See How She Fights (The Chronicles of Izzy #2)(45)

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We stayed in the library until none of us could keep our heads up. My hand felt as though it would fall off at any moment. I couldn’t remember the last time I had written so much in one sitting. I stretched, cracking my back as I did. Molly winced and yawned simultaneously.

“I think it’s time to call it a night,” Ian said from the shadows. I wondered how long he’d been there. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater. The most subdued I had ever seen him.

“I think you might be right,” Molly said as she moved towards him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the top of her head. I had to swallow back my tears. I knew Kennan would be back soon but the familiar gesture was just a blatant reminder of his absence.

“Well, goodnight then,” I muttered before getting up to leave. I was intercepted by an eye patch wearing mountain.

“I shall accompany you,” he bowed.

“When will you stop with the freaking bowing?” I griped as we made our way up the stairs.

“You are the head of the Council now and as such you deserve the respect assigned the office. So, I shall not stop bowing. I know that I promised to do so before my mother left, but the situation is now altered. If we who are closest to you do not show you the respect assigned the office, then others will take that as a sign of your incompetence. You don’t want people to find you incompetent, do you?” In the short time he had known me, he had found my buttons. He knew how to push me.

“Fine, but please don’t call me ‘Milady’ in private. When it is just us, call me Izzy. I feel like enough of an imposter as it is.” We came to a stop in front of my room. “Well, goodnight Conall.”

“Um, Izzy?”

“Yeah, what is it?” I paused.

“Kennan made me swear not to let you out of my sight. I was instructed to stay in the room with you. I will, of course, slumber on the floor.” Conall looked as uncomfortable as I felt.

“Slumber, who even says stuff like that? Well, you better come in. If Kennan finds out you balked at your duty we will never hear the end of it. But don’t get all chatty. This isn’t a slumber party. I won’t be painting your nails.” I moved into the room.

“I would appreciate it if you did not paint my nails,” he said with a smirk. Oh, the temptation was so strong. I could just imagine mister prim and proper with bright pink nails.

I snickered as I made my way into the bathroom with my pajamas. Luckily I’d been the one to pack my bag this time so I had sweats and t-shirts to sleep in, much to Kennan’s chagrin. I came out finishing the braid in my hair to find a shirtless Conall settling into a bed he’d made on the floor. His back was to me and there were scars crisscrossing the entire expanse. I sucked in a breath.

“It happened when Cait was lost. The day I lost everything,” Conall said never turning to face me.

“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say. It seemed entirely inadequate, but at the same time, I meant every bit of it. I was sorry for the pain he’d had to endure. I knew if I could take it away I would.

“It was a long time ago. Let us sleep.” He lay down and removed his eye patch. Underneath was a mess of scar tissue left from the carnage of long ago. I turned away and headed toward my bed. I had seen enough for one day.

As my head hit the pillow I heard Conall mumble a good night. I turned the lamp off next to my bed and let the dreaming take me in.

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“Where have you been? You tell me not to pull you here but then you just quit showing up. What is on your arms now? What in the hell are you doing to yourself? You are glowing blue all over your arms and back. Haven’t you figured out how to get that rune off of your arm yet?” Ren spoke so quickly, I hardly had a moment to adjust to my surroundings.

“I’ve been trying to find a way to get you out of here. We know where they are now and we will be moving in soon,” I said, sitting on the ground. I was exhausted. Dreaming or awake, I was worn to the bone.

“Moving in. What are you some sort of commando?” She sat beside me looking on with her eyeless face.

“Don’t be snarky tonight. I don’t have the mental fortitude to deal with you.” I rubbed my hand down my face and immediately thought of Kennan. This was the first night in months I’d slept alone. I didn’t like it one bit. “The glowing blue marks I am assuming are the ones that Aberto put on me so that I could lift the veil on the smoky woman.”

“Wait, that was Aberto? The man who gave you the one on your back was the same guy, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Holy crap. You had the oldest Symbol-smith in existence give you your marks. That is insane. You know he is an Old One, don’t you?” She was positively giddy.

“What is an Old One?” I asked, knowing full well I probably would not get an answer. Just like that, Aberto appeared in the fog. Neat trick.

“I am an Old One,” he said lowering himself beside me. “Hello, Ren. How are you this evening?” He was far nicer to her than I was.

“Still stuck.”

“I am working on it. Sheesh, I am not a freaking genie you know. I can’t just wish you free,” I lowered my head between my legs. “What are you doing here?” I asked Aberto.

“I came to see if the marks worked the way you had hoped and I heard you have been asking about the Old Ones.” He was always so formal. It kind of unnerved me. Even as old as Kennan and Ian were, they’d adjusted to modern times and language. This man seemed endlessly trapped in the past.