Last Wishes

Cathyia looked around at her surroundings. A dull, grey room and a table, where she was sitting at. How did she get here? Right, this was a police station, where she'd been taken after everything that happened with her father.

Someone walked into the room, interrupting her thoughts. "Hi. Cathyia Clarke, correct?" she asked. "Officer Via Evans, nice to meet you."

The woman pulled out the chair opposite from where Cathyia was sitting.

"Could I ask what I'm doing here? What state is my father in?"

Via sighed. "I'm sorry, but your father's gone."

There was not a hint of emotion in her voice as she declared that depressing fact.

"Now, Cathyia, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we've met somewhere before, right?" Via continued. "From what I remember, it was in front of Lord Lowell's place right before he was murdered."

"Maybe so." Cathyia tried to determine if Via had an ulterior motive for her line of questioning.

"So why would you change your name?" Via tilted her head.

Cathyia frowned. "I don't think I understand what you mean, officer."

"You introduced yourself to me as Evelyn, didn't you?"

Cathyia gulped. She'd already forgotten about the alias she used that night.

"So why would you change your name?" Via asked again.

Think of an excuse. Cathyia thought. What was she supposed to say? This didn't have anything to do with her father anymore. It had begun to seem more and more like this was about the Blood Reaper. Via was onto her, she thought.

Her mind wandered back to the sight of Theo on the street in front of her father's house. Why had he been there? He hadn't even acknowledged her, yet Cathyia was sure he'd seen her in the crowd. Her mind ached. Had he gone to her house? Had he . . . Had he . . .

If Theo was still working with Via, she thought, had he killed Cathyia's father to frame her and finally bring her in. She stood up from the table. "I'm not answering any more of your questions."

Cathyia watched the woman across the table from her. Via stared down at her notes, writing something, then leaned back in the metal chair she sat in, looking right into Cathyia's eyes. She stood up and turned, but just as Via was about to open the door and leave, Cathyia spoke. "I can't do it anymore."

Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. Via turned around.

"I never wanted to kill them. I never wanted this curse." Cathyia was talking to herself now, her eyes watery.

"Them?" Via moved back toward the chair and sat down.

"Twenty-seven." Cathyia pulled out a small ledger from the pocket of her coat. "They're all here. Please help me."

Via stepped towards her. "How?"

Cathyia laughed. "That's simple. Just kill me."