know why you didn't ask me sooner to help you."
Hattie shrugged her shoulders and headed to the main house.