See How She Falls Page 8

  “Well, first things first.” I pulled up my pants leg to show the group my leg. “I got another rune. This one is different from those that were on the Seers, so I’m hoping that it may help us figure out what this group is trying to bring over. The robed dude told me that there are only two more marks left before the bridge is complete, so we really need to figure this out, and soon.”

  “Cweorth," Aberto whispered.

  His voice reminded me of what I’d asked him to bring me back. “Hey, where’s my coffee?”

  “I am not your errand boy," Aberto grumbled.

  “Fine, what does the rune mean?” I would just have to suck it up and go down to the dining hall to get my own coffee.

  “It has several meanings. Fire, flame, and transformation are amongst the most well-known.” Aberto looked at my leg as if he were studying some ancient text.

  “Well, since dude man said that they are bringing forth something to punish the earth for its sins or whatever, it sort of makes sense," I said, pulling my pants leg back over the rune so that Aberto would stop staring at it so intently. The way he kept analyzing me was annoying. “What with the fires of hell and all that. If it is anything like the beastie I saw with Cait, then a demon would make sense. Will this help us figure out what they are trying to bring forth?” I turned to Eleanor and saw that my question had sparked hope in her eyes.

  “Follow me.” She hurried out of the office and headed to the library, where she’d been spending all of her waking hours combing through books.

  “Field trip.” Molly’s chipper voice reminded me that she was still dealing with a world of hurt. As we made our way out of the office, I pulled her to the back with me.

  “How are you doing with everything?” I couldn’t keep the concern from my voice.

  “It is what it is. Ian has become less of a pain, at least.” Molly shrugged it off as if her problems weren’t nearly as important as I was making them seem. I knew better.

  “I heard that," Ian hollered.

  “You were meant to, bonehead," Molly threw back.

  “What about everything else? Are you sure you are up to helping with it?”

  “There is no way I’m gonna let you do this alone. We are a team! So, stop worrying about me, and focus on you. After all, I’m not the one starting to look like a doodle board.” Molly raised a brow looking down at my arms. The tops of my shoulders and back were covered in the beautiful protection marks Aberto had given me. Unfortunately, a bunch of unwanted runes were mixed in with the purposeful ones.

  “Some of these were done intentionally," I mumbled. She was right, it was taking me a long time to get used to all of the marks covering my body. I was starting to look like Aberto and his many runic tattoos.

  “Fat lot of good they are doing you," Molly replied darkly.

  “They are serving their purpose. They have kept her from being marked for two months, have they not?” Aberto sounded defensive.

  “So, how did she get marked this time, then? Huh?” Molly was starting to treat Aberto the same way I did, much to Ian’s chagrin.

  “I believe that I informed all of you that the tattoos were a temporary deterrent. They seem to have found a way around the bindings. Which is why we should be focusing on the future and not what has already passed.” Aberto held the door to the library open for Molly and me.

  “How are you feeling?” Kennan moved to my side, surprising me. He’d been lingering in the background more and more lately. It sort of reminded me of the way Breanan had always been with Isadora, all lurking in the back, but ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

  “Still exhausted, but otherwise not bad. The runes hurt like a mother-trucker, but I can live with it. I just hope that Eleanor can figure out what kind of big bad ugly they are hoping to summon with them. It would be really awesome to not be blindly stumbling about. Maybe with some answers we can finally start being proactive instead of reactive.”

  “We will figure this out, Izzy. No matter what, you will survive this.” Kennan’s ferocity was a thing of wonder. He seemed to either be living in serious denial about the prophecy, or he was convinced that we could rewrite my future. I wasn’t quite sure which it was.

  “Here’s hoping," I mumbled. I walked across the room to where Eleanor had set up shop. She was furiously flipping through pages as we approached.

  “Found you!” she shouted as she poked the page.

  “What, what is it?” I was trying to look over the shoulders of the Guardians surrounding her. I looked like a deranged jack in the box hopping up and down, hoping to get a better look.

