Chapter 25
Alchera
The first thing I hear is the panic in Raighne’s voice.
“I fear for her, Brenna. She called to me.” Raighne holds me tightly to him. Through the haze, I can hear his heart beating fast in his chest. “She stopped breathing at one point. Something horrific must be happening in her vision.”
My arms and legs are wrapped tightly around him as if he’s the pole I was clinging to.
I’m bombarded by flashes of the vision I had. The terrible earthquakes and the chaos that followed. All those people. All the suffering and death.
My body starts to shudder from shock and tears roll down my cheeks. My heart is heavy with despair, and I’m swamped with a rollercoaster of emotions.
I choke on the cries that finally make their way out of me.
“Alchera?” Raighne grabs my tear-streaked face and holds it up to his.
The moment our eyes lock, I feel him explode inside of me, his warmth rushing through my mind.
My fingers curl into his shirt as his eyes darken with sadness, and he presses me back against his chest while he eases the aftermath of horror from my mind.
“Shhh, all will be well. You’re safe. I’m here,” he murmurs softly while focusing on taking the devastating emotions from me. “I’m so sorry you had to experience that.”
My body slumps against his, and I suck in desperate breaths of air while the horror slowly lessens in my mind.
“It was dreadful,” I whimper. “They’re all going to die. Millions. I could feel their terror and how their hearts stopped beating.”
“I wish you didn’t have to see it,” he says, his love finally breaking through the darkness in my mind.
I let out a relieved sigh. All I want to do is to hide in his arms from the hell that’s about to break loose on this planet.
“We’re here,” Finian says, just as the plane shudders when it touches down on the runway.
“Here?” I ask as I pull away from Raighne.
“Ireland,” Brenna reminds me.
There are so many images flashing through my mind, most of them pictures of disaster and pain. I remember getting Jason, and then…
When I’m finally able to focus on the present, I’m filled with an urgent need to get to my chosen ones.
“Sarah. Doug,” I say, desperation coating my words. “We have to get to them as soon as possible.”
Raighne walks to the door and helps me out of the plane as Jason says, “We landed without permission, so we’re going to have to make a run for it.”
Like a bunch of criminals, we run across the tarmac and past a hanger. The place seems to be deserted, and when we reach a road, we stop to catch our breaths.
“What now?” Jason asks.
I glance at him. “Your phone. Can you get us a cab?”
“Good thinking,” he mutters.
He signs into an app, and after he arranges for a car to pick us up, I find a spot on the grass at the side of the road where I can sit down.
“How are you feeling?” Brenna asks as she crouches beside me.
“Better. Raighne took most of the emotions. ”
“What?” she gasps, her eyes darting between Raighne and me. “He can take your emotions?”
“It’s a talent I gained last night,” Raighne explains.
“I’ve never heard of that happening before,” Finian says, sounding surprised.
“Yeah, I’m never going to get used to the things you people talk about,” Jason mutters. He checks his phone. “Our ride will be here in ten minutes.”
Suddenly, the ground starts to tremble beneath us, and I jump to my feet, but it stops as quickly as it started.
“God,” I groan. “Thana said we have ten days. That means she’ll hold off on destroying everything until we get the chosen ones off Earth. Right?”
Brenna shakes her head. “No, it means we have ten days before the Earth is obliterated.” She places her hand on my shoulder. “You have to get the chosen ones while the disasters are happening.”
“Disasters?” Jason asks.
“Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and everything else that classifies as a disaster,” Brenna mutters. “That’s why we have to hurry.”
Jesus.
As panic tightens my muscles, Raighne takes hold of my hand, immediately calming me again.
An SUV comes down the road, and when it stops, we pile into it. I have to sit on Raighne’s lap to make space for Brenna and Finian in the back while Jason takes the passenger side.
“We’re going to need a bigger car for all the other chosen ones,” I tell Raighne mentally so I don’t freak out the cab driver.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to use human transport for much longer. We’ll have to risk waterfalls.”
My eyes lock with his. “What if I have a vision while shifting through a waterfall?”
“I’ll keep hold of you and stop you from going somewhere you’re not meant to go.”
