“Yeah,” I said. “So, you sent them to look for me?”

“I had to. When you got away from Jake, he thought there was something about you—something different. He was right. It just wasn’t what I expected.” His fingers pushed his silky hair out of his eyes.

“What’d you expect?” I folded my arms.

“I don’t know. Just—not this. Ivy, I thought you were Martis. I had no idea you were the girl in the prophecy.” His hand gestured at me.

“So, what do we do?” I shifted as I stared at him, wondering if the past twenty-four hours had been filled with lies, a complex plot to ensnare me and steal my power. He said nothing, rubbing his head in his hands. When he looked up at me, his eyes were impossibly blue. He didn’t accept what he was. Just like me.

Walking toward him, I said, “Something inside of me is—it’s wrong. It doesn’t fit. That same odd piece, it’s inside of you, too. I can feel it.” He said nothing. His eyes tracked my movements in a wolf-like manner. I started to walk over, ready to push the point, when fatigue pulled at me. I pushed it down, but a yawn escaped my mouth. I uttered, “Collin, help me… ” as I crashed onto the carpet.

This vision was as sucky as the first. The black mist swirled, reminding me of the shadows I conjured. Three figures came into focus. I emerged from the mist and moved toward them. The three were in a frantic discussion. They stood outside a stone building. It was night. As I watched myself in the vision it was clear that I was only concerned with the two people in front of me.

“We need six,” a familiar voice said. “It’s suicide with less than six to hold the circle. Even so, someone has to seal the portal.”

The other slim figure nodded. “He’s right. It has to be six.”

In the vision, I was covered in sweat, despite the chilled air. There was a gash on my cheek, and I paced in place. My hair was pulled tightly into a frizzed out ponytail, and I looked like I’d been rolling in dirt. Nervously, I shot looks at my two advisors. Julia and Eric.

I watched as the vision version of me asked, “What happens if we do nothing?”

“Then they come,” Eric said, as the wind howled louder. They were standing in the center of a storm that hadn’t formed yet. The pressure was uncomfortable. It kept shifting, making my head ache.

“And the terror begins,” Julia raised her voice, “and there’ll be no way to stop it.”

“And if we try without six?” I asked.

Julia yelled over the howling wind, “It doesn’t matter anyway. We need six to hold the circle, but there is no way to seal the portal. We don’t have what we need.” Her words unnerved my resolve. Seeing fear flash in the eyes of a totally confident woman made my stomach sink. Wind whipped through the clearing. I could almost see where we were, but I couldn’t make it out.

Al said as I matured that I could force the visions to reveal the information I wanted, but right now, the vision wasn’t cooperating. I didn’t know what had us outside during a wicked storm, where we were, or why things felt so dire. I tried to focus on the blurred area behind where I was standing, seeking some distinguishing landscape, building, or something. But there was nothing there. The blur wouldn’t lift. The main thing I noticed was that the longer I was in the vision, the more panic I absorbed from the people around me. Suddenly, I was ripped from the vision, as cold slid over my skin.

I sat up dripping. I sucked in air, shocked. “What the hell!”

Collin stood over me with a huge empty cup in his hand. Kneeling next to me, he said, “I couldn’t wake you. I tried.” His breath was choppy. Brown hair stuck to his pale face. “What happened? What was that?”

I pulled at my wet shirt and glared at him. “I’m a Seyer, Collin! You pulled me out of a vision!” I stood up, and smashed my fist into the wall, desperately fighting the urge to freak out. “I needed to see the end! Now I just saw a world of crap being thrown on me—without the ending.”

“I wouldn’t have wakened you. It looked like death tried to claim you, again. I’m sorry.”

Again? What did that mean? I shook my head, sopping wet, all the fight drained from me when I saw the terror on his face. “It’s fine. You didn’t know. Apparently I can’t see the future without fainting.” My fingers frantically pushed my hair out of my face. I sat down hard on the floor.

Collin sat next to me. “What’d you see?” I told him. But I still didn’t know what was coming. Or how to stop it. “Six is a doomsday number. The portal gets opened. Huh?” Collin’s expression was odd.

“Spill,” I insisted. “What are you talking about?”

“If you’re doing something really big, you need six people to form a circle. Everyone always thought that you—the prophecy chick—would rule the Underworld from below, not above. Maybe you called them up here?” His eyes were wide as he looked at me. “That would suck.”

“Collin, I didn’t call them.” I shook my head. “Well, I don’t know who called them. I just know something was happening. What makes you think the Underworld was called up here?”

He shrugged, “It’s part of the prophecy. Probably not a part you heard. When the purple one rises to power, she kills me, and rises up the Valefar. Apparently, that’s literal. You call them up here.” His uncertain gaze was lingering on me, and the expression on his face told me that he didn’t totally trust me.

