See How She Awakens (12 page)

Kennan never believed you were capable. Why should you? Give up now, Izzy. Stop fighting the darkness. You were never strong enough, and you never will be.

The darkness pushed at me, testing my boundaries, but the last day had taught me to be stronger, to distinguish between my fears and the truth. Though Aberto’s words hurt, and brought about fears I’d done my best to repress, it still wasn’t enough. I knew Kennan loved me, that he would’ve done anything to protect me, even from myself. But he believed in me, he’d thought me capable. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have died.

“It isn’t enough, you aren’t pushing me.” His reluctance to hurt me was interfering with progress.  “Try something else.”

Aberto paused in his assault, the darkness fading into the background once more. Aberto’s eyes trapped me in their gaze. Heat filled them, where they’d been so detached moments before. Something had changed, and I wasn’t sure what.

Faster than my brain could account for, he was in front of me, grabbing my shoulders almost painfully as he held me in front of him.

“If you had loved Kennan as much as you claimed to love him, you would not want this.” Aberto’s words faded as his mouth crashed down on mine. Sparks burst in my periphery as I surrendered to the sensation of his hard mouth devouring my own. Months of ignoring the attraction between us had built, culminating in the most terrifying and electric kiss I’d ever experienced. Aberto pulled away, his chest heaving as he stared down into my face. Anger and lust warring with one another.

If Aberto cared so much for you, he would never push you to this. Why are you letting him take advantage of you in your weakness? Kennan
’
s death is fresh, yet Aberto seeks to claim you.

Darkness pulsed through my veins; I could feel it rise to the surface, consuming me. Anger and betrayal pulsed within me as I looked up into Aberto’s face. Disgust for what I’d just done, and an aching sadness for disgracing the memory of my love for Kennan fought for dominance. Both fueled the darkness.

My arms sparked as I pushed outward, sending Aberto flying across the room.  My voice was not my own as I began to speak. “You seek to own me, to claim me. What happened to caring enough for me to wait, to be whatever I needed you to be? Your lies, your secrets, have brought me nothing but pain. Yet you remain?” I could feel the fire as it sought an escape.  The shattered windows from the night before reflected the light in jagged shards as I moved towards Aberto.  I would destroy him.  End his influence over my life.  “This will end.” The anger pulsed through my veins as I reached down to pull Aberto to his feet. Inhuman strength consumed me as I pushed him to a wall. The fire coursed through me as my hand, engulfed in red flames, reached towards his chest. Memories of Aberto tearing Xavier’s soul away surfaced, and I wondered if I could do the same to him. Snuff out his long life in a mere instant.

“Izzy!” Aberto’s voice was defiant in its plea, but it fell on deaf ears. He’d said enough, done enough.  I would be rid of him. “Fight it, remember the truth. Remember.”

My hand reached into his soul just as something clicked in my mind. Recognition, the truth. Aberto would never intentionally hurt me. Even in this way. He would wait, an eternity if that is what was required. He’d never once interfered when I was with Kennan, never sought to interject himself into my life. He could have. There was an undeniable attraction between us, one that I would never be able to ignore. But my love for Kennan was stronger than that attraction. Kennan had been my home, my life long before I’d ever known about Aberto. 

The moment froze as my mind realigned itself.

As I pushed the darkness back it whispered,
You are not strong enough on your own. Had he not reminded you, you would
’
ve ended him. Time is your enemy, Izzy. He won
’
t always be there to save you.

Dropping my hand to my side, I looked up into Aberto’s face.  Tears streamed down my cheeks, unbidden.  “I’m so sorry.”

“What did it feel like, when the darkness seized control? Were you able to discern the difference, or does it consume you completely?”

Aberto seemed unfazed by the kiss or the fact I’d just tried to destroy him. Stupid Old One and his ability to separate his emotions from his mission.

“I don’t even realize it is happening. It’s like the snap of a rubber band, in an instant I’m no longer myself. Instead, I feel powerful, capable of burning the world, should I choose.” The power was enticing, I wouldn’t lie, but it was also terrifying and would be deadly if I didn’t learn to control it.  “I wouldn’t have been able to stop on my own, Aberto.”

“Then we will continue to practice.” Aberto made his way towards me, searching my face. I wasn’t sure what he hoped to find there; all I felt was confusion.  “What happened to the windows? I meant to ask upon your awakening.”

“The darkness made me angry last night, and I guess I threw a tantrum.” The truth was, I wasn’t sure how I’d been able to blast the windows. All I knew was it had drained all of my strength, and I’d ended up passing out.

“No matter.”  With a wave of the hand, Aberto managed to reassemble the windows. 

