|Beginning of the End|
The heat from the sun swarms around my body. A welcoming feeling beating down on me is like saving grace. Then, I remember I was shot. Blood settles into pools beneath the palms of my hands resting on the pavement.
They got away...
Tears swell in my eyes, escaping, trailing down my cheeks. Raising my blood-dipped hand, I wipe away the wet droplets plaguing my face. I won't cry. Not even in death. If I should die, I won't go crying. I could never let Sylas have that satisfaction.
Footsteps.
I hear people. Shouting.
"Iris!"
It's Finn. He's come to say goodbye. Maybe he brought Kyler. I hope Bianca is with them, too. I want to see her petite face, those sparkling blue eyes.
Finn kneels next to me, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "You're alive. You will be okay, just hang on. Don't close those beautiful brown eyes."
I lick my chapped lips. I'm dying of thirst. Where is all the water? Desert stretches as far as the eyes can see. I try to sit up. "Finn, I was shot." He grips my shoulders, helping me lay back down.
"Don't talk," he says. "You've lost a lot of blood." His eyes linger over my lips, then back to my eyes. "I should have never of let you come up here alone. What the hell was I thinking?"
Kyler looks down at me. "They got you good," he says jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.
Finn glares up at him. "Do you think this is funny? She could die!"
Evelyn pushes the boys out of the way. Kneeling next to me, she raises my shirt to examine my side. Her face brightens. "A deep flesh wound. The bullet didn't penetrate. She will still need a lot of stitches."
Finn exhales a sigh of relief. "That's good news."
I look at all three of them. "Sylas and Julian escaped."
Kyler says, "Doesn't matter. All that matters is you're going to be okay. We'll hunt them later."
Evelyn stops the bleeding. Her fingers tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "Tell us what happened later. Right now, let's get you patched up."
"Thank you," I mumble.
Closing my eyes, I listen to them talk. Feeling sleepy, I let them handle the rest.
I must have slept a few hours. I lie awake in a familiar white room. Clean clothes shroud my body. I lift the scrub top. A white bandage covers the area where the bullet grazed my skin. I'm alive. I didn't die.
Evelyn walks into the room. "You're awake," she says.
I lift myself upright, resting my back on the pillows. "How many stitches?"
"Too many," she says with a sigh. "But you're alive and well. I'm grateful."
My heart feels hollow. I press my palm against my chest. "Julian was going to kill Sylas. I hesitated on the shot. If I fired, then both of them would have fallen to their death." My eyes linger on Eve, who now sits down by my feet. "Was I wrong for not taking the shot? Should I have killed a man or two? I'm not sure I was ever capable of that task."
Eve frowns. "You did what your heart told you to do. There isn't a right or wrong. No one is ashamed of the result."
"They're gone," I cry. "Now what do we do?"
"We search," she says.
"The Seraphim?"
Eve stands and walks to my side. "All accounted for in their Mother Chambers. I won't let anything happen to them. We've taken over the facility. Borrowers have fled. We've won the fight."
"For now," I say. "It isn't over, though."
She shakes her head. "Not even close, I'm afraid."
"How is Bianca?"
"She lost the Seraph," says Eve. "I have her resting and well."
I have so many questions I want to ask. I'm tired, too tired. I'd like to rest my eyes some more. The fight is over for now. I know it isn't the end of the battle. Sylas and Julian escaped. Why Sylas let Julian live after all he had done is confusing. Maybe it's true. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. What I do know, Sylas will be back for the Seraphim.
Kyler bursts through the door. "Outsiders!"
Evelyn turns toward him, her eyes wide. "How?"
"They're dressed like Arid citizens," he says breathily. "They want to speak to Irissa."
"How do they know about me?" I sit up straight, struggling to keep my composure from the pain.
"I'm not sure," he says with wild eyes. "They won't leave the premises, though."
Swinging my legs over the edge of the mattress, my feet settle on the floor. Kyler steps forward, but Eve puts out her hand to stop him.
She says, "What do you think you're doing?" Her eyes dart to me, examining what my next move will be.
I stand, yanking free the intravenous tubing from my wrist. "I'm going to talk to these so-called Outsiders."
Evelyn looks between Kyler and me, dropping her hand. "Get a wheelchair. I don't want her walking quite yet."
I smile. "I thought you would give me a harder time than that."
"I'm not your mother, after all." She shrugs, leaning against the bed.
Walking toward her, I grab hold of her hand. "You're the closest thing I've got to a parent. We'll work on our relationship."
"I'm glad," she says.
Kyler pushes the wheelchair to me. "Your chariot awaits."
I laugh, grabbing at my side. "Ouch! Don't mess around." He smiles, helping me down into the chair.
"I will be with Bianca," calls out Eve.
I wave, allowing Kyler to escort me through PURE. We don't speak, even though I want to ask him a million questions about the Outsiders: who they are, why he thinks they're here, and are they a threat?
Kyler rolls me outside the building. Right away, I notice Finn with a few Draftees, huddling around the strangers. I make eye contact with one of the Outsiders wearing all black, a hood draping over his head. His eyes are unsettling. Maybe they aren't friendlies, after all.
The one staring at me approaches first. "I'm assuming you're the Champion?" he says, eyeing my confinement in the wheelchair.
"Champion?" I suppress a laugh. "Who are you exactly?"
"We're from the lands between here and the United Colony. We don't follow laws. Don't expect us to be civil, either."
I swallow, trying to wet my dry throat. "Why are you here, then?"
He smiles, a wickedly beautiful smile. "Don't you need allies?"
Without hesitating, I push out my hand, waiting to strike a deal. Everyone surrounding us, including Finn and Kyler, stare at me in disbelief. I'm being irrational. I don't care. We need all the help we can get to hunt down Sylas and Julian. To put an end to this once and for all.
The young stranger takes my hand as we shake. "Let us be properly introduced, then," he says. "Zayne. Now what should I call you, or maybe you prefer Champion?" The corners of his lips curl upward into a belittling smile.
I look past him, across the desert plain. The sun dips below the horizon. Hues of pink and orange paint the sky. Calmness washes over me. We're going to form allies. We'll fight back.
We will win.
"Irissa," I say, knowing now that I will never lie about my name ever again. The stranger cocks his head to the side, and I press on, "and for the record, I'm not this so-called-champion you speak of."
"Oh yeah?" he says, narrowing his eyes at me.
I nod. "I'm a Seraphim."