Shadow of the Sun (45 page)

Two cemetery workers materialized from the mist. They didn’t pay me any attention as they started their day’s work. One of them drove a Bobcat while the other directed his actions. It was then that I understood what they had planned. They lifted the fake grass off the pile of dirt next to Abelie’s grave and proceeded to push the dirt into the hole.

I flinched when I heard the first bit of mud fall onto the casket. Something inside of me sank down with my mom, as if I was suffocated by the dirt that was thrown over her. I stayed to watch as the ground swallowed the casket whole. Each time they backed up the Bobcat and it forcefully pushed more muddy dirt into the hole, I jerked out of reflex.

Soon, there was nothing left but a smooth layer of Earth above the angel . . . my angel . . . my Guardian . . . my mother.

There were soft footfalls behind me. I figured it was one of the workers coming back to do something else to Abelie’s gravesite.

“
Ella?” a gentle male voice spoke softly in my ear. I hadn’t noticed that he crouched beside me.

“
Andrew?” I whispered as I recognized his face.

“
It’s time to leave.” His breath was so affectionate, so healing, that some new strength grew inside me. He reached for my hand, and I gladly gave it to him. He had a look of panic on his face, and I wasn’t quite sure why. Did something frighten him?

“
What are you doing here?” I asked. It wasn’t out of exasperation that I had cried out, it was pure intoxicating relief. I hadn’t realized how much I needed him as I watched Abelie become one with the Earth.

His hand tightened in mine before he released me. He wrapped his graceful arm around my waist to move me toward a black limo. I wondered where it had come from. Did he steal it?

“
No time for questions. It’s not safe here anymore,” he whispered. I mouthed his words back questioningly as he pushed me towards the limo.

Reflexively, my eyes darted around the area. There was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing strange in the least. No Shadows, no Ladies of Light. No angels to speak of except for the one who held me against his body. After one last sweeping gaze around the forest that choked the boundaries of the cemetery, I stiffened when a form materialized under the shadows. I couldn’t see a face, only the red-orange glow of fiery eyes.

Andrew reached for my hand, and we picked up our pace.

No, I thought stupidly, it couldn’t be. Wasn’t this death the end of it all? Could there possibly be any more tragedies? The door flung open on its own accord, and suddenly we were inside and speeding away.

Andrew’s hand hadn’t left mine, and he continually gave me the strength I so desperately needed. My heart pumped my new golden blood through my veins so rapidly I was surprised it didn’t explode under the pressure.

“
I don’t think he’ll follow—not while he’s alone,” Andrew whispered into my hair. My head rested upon his shoulders as a single tear trickled down my face to land on his jacket, staining it gold.

“
I’m sorry,” I said softly as I wiped at the fabric. He caught my hand to stop me, as if this action displeased him.

“
Don’t ever be sorry about weeping over an angel.” He cupped my chin. The warmth of his hand was enough to feel like he was healing me. And perhaps he was—not in a physical way but an emotional one.

He kissed the tears on my face and wrapped his arms around me protectively. “Ehno and Lucia went looking for you in the opposite direction. You really had us frightened.”

“
I’m sorry, Andrew.” I looked down, embarrassed. “I wasn’t thinking.”

The road curved as we headed out of the cemetery.

“
And what about Aiden?” My question was muffled against the lapel of his jacket as I tried to avoid his skin. “If he finds out a Shadow is here, he’ll come looking for him and try to kill whoever did this to Abelie.” And once again, just like before in the Divine Library, I felt a thirst for retribution. For justice.

“
The Shadow.” He nodded. “He’s not far.” He pressed a button, and the window between the driver and us slithered away.

“
Driver,” he called out. “How much longer till—”

Sudden and violent metal twisting against metal echoed in my ears as the limo bent sideways. The sound grated against my ears, but my head hurt worse as it slammed into the side of the limo. My reality warped into something new. Then I was exposed to the elements. Odd, the sun had disappeared again and rain beat down on the ground. I was way too dizzy. Rain splattered across my face and wind rushed through my hair as I was pressed tightly against Andrew’s hard chest. My head felt faint, but with all my might I clung to him, absolutely confused at what was going on.

There was a blur in my vision, and I wasn’t sure if we quit moving or if we were high in the sky at this point. For some reason we weren’t in the air. I was on the ground looking up at the beautiful maple tree above me, with its big yellow leaves.

“
It’s just you and me,” Andrew breathed into my ear. He helped me sit up against the tree.

Something hot and wet seeped from my head and down my neck. My hand automatically went up to the sore spot on my temple, and when my fingers came away they were covered in rich molten blood. When I looked into my protector’s eyes, they were full of regret and torture. He also had a splattering of blood on his clothes. All I could think about was making sure he was okay, even though he was there to protect me. There was no time for that; we were in danger. A woman materialized. She stalked toward Jeff Vittorio, the Shadow who had caused our accident. It was the Soul Stalker—Karen.

“
Is that why—”

“
I can’t fly?” Andrew finished. “Yes. She’s preventing me from using my abilities.” He sprang forward, shielding me from her.

But not my abilities, I thought dazedly, but there was no strength within me. I was tired and hurt, worse than I previously thought. The horrible ache in my side came back with a vengeance. Abelie had said she wasn’t able to fully heal me. I was in pain—a lot of pain. The scene went in and out of focus. One moment Andrew crouched before me, and the next thing—

“
It’s him,” I whimpered. “Aiden. Just like he promised.” This was my fault. If Aiden were killed, I would die too. Surely there were no other Guardians left for me. This would be the end. I didn’t want this to be the end. I’d lost Abelie—I couldn’t lose my father too. I refused.