  “It’s not good is what it is," Conall sighed.

  “Someone care to share with the group?” I was growing anxious. Based off of the looks Ian, Conall, and Kennan were exchanging, I wasn’t going to like what was about to be said.

  “They are summoning a demon.” Kennan’s eyes were filled with terror.

  “But I thought Isadora said they weren’t exactly demons," I squeaked out.

  “They are and they aren’t. Demons aren’t the sort of creatures that are depicted in the movies. They are harbingers of destruction and chaos, beings created by the depravity of man. To call them demons is to say that they were in existence before man. However, man brought them into fruition. They exist on another plane and those that are unworthy are sent to suffer an eternity under their dominion. It is the equivalent of what you believe to be hell," Eleanor, the ever scholarly, provided.

  “So, what is it, what demon are they summoning?” I was far too tired to get a history lesson in what heaven and hell really were. My only concern was what was coming and how to stop it. I could worry about everything else later. If there was a later.

  “Sonneillon." Kennan voice was barely audible as he uttered the name.

  I was ripped into a vision as soon as the name left Kennan’s lips. Sonneillon, the name, the promise. I looked down at the battle raging below me. The clouds split revealing the demon with a clarity I’d never been afforded until now. I moved down through the parting clouds towards the scene playing out before me.

  The nearer I drew to the demon, the colder I grew. My soul writhed inside of my body, longing to escape the oppressive fear the demon’s presence conjured. With heavy feet I moved closer. I had to know. I had to see.

  I came as close as I dare to the scene as the demon turned its charred face towards me. I was rooted in pain as the demons features came into full clarity. His skin was a crackling blackened charcoal, split like the ground with no water. A fire raged beneath his skin, turning the cracks into illuminated pools of lava. My eyes scanned up the body of the demon. Every instinct within me shouted for me to not look upon its face directly. I fought the urge to look away and continued to look up and up the giant creature before me.

  Four arms chorded in dense muscle stretched out from its sides, culminating in razor sharpened claws. Fighting against every bit of self-preservation, I looked upon the demon’s face. His empty fathomless eyes locked with mine, causing me to cry out.

  “NOOOOOOOOO!” I fell to my knees as the hate ripped through my soul. Visions flashed before my eyes. Chaos erupted around me, wars raged, and man fought against man. Every image that flipped through my mind brought forth more hate and pain. The emptiness of the eyes, the darkness that walked the earth. It was too much. It was unbearable. “Make it stop. Make it stop," I pleaded, barely above a whisper.

  The sounds of deep sickening laughter ripped through me, forcing me into myself. The pain was unbearable.

  “IZZY!” Aberto’s shout pulled me from the vision.

  I found myself on the floor, curled into the fetal position. Tears trailing down my face as the memories of what the earth would become flashed through my mind.

  “What does he want? What is it this demon is meant to do?” I choked out.

  “Perhaps you should see this, Izzy.” Eleanor moved towards me with the giant tome, handing it to me opened to a picture of the horror I’d just seen.r />
  On the page was a great behemoth of a monster. It stood on two massive clawed feet and rose broadly into the air on backwards hinged knees. Four thickly chorded arms jutted out of its muscular sides, ending in talons. Its head looked to be a combination of a lion and bird with two steer-like horns protruding backwards. The skin was the deepest black I’d ever seen, with a bright fire burning from the inside. The eyes were bottomless pools of fire.

  On paper it was nothing more than an image, a snapshot of the horrors that the real thing contained. I quickly closed the book, unable to stomach the picture and the memories it brought forth any longer.

  “What will happen if that thing makes it through to this plane?”

  “Read this, it will explain everything.” Eleanor thrust another manuscript beneath my nose. The pages were yellowed and tearing from the years of use.

  I looked down at the pages and held my breath, hoping for the best.

