See How She Falls (16 page)

We
arrived back at the Council headquarters far more quickly than I would’ve
liked. I felt an uneasiness sink in as we disembarked the helicopter. At least
I was able to walk out on my own two feet. That seemed like a small step
forward, even if it was miniscule.

We
walked around the house and entered the front doors, which were currently
flanked by people from Damali and Francesca’s entourage. I had a sinking
feeling in the pit of my stomach. Whatever was about to go down, it wasn’t
going to be pleasant. Instead of heading to the office, I headed up to Molly’s
room to tell her to get her and Ian’s things together.

“Molly?” 
I knocked on the door, trying not to draw too much attention to myself. “Are
you in there?”

“Yeah,
what’s up?” She opened the door, a strained smile masking her face.

“Giddy-up,"
I said. We’d decided we needed some sort of ‘it is time to jump ship’ code
after everything that had happened back at the lab. It seemed now would be the
first time we actually got to use it.

“Do
I need to round up the posse?” Her overly bright smile and wide eyes set my
stomach in knots.

“Yes,
E and I most definitely need to be brought in. Meet us by the bird in the
yard.” I looked at her solemnly before turning on my heel to face the people
waiting for me in Isadora’s old office.

The
moment the doors opened, everything stopped. Time seemed to stand still as I
approached my desk, where Damali was making herself quite at home. I stood
there staring at her. I hadn’t put in the contacts. I hadn’t masked anything
that had changed about me. It was all there for them to see. No more secrets,
no more lies. It was time to see the truth. Would they stand with me, or would
they be too caught up in their own ascension to the throne to stop the
darkness?

“Will
you help stop the coming storm? The darkness approaches. Only one mark remains.
Will you stand with me?”  I stood, grounded in place with Aberto and
Kennan just behind me.

“Will
we stand with you?” Damali shouted thunderously, rising from her seat. “You who
have conspired with the Order behind our backs. You who have withheld evidence
from us about Isadora’s death. You are not fit to lead us. Look at you, you
aren’t even a Seer. You are an Abomination.”

“So
this is how it will be, then? You will turn your back on what Isadora wanted?
You will turn your back on the calling to protect this world? This is a
directive straight from the heavens, yet you think that you can turn your back
and suffer no consequences.”  The rage boiled up inside of me, causing
blue sparks to ripple down my arms. These were supposed to be the people I
depended upon, the people I could trust the most. Yet here they were, turning
their backs on me when I needed them the most.

“You
are an Abomination," Brutus shouted. It looked like I never would find out
his real name, not that it mattered. If I stuck around him for too long, my ear
drums would just start bleeding, and I’d never hear his name.

“So
it is true?” Francesca’s small voice cut through the tension. “He did breathe
his soul into yours. I’d been told, but until this moment, I did not believe it
possible. You truly are no longer a Seer. Therefore, you are no longer welcome
here. You will find no refuge amongst our kind. Anyone that provides you
shelter will be given the same punishment - banishment.” 

There
they were, the same words I’d spoken to Elaine only days before, thrown right
back in my face. I was being banished, exiled from the family that had taken me
in and repaired me after the lab incident. The anger fluxed inside of me,
causing my arms to glow an eerie blue. I wasn’t sure what would happen if I
didn’t get my emotions under control.

“Know
this, if you turn your back now, there will be a price. The darkness will fall.
Stand with me or against me, but there is no middle ground.” My voice boomed
through the office, fury churned within me.

“Then
count us against you.” Damali’s snide reply caused my anger to arc out,
snapping at the desk she stood behind. In an instant, the desk was no more than
a pile of ashes. So that’s what the lightening did, interesting.

“Izzy,
we must go.” Aberto gently touched my shoulder pulling me towards the door, as
the shocked Council members stood gaping in my direction. “Let go of the anger,
or it will consume you.” I tried to breathe deeply and let it go.

The
Council members stood in shocked silence as we left the room. Exiting the
office, angry tears began to drench my cheeks. My home had just been stripped
from me, the only place I’d felt like I belonged in a long time. Like Elaine,
I’d been banished, never to return again, and all for something that was wholly
out of my control. I hadn’t asked for this to happen to me.

Numbly,
my legs carried me out of the house toward the waiting helicopter. Eleanor,
Molly, and Ian were already strapped inside. Curious looks garnered each of
their faces.

“What
happened?” Molly’s voice was strained. Lord only knew what they’d been through
the past few hours.

“If
you come with me now, you will be banished and no longer recognized by the
Council. I can’t ask you to do that. If you want to stay, I will understand.”

“Screw
that. Those bitches just mutinied against my sister’s wishes. I’m coming with you.
The Order always fascinated me, anyhow," Eleanor piped in, causing me to
smile.

“What
about you guys?” I asked Ian and Molly.

“We
can’t go to the Order, but we will stand with you. If you could take us back to
Chicago that would be best.” Molly held Ian’s hand tightly as he let go of a
breath.

“Are
you sure?” Ian asked her.

“Of
course I am. I’m not making you go anywhere you don’t want to, at least not
unless it is necessary.” Molly paused to look back at me, “It isn’t necessary
we come with you, right?”

“No.
I would much prefer that you weren’t there when the big bad ugly comes
knocking. At least I would have two less people to worry about.” I grabbed
Molly’s hand to squeeze it as the helicopter took off, leaving what had become
my home behind. I wondered if I would ever truly have a home again.

“Brother,
are you sure my presence is not needed?” Ian asked Kennan gravely.

“You
were there the last time, Ian. You know that one more person will not make a
difference. The rest of the Division is already on their way to where the Order
is currently housed. If something changes, or if something happens, you will
need to come.” They shared a look that spoke of a thousand secrets shared
between them.

