See How She Fights (The Chronicles of Izzy #2)(71)
“Well, okay then. Could we maybe get this show on the road? It is kind of drafty in here,” I said, causing Conall and Kennan to snicker before quickly regaining composure.
“As you wish.” Aberto looked down upon my leg with great concentration. He cleaned the mark and spread the salve on it. He took a bandage and wrapped it around my leg as he chanted something I could not understand. I often wondered what language he was speaking. My leg instantly felt better. I looked down at him as he finished wrapping the wound.
“Thank you.” I hoped he knew my thanks was for far more than just wrapping the wound.
“I am ever at your service, Milady. Now I must go to get what I need to mark you for more protection.” Aberto bowed before disappearing from sight.
“Freaking Old One,” I mumbled, pulling my pants back up. I needed to go change. I sat up on the couch and started to stand when a wave of dizziness threatened to knock me over.
“Here, let me help you.” Kennan rushed to my side, lifting me from the couch. He carried me toward the door before I stopped him.
“I need to walk.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you are in pain. Let me carry you.” Kennan’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Not for me, I need to walk for them. They need me to be strong, Kennan. I have to lead these people now.” I knew he would understand.
“Alright, but you can at least take my arm.” Kennan lowered me to the ground so that I could walk, holding out his arm for me to loop mine through it.
“And mine,” Conall said, rushing to my other side. “We will just look like your escorts. Put all of your weight on us and we will carry you.”
Kennan nodded his thanks to Conall as I looped my other arm through his. They practically lifted my weight up as we made our way to the stairs. People bowed at us on the way. I nodded my head back at each of them, pretending to walk the entire way. We arrived at our room and I thanked Conall before moving inside to change. Kennan lingered outside to talk to Conall for a moment.
**********
TWENTY SEVEN
I moved into the room in search of a pair of leggings. I didn’t want something rough rubbing against my fresh rune. I went to the bathroom to pull them on in case Conall decided to come in or Aberto decided to poof back into existence. I walked in and stopped to stare at my reflection. My face looked different and it took a moment to see what had changed. I moved closer to the mirror, staring at my tired reflection. Looking back were eyes that were not my own. In the place of my normally hazel eyes were a pair of eyes swept by a furious storm. They swirled with blue in the hazel, constantly shifting between colors. How had Kennan not noticed this? I was still staring at my reflection when Kennan came into the room.
“What are you doing, Izzy?” he asked, moving toward the bathroom. I guess I had forgotten to close the door behind me.
“Did you not notice this?” I asked, gripping the sides of the sink tightly.
“Your eyes?” he calmly asked.
“Yes, my eyes. What the hell is happening to me?” I fell to my knees trying to catch my breath.
“I don’t know, Izzy. I don’t know what he did to you.” Kennan lowered himself to the floor and gathered me in his arms.
“He breathed part of his soul into me. He said it was the only way he could have saved me,” I said, letting tears stream down my cheeks. No matter how much I had prepared myself for the idea of dying, something about seeing my eyes change and knowing that so much more was probably shifting inside of me caused me to feel off balance.
“But, it is forbidden,” Kennan breathed.
“Yeah, he mentioned something about that part. What is going to happen to me?” I swallowed and burrowed my face into Kennan’s chest seeking out his comfort.
“I don’t know Izzy, but we will make it through this,” he swore, kissing the top of my head. I turned my face so that I could meet his lips with my own. I kissed him furiously with tears running down my cheeks. I knew that whatever was coming, there was a very real chance I would have to let him go. I would have to leave him. I couldn’t bear the thought of the pain I would leave behind. I threw myself at him with the passion of someone saying goodbye.
“Whoa, Izzy. Stop,” Kennan breathed out. “What’s going on?” he pulled back to look in my eyes. His brows were furrowed in confusion.
“He told me the prophecy,” I said with tears tracking down my cheeks. It seemed once I had allowed the flood gates to open there was no damming them back up.
“It is not certain. Do you understand me? I won’t let you go, Izzy. You will not die for this world. It doesn’t deserve that kind of sacrifice. We will stop this,” Kennan said furiously. I knew that there was nothing he could do to stop what was coming for me. Nothing could. Not Aberto, not Conall, not Ian or Molly, and not even Kennan could change this future. It was written in stone. My fate was sealed.
“You’re right. We can find a way,” I said, hoping to soothe his mind. I wouldn’t admit to him what I had to Aberto. I couldn’t tell Kennan that death did not scare me. I would willingly sacrifice myself to ensure he was kept safe. He would never understand that. “I should change. Aberto will probably be back soon to mark me again.” I wiped the tears from my eyes standing up. I pulled my jeans off and tossed them in the trash with my shirt from the night before. I looked over at Kennan and saw him warring with himself.