  When the darkness falls it shall bring with it the scourge of hatred. It shall turn brother against brother by perverting ideas and conjuring transgressions. Hatred shall spread until the world runs red with the blood of the fallen. The darkness shall fall, and the darkness has a name. That name is Sonneillon, fourth in line for the throne of hell itself.

  Weep not for the brothers lost, weep not for the sisters gone, weep for the souls that are left to suffer under the demon’s wrath, for none shall survive.

  The visions began anew. Neighbor fought neighbor, lover against lover, peace was no more than a memory. Hate saturated the world as every fear was brought forth and manifested tenfold. In that fear there was anger and resentment that could not be pushed down. Emotions ran rampant and all good fled from the world.

  I gazed out upon Chicago, a city I’d seen a million times. The roads were covered in bodies of those left for dead. Smoke rose from the skyscrapers that were set ablaze. The city I loved so much was nothing more than a raging war zone. Only, there was no invading country, no true enemy. The truth came rushing in. If I didn’t stop this darkness, the world would be no more. Everything I loved, everything I held dear, would be wiped away.

  A man ran past me, pure terror etched upon his face. He screamed as a knife flew into his back from somewhere behind me. I turned to see another form moving forward. The man, or he’d once been a man, moved towards his injured prey. A look of delight filled his eyes as he walked more closely towards his prize. He turned his head towards me, sniffing the air as if he could tell I were there.

  His eyes locked upon my position and I froze, unable to think. Where his eyes had once been there were now gaping chasms. Black veins moved outward from the sockets moving over his face to form a dark mask. His mouth dripped with black fluid and his words came out a hiss.

  “Seer, you aren’t strong enough," He slurred before turning toward the man before him. He jumped upon the soon to be corpse and ripped into him over and over again with the knife, giggling maniacally as he worked. The laughter turned my stomach and I sought my way back to the present. This couldn’t happen. This had to end.

  I was once more curled into the fetal position on the floor. My stomach lurched and I ran towards the closest trashcan, emptying the contents of my stomach. The smell of the burning city still caked my nostrils as the sound of deranged laughter rang in my ears.

  “This is the end of the world, isn’t it?” I breathed out.

  “What did you see?” Kennan moved towards me with a handkerchief.

  “I saw what will happen if we can’t stop this darkness from coming.” I looked up from the trashcan with tear filled eyes. “We have to stop it," I pleaded.

  “We will, Izzy, we will.” Kennan carefully rubbed my back, one of the few places that was still safe to touch on me.

  “Why couldn’t it have been just a minor demon? Why does it have to be this one? Are they insane? How am I supposed to fight this? I’m not enough.”

  “You will not fight alone," Kennan swore. The conversation I’d overheard between him and Conall played back in my head. I wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but I knew something bigger than I ever imagined was coming. I also knew I needed all of the help I could get.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Centering myself, I tried to think. I’d had a plan, I just couldn’t seem to remember what it was. With the echoes of hatred ricocheting through my mind I could hardly think. I needed help. That was a start.

  “I think that I need to consult the Council members and get their take on this. Does someone have a phone that I can use?” I looked around the room hoping that someone had brought one in with them.

  “You may use mine.” Aberto moved forward with a smartphone in his hand.

  “Seriously? You have a phone? Does it even work in the dreaming? Who’s your carrier?” I was near full-on laughter by the time I was finished spouting off questions. Once again, my sense of self-preservation had kicked in, causing me to find humor in things that shouldn’t be funny.

  Aberto responded by handing me the phone and rolling his eyes. “Make the calls.”

  I stared at the phone momentarily, trying to remember the numbers. Pulling myself back from near mania, the numbers finally came back to my mind. I entered them in, hoping beyond hope that Damali would answer.

  “Hello?” Damali’s voice sounded unsure.

  “Damali. It’s Izzy. I wanted to let you know that we have uncovered what the darkness is and to ask if you might be able to help with what’s coming.” The only sound on the other end of the call was a sharp intake of breath that I would have easily missed had I not been paying close attention.

