See How She Fights (18 page)

I looked down at her arm and
back to Aberto. I was running out of steam, but I knew that this had to end. I
didn’t have time to focus on her last statement. I needed to get this over
with. I hoped that when I made the last mark on Isadora, the others would be
free. As I began her mark, the pull on my soul felt unbearable. It felt as
though my heart was being ripped from inside my chest. I gritted my teeth and
focused on the mark. I had to get this right. I thought of severing the ties
that bound Xavier to Isadora and pushed through the pain. As the last of the
mark etched itself into Isadora’s arm, the stylus fell from my hand, and with
it I began to sink to the ground. I felt empty. Everything that had once made
me was no more. Where I had once been, there was now a gaping void.

Before my soul could fall to the
ground, I was lifted in an arm cradle. I turned my head to find Aberto staring
at me. He muttered words I could not understand and lowered his head so that
his lips brushed along mine. Warmth began spreading through my body as he
breathed the words against my lips. The void was filled with peace and a love
unlike any I had ever felt. The fear and pain dissipated as he uttered the last
words.

I pushed against him so that I
could get down. I didn’t understand what had just happened. What had he done to
me? I knew that I had taxed a great deal of my soul while trying to mark the
Seers, but whatever he had just done felt like it mended the holes I had made.

“What have you done, Old One?”
Isadora’s voice was filled with hesitancy. I knew whatever had just happened
was not something that should have.

“I did what I promised. I kept
her safe,” he said, never taking his eyes from me. “Now we must finish. It is
time to return to your Guardian and find Xavier.” He reached his hand out to me
and, stunned, I took it.

“What about the Seers? I thought
they would be free by now,” I said, looking over to the women who were now
stirring.

“They will be free once we mark
Xavier, but not until then. We must hurry. He will know that something has
changed.”

With that I was ripped back into
reality to find Molly, Ian, Conall, Eleanor, and Kennan all hovering around my
body. Their eyes were filled with tears and concern. Kennan looked furious. I
pulled my soul back into my body and began to slowly mend myself together.

**********

TWENTY THREE

“Why is everyone in here?” I asked
as I opened my eyes. I winced at the pain that settled in my chest. It was in
the same place the pull had been while in the dreaming. I lifted my hand to rub
it when Aberto appeared in the room.

Kennan got up and shot towards him.
“You promised. You swore to protect her. She died, Old One. She died and I was
helpless to do anything about it.” Kennan was as close to Aberto as space
allowed. His angry face looking up into Aberto’s calm one.

“I swore, and as you see, she still
lives. Do not accuse me of not keeping my word, Guardian. You know not what I
have done to protect her.” Aberto moved away from Kennan and made his way
toward me. The hesitation in his eyes reflecting my own. I didn’t know what had
happened back there. But apparently, I had died. So that was a new one for me.

“I’m fine, Kennan. Really, we need
to hurry,” I said, starting to sit up on the couch as Molly flung her arms
around my neck. “A little too tight, Molly. I can’t breathe,” I squeaked.

“Don’t ever scare me like that
again, Izzy. Just, don’t die on me. Okay?” she said with tears streaming down
her face.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. But I
promise to be more careful from now on.” I looked at her steadily. I knew that
if I wanted these people to move then I needed to keep my crap together. If I
fell apart about a little thing like dying, everything else would go to pot.
There was no time to dwell. “We need to go. It’s time.” I squeezed Molly’s
hands as I stood from the couch.

“Where do you think you are going?”
Kennan asked, moving to help me up from the couch.

“I have to go with you. I still
have to mark Xavier,” I said, placing my hand on his chest. I knew he didn’t
want me to go. I could see the battle in his eyes. I waited for him to try and
stop me, as he had been trying to do since this all began.

“We need to hurry,” he said, eyeing
me steadily. With every single one of his instincts screaming at him to keep me
safe, he had pushed it all aside to support me. I knew what it had cost him.

“Thank you,” I whispered as tears
filled my eyes.

“No more dying, Izzy,” Kennan said
before moving out toward the hall. Everyone started to follow out. I lingered
for a moment and snagged Aberto’s hand as he started to leave.

“What did you do to me?” I asked
him. I felt different, like a part of me had been fundamentally changed.

“I saved you,” he said evenly. I
knew I would get no more from him. I was going to start charging him a dollar
for every cryptically vague answer he gave me. I would be rich in a week.

“This isn’t over,” I said calmly.

“I know.”

We eyed each other steadily for a
moment before I turned to leave the room. Hopefully this would end tonight and
I would be back to myself by tomorrow. Sans runes. I was ready to end this.

“Shall we?” Ian asked, moving
toward the door. I noticed he was in the same black get-up as the other
Guardians. I sort of missed the ninja suit.

