See How She Falls (The Chronicles of Izzy #3)(61)

“What are you thinking?” Ian’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“I’m thinking that it isn’t fair. None of this.” I stared out the window, trying to come to terms with all that had transpired.

“Things seldom are in our world.” Ian reached out to lace his fingers with mine, giving me a comfort I hadn’t known I needed.

“I don’t think any of us understood what was at stake. She walked in there thinking that she would be the only one to die. She faced it, and now she is just gone. She was supposed to be freed from this world and now what? Is she stuck forever? She won’t ever see him again, Ian.”

“I know, Molly. I know.” Ian pulled me against his body. I let his strength buoy me. I couldn’t falter. I had to keep channeling the fearless Izzy. She’d stop at nothing to keep her friends safe.

We approached the airfield and paid the cab driver. Getting out, I noticed the same pilot that had flown us from the Council was here now.

“Ian," the pilot said.

“Bruce. Thanks for meeting us here, brother.” Ian embraced him.

“It is a hard time for us all. We need you now more than ever," Bruce replied.

“Let’s get going.” Ian nodded toward the helicopter.

I settled into my seat, strapping on the many harnesses. I wasn’t taking any chances. Planes were one thing, but helicopters? Well, let’s just say that my last flight had about sent me into conniptions. I tried to think of anything else as the helicopter began to take off. I allowed Ian and Bruce’s conversation from the front take my mind away from where I was. Maybe if I closed my eyes and did some of the breathing exercises I’d learned from Izzy’s left behind yoga dvd’s, I could relax.

I lay my head against the head rest, taking in deep, cleansing breaths and slowly letting them back out. I could do this, I could relax. Just as I finally found my focus, I heard it, the sobbing. I knew I needed to go, but I couldn’t find where it was. That was the worst part about my ever developing abilities, I couldn’t seem to hone them. My brain was a conduit for other Seers’ thoughts, emotions, and visions. It was disorienting and sickening simultaneously.

“Who’s there?” I called out in my mind.

“The darkness will still come.” The sobbing continued.

I couldn’t find it. Finally, I gave up and threw myself into the dreaming. At least then I could get a better grasp on everything.

“Where are you?”

“It was supposed to end. Why didn’t it end?” the voice cried out.

“Who are you?” I asked again, certain that this time, maybe they would answer. Sometimes, I should really be careful what I wished for though. Out of the fog a figure emerged and I suddenly knew exactly what Izzy must’ve felt like talking to Ren.

Standing before me was a figure with scorched, blackened skin and blood running from every orifice. It was the most horrifying sight my eyes had ever beheld and I longed to look away, to hide my face. Instead, I pressed on.

“Who are you?”

“I am you.” I looked more closely at the figure, trying to tell myself that it couldn’t be true. This scorched and tortured figure couldn’t be me. Then I saw my eyes, staring back at me.

“But how?”

“The darkness is coming.”

The figure reached out and pushed me from the dreaming.

Gulping for air, I opened my eyes. It wasn’t over. Even if the demon was gone, something was still coming. Nothing was ever easy.



The End





Epilogue


Izzy


“The darkness shall fall," the shadows whispered. I longed to ignore them, to drift in the oblivion of the dreaming. I’d found comfort there for I wasn’t sure how long. I really didn’t care, to be honest. I wanted the days to pass. I wanted the days to end. There was nothing to tempt me. Nothing to make me long to live.

The thought of Molly and Ian skirted through my mind for a moment before skittering away from my disregard. They had each other. They could be happy. Then came the thought of my aunt. She’d lived her whole life without me, she didn’t need me either. Person after person ran through my mind like some sort of torture. The memories weren’t enough to mend the gaping chasm left by Kennan.

Kennan, his memories made every other memory worth the torture. His smile, his laugh, and the way his hands would brush the hair from my face before he’d kiss me. Each moment I relived reopened the wound, assuring that I would never be whole again. Kennan had been so much more to me than even I had known. By the time I’d figured it out, it had been too late.

“The darkness shall fall," the shadows whispered again. The whispers came from I knew not where. I did my best to ignore them but they were persistent bastards. Why couldn’t I float in the darkness, alone, in peace? Hadn’t I given enough?

“The war rages on," the shadows promised.

“Yeah, the damned war never ends. That’s not news to me!” I shouted back.

“Act now or all will be lost.”

“I’ve heard that before," I mumbled, shaking off the whispers and jumping back on memory lane.

Kennan walked up behind me at the sink in our farmhouse, kissing my shoulder, pulling me back against his body. I knew what he wanted, and I could never deny him. I needed him the way I needed air.