“You can do that? ”
“Together, we can do anything.”
Not thinking about the others, I kiss his jaw before tucking my face into the crook of his neck.
I’m just about to relax when the whirring of the wheels on the concrete starts to sound like a gale-force wind roaring in my ears.
I wrap my arms around Raighne’s neck, mentally crying, “It’s happening again. Don’t let go of me.”
“I’ve got you,” I hear him in my thoughts before everything blurs.
I slowly peek around me, scared to death of what I’ll see this time.
It looks like in a forest, the wind bending the trees while leaves and debris fly everywhere.
I’m hardly able to breathe from the strong winds ripping at me.
My eyes lock on a young Asian girl, and I watch as she falls near a pool of water. With fear etched onto her face, she looks up at the heavens.
Her black hair whips wildly around her, then she turns her head and looks right at me.
Relief makes her face go slack, then she surprises the hell out of me when she says, “My name is Sky. I’m waiting for you, Alchera. I’m at the Kegan Falls in Japan.”
I see the tears sparkling in her eyes.
“You don’t have long, Alchera. It’s coming!”
I come to with a jolt.
“What is it?” Raighne asks, worried.
I realize we’re still driving, and I suck in a shuddering breath before I reply, “After getting Sarah and Doug, we have to find a waterfall and shift to the Kegan Falls in Japan. My fourth chosen one is there, and she knows I’m coming.”
Soon, the cab turns onto St. James Street, and I immediately recognize the area.
“God, I hope they’re here,” I mutter.
“They should be,” Brenna says, keeping her tone low. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have seen them here.”
We soon find ourselves in the familiar parking area, and the moment the cab comes to a stop, Raighne pushes the door open. We climb out, and I glance around, wondering where to go next .
As the cab drives away, I wave around us. “I have no idea what to do now. This is all the vision showed me of this place. What use am I if I can’t even sense them?” I feel so hopeless, and it scares the hell out of me. “They’re all going to die, and it’s going to be my fault.”
“You’re doing fine,” Raighne says, “Don’t think like that.”
My eyes search the parking lot for any sign of Doug and Sarah, but there are none.
Panic grips my heart as I think of Sky waiting for me to save her from whatever’s heading her way.
I start to feel frustrated, but it’s weird, and I realize it’s not my emotion. A headache begins to pulse behind my eyes, and I automatically start walking to the other side of the parking area.
With every step, the headache gets worse, then I hear a familiar voice say, “Sit down, Sarah. Catch your breath.”
When I come around the back of a van, I see Sarah sitting on the passenger seat with her legs out of the vehicle while Doug crouches in front of her. There’s a wheelchair beside them.
“Take deep breaths,” he murmurs to her. “I’m going to move you to the wheelchair. Okay?”
I’ve found them. Thank God.
“Hi,” I say just as Raighne comes to stand behind me and the rest of our group catches up to us.
“Can I help you?” Doug asks as he rises to his full height.
“Yeah.” I nod and move a step closer. “My name’s Alchera, and these are my friends. I know it’s going to sound crazy, but I’m here to help you.”
Doug shakes his head, giving us a suspicious look. “We don’t need any help.”
Thinking of Sky, who’s waiting for me, I know I don’t have time to break the news gently to them, so I say, “I really hope you’ll believe me because we’re running out of time. I’ve come for you and Sarah.”
Doug takes a threatening step toward me, demanding, “How do you know my sister’s name?”
“Doug.” I give him a pleading look. “I’ve seen you in a vision, and you’re two of ten chosen people to be saved. ”
“Fuck the hell off,” he hisses, giving me a look of warning.
“I know you’re dying of cancer,” I say as I look at Sarah. “But if you come with me, I can help you.”
I glance at Doug. “You’re amazing, the way you care for her. I know you don’t want to lose Sarah.” His jaw clenches, and it looks like he’s a second away from attacking me.
“Please, Doug,” I beg. “Come with me and let me save her. I know it’s a leap of faith, but it’s all you have. This planet is about to be destroyed.”
As if by command, the ground beneath us starts to tremble, and a deep, low moan shudders through the earth.
