Night Visions (Night Series) (26 page)

Sam slumped to the ground as the last of her energy drained. She gasped for air, choking on the acrid smoke and smell of charred flesh. Her ragged breathing the only sound to break the eerie silence.

“Ian,” she rasped. She tried to remember where she had last seen him. Stumbling blindly through the thickening haze, her boot made contact with something soft. She knelt, bracing herself for what she would find. Feeling the squish of God only knew what under her knees. She forced her gaze down, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized it was one of Kingston's guards.

Lifting a shaking hand to her face
, she swiped it across her cheek, smearing the fallen tears. They were all dead because of her. Her eyes skimmed the compound, her vision filled with body after body. Nausea churned in her stomach. Afraid if she stared at the bodies too long familiar faces would appear. This couldn't be happening. This had to be another nightmare. Her gift couldn't possibly cause such destruction. Couldn't possibly kill all of the people she loved.

Her eyes fluttered closed, emptying her thoughts of everything but Ian. Letting his soul wind around hers, filling her with light and hope. A moment passed and her eyes flew open, Jumping to her feet, she spun on her heel, letting instinct guide her. She passed Mack, one of Trent's men. He knelt on the ground, his fingers massaging his temples. A man sat next to him glancing around in confusion. Voices drifted across the compound, as more of Trent's men began to stir.
The ache in her heart eased when she spotted Jason helping Cara to her feet. She would check on them later, once she confirmed Ian was okay. Through the thinning smoke she found him, slumped against a tree. A shaft of steel protruding from his chest. Blood bubbled out of his mouth.

Her worst nightmare come true.

“Ian!” she screamed as she slid to the ground next to him. “Oh God, Ian!” Wrapping her fingers around his wrist, she searched for a pulse. Anything to let her know that there was still hope. She tilted her head, staring into his vacant eyes. Eyes that would make her burn no more.

She'd failed him. Allowed him to sacrifice himself. And for what? A woman that didn't deserve him? A woman who broke his heart, allowing him to believe she loved someone else. And yet he still came, just as he promised.

Reaching toward his face, her fingers trailed over his brow, wishing he'd open his eyes. She brushed her hand over his lids, placing a kiss on each one. Her eyes fell to the piece of metal, knowing that she was the one who put it there. If she had left when she had the chance, he would never have come here. He would still be alive.

Her body shook, suppressing the urge to throw herself on that same shaft. There was no life without him. Giving in to the anguish clawing its way through her, she stood over Ian, centering the beam over her own heart. Peace just one step away. She welcomed death if it meant they would be together again.

Before she could succumb to the pain, she felt a presence behind her. She should have been alarmed, but she didn't care anymore. Ian was gone. Nothing else mattered.

Hands of steel gripped her waist, pulling her back. She screamed in protest. Kicking and punching, desperate to get back to Ian. An agonized keening sound rent the air, like an animal in pain. She didn't realize the noise came from her until the cry gave way to her voice. “I'm not going to leave him. He promised forever.”

"I won't let you kill yourself. Do you think that's what Ian would want?” said a familiar voice, slow and steady. Keeping a firm grip on her, he spun her around to face him.

“My God, Jason…what have I done?” she whispered.

With a strength she didn't realize she possessed, she pushed herself away from him. Refusing to believe that Ian was gone. Blinded by desperation, she braced her foot on his chest, yanking the pole out. It made a slurping sound that sickened her. Blood oozed from the gaping hole left behind.

She dropped to her knees waiting for him to take a breath. Her fingers clutched his hand. The warmth in his skin already fading.

“Why isn't he healing?” she screamed on the verge of hysterics.

Cara's hand curled around her shoulder as she knelt beside her. Sam ignored her. Ignored
them all. None of them mattered except the man lying at her feet, bleeding.

“He can't heal, Sam," Jason
's voice shook as he tried to explain. "The metal pierced his heart."

The words slammed into her, like a freight train at full speed. Sam shook her head in denial, begging Adirah to help her.
Please don't let history repeat itself. Please don't punish Ian for my mistakes. Or yours…

A mist rolled over the grounds, engulfing everything in its wake. The whispers became louder, no longer confined to her head. Even Cara's eyes shot above them, as did Trent's. Sam looked up to see Adirah standing over them, regret burned brightly in her eyes.

Clutching Ian's cold hand to her chest, she held Adirah's gaze. “He is the blood flowing through my veins. The beating of my heart. Without him I don't exist.”

Adirah's voice carried in the wind, wrapping Sam in a shield of comfort. "It is not time for you to return to us, my daughter. You must fulfill the prophecy. Or all will be lost.
"

"I can't," Sam sobbed. She leaned over, pulling Ian's body to her chest. "I can't do anything without him. Don't you get it?" Her eyes met Adirah's. "I won't survive if you take him from me. Not after I just got him back. He is everything to me. He's my Tregan."

The light in Adirah's eyes dimmed, as though Sam's words hit a sore spot. Maybe it wasn't fair of Sam to use this against her, but how else could she explain how important Ian was to her?

Giving Sam a wistful smile, her form moved closer to Ian. "Since he is the other half of your soul, only you can breathe life back into him. Let your sisters of the past guide you. Listen to their words and fill yourself with their wisdom."

Sam closed her eyes, absorbing their strength. A warm tingling swept through her body as the voices grew louder, demanding. Each word they uttered filtered through her mind, instructing her on what to do.

Reopening her eyes, she placed her mouth over Ian's and breathed for him. Willing the life back into his body. His blood
was still wet on his lips. She stared at him, waiting to see his smile.

Tears slipped past her lashes with each passing second. She laid her hands over his wound, not caring about the blood seeping between her fingers. Chanting healing words of long ago, she rested her head against his, repeating the mantra until her voice grew hoarse. The only sound in the night
was her ragged breathing.