“How did you do that?”  I knew my mouth was hanging open. I’d had no clue what he was capable of, it would seem.

“Manipulation of this plane. It is the same as conjuring clothing. With practice, you will be able to do the same. Don’t lose focus.”

“Aberto, how am I supposed to do anything about this darkness? Honestly, it seizes control completely. I can’t control it.” Frustrated, I moved across the room towards the door. The shack was so small with him inside. I needed to get some space, to breathe.

“Come with me.”  Aberto walked across the room and held out his hand.

“Where?” I looked at his hand as if it were a venomous viper. I wasn’t quite sure I was ready to touch him again after trying to kill him and kissing him, and well, everything.

“Trust me.” Those words echoed in my soul. A peace settled over me as I placed my hand in his.

We stepped out into the scorching sun, the light blinding in its brilliance. I had no clue where Aberto was going to take me. Any distraction from the current situation was a welcome one, so I didn’t fight it. I was sick of fighting, to be frank. With my internal battle constantly raging, I didn’t have the strength for much else.

“Hold fast.” Aberto wrapped his arms around me tightly, before he plunged us into the dreaming. 

Light whizzed past as the fog parted in our wake. I had no clue what we were doing in the dreaming. I wanted to be as far from there as possible. The darkness inside of me twisted, awakening. I knew it was coming, the pressure built ever so slowly. The void was close, and the pull was undeniable.

“
Aberto, I can
’
t stay here.
”
 
Panic welled up inside of me as the whispers began.

“
You must, Izzy. The Revenants have a message. One that must be heard. Only two have seen them. You are wholly unaffected by their presence while Molly succumbs to their plight.
”

“
You brought me here to find out what is going on with the darkness? Are you insane? I just tried to kill you a few minutes ago. What in the world makes you think I am ready for this?
”
 

He only wants you for what you can do for the world. He doesn’t care for your wellbeing
. 

“
Go AWAY!
”
Panic seemed to bring the darkness rushing to the surface. It reveled in my misery, taking every chance to manipulate my fears and spit them back at me.

“
I will not leave you, Izzy.
”
 
Aberto stood firmly, holding my arm.

“
I wasn
’
t talking to you,
”
I ground out between clenched teeth.

“
Tell me.
”

“
The darkness. You brought me here, where it has the strongest hold over me. To what? To find the Revenants? Why?
”

Because he wishes to use you. You are just a pawn in the greater game.

“
I brought you because you are stronger than you believe. Your work is not yet done. If we do not act soon, your friend will die, Izzy. That is not something you would be able to survive. Thus, we are here.
”

“
I thought she was safe. That the stasis would hold her?
”

“
The stasis is a temporary solution. If she remains in stasis for too long, she will never recover.
”

“
Why didn
’
t you tell us that?
”
 
Panic pulsed within me. I had to help Molly. I had to save her, but how?

“
It was the only way to keep her from further succumbing to the Revenants influence.
”
 
Aberto paused, his eyes trapping mine in their gaze.
“
You will help her, Izzy.
”

The certainty in his voice settled over me. Whether I was ready or not, I had to help Molly. Ultimately, I didn
’
t have to save the entirety of the human race. I just had to save one person. Somehow Aberto had known that was what I needed. To know it wasn
’
t the entire world on my shoulders, just the one person. I could save one person.

You will never be able to defeat the darkness, Izzy. You aren’t strong enough.
Though a piece of me doubted my strength, I knew the darkness would never be able to keep me from helping Molly. Not if there was any chance that I could save her. I would walk through hell itself before I lost another person I loved.

“
How?
”

“
First, you must heed the Revenants. Listen to their words, observe them.
”

“
But they repeat the same things over and over. They just mumble a bunch of cryptic stuff.
”
 

“
Have you asked them?
”
Aberto always made everything seem far more simple
than it truly was.  It was really annoying.

“
No, I suppose I haven
’
t.
”

I thought about the Revenants, and as if my very thoughts conjured them, they came out from the fog. One by one, they circled us, chanting their enigmatic words.

“
The world will burn.
”

“
Darkness is on the rise.
”

“
The war rages on.
”

“
What does any of that mean?
”
I yelled, fear creeping into my soul.  I recognized these charred bodies.  They were my friends, my family. 

“
Look to the past to find the answers. The truth is trapped.
”
The Revenant reached out for my hand, fear raced through me as I remembered what had happened to Molly. I didn
’
t want to be touched by the thing, but something told me if I wanted to understand what was happening, I had to let it happen.

The touch ignited my skin, causing the blue flames to race over my body.

“
Izzy?
”
Aberto
’
s panicked question came rushing at me through the fog just as I lost focus, a vision rushing through my mind.