See How She Falls (The Chronicles of Izzy #3)(34)

“We need to discuss what our next step will be. Now that Izzy only has one mark left before the bridge is complete, we must formulate a plan.” Kennan addressed the group with the same military efficiency that he’d used at the warehouse.

“Emmanuel is orchestrating it," Aberto supplied.

“I thought he’d been dealt with. Was he not the cause of the scourge all those years ago?” Conall’s anger radiated throughout the room.

“He disappeared. None of us knew he was still walking this plane. I assure you, we had no knowledge of his survival," Aberto pledged.

“If it didn’t work last time, why is he doing it again?” I wheezed.

“Rest your voice, Izzy," everyone admonished. Sheesh, you would think a girl asked too many questions or something.

“Something is different this time.” Aberto rubbed his hand through his hair, mulling over what could be happening.

“Do you think someone is helping him?” Kennan pinned Aberto with his gaze.

“I do. The question remains, who?” Aberto supplied. “Whomever they are, they are far more powerful than the allies he amassed during his last attempt. These people have power.”

“So, what can we do if we don’t know who is behind it?” Sena questioned. I was glad that someone else was there to ask, since I wasn’t allowed to talk. I gave Sena a quick smile to thank her for doing the job of asking a gazillion questions for me.

“We can prepare," Conall supplied.

“Oh really, dog boy? How exactly do you expect to prepare if you don’t even know where they are going to attack?” Sena crossed her arms and eyed Conall who traced across the room quickly to stand over her. “You better not start peeing all over my stuff, mister," Sena muttered, looking up into Conall’s face defiantly.

“You will no longer call me that wretched name. Are we understood?” Conall’s voice came through gritted teeth. He looked down at her with anger and amazement.

“Fine. But I’m serious about the peeing on my stuff. You better not do it," Sena huffed, nonplussed by Conall’s anger.





“Why is she calling him a dog?” I whispered to Kennan.

“Umm, well," Kennan paused, trying to avoid the truth.

“It is time that she knows the truth, Guardian," Aberto said calmly. He was completely unaffected by the chaos erupting in the room around him.

“There is something that we can do, an ancient magic that calls back to our beginnings.” Kennan paused trying to find the right words. “You know how you have been manifesting new talents since Aberto breathed part of his soul into you? Well, there is a sort of marking that can call forth our ancient talents. Talents that were repressed for a reason. If a battle is coming, it is one way we can prepare to take on the demon.”

“So, what are you saying? Does Conall turn into a collie or something?” My voice was finally starting to sound a modicum of normal.

“I am not a lap dog, Izzy.” Conall glared at me as he moved away from Sena to retake his spot across the room. “Our talents are associated with our names. We were given specific names upon birth for this reason.”

“So what is your talent? What does your name mean?” I asked Kennan.

“Do you remember when I asked you not to be scared by what you saw in the visions of Cait? I was afraid you would see what I turned into.”

“What do you turn into? Stop stalling.”

“My name means ancient. One of the earliest gifts bestowed upon our kind, if you wish to call it that, is the gift of unhinged rage. Some have called us berserkers. I morph and change into a rage filled, mindless creature.”

“So, you are like the Incredible Hulk?” My eyes were wide. I wondered if he turned green and yelled “Hulk Smash.”

“Yes, but without the green. And no, I don’t say Kennan Smash.” He knew me too well.

“So, what about you?” I asked Conall.

“My name means strong wolf," Conall supplied.

I started laughing uncontrollably. Suddenly, Sena’s comments about dog boy and peeing on her stuff made a whole lot more sense. Then I got the image of a wolf wearing an eye patch in my head and there was no coming back.

“I think that she’s finally cracked, brother," Conall muttered to Kennan.

“Just give her a moment.”

“Do you still wear the eye patch when you are all wolfed out? Please tell me that you do. Oh, are you like a werewolf? Do full moons make you want to chase your tail?”

“I’m not a werewolf. Have you not listened to anything, woman? I become a wolf in the same way that Kennan morphs into a berserker. It is a repressed, or dormant, talent. So no, I don’t chase my tail at the full moon, and no I don’t wear my eye patch in wolf form.” Conall didn’t seem to find the situation as funny as I did. I couldn’t understand how he didn’t find it at least a little bit amusing. A dog with an eye patch, it was funny. I didn’t care what he said.

“Sorry," I muttered, only half meaning it. “So, that is the best plan we have? You guys get the gang back together and tap into your old school talents and fight the demon? We don’t even know where the durn thing will surface.”

“It will surface wherever you are. That is one of the few things working to our advantage," Aberto added.