“Better get it over with,” I said,
moving out the door. Molly stood still in the doorframe looking out at us, the
people assembled to end her mother’s life. “I’m sorry Molly.” I meant it. I
hated to put her through this.

“End it,” she said, turning away to
disappear into the depths of the house.

“She will be fine, Pip Squeak.
Don’t worry,” Ian said, squeezing my shoulder.

“Load up, gentlemen. We have work
to do,” Kennan instructed the group of Guardians that had gathered outside.
Every last one of them looked like they had seen better days. I recognized a
few of the men from sifting through Kennan’s and Conall’s memories. They all
bowed to me as they passed to get in the cars. I stood still, waiting for
everyone to move before following Kennan into the SUV. Aberto slid in beside me
so that I was sandwiched between the men. “Let’s go,” Kennan commanded. I had
never realized Kennan was in charge of these men, but it fit. There seemed to be
a lot I didn’t know about my Guardian.

“How will I separate myself once we
get there? I’m assuming I can’t mark Xavier on this plane in order to make it
work. So, what is the plan?” I asked Aberto.

“We must remain with the vehicles
when we get there,” he replied calmly. I wished I could bottle his resolve. It
would be so nice to be able to take a dose at times like this.

“Are they still at the factory?”
Kennan asked. I had totally forgotten to ask Ren and the others. I started to
say as much when Aberto spoke up.

“They have not moved. Xavier is not
yet completely healed. The ceremony takes time and his connection having been
partially severed from the Seers will put a strain on the healing. She will not
be able to move him yet,” Aberto replied as he turned to stare out the window
at the passing fields.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Kennan asked in my ear.

“No, not really. But thank you for
backing me.” I laid my head on his chest and let the beat of his heart comfort
me.

“I will always back you. No matter
what. I just want to protect you. I get carried away with it sometimes.” He
bent down to kiss the top of my head.

“I know. I love you, Kennan. Be
careful in there tonight,” I whispered.

“Always.” He pulled me closer to
his body and I let myself disappear into the comfort for a moment.

We rode the rest of the way to the
factory like that. I breathed in the scent of him and melted into his embrace.
All the while I could feel Aberto’s presence in a way I had not before. I felt
him as though he was a part of me. Whatever he had done had changed me. I just
wasn’t sure what those changes might mean. I glanced over to find him staring
at me, his eyes confirming my suspicions. I started to speak only to have him
shake his head imperceptibly. I closed my lips and sighed. He lifted the side
of his mouth in a crooked smile and turned to continue looking out the window.

Only too soon, we arrived outside
the factory. Kennan turned towards us with a look of determination on his face.
I knew that this was a situation neither of us wanted to be in again. He was
going after his brother but I saw no hesitation in his eyes. I knew that
whatever came, this would end tonight. There would be no mistakes made this
time. He lifted my chin and kissed me deeply, causing my toes to curl. I could
feel heat pool in my stomach in response. He pulled away and breathed deeply
with his forehead against mine.

“Be careful,” he said quietly
before backing away. “Old One, I need a word.”

“As you wish,” Aberto said, getting
out of the car. I just sat in the backseat, staring out the window at the two
men. I tried to listen to their conversation but could not make anything out.
All I could see was a very angry Kennan looking at a very calm Aberto. Kennan
was gesturing with his hands toward me and speaking quickly. I had never seen
him so upset. All the while Aberto took it in calmly. He placed a hand on
Kennan’s shoulder and turned to look straight in my eyes before speaking to
Kennan.

“She is well,” I could hear him
say. I don’t know how it happened, but it was almost like when Molly spoke to
me in my head, only this time I heard the words with my ears.

“I don’t know what you did to her,
but she is different now, Old One. If we come out of this, I want answers.
Guard her and keep her. Please,” Kennan said, glancing at me.

“I will answer all when this night
is over,” Aberto said, pulling his hand from Kennan’s shoulder severing the
connection. I could no longer hear what was being said. I couldn’t even begin
to fathom why he’d wanted me to hear that bit of the conversation. They
continued in their quiet argument for a moment before Kennan moved toward the
group of men assembled and Aberto returned to the car.

I swallowed deeply as he climbed in
the backseat with me once more. The car suddenly felt very small. I looked into
his clear blue eyes and felt a pull toward him I had not felt before tonight. I
shook my head, trying to toss away the feeling.

“What now?” I would ask the rest of
the questions later. For now, I had to get in and save the Seers from an
eternity between planes.

“Now, you leave your body and end
this,” he said calmly. “Lie down.”

“Umm, can’t I just sit up? There
isn’t much room for me to lay with you back here.”

