See How She Fights (21 page)

“Permit me?” Aberto asked Kennan.
Kennan looked to me and then back to Aberto nodding once.

“Won’t you feed it though?” I was
sure that whatever power made up Aberto’s existence was much stronger than
anything else in the room at the moment. He was over five thousand years old
after all. Yeah, that hadn’t passed my notice. I just hadn’t really a chance to
properly process the information. I wondered if he would finally tell me what
an Old One was. He had promised no more secrets.

“I exist on a different plane than
you. My power is made up of a different sort of substance. It cannot be taken,
only given.” Aberto leveled me with his gaze and I knew what he meant. He had
chosen to give me part of himself. Part of his power now rested inside of me. I
wasn’t quite sure what that meant.

“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.

“I don’t like his interest in you,
Izzy. It makes no sense. He has not cared for a single person in his entire
existence. He has always sworn to maintain the balance.” Kennan stood towering
over me as I pulled my leggings on. “He wouldn’t help us save Cait when he
could have. So why is he willing to risk banishment to save you?” The animosity
between Kennan and Aberto was finally clear. Kennan blamed him for what had
happened all those years ago. He hadn’t saved Cait, but he had me. I couldn’t
understand it either.

“I don’t know, Kennan. I know even
less than you do.” It wasn’t entirely true, I knew Aberto had feelings for me.
But I also knew that Kennan didn’t need to know. Aberto had sworn not to
interfere and I believed him. I swallowed deeply and reached my hand out to Kennan.
“Let’s get back downstairs.”

Just as I started to walk out of
the bathroom Molly came bursting into the room. She stared at me and then
looked down at my leg and back up. “They are still there? They haven’t gone
away?”

“You know, we could have been indisposed
when you came barging in,” I said with a snicker to which she put her hands on
her hips.

“Stop deflecting, Izzy. What is
going on?”

“Nothing.  I’m fine, really, just a
few more runes popping up. But it is going to be okay. We will figure this out
like we do everything. Don’t worry about me right now. You have enough on your
plate. Speaking of, how are you?”

“I keep trying to go kill her, but
Ian won’t let me,” Molly grumbled, moving into the room.

“Is there something else that can
be done, aside from the death bit? Some form of Seer punishment?” I had an idea
forming in my head and wondered if it could be done.

“No, well not in a very long time.
There used to be judgments when Seers would go against their calling. Seers
would be stripped of their powers. Only an Old One can do it though. And
getting them to help is like pulling teeth,” Molly finished as the light bulb
lit over her head. “But you have an Old One.”

“First, I don’t have an Old One.
What a ridiculous thing to say. Second, I am not even sure he would help,” I
mumbled.

“Help with what?” Aberto poofed
back in, carrying his leather sack of tattoo pain.

“Cheese on a cracker, could you
stop just appearing. Maybe ring a bell or something. Do a loud announcer voice
before you appear? You scared me.” I looked over at him trying to catch my
breath.

“My apologies. Perhaps I could tie
a bell to my person so that you are not so easily startled,” he smiled his
crooked smile and moved toward the bedroom door. “Shall we adjourn to the
office?”

“Yes,” Kennan said, moving to loop
his arm in mine.

“Want to come? I’m getting more
tattoos,” I smiled at Molly.

“More? Sheesh, between the runes
and your tattoos you will look like a circus attraction. I don’t really have
anything else going on. Might as well come along. Maybe I can even get your Old
One to agree to help us,” Molly whispered the last in my ear.

“He is not my Old One,” I shouted
at her in my head. I knew she could hear it. Apparently so could Aberto because
he turned his head back to look at me.

“Told you so,” Molly said in my
head.

“What marks will you be giving her
today?” Kennan asked Aberto. I hadn’t even thought to question what sort of
tattoos I would be receiving. It seemed my trust in Aberto was growing.

“I will be warding her from the
dreaming. She won’t be able to be pulled in without her consent.” Aberto opened
the door to the office and held it for us to enter.

“Will I be able to see her in the
dreaming again, or is that block still in place?” Kennan asked. I had forgotten
about him being unable to come and get me out of the dreaming or my visions.

“I fear that is entirely up to
Izzy. She is the one blocking you,” Aberto said, pulling his tools from his
bag.

“I am not,” I yelped. I had not
intentionally done it at any rate.

“Yes, you are. I believe you are
subconsciously working to protect your Guardian and you are blocking him out
without your knowledge. You must focus your talents, Izzy. If you do not learn
to use them, they will use you,” Aberto chided. It looked like I was back to being
the petulant child again.

“Well, then teach me what I am
doing wrong. Don’t just tell me I am doing it. How do I lift the block?” I
asked, moving toward the couch.