He shot a murderous glare in Jeff’s direction, right at his temple, like a sniper preparing to shoot. The ground shook beneath me, like one of those cheap beds in a trashy motel where you have to pay a quarter. Then everything stilled. The ground shook beneath us again as a dark shadow loomed overhead. Andrew tensed for action as the ground shook again. Darkness closed in on the edges where only the headlights of the limo illuminated the vicinity. It was my office all over again, like the dark mist was creeping up and around every inch of my skin. I wanted to swat it away, but my arms felt heavy, like they were broken. Fire sprang up and ringed around us, and the rain seemed only to intensify the raging flames that licked at the air. They were hungry.

“
Only one Guardian?” a vicious voice said mirthfully. The Soul Stalker. “It’s so easy to pick you off one by one.”

I blinked, transfixed in horror. I squinted to see Jeff’s expression of gloating pleasure, or was it just vicious satisfaction on his face? Swallowing, I tried to muster up the strength to stare at him with every sign of great dislike—hate, even. Hate indeed.

As I faded in and out of consciousness, light flashed left and right as fire and magic twirled in the air like pretty fireworks. There was a swirl of colors, a rush of wind, as if something flew overhead. There were no other words for it except complete and utter chaos. I had no idea how they kept up with each other. I was thankful all over again for everything Andrew had done for me. I hoped that between my father and Andrew, they could fight the two creatures who wanted to kill me more than anyone else on this universe, because I couldn’t.

“
You won’t take her,” Andrew shouted. I really thought daggers would roll off his tongue and pierce Jeff’s heart—if he even had a heart.

“
Won’t I?” Jeff laughed. “I will kill everyone who tries to protect her until she has no protectors left.” Again, he laughed. “Did you hear that, Illuminator? Everyone you hold near and dear will die as long as they stand in my way.”

Maybe it was my faint state, but I thought I would freeze from his words, so icy and not threatening, exactly, but promising.

The encompassing fire crackled and flickered into an ominous red as a shape appeared before us. It was so easy for Jeff to embrace the same fires that had snapped the neck of Abelie. I tried to fight against my heavy lids and failed miserably. Heat wrapped around my ribs, up my shoulders, and crept around my neck. Any second I was going to join my mom. My ribs folded under the pressure.

There was shouting and a grunt as the sensation disappeared. I tried to shake off the faintness and the pain in my side so I could help, or at least see what was going on. I couldn’t concentrate through the haze of pain. When I stood, hand on my side, blood leaked from beneath my clothes. I lifted my shirt to see the wound that Abelie had tried to heal ripped open, and blood dripped down my side. My back hit the tree trunk, and I sunk back to the ground, unable to stand.

Fire shot from the palm of the dark creature. Andrew ducked, and the fireball hit a branch above us. Then he flung himself in front of me as another fireball rocketed my direction. He didn’t move fast enough. It pierced my chest, and for a fraction of a second, anger boiled up like a black wave right along with the pain. It did me no good. He had me. I was a goner; the Shadow and Soul Stalker had won. Andrew yelled, but I couldn’t make out the words. My Guardian ducked, and another fireball hit a branch above us. The branch clattered down, and then, as a new darkness began consuming me, I knew I was finished. My world disappeared into a silent, black oblivion.

CHAPTER 30: DEATH IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

There was a moment when I knew my life was over. And then it passed. Or maybe I passed on. There was no pain anymore, no horrible ache in my chest from the death of my mother or wounds on my head, or the searing pain of my opened wound. It was like my mother has healed me all over again. I was okay. More than okay. I was fantastic. Incredible. Whole.

It was silent. Ridiculously peaceful. I stood in a hallway. I stared down at my clothes.
Where had this come from?
I wondered as I lifted the silk blue dress, which draped over my body like extremely smooth satin. The hall I stood in appeared infinite—the white walls, like silky curtains, expanded for miles or maybe forever. My bare feet moved over the soft ground—like clouds. Was I in heaven? My heart didn’t beat the normal pounding against my rib cage. It was just as quiet as this place. Realization hit. Great, I’d kicked the bucket.

“
I’m dead,” I whispered to nobody.

“
Not yet, beautiful angel.”

I spun around excitedly, looking for the culprit to that earth-shattering, beautiful voice. “Mom?”

“
Yes, sweetie. I’m here.”

Again, I did a three-sixty as I searched for her face. I’d lost her twice and now I could hear her voice. This was heaven; it had to be! “Where are you?”

“
Right here.” A warm hand touched my shoulder.

I whirled around. Abelie stared at me with bright-green eyes. She barely had time to take a breath—if you even breathed in this place—before I seized her and hugged her to my body. She returned my embrace just as fiercely.

“
Where are we?” I wondered aloud against her hair. “Are we in heaven? Because I’m pretty sure this looks and feels like heaven.”

She backed away and cradled my cheeks in her hands. She inspected my face as her eyes devoured every last inch. “This is the place between,” she told me. “Our Timeless Oblivion.”

Her face was full of motherly love, something I always saw with my adoptive mother, but this was different, more pure. My whole life I wondered what would happen when I saw my real mother, and then I had lost her. But there she was, right in front of me. She loved me; I could see it in the set of her eyes. It felt real, wonderful, to be loved so completely by a mother—my mother. Now I knew what it would be like. It was complete and fulfilling. There were no words to truly describe it.

It was a Herculean effort for me to tear my eyes away from her, but I had to look at this place one more time. The amount of white was blinding. Once again, I glanced down at the ground. It could be clouds. The white fluffy surface was solid, but it was soft and felt pleasant between my toes, like the softest grains of warm sand. I couldn’t describe it. The words wouldn’t make sense: “It feels like a cloud.”