See How She Fights (The Chronicles of Izzy #2)(69)

“I never said it did not matter, Izzy. What I said was to turn your mind from it. It is not something which requires any attention. I understand your love for him. I understand his love for you. It is a love that only comes along once in a millennium. I will not ever do anything to jeopardize that. My affections matter not. I will do my duty by you. I will protect you and keep you from harm, but I expect nothing in return and I never shall.” He stood and moved away facing toward the hedges. I swallowed deeply trying to let his words sink in.

“Okay, so what about the prophecy?” I asked, hoping to change the subject. He turned towards me with his crooked smile and walked back toward the bench.

“Are you sure you wish to hear more today?” he asked steadily.

“I am.” I wanted as much information as I could gather. If he was willing to talk, I would listen.

“So be it.” His eyes looked as if he were seeing something far away. “Thousands of years ago, around 3000 B.C. your time, soul walkers began to disappear. The heavens decided it was too much power to bestow upon Seers and slowly took the power away over time. The few soul walkers that remained began to talk of a Seer that would come to walk the earth. This Seer would hold not only the powers of a Seer, but also the powers of Guardians. More importantly, she would be able to soul walk. Something that was all but gone by the time the prophecy came about.”

“I don’t understand, none of this sounds bad. Why has everyone been keeping this from me?” I looked at him steadily as he leaned down, putting his elbows on his knees. He bent his head down, staring at the ground as if trying to avoid my gaze. He stayed that way for what felt like an eternity before shaking his head and sitting up once more.

“You have a right to know what is coming for you. I won’t keep things from you anymore. You ask it, and I will tell you, Izzy. No more half-truths.” He lifted his hand up to brush my cheek but hesitated and dropped his hand back to his side. His eyes were filled with a pain unlike any I had ever seen.

“Tell me what the prophecy says, Aberto. Don’t leave anything out.” I grabbed his hand and entwined my fingers with his. I hated to see him hurt. Something in me called out to soothe his pain. For all I knew, it was the part of his soul now resting inside my own.

“Pain. Ultimately that is what the prophecy predicts for the Seer to come.” He squeezed my hand once before releasing it and moving to stand by the hedgerow once more. “The Seer shall face much adversity and overcome great obstacles. Her gifts will manifest themselves in wondrous ways. She will do the will of the heavens and bring about justice on a world that is unjust. She will be the great protector and binder of man. The people will look to her for strength and direction.” He paused, looking back at me. I could see that he did not want to tell me what was about to come. His blue eyes burned with a rage I had only seen once before on him. He looked away, clenching his jaw.

I stood and moved toward him. I put my hand on his shoulder, turning him to face me.

“Tell me,” I uttered, nothing more than a whisper.

“The Seer will face a great darkness. In the quest to end the reign of terror brought forth upon the earth, the Seer will fall.” He swallowed hard, looking at me. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. “I will not let that happen, Izzy. I will not let you fall,” he swore.

“If I must fall to protect the world from a great evil, then I will. I’m not afraid to die Aberto. I never have been. I know that there are people I love waiting on the other side. So, in this, I will do what must be done. If I end up like Cait, then so be it. I can’t live forever.” I smiled up at him and stood on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“What of your Guardian? You would leave him distraught if you were to perish. What of your friends? What of me?” He held me in place with his fiery gaze. “I have existed for over five thousand years, Izzy, and never in that time have I cared what happened to a single entity. My existence is to oversee and make sure the balance is maintained. I am never to interfere. All I am permitted to do is provide guidance and instruction. But you, you are different. You always have been. I couldn’t let you die.” He walked away from me unable to look at me any longer.

“Aberto, if this is my destiny, then I will not fight it. I’ve spent the last year of my life wallowing in self-pity. It is time I face what is coming for me. Hiding, running, it won’t change what is happening. Ren and the other Seers have taught me that my purpose is much bigger than any of my selfish desires. I’m not my own person anymore. I won’t run any longer. I won’t hide.” I was growing tired once more. I moved to sit back on the bench breathing deeply. “I’m not afraid of what is too come. What I am afraid of is losing Kennan, of never being able to tell my friends how much they mean to me, of not being enough to protect them. But, I’m not afraid of dying.”

“I fear for you.” Aberto moved to crouch in front of me.

“Promise me you will not interfere to protect me.” I was taken aback by my sudden exhaustion. I felt the pull of sleep dragging on me once more.

“I cannot,” Aberto said, reaching for my face. “I will not.”

“Then the world may very well perish because you are too selfish to let me go,” I said as sleep pulled me under. I fell to the bench as Aberto screamed my name.

**********

I stood in the dreaming, looking around the fog. There in the distance stood the same red robed figure from the night before. He moved towards me slowly.