See How She Falls

  See How She Falls

  Book Three:

  The Chronicles of Izzy

  Michelle Graves

  See How She Falls

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright © 2014 Michelle Graves

  Published by Michelle Graves

  Georgia

  All Rights Reserved

  Edited by: Neeley Bratcher Editing

  Cover Art by: Syd Gill of Syd Gill Designs

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  This book is available in print and ebook format.

  Dedication

  For Susan Pszczolkowski Baxter.

  May your eternal garden be filled with cozy reading nooks

  and brilliant stories.

  You are missed.

  Acknowledgments

  To my husband, the innovator of bad guys, and brilliant story-teller in his own right. My books would be impossible without his love, patience, and advice. Even if I never take it. I love you more than you will ever, ever know!

  Wendy, I shall never be able to convey how much I love you. Fate certainly brought you into my life, and I can honestly say, you take my breath away. (See what I did there?) In all seriousness, my books would never be as amazing without all of your guidance, support, honesty, and help. You are more important to me than you can even imagine!

  Ali, you are just, well, there aren’t enough words. I am so blessed to not only call you friend, but to have you be a part of my writing process. I know that I can always count on you for honesty, support, and angry messages. Your enthusiasm for Izzy keeps me motivated!

  Charissa and Shawn, for some reason when I think of one of you, I think of the other. The two of you are like the book sisters I never knew I could have. I am so blessed that the past year and these books have brought us closer together. What started with books has led to two beautiful and everlasting friendships. I love you both BIG, HUGE even!

  Regina, even when life gets super busy, just know that I love you and I am so thankful that you keep on reading. Even if you will never love Aberto. (But you will, someday!)

  Dianne, you mean the world to me. I love you to bits and it is more than just the help you so willingly give me, it is your optimism. It is downright contagious. I never have to worry about a thing with you. I know you will be honest and loving and gentle!

  To my new sisters at Dauntless Indies, thank you so much for all of the advice, the help, and the guidance you have given a newbie like me. You are three of the most amazing women I’ve ever known!

  Syd Gill, you are a saint! No seriously, you are so amazing. There aren’t enough good things I can say about what you do for The Chronicles of Izzy. The book covers are brilliant and I know without a doubt, you will always come through for me! You, my dear, are one talented genius!

  Neeley Bratcher, I want you to know how much I appreciate you taking the time to give my books the love they deserve. Even with all you have going, working full time and writing your own brilliant books, you still take the time for me…. It means more than you can know! I love you to bits!

  Michelle’s Mafia, you people are the best Street Team, support, friends a girl could ever ask for! Thank you for all of your hard work and pimping. I’d be nothing without all of you! Love you to bits!

  And to you, the person that picked up The Chronicles of Izzy and have stayed with me, thank you. You mean, well the world to me! Without you, this would just be a computer file hanging out in my laptop. The enthusiasm and excitement of each of you has propelled me to keep on doing this! So thank you for taking a chance on Runs and sticking with me!

  Prologue

  And so it was, the gathering of Seers, the last of the soul walkers. They came together to bind the future so that the darkness may never prevail. Their pleas went out to the gods both old and new, to the Guardians that they may raise themselves up to protect the one to come, and to the Old Ones to anoint her path.

  The cries went up to the heavens and the heavens heard. An oath was made from the gods to the keepers of man. There would be a Seer when time came to pass. A Seer unlike any other before or after. The assurance of the gods echoed with an oath to the soul walkers that there would be signs.

  There would be signs anointing the Seer’s path so that she may be known to those that knew to look. The Seer to come shall be the last of the soul walkers, but the first of her kind. She will traverse the planes, both in present and past. Her powers will manifest tenfold and her path shall be anointed so that she may fight the darkness.

  And while the promise of the one to come brought great comfort to the Seers, the last of the soul walkers, the binding of the oath left them to doubt. The gods promised to provide the Earth with a great protector, but as in all things, the protector must choose. The Seers did not understand and began to question the gods.

  The gods responded, and it is their answer that set flame to the fears that the darkness may well prevail. The Seer to come must choose to face the darkness coming. Her path will be filled with turmoil and her soul marked by loss. Though she will have the strength to fight the darkness, she must be willing to surrender all.

  To end the darkness, the Seer must fall.

  Chapter One

  It was finally time. Molly’s mom had been held captive for over two months while we tried to pry information from her. Unfortunately, Elaine wasn’t the fount of knowledge we had hoped she’d be. I looked over to where she sat, all prim and proper as though her world wasn’t about to be completely upended. The lack of remorse in her eyes sickened me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t understand how Elaine could so dispassionately slay Seers, betray her daughter, and feel nothing akin to regret. Something in her had broken at some point. Maybe Molly had been right, maybe it had been when she lost her husband. No matter what she’d gone through, I couldn’t excuse what she’d done. Not to Molly, not to the Seers, and not to me.

