energy pulsing into the sky. There was no doubt in her mind that the pillar of blinding light below belonged to the Beholder. He is here.
Pariah sensed his presence as well, and his ravenous eyes shifted between Emily and Jason. When the Beholder was in such a volatile state, he was the most vulnerable, so easy to destroy, so she’d have to do everything she could to protect him. But Pariah was a skilled fighter. Their battle weakened her, and his charges scratched and stung relentlessly, but she couldn’t give up. If even one strike broke through her shield, she would be dead.
She had one chance to survive. She would have to use the power of which the enemy knew nothing: love.
Jason’s image swam into her mind, and the knowledge of what she must do empowered her, producing a dazzling wave, her most spectacular punch ever. It struck Pariah in his chest and threw him like a mote of dust, but it also took much of her energy with it. Without losing a precious moment, she darted downwards, streaking towards the ground, diving towards Jason.
She landed without effort, transforming instantly into her regular human form. In that moment the pain rushed in, and she stumbled towards Jason. The luminous veil lifted as she returned to the ordinary world, and she saw his silhouette looming in the dark. She was so close. Just a few more steps and she would see what was hidden beyond his light. Then she froze, forgetting her pain. His sky-blue eyes looked expectantly at her, waiting for some kind of answer. Though she was about to collapse, though her heart pounded, she managed to maintain a calm countenance.
I’ve found you, she thought, and smiled weakly. For a heartbeat she forgot about the Evil One, still lurking and still dangerous, spying on them from above. Then her instincts returned.
“We need to get away before he regains his power,” she told Jason, her voice shaking a bit.
She was afraid. She’d been afraid of so many things for so long, but this was the most paralyzing fear of all. The possibility that she might lose the person she had sought for so long terrified her to the marrow of her bones.
Chapter 10
Her voice couldn’t have been human. Her words rang like tiny bells, and their notes, though tainted with exhaustion, formed the sweetest melody to Jason’s ear. She spoke with a slight accent that fascinated him, and he wished she’d keep talking so he could listen.
“It’s too dangerous to go to your place, or to your friend’s place,” she shouted over her shoulder as the motorcycle roared through the night. “Pariah might already be there.”
Jason leaned forward, wanting to make sure he heard her correctly. “What?” he yelled over the wind. “What about my friends? Are they in danger?”
“No. Matthew and Debbie will be fine,” Emily replied. “They are being taken care of. My people are transporting them to a hiding place.”
“How do you know their names?”
She laughed, and even above the engine’s roar, the magical sound filled his heart. “I know more about your trio than you do. Besides, I was in your office an hour ago, remember?”
He remembered. He remembered seeing through her eyes as she ran through the building, he remembered sensing her panic, then there was the miracle of seeing her face for the first time, reflecting in the mirror. It was impossible to forget.
Emily. Her name was Emily.
They left the boundaries of New York as she insisted, and after a while he took over the driving, since she seemed to slump a little lower with every passing mile. A Sunday sun rose above the horizon, caressing the slumbering sky, and Jason drove towards the rose-colored spectacle. They left the city far behind, and the road became lined on both sides by a sand-filled horizon. He had no idea where he was headed, but knew he was going in the right direction. The light, assuring weight of Emily’s hands on his back gave him confidence.
Eventually the purr of the motorcycle
Pariah sensed his presence as well, and his ravenous eyes shifted between Emily and Jason. When the Beholder was in such a volatile state, he was the most vulnerable, so easy to destroy, so she’d have to do everything she could to protect him. But Pariah was a skilled fighter. Their battle weakened her, and his charges scratched and stung relentlessly, but she couldn’t give up. If even one strike broke through her shield, she would be dead.
She had one chance to survive. She would have to use the power of which the enemy knew nothing: love.
Jason’s image swam into her mind, and the knowledge of what she must do empowered her, producing a dazzling wave, her most spectacular punch ever. It struck Pariah in his chest and threw him like a mote of dust, but it also took much of her energy with it. Without losing a precious moment, she darted downwards, streaking towards the ground, diving towards Jason.
She landed without effort, transforming instantly into her regular human form. In that moment the pain rushed in, and she stumbled towards Jason. The luminous veil lifted as she returned to the ordinary world, and she saw his silhouette looming in the dark. She was so close. Just a few more steps and she would see what was hidden beyond his light. Then she froze, forgetting her pain. His sky-blue eyes looked expectantly at her, waiting for some kind of answer. Though she was about to collapse, though her heart pounded, she managed to maintain a calm countenance.
I’ve found you, she thought, and smiled weakly. For a heartbeat she forgot about the Evil One, still lurking and still dangerous, spying on them from above. Then her instincts returned.
“We need to get away before he regains his power,” she told Jason, her voice shaking a bit.
She was afraid. She’d been afraid of so many things for so long, but this was the most paralyzing fear of all. The possibility that she might lose the person she had sought for so long terrified her to the marrow of her bones.
Chapter 10
Her voice couldn’t have been human. Her words rang like tiny bells, and their notes, though tainted with exhaustion, formed the sweetest melody to Jason’s ear. She spoke with a slight accent that fascinated him, and he wished she’d keep talking so he could listen.
“It’s too dangerous to go to your place, or to your friend’s place,” she shouted over her shoulder as the motorcycle roared through the night. “Pariah might already be there.”
Jason leaned forward, wanting to make sure he heard her correctly. “What?” he yelled over the wind. “What about my friends? Are they in danger?”
“No. Matthew and Debbie will be fine,” Emily replied. “They are being taken care of. My people are transporting them to a hiding place.”
“How do you know their names?”
She laughed, and even above the engine’s roar, the magical sound filled his heart. “I know more about your trio than you do. Besides, I was in your office an hour ago, remember?”
He remembered. He remembered seeing through her eyes as she ran through the building, he remembered sensing her panic, then there was the miracle of seeing her face for the first time, reflecting in the mirror. It was impossible to forget.
Emily. Her name was Emily.
They left the boundaries of New York as she insisted, and after a while he took over the driving, since she seemed to slump a little lower with every passing mile. A Sunday sun rose above the horizon, caressing the slumbering sky, and Jason drove towards the rose-colored spectacle. They left the city far behind, and the road became lined on both sides by a sand-filled horizon. He had no idea where he was headed, but knew he was going in the right direction. The light, assuring weight of Emily’s hands on his back gave him confidence.
Eventually the purr of the motorcycle
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