  “What is it you think is coming, dear?” The condescension practically dripped from her every word.

  “Sonneillon.” I wanted to see if she knew who or what it was before I said more.

  “You are obviously ill-equipped to be in the position that Isadora left you. Sonneillon is a myth, a story, a demon. I will be no part of whatever this is. I believe you seek to find approval and attention through these dramatic acts. Once you have real evidence of what is coming, then you may call me again.” With that, the call was ended.

  “Well, looks like she isn’t going to be much help. She didn’t even believe me.” I stared at the phone in disbelief. That woman had promised me just a few days before to help me in any way she could and now she just dismissed me.

  “You still have one more Seer to address.” Conall’s calm voice broke through my thoughts and brought me back to reality.

  “Yeah, flighty Francesca is probably going to be a TON of help," Molly quipped.

  “I have to try. I promised to keep them informed. Maybe she will surprise us," I supplied, hopefully. “Here goes nothing.”

  I picked up the phone to dial Francesca’s number, when the phone began ringing in my hand. I held it out for Aberto to answer.

  “She needs to come NOW!” I heard a voice shout through the phone. “Oh, and in person. No more soul travel!”

  “It seems your presence is required by the Order. Are you willing to oblige them?” Aberto asked.

  I looked over at Kennan who gave me the “It’s up to you” look.

  “Only if everyone in this room comes as well.” Ian had a lot of built up resentment toward these people and I wanted to find out why. What better way to figure it out than to have him there?

  “Not a chance, Izzy. There is a lot that I will do for you, but don’t ask this.” Ian turned and walked from the room not waiting for a response. So much for that theory. Looked like he wouldn’t be mending any emotional fences any time soon. “What about you, you staying or going?” I asked Molly.

  “You know he won’t let me go if he doesn’t, and I won’t push him on this. I want to be there with you, but I can’t. Looks like the four of you will be handling this on your own.” Molly wrapped her arms around me, pulling me close. “Promise me you will be careful, don’t do anything reckless.”

  “I promise that I will try not to do anything reckless.” I squeezed he
r tightly, not wanting to let her go. As I pulled away, she left the room, unable to look back. I sighed, trying to pull my thoughts back to the present.

  “I still need to call Francesca, even if we are going to the nut house again. I have to see what she says.”

  Aberto handed the phone back to me after ending his call with what I could only assume was Sena. She seemed to be my aunt’s right hand woman. Or maybe she was her personal assistant. I had no idea how their whole system worked. Looking down at the phone in my hand, my hope was that this call went better than the last had.

  “Yes?” Francesca answered.

  “Hi, Francesca. This is Izzy.” She interrupted me before I was even able to utter the rest of my greeting.

  “Please do not think that I will believe this nonsense any more than Damali did. We shall not stand with you on this. Not until you are able to provide irrefutable proof that such a thing could occur. Until then, let me assure you that I am doing all that I can to look into the runes and prophecy to see how they are tied together. Feel free to contact me when you have more substantive evidence.” Then it was nothing but the dial tone.

  “I mean, I thought they were pissed about me being left in charge, but this is just ridiculous. They said they would help.” I stared in disbelief at the phone that had been hung up on me twice as it started to ring once more. I didn’t think, I just answered. “Hello?”

  “Why aren’t you on your way? If you’d left after the last call you could have saved a heck of a lot of time. For craps sake woman, hop to it. Mona is waiting for you. Are you coming or not?” Sena’s voice blared in my ear.

  “Yes, on our way now. One question. Who is Mona?”

  “Your aunt. Now get here, and fast. Some of the Seers had a vision.”

  “We will get there as soon as we can," I promised.

  “I’ll make our travel arrangements," Kennan said from the shadows. I really missed the days where he was my teammate and equal. Now it felt like I led a dictatorship. I supposed I was being a bit hypocritical though. It was only two months ago that I was begging the man to treat me like the new Council leader.