“Don’t look at me like that! I’m not going to kill you. Damn it! How does this happen?” I held my head in my hands. Panic wove tightly through my muscles, landing in my stomach. I wanted to run away, and leave this nightmare behind, but I couldn’t. I was trapped. Breathing deeply, I tried to steady myself. I couldn’t fall apart. I swallowed, asking a question I didn’t want answered, “What did I do, Collin? I had to do it, right?”

His blue gaze held mine. “The prophecy says you will—it doesn’t say you want to.” His words hung in the air.

“Damn.” There was nothing else to say.

Collin’s ideas about destiny didn’t mesh with Al’s. If it didn’t matter what I did, then the prophecy would just come true. But, she said visions showed paths, so I should be able to change it by choosing another path. I just needed to know how and when. Al had more details that she didn’t tell me. If she gave me the information, I could derail my future. I had to try.

I jumped up. “Get up, Collin. I have to go talk to a nun.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

I pushed Collin within inches of his sanity to snap the bond. As soon as I felt the bond slacken, I launched my body through its hold. Pain shot through me. It felt like bone was ripped out of my skin in one big chunk. I screamed. Breaking the bond left me breathless, and writhing in pain. I knew I had to get to my feet and run before Collin’s animal instinct to kill anything that hurt him woke up.

I ran before he came after me. But, I wasn’t stupid enough to think I was safe. My feet beat the ground. My lungs sucked in air, aching. I didn’t stop. I focused on the ruby and saw the church building in my mind—its dreary brick façade, and the trees that faded into the distance behind it. I imagined it from across the street. I felt my blood boil as heat surged through me. Efanotation sucks. My body felt like it was on fire and disappeared into the air. I had no idea how far I was from the church, but it felt like forever. The burning didn’t stop. I wanted to cry out, but had no breath to scream. The fire licked my stomach, searing my insides. When I wished I would die, the mist dropped me on my knees in front of the church.

I clung to the grass, coughing as my body protested being hurled through space and burned. I fought the urge to lie down on the cool ground, and pushed myself up. My thoughts raced. I had to get to Al. I needed to know what was happening. Pain shrieked from my shins, and stabbed at my ribs when I moved. I was almost there, but transporting my body had weakened me. I was safe though. I’d made it to the church, one of my safe spots.

A wave of relief flooded over me. It ended as an ear-piercing scream echoed behind me. Spinning on my foot, I saw Eric remove a silver sword from the chest of a man with a red scar above his right brow. The sword flashed in the light, slicing through his throat. The night was quiet again. The ground around him was glistening scarlet.

My hand covered my mouth, as I fell to the lawn. The man’s blood and his entire body turned to thick black goo. It looked like tar mixed with molasses. It sunk and was reclaimed by the earth. My body reacted without my consent. I dry heaved onto the lawn. Eric grabbed my underarms, dragging me toward the church. He was talking to me, but I couldn’t hear him. Nothing registered. I don’t know why it shocked me, but at the moment being around Eric was the worst thing I could imagine. He angled my uncooperative body through the door, and sat me on the nearest pew.

“Ivy. Ivy!” his voice crashed through my haze. “What happened? Where were you?” I sat there mute, wiping my mouth. The death of the Valefar danced before my eyes. Suddenly, I realized that was also my fate. No, wait. My fate was worse. I felt myself blanch. My head felt light, as it swayed with unseeing eyes.

Eric’s warm hand was on my neck before I fell. He forced my head down between my knees. Warmth flooded my skull. The pounding of my heart thundered in my ears. His gentle voice said, “Breathe. Just breathe.” His hand remained firmly on my back, waiting for me to pull it together. “Ivy, what happened to you?” Eric whirled in front of me and lowered himself to his knees. “I swore I’d protect you, and I will. Tell me what happened.”

My long hair fell forward. It obscured my face. My throat stung. “I have to tell you something. It’s not good.” My heart hammered. I fought to control my voice. “Do you trust me, Eric?”

He recoiled. “Of course. I just risked my life for you. I’d do it again.” His hand was on my forearm. He gave me a gentle reassuring squeeze.

“You mean that? It’s not just because I’m a Martis?” I asked.

He sounded offended. “Of course not. Ivy, I’m your friend. I was your friend before you were blue.”

“Sometimes people can’t be friends. Sometimes they’re just on the wrong side of the line. Sometimes they can’t help it.” I swallowed, hoping he’d see where I was going, “Sometimes blue is just a color.”

He looked at me like I hit my head too many times, “What are you talking about?”

“I can’t lie to you anymore,” I breathed. My heart raced and my muscles tensed. I felt sick.

“Lie..?” he asked. “Martis can’t… ” Shaky fingers pulled the long silver tines from my hair. I sat back in the pew with the comb on my lap. My curls fell away from my face. My bangs hung in tight, wet ringlets, revealing my purple mark.

His sword was loosely gripped, as his jaw fell open in shock. He backed away from me, appalled. I breathed softly, “I know you’re looking for me. I tried to tell you before, but… ” My pulse raced. I could taste the salt on my skin when I licked my dry lips.