Second Sight (26 page)

“
Oh, Lev is here, all
right. I feel him.”

I exhale a shaky breath and look at him, but
he doesn’t look back. I notice the hard lines carved into his
forehead. Determination. He’s too busy focusing on the end of the
narrow hall ahead, the same ending that I’m so dreading. Kane
speeds his pace until I wonder if I will really be able to keep up.
I don’t think so, and I keep flinching as he propels me along,
expecting to run into something. I know he’s an angel, but I don’t
have his sonar.

It feels like we’re flying, not running, and
I’m on the verge of telling him I can’t keep up when suddenly we
stop, and I fall spill into the darkness. The blade clatters from
my hand to the court—we must be in the gym now—and I sprawl onto my
knees, barely keeping my balance enough so my head doesn’t strike
the floor. Half of me expects Kane is going to reach out and help
me, but the other half knows better. Whatever threads have woven
into this moment, I cannot cut them. The cord has become too thick
and binding.

My breathing is the only sound I hear as I
gasp for air. Breathe in, breathe out. The darkness seems stagnant
around me, and for the first time, I’m truly afraid. Frantic, I
struggle to my feet and turn a slow circle, trying to sense any
presence in the pitch black. Nothing. Where is Kane? Or Lev? Or
even Jayzee?

“
Kane?” I whisper. “Where
are you?” I keep turning that circle, thinking I’ll see him.
Instead, it just leaves me dizzy and disoriented. Which way did we
come in?

“
I’m here,” he
calls.

“
Where’s Lev?” Another
whisper. I don’t even know where the dagger has gone since it flew
from my grip.

“
He’s here.” Kane’s voice
is too calm. He should be worried about Lev, but he isn’t, and that
doesn’t make sense. Isn’t that why we’re here?

“
I can’t see
anything.”

“
Allow me to
help.”

Suddenly the lights flare to life, and I
blink, unprepared. Ahead is the dagger, waiting for me to pick it
up, but I’m not sure I should. Lev is sitting in a chair, a silver
cord tangling around his body. His head droops forward in an
unconscious slump, and there’s blood all over his face and
hands.

Gasping, I look up to find the other
angels—Kane, Colin, Sarah, and Jayzee standing on the running track
overhead. They’re stationed around the track, probably to make sure
they won’t have a bit of trouble catching me should I decide to
run. And although that is troubling, there is something far more
disturbing—their wings are not white but a dark grey, the color of
ash.

“
You said Jayzee was in
danger.”

“
She is. Just not at
present. You see, your little boyfriend over there has caused lots
of problems for us, and if we don’t do something, it’s only going
to get worse. So how about you pick up the dagger, Lizzie,” Kane
says, leaning on the rail. “And finish the job.”

“
No.” I say, shaking my
head vehemently.

He laughs and points a finger at me. “Trust
me, you won’t like it if I have to force you. Remember that. Now
pick up the blade.” His voice is loud, daunting.

I fold my arms across my chest, watching Lev
from my peripheral vision. How badly is he hurt, I wonder. “I’m not
going to do your dirty work. And you can’t do it yourself.”

Kane shakes his head and he exchanges glances
with Colin. “All right, Lizzie. But don’t say I didn’t warn
you.”

From the corner of my eye, I see a couple of
people entering the court and I turn. It’s Theresa. Her wings are
finally apparent, ash-grey like the rest of them. She’s holding
Jimmie in front of her, a knife to his throat and a smirk on her
face. Jimmie’s body sags, pale and weak. I called 911, but what
happened? What did she do?

“
You sure about it, Lizzie?
You see, if I don’t get what I want, you and everyone you love
dies. We start with Jimmie and then go to Griffin. Of course,
you’ll be next because you just don’t seem to have much of a life.
Is that what you want?”

Theresa probes Jimmie’s neck, drawing a small
bead of blood. His half-closed lids widen slightly, and his whole
body tenses as he gasps. When she releases the point from his skin,
he slips back into semi-consciousness with his head drooped
forward.

“
Time is of the essence
here, Lizzie.” Kane leans on the railing again, fingers laced
together. His dark wings twitch, hinting at his
impatience.