  “Izzy, the time is upon us." Aberto’s solemn voice startled me out of my reverie.

  “Alright, I’m ready.” I stood and walked to the center of the platform, the same one used during my protection mark ceremony only months before. I rooted myself in place, gathering my courage as I thought of the ceremony that was about to take place. Elaine would be stripped of her powers for the rest of her long life, something that wasn’t to be done lightly.

  “I call the Council to order.” My voice echoed through the massive group. Aberto nodded his head almost imperceptibly, encouraging me to continue. “We are gathered to strip the Betrayer of her Gifts. She has forsaken all that our people hold to be true. Elaine has turned her back against her fellow Seers and walked the path of darkness. For this, she shall be stripped of her powers and be banished from the Order forever. There will be no shelter from Seer nor Guardian found. From this day forward she shall be nothing more than a memory in our collective.”

  Aberto turned toward Elaine, leveling her with his gaze. “Do you wish to say anything before we begin?”

  “You think you know what is coming. You think you know where t
he threat lies. Everyone here is going to die.” Elaine’s maniacal laughter sent chills rushing down my spine. Her words only reinforced the fears that had been building since we’d captured her months ago. “Oh, and Izzy, you can’t hide forever.” Looking into Elaine’s eyes, I finally understood. No sanity remained there. Whomever she’d once been was there no more.

  Elaine smiled at me, ready to incite more fear at any moment. In a split second, Aberto rushed toward her, wrapping his hand around her mouth violently to cut off her unsaid words. Brutally pulling her head back, he whispered in her ear, “We will hear no more, Betrayer.” He leveled her with his stony gaze. I had only been on the receiving end of that look a few times. It made my knees shake just thinking about it. For a second, I almost felt sorry for Elaine. Aberto could be truly frightening when he wanted to be.

  “Let us begin.” Aberto tossed Elaine’s head roughly to the side and moved to retrieve his tattoo implements. He pulled out a stylus and moved towards her body. Her face was an immovable mask as he approached her. Not a trace of remorse shone behind her eyes. He placed the stylus against her skin and made the first mark.

  Elaine’s scream tore through the crowd, sending a shockwave that reverberated against everything in its path. For a moment, I wondered if we were doing the right thing. Surely there had to be some other way to keep her from using her powers. Just as the thought danced across my mind, I remembered Ren and everyone else that had perished because of this woman’s selfishly callous behavior. She deserved a far worse fate than the one she had been given. If it were up to Molly, she would already be dead.

  I scanned the crowd looking for Molly. Things had been in such an upheaval since this all began that I’d hardly had any time to spend with her. I wanted more than anything to be by her side right now. But, I had a place. I was the leader of the Council now and that meant I was not at the liberty to follow my own whims any longer, a lesson I’d learned the hard way only weeks before. My life no longer belonged to me. Molly sent a sad smile in my direction and turned her attention back to where her mother sat, still screaming bloody murder. Someone should shove a sock down the woman’s throat. I was getting sick of hearing her yelps.

  I watched Aberto as he moved around her marking her so that she would be unable to use her powers. He muttered words both foreign and familiar as he carved into her skin. These marks were not the beautiful ones he had bestowed upon my body. They were crude lines that gouged into her skin so deeply there was no doubting their permanence. He looked up to catch my eyes momentarily before turning back to his work.

  The look in his eyes in that moment spoke volumes. Ever since he’d life breathed me, or whatever the hell he’d done, we shared a weird connection. I was always cognizant of his presence and whenever we were near one another, I found myself drawn closer to him. I rationalized that it was just the part of his spirit living within me that called to him. Yep, that was it. His soul inside of me longed to be back with its other half. That was my story, and I was sticking to it.

  “NOOOOOOOOO!” Elaine’s scream snapped me back to the present, just as another shockwave ripped through the gathered Council members, Seers and Guardians. An audible snap sounded that left no doubt about what had just happened. Elaine’s powers were gone.

  “Just kill me," she whimpered.

  I saw Molly start toward the stage. She’d been trying to kill her mom ever since Ian had brought her back from the old factory. Before she even made it a step from her seat, Ian pulled her back and whispered something in her ear. She sat rigid in her seat clenching and unclenching her fists. I drew her attention and shook my head slightly. I wouldn’t have her doing something that she would regret the rest of her life. No matter how mad she was at the woman, she was still her mother.

  “Elaine, you will find no refuge from our kind from this day forward. You will live the rest of your very long life alone in the world of humanity. Perhaps, in this new life you will find some way to atone for your betrayal.” Aberto leaned close to her ear and whispered the rest. “May your judgment be merciless. May the rest of your days upon this earth be a torment, for you deserve no less.”

