Chapter 18
They sit in silence for a few minutes before either one of them says a word. Bellamy clears his throat and the sudden sound must have startled Murphy cause he jumped. Bellamy places his hand over Murphy's and gently squeezes it to reassure him it's okay and when Murphy squeezes back Bellamy begins talking.
"I saw Mbege, in my dream. He's worried about you and he wants me to protect you the way he should have."
"I know. I felt him. Did he tell you why he left me?" Murphy asks in a quiet whisper.
"So you wouldn't die. Since he wasn't your dream walker he was afraid that when The Key made its presence known again that he wouldn't be able to keep you safe from the darkness."
"Was that the only reason?" Murphy asks like he knows there's more that Bellamy isn't saying.
"He did what he thought was best for you Murphy. He knew leaving you would cause you pain but he'd rather you be alive and hurting than dead. Sound familiar?"
"You sure it had nothing to do with him thinking you're my prefect match?" Murphy questions ignoring the last thing he said.
When Bellamy didn't immediately answer, Murphy looks at him. He can see the confusion on his face and says "he asked me about you once, not long before he had a dream about The Key. When I told him about me taking your memories he didn't agree with it. He wanted me to give them back but I told him it didn't work that way."
"But it did, didn't it? I mean you gave me back my memories, so you lied to him."
"I didn't lie. The spell can only be lifted if the person is able to remember but it's rare. The person either has to be strong willed or a...a..."
"A what Murphy?" Bellamy prompts when he stops talking.
"A prefect match to the person who cast the spell."
"You sound disappointed. Why?"
"Because it's bullshit. It's complete and total bullshit. When a shadow warrior finds their dream walker they're supposed to be able to fight the darkness but it didn't save my parents or your father. Prefect matches are a myth made up to help keep shadow warriors in check."
"What do you mean my father? He wasn't a shadow warrior, was he?" Bellamy questions in confusion and the look on Murphy's face tells him it wasn't something he'd meant to say.
"Did you know him?"
"No. Mom never talked about him or Octavia's father. She just said they were good men who would have been with us if they could. We never even knew their names. Why? Did you know him?"
"My father and yours were friends. His name was Adam and yes he had shadow magic. He loved your mother and he would talk about you all the time. Apparently Aurora kept him updated on you regularly but I'm not sure what kept him from being with her and you. I remember the day he told my dad that you had shadow magic. He was both so proud and yet so terrified because of what it meant for you. My dad had suggested that I be introduced to you since I had shadow magic as well and that way you wouldn't feel so alone. I didn't know you were who Adam was always talking about and when he told me your name was Bellamy I told him that we were already friends and that you were fine. He seemed happy about it."
"What happened to him?" He asks nervously, not sure he was ready for the answer but wanted to know.
"He was killed in the purge. Him and a few others tried to infiltrate where those captured were being held for execution to free them but they got caught and were killed."
"There's no record he ever existed, is there? It was all wiped out during the purge, wasn't it?"
"I don't know. Maybe Roan would know something. Some people managed to sneak some records out before they were all destroyed but I'm not sure what happened to them or who they pertained to."
Bellamy sits there in silence for a while staring at the floor before he gets up and heads for the door.
"I'm going to bed. I need some time to process things. I'll see you in the morning."
He doesn't wait for a response and leaves the room without a second glance. Murphy stays in Mbege's room a bit longer before grabbing the plates and taking them to the kitchen to be washed. Once they're cleaned and put away he sits on the couch in the living room where Roan is reading.
"Where's Lincoln?" He asks quietly.
"Went to check on Bellamy. Is everything okay?" Roan asks picking up on the slight shakiness of his voice.
"I don't know. Here. This is Mbege's journal. There's a passage about The Key's key in there that may be useful."
"Thanks. I'll look at it later and see if it helps." Roan says not questioning him on it further even though he was curious about it.
"Do you have any of the records that were smuggled out during the purge?"
"A few, why?"
"Could you get them or at least see if you have someone specific?"
"Why?" Roan asks suspiciously.
"Bellamy's father was killed in it and I was hoping you had his records since he never knew him."
"I'll see what I can find. What's his name?"
"Adam Johns."
"I'll let you know if I find something."
"Thanks Roan. I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."
Roan waves him off as he picks his book back up and continues reading. Murphy goes to his room but doesn't sleep and instead stares at the ceiling for a bit trying to gather his thoughts before he actually falls asleep. Bellamy tosses and turns for what seems like hours before he finally falls asleep. He's not sure why since his body was exhausted for some reason but his mind didn't seem to want to rest. When he managed to get it to calmed down enough to actually fall asleep he prayed his dreams would be somewhat pleasant.