“Lay your head upon my lap,” he
said, causing me to burst into laughter. “Why do you find this amusing?”

“Sorry, it just sounded like a
pickup line. You need to lay your head in my lap so that we can save the day.”

“You are wasting time by being
ridiculous. Focus,” he admonished. Somehow, he always managed to make me feel
like nothing more than a petulant child. I sighed deeply, sucking up my pride
and did as he asked. I laid my head in his lap and let myself drift. I pulled
from my body more easily than I had ever done.

**********

“What now?” I asked Aberto. We stood
outside the car, looking in at my body. It was odd to see it lying there as if
I was just asleep.  I was thankful that Aberto had faded slowly so that my head
hadn’t dropped to the seat.  That should save me from at least one headache.
“Should we lock the doors?” I didn’t want some random passerby to have his/her
way with my unconscious body. It wasn’t exactly the nicest spot to just leave
your body lying around.

“It is already done, Izzy. Now,
we must hurry,” Aberto said, grabbing my hand. He did the tunnel-teleport
thingy into the building causing my stomach to drop. When we pulled to a stop,
we were in a room that resembled one found in the ICU of a hospital. I looked
over to see Xavier’s body lying on a bed, hooked up to a ventilator. He was
immobile. It seemed so strange to once more be so close to him. I wanted so
badly to end this. I moved toward him only to be pulled to a stop by Aberto.

“Patience, Seer. We must draw
him from his body for this to work,” he said, moving toward Xavier. I watched as
he moved slowly toward his prone body. I looked over to find Molly’s mom
checking machines. She looked exactly as she had the last time I had seen her
at the lab and my heart broke for Molly. She seemed so sane, so normal, yet
here she was. There was no denying she was responsible now.

I turned to see Aberto close his
eyes and drop his hands into Xavier’s body. It was as if he was a ghost passing
straight through him. When he pulled his hands back out of the body they were
clenched around Xavier’s shirt. Xavier’s soul stood there stunned for a moment
before he regained his composure.

“Interfering is forbidden, Old
One. You know the rules,” Xavier said snidely.

“She is different, Betrayer. You
already know this. Besides, I am not the one that will be ending this. She has
come for you. Are you prepared to meet the Maker and atone for what you have
done? Tell me, are you afraid?” Aberto all but growled. I had never seen him
angry, never seen any real emotion pass over him. I stared at the men as they
turned to look at me.

“What have you done to her?”
Xavier’s voice was filled with shock as he finally took me in. I looked down at
myself and noticed I was faintly glowing blue. Not just my marks, but all of
me. “What did you do?”

“What I must, as I will always
do where she is concerned. This is the end, Betrayer,” Aberto said, slamming
Xavier’s soul to the ground. “It is time, Izzy,” he said, looking at my hand
where the stylus had suddenly appeared.

Xavier began thrashing against
Aberto’s hold, yet Aberto remained immovable.  I took a deep breath and tried
to remember why I was there.

I moved toward Xavier, thinking
of the Seers he had tormented in order to regain his life. No more would he
haunt my dreams. No more would he terrorize Seers for his own selfish gain. I
would end this tonight. I set the stylus against his arm and began the mark.

Xavier yelled out before looking
at Aberto and smiling. Just as I finished the last of the mark he whispered,
“It is not even close to over, Old One. It is coming and not even you will be
able to protect her.”

The mark sizzled on his soul as
it came to a rest. Kennan moved into the room just as the life support machine
began to scream its alarm. Kennan moved towards his brother’s body and raised a
sword I had not notice him having before. He looked down at his brother’s body
with disdain.

“May the gods have no mercy on
your soul, Brother,” he spat on him before drawing the sword down to sever
Xavier’s head form his body. I cringed at the look in Kennan’s eyes. The
ferocity there frightened me.

I looked back toward Aberto,
hoping to find some sort of solace. Instead I found him staring back at me with
such intent, I had to look away. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Molly’s
mom trying to sneak out.

I started to yell out just as
Ian reached her. She drew a knife from her pocket and moved to stab Ian. He
reached out so quickly, my eyes could not track him and slammed her head
against the wall repeatedly until she no longer moved. As her body sank to the
floor, barely conscious. Ian pulled a zip tie from his pocket to bind her hands
together. “You don’t deserve her. Thanks to her, I promised I would spare your
life. Just remember that,” Ian snarled as he dragged her from the room.

I looked back to find Kennan
still staring at his brother’s body.

“Burn it,” he commanded before
turning to leave.

“It is time to go, Izzy,” Aberto
reached for my hand and quickly pulled my soul back to where my body was
waiting.

It was finally over. Xavier was
gone and the Seers would be able to move on. I breathed heavily as I bound my
body and soul back together before the rest of the men could return.