See How She Awakens (26 page)

“Of course.”  I followed her in, wondering if Aberto would follow. In typical fashion, he disappeared. He’d been doing that a lot the past few days. Never answering where he’d gone off to. At first he’d been reluctant to leave my side, but then, more and more, he seemed to be fading away. Part of me was grateful for the space, but the other part yearned to be near him.

“When the ceremony is over today, I need you to come back to my chambers with me. I have something to give you.”  My aunt’s eyes filled with sadness before she abruptly turned away. 

“Are you okay?”  Confusion swept over me as I tried to make sense of the sudden crack in her demeanor.

“No, I’m not.”  Tears caused her voice to come out choked.  “I feel like I’ve failed you somehow, like I should’ve done more. Your mother was right, it wasn’t fair. Everything you’ve done, you’ve done to help others. Selflessly, you threw yourself into this mess, and the heavens return the favor by shunning you? I don’t understand how that is fair.”

A laugh broke from my chest, unabated by my good sense.  “It’s not fair, Mona. It sucks. But the truth of it is, I wouldn’t take back a second of it.  Well, if I could find a way to keep Kennan alive, I would do that, but the rest of it, I can live with. 
I
made every choice that led me to here.  I have no one to blame for my fate but myself.  Besides, there are far worse things that could’ve happened to me.  Floating in the chasm forever, being taken over by the darkness, being the reason the world went up in flames, you know stuff like that.”

“Izzy, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you more. To help you figure everything out, to guide you.”  Mona rushed toward me, enveloping me in her arms. Typically, she wasn’t an overtly affectionate person, but the warmth of her embrace reminded me of my mother.  It was safe. 

“We all had our roles to play. Yours was to have a place for me when I needed it the most. You were there to catch me when I didn’t even know I needed to be caught.”  I breathed in the scent of her, trying to store the moment in my memory. This bright light after a seemingly endless darkness.

“What will become of you?” she asked, hesitantly.

“I have no clue.”  I pulled back to look into her face.  “What I do know is there is a yard full of people waiting to spoken to, and I’m supposed to start it off.”

“Don’t forget to come back later. I still need to give you something, but now is not the time.”  Mona stepped back, rubbing her hands down her skirt as if that would somehow help her to regain composure.

“I’ll come back right after.”  A smile played across my face as I looked her over, this woman that had been almost mercenary these past months. She was one of the strongest people I’d ever known.

Stepping back out into the hall, I was greeted by Ian and Molly. They’d waited for me so we could walk out and face the music together.

“Are you ready, Pip Squeak?”  Ian asked, the nickname bringing a flood of memories rushing back. I knew he missed Kennan as much as I did, perhaps more, in a way. They’d been brothers, friends for centuries. Sadness flipped through Ian’s eyes as he read in mine what he tried to push aside.

“I’m ready. The real question is are you ready, Molly?”  I turned to her, breaking the connection and pushing the memories back.

“I’m never going to be ready for this,” Molly half-heartedly laughed, clasping her hand inside of Ian’s.  “But it is time. So, let’s get this over with. Hey, is Aberto coming?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged, unsure of where he’d been keeping himself the last few days. As we walked down the hall and out into the yard, I wondered just what he’d been doing. I’d been left to my own thoughts and fears in his absence. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to give me time to come to terms with all that had transpired, or if he was off doing something that had nothing to do with me.

As the platform drew near, memories of the first time I’d seen Aberto overtook me. It seemed like an eternity ago, when all I knew of him was that he was supposed to put a mark on my back to protect me. But I’d felt it, even in that moment, I’d known there was something more to him, to us. Images of him flashed through my mind. He’d always been there, always protected me, but allowed me to choose all the same. He had never prevented me from plunging head first into insanity, instead he’d done his best to equip me with the tools I’d need to overcome whatever I faced.  And when all else failed, he’d breathed a portion of his soul into my own, cursing himself to be eternal. Aberto. The most confounding being I’d ever known.

“Izzy, are you ready?” Molly asked, as we ascended the platform to look out over thousands of Seers and Guardians.  I’d had no idea there were so many.

The crowd fell silent as I moved toward the front of the platform. There was no podium, no microphone. Nothing but me and the confused faces before me.

“I know many of you have questions. A lot of you have no clue what has been going on here the past few years, and for those of you that do, you probably have only heard half of the truth. Before Molly comes up here to address you, I want to tell you a story. A story about a Seer, The Seer, if the prophecy is real,”  I paused, unsure of where I should begin.  As murmurs rose up in the crowd, I knew what I needed to say.  Everything.  They needed to know everything.

So I began at the beginning. The day I’d met Xavier. The day everything I’d known in this world came crumbling down. I told them of Kennan, and how I loved him. Every pain I’d endured, every obstacle unfolded as my story played out. Things even I’d forgotten in my struggle to regain sanity, memories that seemed somehow insignificant until now.  My time at the lab, the fight to save the Seers, Ren haunting me, the demon, every step had led me to where I stood in that moment. 

Time passed as my history unfolded, the crowd held captive by the tale. But something strange happened in those moments. As I breathed life back into the moments that had led me to where I stood now, I began to find peace. The words I’d spoken to my aunt earlier had become truth. I wouldn’t change a step I’d taken. No matter what it had cost me, the world—humanity—was safer now because I’d done something. 

