Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
I feel hands digging inside of me, ripping my heart out.
I force my eyes open again, and past Raighne and all the destruction around us, I see a shadow move toward me.
Where Awo was all light, this creature is made of millions of shadows constantly swirling and creeping over each other.
“What’s that?” I ask, panic lacing my thoughts.
I can’t feel or hear Raighne and Ares, and as the shadowy figure comes closer, my entire body chills until it feels like ice fills my veins.
“No. Stay away from me!” I scream, but no one hears me.
The shadowy figure moves over me, and as it hovers above me, I stare at the absolute darkness where its face should be.
It moves a hand to my chest, black veins snaking beneath translucent skin, and the most agonizingly lonely feeling coats my very soul.
“No,” I gasp. “I’m not done fulfilling my destiny. I can’t die yet.”
I start to shiver fiercely as I stare into the dark abyss. “Who are you?” I breathe the words as if they are my last.
“Void.” His voice is eerily soft, and it has a pull to it, drawing me away from the light. “Join me, Alchera.”
Everything stills inside me, and unable to move, I can only stare into the dark abyss that’s pulling me away from everything I hold dear.
“No,” Ares’ voice strikes like a lightning bolt, the light so sharp in my mind it makes Void creep back to the edge of my sanity. “I won’t let you take her.”
“Ahhh…Ares,” Void hisses sinisterly. “I’ll see you soon, son.”
The icy cold disappears, and my body starts to shiver as Void disappears.
“The bullet is out,” I hear Raighne say.
“Void is gone,” Ares tells him. “Can you get into her mind again?”
“Let me try,” Raighne mutters.
Hearing them work together to save me has my eyes stinging with unshed tears right before I’m engulfed in Raighne’s warmth as he floods me.
“Is she going to be okay?” I hear Jason ask.
I’m pulled tightly against Raighne’s chest, and he peppers my face with kisses as sob after sob begins to burst from me.
“I’ve got you. You’re safe,” he murmurs, his tone strained with emotion.
Finally able to move, I lift my arms and cling to Raighne’s shirt as I gasp through the empty feeling left behind by the weird shit I just experienced.
“What was that?” I ask.
“Nothing for you to worry about,” Ares answers as he climbs to his feet. “I’ll deal with it.”
“Is Alchera okay?” Dylan asks, his tone tense with worry.
“Yes,” Raighne replies. Pulling back, he locks eyes with me. “Are you good to go? We need to move.”
Having no choice, I nod, but Raighne has to help me to my feet.
My legs feel unsteady, and I lean heavily against him as I look at Riccardo, who’s still on his knees, his face pale with shock.
Dumbfounded, he stares at all the blood on my shirt as he shakes his head, then whispers, “How? What? Christ.”
“I know it’s a little overwhelming, but you’re safe with us,” Jason tells Riccardo. “These people are here to save us, so just go with the flow.”
“I shot her,” Riccardo gasps. “How?”
“I’m Raighne, and as Alchera’s guardian, I can heal her,” Raighne explains. “Also, you can’t kill one of us with a bullet, so don’t bother trying again.”
It felt like I was dying, though.
“You were just weakened, which allowed Void to get into your mind,” Ares tells me mentally.
My eyes snap to his face. “Void?”
“My step-father for intents and purposes. He rules over the shadowlands. He’s the one who turned my mother dark.”
“Enough,” Raighne mutters. “We need to get out of here.”
It’s only then that I glance around us, and seeing all the destruction and breathing in ash, panic pours through my chest.
“I had a vision of another chosen one, but I don’t know where she is,” I admit, my voice hoarse from the poor air quality.
“Dammit,” Brenna mutters.
“Can’t we go back to Vaalbara until we know where to go next?” I ask.
“No.” Griffith shakes his head, an impatient expression on his face.
“We can go back to our house,” Doug says. “Last time we were there, Ireland wasn’t as affected as this place.”
“We don’t have much of a choice,” Jason agrees.
“Everyone gather close,” Griffith orders while pulling Riccardo to his feet. “You hold my hand and don’t let go. You hear me?”
Riccardo just nods, still shell-shocked.
We all hold hands, and the next instant, Ares shimmers us back to Doug and Sarah’s living room.
When the place looks the same as when we left it, I let out a breath of relief.
Coming to stand beside me, Brenna asks, “How are you feeling, Alchera?”
I just nod because I don’t have words to express how I feel.
“She needs to get some rest. Maybe then she’ll have another vision,” Raighne says, and taking hold of my hand, he pulls me closer to the couch. “Sit.” He looks at Brenna again. “Can you bring her some water?”