Chapter
Twenty

I feel them looking at me. A coldness rushes
through me, and my body starts shaking so violently I almost drop
the dagger again. Gritting my teeth, I look at Lev, so still and
alone. And it’s all my fault.

I shake my head. “Why? Why Lev?”

“
I can’t tell you what a
thorn he’s been in our sides, this past decade especially. And when
Evan
realized that we were the ones
stealing souls instead of escorting them to the next world, well,
we decided to step up the game, and poor Lev was an easy mark. He
was so worried about you that he stole the dagger from Evan in
exchange for our help without realizing the dagger could kill us.
The problem is Evan can still be objective enough to destroy us
because he ‘loves us all with the grace of our father.’ But after
you kill Lev, he won’t be so objective. Do you have any idea how
long it will take to get another angel down here who has enough
control to do this job? Decades. By then it’ll be too late.” He
offers a smirk. “Now you know. Do you feel better?”

Unable to answer, I close
my eyes and think,
You knew this all the
time, Lev. You knew and tried to tell me, and I didn’t listen. This
is all my fault.

There’s no time,
Elizabeth.
It’s Lev’s voice, weak and soft
in my thoughts. I stiffen and force myself not to look at him,
afraid Kane or Colin will understand the connection Lev and I have,
the only way we have left to stop this.

What do I do?
He’s got a plan, I tell myself. I know he’s got a
plan, and whatever it is, he will be able to fix everything
somehow.

You must free one of my hands, then take the
dagger and pierce my heart. The blow must be quick and sure.

No
,
I think, and the dagger falls from my grip. I look at Lev, but he
isn’t moving.
I won’t.

A streak of light from the side launches
toward me, and when it strikes, pain explodes through me, forcing
me to my knees. “Pick up the dagger, Lizzie,” Theresa seethes.
“It’s time to finish this. Before I finish you.”

You must do this,
Lev says in my mind.
Evan
and Celia are coming, but there isn’t enough time, and they won’t
be able to get to the dagger with the others so close. They do not
understand the stabbing is what activates the blade. But it won’t
just be me who dies. When it enters my body, the light will go
through me as a blameless sacrifice for their evil. When the light
comes, so will the purity. That will be their undoing. But they do
not know this. You have no choice. Now free my hand. It must be
with yours when you strike the blow, or the light will not come for
them.

Tears stream down my face. Another bolt of
light strikes, and I gasp. Then I know there is no choice. There is
no way to avoid this fate.

“
I’m losing patience,
Lizzie. Perhaps I’m giving you the wrong motivation.” Theresa turns
toward Jimmie, and the light sears a path to him. He shudders as
the brilliance consumes him, and his body sags. Had Theresa not
still been holding him, he would have fallen to the
ground.

“
Stop it!” I yell, grabbing
the dagger. “I’ll do what you want.” I’m crying so hard I can’t
see. Everything blurs together. I feel the pearl grip in my palm
and crawl towards Lev. I know he’s only pretending to be
unconscious, but seeing him appear so vulnerable shatters me. I cry
even harder. I touch his leg, half expecting he will stir, but he
doesn’t, even as I slowly make my way to a kneeling position beside
him. My throat is so try, and I can barely control my hands as I
fumble with the cord.

“
What are you doing, my
lovely?” Kane demands. “I said kill him, not untie him.” I feel him
glaring at me, and the weight of his gaze splinters my resolve,
making me stop.

“
I am going to kill him. I
just want to hold his hand once before I do. It’s not like you
couldn’t stop him if you wanted. How many angels would it take for
that—especially considering I’m only a mortal?”

He narrows his eyes, scrutinizing my
expression. I know he’s looking for reasons not to trust me, but he
can’t seem to find them, no matter how diligently he looks.
Finally, he smiles and shakes his head. “All right, Lizzie. You
have a point. Lev stands no chance of freedom, no matter what you
do, so be brief in getting it out of your system.