“Are you sure you want to?” he
asked.

“Yes. Oh, and while I am irritated
with you, what is going on with my eyes? Am I going to morph into some creature
from the black lagoon?” I furrowed my brows at him. That would show Him of
Old-manness.

“What do you mean?” Aberto asked,
moving towards me.

“Oh yeah, they are kind of freaky.
I didn’t want to say anything, but it is super weird,” Molly said, dropping
herself into a chair in the room. I was so glad I could be a source of
entertainment for her. The jerk.

Aberto stood over me and tilted my
head up so that he could see my eyes.

“What is happening to her?” Kennan
asked.

“I do not know,” Aberto said
slowly. He stared down into my eyes as if they would reveal to him the answers
he sought.

“Well, that’s just peachy,” I
sniped. “You are telling me you have no idea what is happening to me? Hasn’t an
Old One done the whole life-breathing thing before? I mean, surely you are not
the only one.” I pulled myself to a stop when I noticed everyone staring at me.
“What?”

“You are the first,” Aberto said,
moving away from me.

“Awesome.” I threw myself back against
the pillows. So, not only was I now about to face some big bad, I also had to
face unknown changes. At least my freaky eyes matched the freaky, moving tattoo
on my back. Molly was right. I would soon be a great circus attraction.

“We should get started on the
markings. We can do them on your arms again if you would like, or your legs.
Either will work.” Aberto lifted a stylus up and looked at it before moving
towards me.

“Will these be permanent or
temporary?” I had noticed the ones on my arms were beginning to fade and if
these were to be similar they could go anywhere. If they were going to last
forever I wanted to be able to cover them.

“It is entirely up to you,” Aberto
answered. “I believe that making them a permanent part of you would be a wise
choice.”

“My vote is for permanent,” Kennan
chimed in. “Anything that protects you is good in my book.” He rubbed his hand
down his face.

“Alright then. Can we do them on my
upper arms?” I took my sweater off revealing my shoulders. My spaghetti-strap
undershirt gave him plenty of access to the skin. “How many will there be?” I
dreaded the thought of five more tattoos.

“Yes, your upper arms will be fine.
There are two marks. Remember, you must stay in your body, Izzy. No splitting.”

“I got it. Let’s just get this over
with. I am hungry and tired.” I realized I had not eaten at all today. No
wonder I was getting grumpy.

“Should we break to eat before
beginning this?” Aberto asked Kennan.

Why didn’t he ask me? Stupid
man-person.

“I can go and get something and
bring it back to her. Promise you will keep her safe,” Kennan said, staring at
Aberto.

“Always,” Aberto nodded.

Something passed between the men in
that moment. It seemed they had reached some sort of truce where I was
concerned. Kennan nodded and left the room in search of some food for me. “So,
Molly, you had a question for me?” Aberto said going back to his bag.

“Um, yeah. Do you think you could
strip my mom of her powers?” Molly mumbled. I could tell she was uncomfortable
talking to Aberto.

“Are you sure this is the course of
action you wish to take? It may be the undoing of her,” he said, looking Molly
over.

“I am sure. She can’t be trusted
with her powers any longer. She is a Betrayer,” Molly said, looking up to meet
his eyes. Her jaw was set in determination and I knew from experience there
would be no going against her.

“I will do what you ask,” Aberto
conceded and moved back toward me with a different stylus. “Now, it is time.
Remember to find your place of comfort. Hold yourself there and let the pain
become an ember.”

I looked up at him and nodded. The
moment the stylus touched my skin I screamed.

“Embers, Izzy,” Aberto whispered in
my ear.

I pulled myself inward. I sought
out the place that had been my home before and realized it was no longer there.
I looked and looked. Panic began to well inside of me as the pain grew to
unbearable measures. I sought out comfort. I slowed my breathing and looked
inside of myself and found a glowing spot inside of my soul. It was a soft blue
that beckoned me. I moved towards it and allowed the familiar warmth to
surround me.

I basked in the security of it as
the world passed me by outside. Kennan came back in the room with food and
Conall and Ian in tow. Molly got up to talk to them. The world spun around me and
I remained in my bubble of safety; wrapped in the glowing warmth of the burning
star in my soul. I knew that everything was about to change. I knew that I
could not hide from my destiny any longer. It was up to me to stop whatever
madness sought to destroy the world I held so dear. I would end it. I would do
everything in my power to protect the people I loved, the people in this room,
surrounding me. As Aberto finished the last of the marks I was swept by a
realization. I loved him as well. I just wasn’t sure if the love was because of
the piece of his soul now comforting me, or if it were entirely my own doing.

“It is done,” Aberto said moving
away.

But he was wrong.  It was just
beginning.

THE END

**********