See How She Falls (The Chronicles of Izzy #3)(42)
“The verdict is, you need to eat, and we will discuss her ideas after you have had some sleep. You must rest, Izzy. Do not let yourself get worn down," my aunt admonished.
“But all of this inaction is not doing a durn thing to help me feel like I have any control over what is coming. Everyone keeps telling me to be strong, but just waiting around for this demon to come chomp at me is not my idea of a good time. I’m not hungry, I just want to sleep.” The electricity began to flicker down my arms, causing tears to well in my eyes. “And why does this keep happening? I can’t even control it. Gah!” I shouted as I made my way towards the room Kennan and I had occupied the night before. I just hoped it was still ours.
Aberto started to move towards me, but Kennan pulled him to a stop. “Give her some time. She needs to be alone right now, otherwise she won’t come back to herself. Sometimes we have to let her go.” Kennan’s last words before I disappeared into the room peaked my interest. “So, perhaps you and I can discuss that secret that you would not divulge in the helicopter.”
“Now would suffice," Aberto replied.
I stormed into the room, wallowing in my own misery. The secrets that had brought me to this point swirled around in my mind, pulling me in a thousand directions. I threw myself on the bed, my head spinning, and I couldn’t take it any longer. I ripped my soul from my body and ventured out to find Kennan and Aberto. I wanted to know what they were saying. I wanted the truth, for once. Directives be damned, I was so tired of being in the dark.
I turned a corner, searching for them, and came to an abrupt halt when I finally spotted them. They were on the back porch, sitting on the stairs, staring off into the swamp.
“Are you certain?” Kennan’s strained voice asked.
“I’ve known my entire life. I saw it the day I was brought into existence, and I’ve seen it every day since.” Aberto looked off, trying to mask the sadness in his eyes. I knew that if I so much as breathed, I would be caught. I held as still as I could, waiting for what they may say next.
“Swear to me that you will protect her, that you will not leave her side.” Kennan looked to Aberto, grabbing his shoulder as he pleaded. “Swear it to me," he choked out.
“You need not even ask it, but I shall swear it all the same.” Aberto grabbed Kennan’s elbow and looked him in the eyes. “I swear I will guard and protect her all of my days, no matter how many they may be. She will never be alone from this day onward.”
“See that she is not. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone for a while.” Kennan looked back out into the swamp as a tear threatened to fall down his face. I didn’t understand. What had they said before I’d gotten there? What was happening?
I rushed back to where my body lay on the bed, mending my halves together. I longed to go to Kennan, but I knew that I would be found out if I did. The implications of their conversation made my stomach roil. Was Kennan leaving me? Did he have to go in order to protect me? I never should’ve gone. I never should’ve listened to a conversation that wasn’t meant for my ears. Fear welled up inside of me at the possibility of living the rest of my life without him. I couldn’t fathom it.
Just as I’d made my mind up to go find him, the door opened and he entered as if nothing had happened. His eyes held the same playful brightness they always did. In his hands he had a plate of food he intended to force me to eat. I looked back at his face, searching for any sign of what I’d just witnessed.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Kennan smiled crookedly.
“Nothing, it’s just,” I paused trying to understand, “nothing.” I shook it off. Maybe the runes were playing tricks on my mind. Cait had warned me that the darkness would do everything to pull me under. I wondered if that also meant deceiving me and making me believe horrible things.
“Are you sure? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost. What’s going on, Izzy?” Kennan set the food on the dresser and lowered himself down to sit next to me on the bed.
“I think my mind is playing tricks on me. Maybe the exhaustion is just getting to me. I’m okay, really," I lied, wondering if I would ever be okay again.
“Promise?” Kennan asked.
“Promise, promise.” As the words left my mouth, I wondered if the lie was all that white. We’d never gotten anywhere good by keeping secrets from one another, but I had no idea how I was supposed to ask him about what I’d heard. How could I? After all, I shouldn’t have eavesdropped to begin with.
“Well, in that case, it is food time. No arguing.” Kennan reached over to grab the plate as an idea struck me.
“What did Aberto have to say?” I waited for a reaction, something that would make me believe I’d really seen what I had but there was not so much as a shift in his demeanor as he answered.
“He wanted to talk strategy. Nothing serious. Honestly, I don’t know why you couldn’t have been there for the discussion. Sometimes, Aberto’s reasoning makes no sense.” Kennan put the plate on my lap giving me a firm look. “No more stalling, eat. I’ve got to go check in with Conall, but when I get back that food better be gone.” He raised a brow before kissing me on the head.
“Aye, Aye!” I mock saluted.
I guess I’d imagined the whole thing. With everything we’d been through over the past year, I’d learned to read Kennan really well. Unfortunately, he showed no signs that anything was amiss at all. Instead, he seemed completely fine. That damned darkness was going to drive me mad before I even had a chance to stop it. I should do more research on what I was up against. Maybe then I would understand what I was facing. I knew the demon’s name, now I needed to know what he was capable of.