Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(54)
A lonely tear that could only represent how utterly lost I felt escaped from my eye and met his fingertips. “Help me…help me make this right…you can’t hurt them,” I said, holding his stare.
Empathy filled his flawless face. “They cannot destroy you…you are my everything, and I cannot live in any realm without you beside me…the time between us has already been too great for any soul to bear.”
“Come with me...come home with me...tell them what to do – how to stop this…help them – then help more like them...help me stop that evil realm from existence.”
The glow of honey in his eyes filled with sympathy.“I can’t…you can’t…it’s their nature…the moment you try and help them, give them a single ounce of your light, your power - they become consumed with lust, lust for all of your power. Because when they obtain it, they’ll have what all Escorts crave: enough power to control the dark realm.”
“They made a choice to face their demons. When they were tested, they took the bravest path. They deserve a second chance.”
“They’re given another chance each time they die and are born again – tested again. Most fall into the numbness the next time they’re tested; others chose the path of an Escort – not because they’re brave, but because they feel with each life that they become stronger, more aware, able to pull more power to them. Escorts are selfish – the lowest of all energy, in my book.”
“How can someone who feels as peaceful as you do be so unforgiving?”
My words clearly hurt him; the glow in his eyes dimmed as his jaw tightened before he said, “I forgive...I protect…anyone who asks me to – but no Escort ever has. They didn’t ask you either, and when you decided to save them, to help them…they placed a divide between us…a veil over your existence.”
“You’re wrong…they’ve asked me to save them – both of them have…in their own way…the depths of their souls are too pure…whatever you think you know about them is wrong – I promise.”
His eyes fell into mine, and he smiled painfully. “Some things never change.”
“Help me,” I whispered.
“I will…the moment they begin to destroy you, I’ll be there.”
“Before that – help now. What do they have to do to make you see that they’re innocent?”
“Leave you alone,” he said in a stern tone.
The familiar emotion of anger came to me instantly. I stepped back, breaking his embrace. “I love him…I belong with him.”
His flawless jawline tensed. “I wish I could understand. I wish I knew how or why you – your energy – is able to walk among both the darkness and light with balance. I wish I could understand why I cannot forget you, or how my soul and yours can be so completely different, yet one. Right now, you’re blinded by this life. If you could see how horribly wrong all of this has gone, how dangerous you stepping into this life was, you’d understand; you’d realize that the mere suggestion of having me any closer than this to Draven – or the father you know in this life – is an impossible request. They cannot change – and neither can I. I will defend the weak, and they consume the weak. Whether Draven realizes it or not, one day very soon your power will be too tempting for him to refuse. This was over before it began.”
I shook my head no as more tears fell. “I won’t let that happen! Never! Do you hear me? Never!”
Silas’ eyes moved across the field we were standing in. “This light, this glow on the wings of these beautiful creatures…that is the mere breath of your light. Do you see how alluring it is? How mesmerizing your power is? If I could take it all way, turn back time and try harder to convince you to change your mind, I would.”
“Monroe said these were my guide…she said they’d lead me to where I wanted to go.”
The anger in his expression seemed to fade. “Monroe’s soul is wise…she knows that your power is your leading light…it will guide you to where you need to be.”
An unthinkable clarity came to me as I uttered the words, “They lead me to you.” My eyes moved across the pond. Grief absorbed every part of me. This was all my fault…I’d placed Draven in an unthinkable danger, and I would do anything – anything – to release him from that.
“If I leave with you now…will you leave them alone? Will you spare them from the fate you promise is theirs?”
Silas stepped closer to me and moved one arm carefully around my waist as the other reached for the center of my chest. My eyes moved to his as I felt the peace his skin was pushing through my body. “I cannot,” his voice trembled. “I cannot set you free from the prison of this body…not in this world….there’s only one way out, and I’d rather end my existence than be the one that takes your last breath in this life.”
The calm that his touch was bringing to me couldn’t hinder my fiercely beating heart. As he felt it pound against his hand, sadness filled his expression.
“I will find a way to save them all…to be the person I was meant to be,” I promised in a whisper.
“Your light…your power is growing stronger with each moment. The more aware you are of who you were – are – the more addicting it becomes to those around you…it won’t be long now,” he said just before he leaned into my lips. As his lips moved across mine, I felt life seeping through me. I felt the courage and power build in my soul. My hands slowly moved up his chest, around his neck, wanting only to feel that power; it wasn’t his touch, it was the way he made me feel that was so addicting. Just as I pulled him closer to me, the warmth and calm of his existence vanished, and he was gone.