Nodding, I turn my focus back to slipping
Lev’s hand free. It’s not so hard, really, suggesting the cord
isn’t supernatural. As I touch his hand, I realize the warmth I
remember from his skin is too weak; a clamminess coats his flesh.
Once his hand slips into mine, I lower my face to it and stroke my
cheek with it.

I love
you
, I think.
I’ve
always loved you. I was just so hurt and angry.

I know
, he whispers in my thoughts.
Now you
have to get on with this.

For a moment, I stay in that position then
finally sit up. I look around at the angels perched around the
track above before I take the dagger to enclose it in Lev’s fist. I
know the angels are watching, but they don’t react. Maybe they
think this is a vengeance thing. I don’t care. I just have to get
through this, one way or another.

More tears. There will never be enough for
this. I look at Lev’s face and lower my head to his to his cheek.
As my face gets close to his, I see, for the first time, Lev’s eyes
slowly flutter open and peer at me. The brilliant blue is faded,
probably from whatever the other angels have done to him. His lips
slowly tug into a smile before he blinks and I kiss him; he closes
his eyes to resume the part.

I shudder and draw back.

You have to do this,
Elizabeth,
he whispers in my
head.

What if I can’t?

Then Jimmie and Griffin will die. So will
others, and Colin and Kane will either hide or destroy the dagger
before Evan can use it. You have to do it. Kane was right. You are
the only one who can.

I don’t answer, probably because my voice has
completely left me. His fingers clench the blade, and mine wrap
around his hand. While it probably looks like I am the one raising
the blade, it’s actually Lev. My hand is riding the will of his
motion, not the other way around.

When our arms rise fully into the air, that’s
when I make my decision. As the blade descends, I feel Lev trying
to slow the arc as his thoughts probe my mind and my thoughts
reveal my intent. He’s too weak to stop me, but his screams
suddenly break the silence as I impale myself.

The pain and light wash over me
simultaneously, and I gasp as both consume me. Heat—the world is
made of heat. I hear so many screams, and it occurs to me one of
them is mine. Lev is screaming my name. His is the loudest of them,
and I can hear the fear in his voice.

I slip to the floor, my gaze lowering to the
dagger protruding from my chest. Neither my hand nor Lev’s remains
on the blade. The damage has been done. The world dwindles to
breath, light, and blood. I watch the scarlet ebb from my chest and
spatter the polished wood. Some part of me distantly wonders if the
blood will stain the floor, and how long this will remain a crime
scene before someone is allowed to wipe away the traces of what
happened here tonight. I touch the area around the knife, coating
my fingers in blood. Absently, I brush them across my jeans, trying
to clean them.

A lightheadedness washes over me. Lev’s arms
encircle me, and he leans close so the side of his face touches my
forehead. His hands support me.

“
How did you get free?” I
whisper. Even talking is hard.

“
When you activated the
blade. Why did you do this?” He slips his arm beneath my legs and
scoops me up though I’m weightless, and that’s how I feel. The
world is spinning so much I clench my eyes, trying to shut it out.
As he cradles me, I lean against him, grateful for the warmth. I’m
cold. Probably blood loss.

“
What’s going on?” I ask,
aware that even if I open my eyes, all I’ll see is the light
surrounding me. “What of the other angels?”

He nods. “The light has swallowed Colin and
Kane. Jayzee and Sarah may yet survive because there is yet
goodness within them.” Lev’s voice dwindles, and I feel his body
rippling beneath me.

“
I’m sorry,” I whisper. “So
sorry.”

“
It doesn’t matter.” He
kisses my forehead, and I feel moisture touch my cheek. At first, I
think I’m crying, but another drop spatters my skin, and I realize
it’s Lev’s.

“
I guess you’re going to
carry my soul again.” My voice is ragged with pain, and my body
clenches. I groan.

“
Don’t say that,” Lev
manages, his voice less than restrained. “I’m not carrying your
soul. This was a mistake, and somehow I’ll will fix it. It was
supposed to be me.”

I feel a sudden shift in temperature,
suggesting we’re are no longer inside. The cold consuming me has
grown much worse, and I tremble even harder, my teeth chattering. I
know it’s the blood loss, it has to be.