  With that, Aberto poofed. I still didn’t really know how he did it. One second he was there, then the next, gone. He would make an excellent magician. Perhaps we could raise money for the Council that way. “The Amazing Aberto." It could work. It would be an excellent Vegas show. I shook myself from my thoughts and looked back at the crowd. Time to be the leader.

  “The Division will remove Elaine from the grounds. They will place her in a suitable home, far from here. No one shall seek her out, none shall provide her with comfort. If anyone is found disobeying this directive, they will also be stripped of their abilities. We have been called to a higher purpose. We are meant to provide stability in a world that is lost to chaos. While it may seem more appealing to use our gifts in a way that will bring us fame or fortune that is not what we were made to do. Our lives are meant to be lives of service and sacrifice. If you feel you are not up to fulfilling this task, I am sure the Old One can return and strip you of your powers as well. A darkness is coming people, and we must pull ourselves together and fight. There will be no refuge for traitors within this Council.” I eyed everyone in the crowd steadily, I wanted to see if there was a weak link that I’d missed. I was truly tired of being blindsided.

  The gathered crowd stared back at me. Their expressions were part horror, part pride. Two months ago I would have balked at the responsibility that now rested upon my shoulders. Now, I would be damned if I let anyone else be hurt. I’d grown tired of losing everyone I held dear; of watching people die and being powerless to stop it. Enough was enough, and I was determined to put an end to whatever darkness was coming. No matter what the cost may be.

  “It is finished, you are free to go.” I watched as they moved back toward the house. Only the four Council members remained. The last four people I wanted anywhere near me at the moment.

  I’d been doing my durndest to hide the changes that were happening within me. It had started with my eyes. Right after Aberto had breathed part of his soul into me, my eyes became this churning miasma of blue and hazel. They never quite settled on one color or another. Luckily, only the people I truly trusted had seen them before I started to wear contacts. It wasn’t exactly a natural thing I was experiencing. In fact, I was the first person that had ever been saved by an Old One. No one really knew what was going to happen to me. Each day, things changed a little bit more, and never at a time that would be convenient. Like yesterday, I accidentally eavesdropped on Ian as he mentally undressed Molly. Not something I wanted to ever see again, that’s for sure.

  “Milady, we have some questions if you are at the leisure to answer them,” one of the Council members said, I think her name was Damali. Her skin was a beautiful, dark tan denoting her Arabic descent. She was utterly stunning. I still wasn’t used to these people answering to me. After all, they had been around far longer than I had, and they probably expected to ascend to Council Leader when Isadora passed on.

  “I have nothing else going on, would y’all like to go to the office and discuss your questions? I think it might be more comfortable.” As the words left my mouth, I realized I’d just pulled an Isadora. I had posed a question that really left no room for argument. They would come, of that I was sure.

  “That would be lovely," Damali’s Guardian bellowed. I was convinced that the man was physically incapable of speaking at a normal decibel. Every word out of his mouth threatened to burst my ear drums. I wondered if anyone had ever told him about his voice modulation problem.

  “If you would follow me.” Kennan stepped forward, pulling me from my mental inquisition in the process.

  As we moved toward the office I thought about my Guardian, the man I loved. Things had been, in a word, tense between us. I hated it. There was a rift between us ever since I started to change. It wasn’t exactly like I could fix this. I didn’t ask for Aberto to breathe his lif
e force into me and save me. In reality, the changes just made it abundantly clear that our old life could no longer exist. It was something I’d accepted months ago. He had not.

  We moved into the office and sat down to discuss whatever questions the Council had. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be that close to them. Hiding my new talents, and freakish physical changes, was not exactly easy.

  Chapter Two

  I gazed at the faces of the Council members, all four of them, and wondered why I’d been so afraid of them last year. Before, they were an imposing force, but now they just looked like a bunch of sullen children. Of course they were paired off in their wonderful Guardian-Seer duos. I still couldn’t make heads or tails of how this whole matching system worked. As far as I could tell, the two sets would have done better with switching Guardians.

  Pulling myself from my musings, I found Damali sourly gazing at me. There was something completely off-putting about her that I couldn’t quite explain. She had this way of making me feel like I was always wrong, even when I was right. Then, there was her Guardian, who had taken up a post, brooding behind her. I wasn’t really sure what his name was, but it should be Brutus. In my mind, he was a Brutus. I imagine all men that are unable to regulate their voices should be called Brutus.

  Then there was Francesca, she was just a waif of a thing. She sat there drawing imaginary circles on the floor with her toe. Francesca was downright unsettling. It was as if she was always in the future and never the present. Whatever she saw there seemed to weigh down upon her shoulders, crushing her until her frail body could not even remain upright. A fierce intelligence shone through her eyes that belied a millennia of secrets. Then, there was her Guardian, Eric. His name I knew. He was a domineering bastard, if there ever was one. Eric loved to push his way into any and every conversation just to prove how intelligent he was. All he succeeded in doing was pissing everyone off.