The last of my story played out as a gasp sounded in the crowd. The now knew the truth. The whole ugly truth of what had really happened, and what I’d become. But I wasn’t finished. 

“You may not have been here for the majority of the trials. You may have heard rumors of me, of what I was. Now you have the truth of it. I implore you, do not forsake all that has been done by remaining as you were. Do not make the lives that have been lost meaningless sacrifices. We have a chance to truly fight this darkness. Not only to fight it, but to win. I may not be what I once was. I’m still trying to figure out what all of it means. What I do know is if we do not change course, the darkness will prevail.”

Silence fell over the crowd as Molly approached the front of the platform where I stood. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been talking, but I hoped what I’d said had helped her. Molly wrapped her hand around mine, squeezing it tightly before releasing it.

I was done. I’d played my part, now it was up to her.

“Izzy is right. We can’t remain as we are if we expect to win this war. It is time to change our ways. I know this won’t be easy. I’m not asking you to forget where you came from, or what your past has been.  Your past helps to define you.  What I am asking is that we forge forward as a united front.  Let us combine our histories, and move into the future with that wisdom to guide us.  No more can we play by the same rules we once did.  The darkness is ever pressing, ever testing our bounds.  This evil does not play by the same rules it once did. We can’t fight it if we don’t also change.”  Molly’s voice rang out in the crowd.  Faces stared back at her, some intrigued, others doubtful.  “Who will stand with me? Who will help me to guide us into an age where we no longer wait for the darkness to strike, but we actively seek it out?”

A roar sounded in the crowd as both Seers and Guardians answered the call. Even those with doubt still lingering in their eyes could feel the truth of all that had been said. Somehow, we’d done it. At least for now.

“This unity will not happen overnight.  I know it will take a great deal of time to bridge the divide formed across centuries. I propose the new governing body be made up of members from both factions. I believe by having both groups represented, we will better be able to handle situations in a way that will appeal to both sides. If there are no objections, I’ve chosen Mona to represent the Order, and Eleanor to represent the Council. I will need two other pairs from each group of Seers and Guardians. This, I will leave to you to decide. This is your last act as a divided group. Make the choice and bring it to me. Once that is done, the Order and the Council will be no more. Are we in accord?”

“Aye,” sounded through the crowd.

“I will leave you to deliberate. Bring me the answer by tomorrow.”  With that, Molly turned and headed back toward the building. 

“Well, that went well,” Ian said, exasperation clearly evident in his voice. “How are you holding up?”

“Me?”  I asked, unsure if he were talking to me or Molly.

“You. I know she is fine. She has that stubborn as a bulldog look on her face. You just had to rehash the last few years of your life. So how are you?”

“Getting better.”  I smiled at Ian.  “Still dealing, but that helped.”

Molly charged onward until we were all safely encapsulated in what was now her office.  She practically vibrated with nervous energy as she paced around the room. 

“What do you think? Did it work? Are they all on board?”  Molly asked the room.

“I think they’re ready. You may have a few skeptics, but on the whole, I don’t see there being any issues.”  I hoped I was right, at any rate. I wasn’t ready to fight some sort of coup.

“Izzy, I don’t think it would’ve been possible without you. You being so honest up there about everything, I think that made a huge difference.”  Molly stilled as the gravity of what had transpired finally began to sink in.

“You would’ve found a way without me. I’m going to leave you to it. I’m sure you have some stuff to arrange.”  Really, I wanted to be anywhere but there at the moment. I needed to get some air, some space from everyone. My memories were raw from dredging them all to the surface. They pressed in on me, leaving me claustrophobic.

“Thank you.”  Molly’s voice held weight, and I wasn’t sure why.  “Not for this, but for everything you’ve done.”

“It was worth it.”  I smiled, heading for the door. Only to have someone intercept me.

“Izzy, I need to give you something. I think now would be a good time.”  Mona said, ushering me out the door and toward her office.

“What is so important?”

“Aberto wanted me to give you something. He brought it to me two days ago and told me to wait until you were ready. You are now.”  Mona headed into her room and over to a desk.  As she pulled open the drawer, a heavy sense of dread settled on my shoulders.  What if he was gone, and whatever she had for me was his last message to me?

As thoughts tumbled through my mind, my aunt approached me carrying a white envelope. I wasn’t sure I was ready for whatever this was. I couldn’t lose him, too. Not now, not when I needed him the most.

“Izzy, he said you needed to see this. What were his exact words?” My aunt paused, searching for the memory. “Ah, yes. Tell her this is what she sought in the shack. The answers lie within these pages.”

“The answers to what?”  I asked, panic welling up, causing my body to spark purple.

“Calm down, I don’t think it is anything bad. He was here today, wasn’t he?”  Mona’s reminder calmed me enough that the sparks subsided, but it still didn’t make sense.

“He showed up to keep me from face planting.”  I held the letter in my hand, the weight of it doing nothing to settle my nerves.

“Izzy, just read it,” Mona implored.

“Okay, but I want to be alone.”  I looked at her, hoping she understood. I didn’t want to face whatever was inside this envelope in front of any one.

“Stay here as long as you like. I’m sure Molly has something for me to do.”  Mona gently patted my cheek as she passed, making her way out the door.