Someone touched her hair
, caressing it. Jason perhaps. Or Cara. It didn't matter. She wished they would leave her alone. There was nothing they could say or do to ease her pain.

A series of coughing had her eyes darting to Ian's face. She stared at him, disbelieving the smile on his lips.

"It took you long enough," he rasped.

Sam threw herself on top of him. A loud grunt accompanied her tears of happiness. She pulled back, afraid that she
'd hurt him. Searching his body, she found no sign of the wound. If it weren't for the blood drying on his chest, she would have thought she dreamed it. Lifting her hands, she cradled his face, her thumbs feathered over his cheek.

She brought him back.

Like the tide rolling in, Sam's relief turned to anger. “Of all the stupid, idiotic things you could do!"

Ian's eyes widened as Jason smothered a laugh behind her.

Fisting her hands at her sides she snapped her head around. “Shut up, Jace! I'll deal with you later.” The ice in her voice wiped the smirk off his face.

Turning back to Ian, Sam continued her rant. He lay there with an unreadable expression on his face. "I told you to stay away. But did you listen…no! You almost died. Do you have any idea what you put me through? I thought I killed you. If Jason didn't stop me, I would have thrown myself on that damn rod sticking out of your chest. I could strangle… " Her words were cut off as Ian gripped her arms, yanking her down to meet his gaze.

“What did you say?"

"I said I could strangle you."

"No before that."

Sam lowered her gaze not wanting to meet his.

"Look at me Sam. What did you say?"

Forcing her eyes to his, she whispered, “I was going to kill myself.”

Ian shook her, causing her teeth to clack together. “Why would you do that?”

Not breaking eye contact
, she admitted, “I couldn't face the future without you. I've relived your death over and over again in my nightmares." Her voice cracked as she fought with her emotions. "And because I love you.”

She waited for his response. Something…anything…yet the only response he gave was the one she dreaded. His eyes snapped shut, lips pressed in a tight line. A sure sign of rejection. The silence like a heavy weight between them.

If he did reject her, didn't she deserve it? Hell, she'd told him she wanted to be with Scott. How could she expect him to bounce back from that? Could she if he'd said similar words?

She began to pull away, doing her best to collect her humility when his eyes flashed open. Desire burned within. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear that." In one swift motion, his hand was behind her head, pulling her lips to his. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue swirled inside. All of the pent up emotions unleashed. She craved him as she craved the air she breathed. Couldn't get enough. The heat of his touch spread through her body like a storm raging inside.

When she thought she could take no more, a throat cleared behind them.

Jason…

As reality sunk in, she sprang to her feet. Looking from Cara to Trent, relief flooded her heart. She embraced Cara, squeezing the breath out of her. Stepping away she searched all of the faces staring back at her. "Is everyone else okay?"

Trent nodded. "Yeah, only
Casimir's men are dead."

"How is that possible?
" A dull throb began at the base of Sam's skull as she struggled to remember the events that unfolded earlier. No matter how hard she tried, her mind remained a blank slate.

"You harnessed your powers somehow. Lightning bolted from the sky into your body, then shot from your fingertips. It zigzagged around the compound only hitting Casimir's men."

"But when I came out of the trance, you were all unconscious."

"There was a loud boom and then I awoke on the ground." Sensing her distress, Trent reached his hand out, resting it on her arm. "You saved us
, Sam. They had us outnumbered."

Knowing she saved them didn't erase the fact that she had the blood of dozens of men on her hands. She
swallowed hard, afraid to ask the question that haunted her. Ian slipped his arm around her shoulder, providing the comfort of his body. "And Scott?"

"We can't find him," Jason replied.

She prayed that he had survived. Regardless of what he could be mixed up in, she didn't wish him harm. He deserved a chance to explain himself.

"What about Eve?" she continued, stealing a glance at Ian before refocusing on the crew standing before them. "Did you find her?"

Trent glanced at Ian, lifting a brow. "I didn't see her. Are you sure she was here?"

"Yes. She was the one that helped me complete the transition." Maybe she escaped, afraid Dr. Kingston would find her.

"If she's still here we'll find her. We haven't finished searching the house."

"
Wait. There are kids in the house. We need to help them." She tried to pull away from Ian, but he tightened his hold. His strength surprised her, given the fact he'd just risen from the dead only moments before.

"Doc's in there now, checking them over before we bring them to the hospital." Trent's jaw clenched before he continued. "They weren't the only ones. There are at least ten others."

"Why are they here?"

Trent rubbed his cheek, forcing his gaze to the ground. "We don't know yet."

"Did Scott say why he brought you here?" Ian asked. Sam didn't miss the tightening of his jaw when he said Scott's name.

"No. He only said that his father was coming for me. Eve said he's some sort of doctor. But how are they involved with Casimir?"

"That's what we're going to try and find out. We still have the guys from the accident to finish questioning." Trent shot a look to Ian. "That is, when they're conscious again."

She didn't miss the slight tilt to Ian's lips at Trent's comment.
No doubt he played a role in their interrogation. Leaning in to him, she smothered a yawn. The feeling of lead flowing through her veins weighed her down.

Jason crossed his arms over his chest, studying her. "Sam, why don't you go with Ian? I'm going to stay here and make sure that everything is cleaned up."

"I want to stay and help." She stepped out of the safety of Ian's arms, walking toward the house. Warmth rushed through her head as spots danced before her eyes. She stopped, resting her fingertips on her temples. Ian curled his arm around her waist, pulling her tight against him.

"You can barely stand," Jason said. "The two of you need to rest. Go back to Trent's. We'll be there soon to update you."