See How She Falls (The Chronicles of Izzy #3)(24)

“Well, first things first.” I pulled up my pants leg to show the group my leg. “I got another rune. This one is different from those that were on the Seers, so I’m hoping that it may help us figure out what this group is trying to bring over. The robed dude told me that there are only two more marks left before the bridge is complete, so we really need to figure this out, and soon.”

“Cweorth," Aberto whispered.

His voice reminded me of what I’d asked him to bring me back. “Hey, where’s my coffee?”

“I am not your errand boy," Aberto grumbled.

“Fine, what does the rune mean?” I would just have to suck it up and go down to the dining hall to get my own coffee.

“It has several meanings. Fire, flame, and transformation are amongst the most well-known.” Aberto looked at my leg as if he were studying some ancient text.

“Well, since dude man said that they are bringing forth something to punish the earth for its sins or whatever, it sort of makes sense," I said, pulling my pants leg back over the rune so that Aberto would stop staring at it so intently. The way he kept analyzing me was annoying. “What with the fires of hell and all that. If it is anything like the beastie I saw with Cait, then a demon would make sense. Will this help us figure out what they are trying to bring forth?” I turned to Eleanor and saw that my question had sparked hope in her eyes.

“Follow me.” She hurried out of the office and headed to the library, where she’d been spending all of her waking hours combing through books.

“Field trip.” Molly’s chipper voice reminded me that she was still dealing with a world of hurt. As we made our way out of the office, I pulled her to the back with me.

“How are you doing with everything?” I couldn’t keep the concern from my voice.

“It is what it is. Ian has become less of a pain, at least.” Molly shrugged it off as if her problems weren’t nearly as important as I was making them seem. I knew better.

“I heard that," Ian hollered.

“You were meant to, bonehead," Molly threw back.

“What about everything else? Are you sure you are up to helping with it?”

“There is no way I’m gonna let you do this alone. We are a team! So, stop worrying about me, and focus on you. After all, I’m not the one starting to look like a doodle board.” Molly raised a brow looking down at my arms. The tops of my shoulders and back were covered in the beautiful protection marks Aberto had given me. Unfortunately, a bunch of unwanted runes were mixed in with the purposeful ones.

“Some of these were done intentionally," I mumbled. She was right, it was taking me a long time to get used to all of the marks covering my body. I was starting to look like Aberto and his many runic tattoos.

“Fat lot of good they are doing you," Molly replied darkly.

“They are serving their purpose. They have kept her from being marked for two months, have they not?” Aberto sounded defensive.

“So, how did she get marked this time, then? Huh?” Molly was starting to treat Aberto the same way I did, much to Ian’s chagrin.

“I believe that I informed all of you that the tattoos were a temporary deterrent. They seem to have found a way around the bindings. Which is why we should be focusing on the future and not what has already passed.” Aberto held the door to the library open for Molly and me.

“How are you feeling?” Kennan moved to my side, surprising me. He’d been lingering in the background more and more lately. It sort of reminded me of the way Breanan had always been with Isadora, all lurking in the back, but ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

“Still exhausted, but otherwise not bad. The runes hurt like a mother-trucker, but I can live with it. I just hope that Eleanor can figure out what kind of big bad ugly they are hoping to summon with them. It would be really awesome to not be blindly stumbling about. Maybe with some answers we can finally start being proactive instead of reactive.”

“We will figure this out, Izzy. No matter what, you will survive this.” Kennan’s ferocity was a thing of wonder. He seemed to either be living in serious denial about the prophecy, or he was convinced that we could rewrite my future. I wasn’t quite sure which it was.

“Here’s hoping," I mumbled. I walked across the room to where Eleanor had set up shop. She was furiously flipping through pages as we approached.

“Found you!” she shouted as she poked the page.

“What, what is it?” I was trying to look over the shoulders of the Guardians surrounding her. I looked like a deranged jack in the box hopping up and down, hoping to get a better look.

“It’s not good is what it is," Conall sighed.

“Someone care to share with the group?” I was growing anxious. Based off of the looks Ian, Conall, and Kennan were exchanging, I wasn’t going to like what was about to be said.

“They are summoning a demon.” Kennan’s eyes were filled with terror.

“But I thought Isadora said they weren’t exactly demons," I squeaked out.

“They are and they aren’t. Demons aren’t the sort of creatures that are depicted in the movies. They are harbingers of destruction and chaos, beings created by the depravity of man. To call them demons is to say that they were in existence before man. However, man brought them into fruition. They exist on another plane and those that are unworthy are sent to suffer an eternity under their dominion. It is the equivalent of what you believe to be hell," Eleanor, the ever scholarly, provided.