See How She Fights (The Chronicles of Izzy #2)(60)

“Now you.” He reached out the stylus to me.

“Do you want me to trace over it? Is there some sort of intent I should be putting into this? Or do I just draw it?” I held the tool in my hand unsteadily. It felt heavy with the power radiating from it.

“You must seek to separate the Seers from Xavier. If you think of nothing but that while making the mark, it should be successful. Your mind must be focused on nothing but this. Are you ready?” His eyes held a kindness I had never seen there before. His gaze held mine captive as I tried to prepare myself for what I was about to do.

“Now or never, right?” I said with a little too much enthusiasm.

“You will be fine. Now make the first line.”

I did as he instructed dragging the stylus in a small straight line that looped slightly at the ends. The next mark looked like a coiled snake wrapped around the first. I looked at the mark he had made on his other arm and began to draw it.

“Stop,” Aberto said forcefully.

“What, what did I do?”

“You are focusing on what the mark looks like and not the intent. It does not matter if the mark is a perfect replica. If you do not ensure the mark has meaning it will be a pointless doodle. Again,” he said, turning his arm slightly so that I had a blank space to work with.

I looked at him for a moment before concentrating on his arm once more. I could do this. I thought about the Seers and their tie to Xavier. I wanted nothing more than to free them. If I could do that, then perhaps all would not be lost. I began drawing the mark again, not allowing my focus to waiver. I stared down at the finished mark and then looked up to Aberto’s face to find him eyeing me.

“Again,” his voice echoed in the fog, causing the vibrations to ripple in my own soul.

“Did I not do the last one right?” I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong that time. I had been focused.

“The last one was perfect, but you must be able to do multiple marks quickly. For that you need practice. Now do it again, but faster.” He turned his arm once more.

I began to make the mark again with the same focus as the last time. I worked through each of the lines as swiftly as I could while maintaining the mark and intent.

“Again,” Aberto was really starting to make me hate that word.

“I don’t like hurting you,” I said with all sincerity. I could tell that each time I marked him took a toll on his well-being. “Besides, isn’t this taking a toll on my soul?”

“I am using my life-force to provide the binding of the marks. I will recover. Now do it again, Izzy.”

“Let me use my life force this time. If I don’t, then I won’t know what it is supposed to feel like. If I’m going to do this, I need to know how to do all of it.” I looked steadily at his arm. I was determined not to fail. I felt my hair being brushed from my face and looked up to find him staring at me with sadness.

“You really are her,” he said with a sigh. “One more mark and you can do it as you choose, then we will move on to find the Seers.”

“I am really who?” I asked exasperated. “Okay, I get that you are about to tell me in your almighty superior voice ‘Now is not the time,’ but when this is finished you owe me a long conversation. Give me your word that you will tell me the prophecy when this is resolved. Swear it.” I eyed him steadily.

He grasped my hand in his and bowed deeply, brushing his forehead to my hand. “I swear it. I shall tell you everything I know about the prophecy.”

“Okay then, let’s get this over with,” I said, reaching out to draw the mark once more. I could feel the difference as I made it. There was a painful tug originating where my heart would be in my body. I felt the pull with each mark I made. When I was finished I felt as if I had just gone on a run in the Alabama heat. I tried to steady myself and a pair of bare strong arms shot out to hold me up.

“Are you well?” Aberto asked, entirely too close.

“I’ll be fine. Let’s go find the others,” I said, pulling away.

“As you wish. Come with me,” he said, reaching his hand out for me to grasp. I entwined my fingers with his and was once more pulled along with him. Only this time we traversed the dreaming. I wondered if I would learn to do this on my own. It would make finding things much easier.

We pulled to a sudden stop and Aberto swore under his breath. Lying before us was a pile of Seers. They were strewn about as they had been in my vision days before. It seemed an eternity had passed since that vision, yet I stood in the midst of the very thing I had set out to prevent.

“What happened to them?” I asked, moving to look at each one of the Seers. They all looked as though they had been torn to shreds. I looked for Ren in the carnage. I needed to find her. When I could finally pick her out of the group of girls, I noticed she was lying on top of someone. I moved towards them, ignoring Aberto’s pleas for me to stop. I needed to see if Ren was still there. If she wasn’t, then this was all for nothing. I couldn’t stop the tears that slid down my cheeks.

I reached out for her body and bent to turn her so that her face was staring up at me. Her moan was a barely discernable whisper.

“Ren, what happened?” I carefully moved her and noticed that the other Seers were still moving. Not well, and not more than a twitch here and there. Whatever had happened, their souls were still clinging to this plane. I had to set them free.