“I
swear it," Ian pledged, grabbing Kennan’s elbow and aligning their
forearms as he did. I’d only seen Guardians do this once before, but now
looking at it with changed eyes, I saw the magic in the binding.

“Then
we need to head to Chicago first," Kennan told the pilot as the helicopter
shifted to adjust course.

We
rode the entire way in silence. Still stunned by the Council member’s reaction,
my mind mulled over everything that had transpired. Aberto was keeping secrets,
he’d said as much on the way there. I wondered if he’d known what was waiting
for me back at the Council, or if his secrets were something altogether
different.

“No,
Izzy," Aberto said, barely above a whisper.

“But…”
I started.

“No,"
Aberto’s eyes flashed a bright blue before dying back to their normal color. Okay,
someone hadn’t taken his crazy pills. You’d have thought he’d be used to my
relentless curiosity by now.

“Fine,"
I ground my teeth together. I marinated in the events that had just unfolded.
I’d been deposed, tossed off the throne, as it were. It stung more than I cared
to admit. I knew that I was unfit to lead anyone, but hearing it actually said
by someone else was a giant blow to my already frail ego. I thought I’d been
doing pretty durn well considering my total lack of experience.

 Grappling
with what they’d said, my mind reeled. My changes had somehow dubbed me an
abomination. Quite frankly, abomination seemed like a strong word. Maybe
weirdo, I’d even give them freak, but abomination? Come on. I’d show them
abomination. I’d lightning zap their arses. That’d show them.

The
helicopter began its decent toward Chicago, and Molly’s stop.

“Izzy,
we’ve got to go," Molly pulled me from my thoughts. “I’m sorry I can’t
come with you. He just isn’t ready, and I won’t force that on him." Molly
seemed torn between being there for me and being with her Guardian.

“He
needs you more than I do," I smiled warmly at my friend. “If anything
should happen, just know that your friendship has meant more to me than you
will ever know. You saved me, and I never really thanked you for that. I love
you, Molly. Promise me you will take care of yourself and keep working your
fashion rehab magic on Ian?”

“Promise
me you won’t make any stupid decisions?” Molly’s tears matched my own. I knew
this very well could be the last time that I saw her bright face.

“I
wouldn’t be me if I didn’t," I snot-laughed. Trying to cover my sobs with
a chuckle.

“Don’t
get dead, Pip Squeak," Ian ruffled my hair as he exited the helicopter.

“See
you soon," Molly hugged me tight, not giving a rat’s butt that she might
touch my runes, and for that, and so many other reasons, I loved her.

“See
you soon," I knew it was a promise I wouldn’t be able to keep.

Just
like that, they were gone and we were lifting off, heading back towards the
Order and my inevitable doom. 

Chapter
Twenty One

An
irritating silence prevailed the remainder of the way back to the swamp. An
entire two hours filled with nothing but my own misery to keep me company. When
the stupid helicopter finally landed and I made my escape, I was ready to
scream.

Everything
was falling apart and there was no way for me to hold it all together. I was
powerless. A chain reaction had begun; as if the fates had set up an intricate
path of dominoes to topple, and I was the last one in line. I could see them
coming for me, but I could do nothing to prevent my fall. Just as the prophecy
had predicted, I would fall. I stood, rooted to the ground just outside of the
helicopter, filled with anger.

“I
thought it was supposed to be about choice. I thought I had a choice. What
happened to that?” I yelled at Aberto. He should know. He was the oldest of us,
the wisest.

“Choice
is an illusion, Izzy. There is not always going to be an easy choice, or a good
one. Sometimes, no matter what you decide, it will not end well. You still have
a choice here. You can choose to fight, or you can choose to lay down and let
the darkness consume you and everything else in its path. Either way, this is
your decision. I hope that you choose not to fall back on your weakness, but to
press on. If you don’t, everyone you care for, everyone you love, will suffer.
Don’t be weak," Aberto turned away from me, vanishing as he walked. Don’t
be weak, the bastard. I’d show him weak when I zapped him with a lightning
bolt.

“Izzy,
what is this all about?” Eleanor came to my elbow, gently cradling it.

“I
feel like there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop this darkness and this
demon. All anyone has told me is to believe I can and the power is within me.
To me it sounds like a load of affirmation bull crap."

“I
might have found something that will help you," Eleanor raised a brow in
my direction. “It is, in a word, unconventional. But, if we are lucky, it may
just provide you with enough strength to finish this."

“I
trust you. If you think it is a good idea, I will give it a go. I don’t think
things could get much worse as it is."  I looked at her, wondering
just what I was getting myself into this time. I should really learn to ask
more questions.

“Well,
I will discuss it with your aunt and see what she thinks when we get
there."  Eleanor kept her hand on my elbow, guiding me towards the
house.

“Wait,
you knew she was my aunt? How is it that everyone seems to know everything
about me, but no one is willing to tell me anything at all? There needs to be a
secret intervention. No more! I swear, how am I supposed to do anything if I
don’t have all of the necessary information?”

“The
Order is not something we are permitted to discuss. I only knew because of your
mother. You had chosen the Council, which meant the Order was no longer an
option for you," Eleanor said matter-of-factly, as if I were some sort of
unruly student.

“I
didn’t know I had any other option!” I shouted. Exhaustion pulled at me
compounding with the elephants practicing their tap routine on my brain. My
head would split at any moment, I just knew it.

“That
is not my fault. You just didn’t ask. If you had, I would’ve told you,"
Eleanor looked completely unaffected by my outburst. She reminded me too much
of Isadora sometimes.

“Come
on, Izzy. We still need to make it back to the house before dark. The last
thing we need is for you to be eaten by an alligator. Speaking of food, we need
some. I’m starving," Kennan rubbed his belly in mock affront.