It sounds all too familiar, sending a wave of fear through me.
When the tremors increase, my whole body goes cold and adrenaline starts to pump through me, sending me into overdrive.
“Get into their van,” I shout at the others.
“What?” Doug snaps.
I lock eyes with him and say, “If you want to survive the disasters that are about to be unleashed on this world, you’ll come with us.”
The quaking intensifies, and Sarah cries, “Let’s go with them, Doug.”
“I’ll drive,” Jason says while Finian grabs hold of Doug, shoving him into the back of the van.
Brenna, Raighne, and I quickly get in, and seconds later, Jason steers the van out of the parking area.
Finian is restraining Doug while I try to reassure him by telling him, “You’re safe with us.”
“Jason, we need to go to the nearest waterfall,” Raighne orders.
“Got it,” Jason replies, then he grins at Sarah. “Don’t worry. I’m a good driver.”
She just stares at him with wide eyes, then whispers, “There’s a waterfall at Iveagh Gardens. It’s the closest.”
Jason hands his phone to her. “Pull up a map and tell me where to go.”
I glance at Doug, and seeing the panic and fear on his face, I give him a compassionate look. “We won’t hurt you. We’re here to protect you.”
“I swear, if you hurt my sister, I’ll kill you,” he threatens, his features drawn tight .
“I want to save her,” I say, not knowing how I’ll get through to him.
When Jason brings the van to a screeching stop right outside the gardens, Sarah points at an entrance. “Through there.”
“Let’s go,” I say as I pull the door open.
We all pile out, then Sarah says, “I’ll wait here. We left my wheelchair at the hospital, and I can’t walk too far.”
“I’ll carry you,” Jason tells her, and not waiting for anyone to argue, he opens the passenger door and picks up Sarah as if she weighs nothing.
That solves one problem.
“I’ll take my sister,” Doug snaps, but Jason starts to walk, and Finian keeps hold of Doug’s arm to control him.
“Wait for us by the waterfall,” I order before I start to jog toward the entrance.
The ground shakes again, making me break out into a flat-out sprint in the direction of the waterfall.
Seeing boulders around the pool, that doesn’t look too deep, I leap over them and splash into the water. I swallow some before I rush to the curtain.
Raighne grabs hold of my hand, and I clear my mind, only thinking of Sky as we step into the waterfall.
When we come out on the other side, a gale-force wind rips at us, and I stagger backward, but Raighne pulls me through the rough waters toward the embankment that seems to be in a cove of rocks.
It’s dark as hell, and I can’t see much with the storm raging around us.
“Sky!” I scream.
“Alchera!” Her voice is faint, being carried away by the strong winds.
I hope she’s close by, but it’s too dark to rely on my sight.
“Sky! I’m here. Keep calling out. I’ll follow your voice,” I shout, but I can hardly hear my own voice above the roar of the storm.
The trees around us are bending severely, taking heavy strain from the wind. Pieces of debris slam hard into my body.
“Where are you?” I cry.
“By the waterfall!” she shouts, sounding closer.
My eyes finally begin to adjust to the darkness, and I catch sight of movement to my right. “I see something and really hope it’s you. Can you see me?”
“Yes! Yes, I see you!” She cries with relief drenching her words.
“Thank God!” Using every bit of power I have, I push myself up off the grass.
I don’t know where the strength comes from, but I need to get to Sky. She is all that matters now.
When she sees me, she starts to cry, her small frame trembling violently. “You came for me. You didn’t forget me,” she cries and grabs hold of me so tightly I almost lose my balance. “You really came for me.”
“I’ve got her,” Raighne says as he turns so she can climb onto his back. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Don’t let go of Raighne,” I tell her before I fight my way back into the pool.
I swallow some of the muddy water as I fight to keep my head above it. The wind is making the water’s surface turbulent, and I’m quickly growing tired.
We’re almost to the curtain when I hear a deafening roar.
“Jesus, what’s that?” I ask.
“Tsunami,” Sky screams. “Faster. It’s coming!”
Ice ripples through my body, and fear settles hard in the pit of my stomach. I glance over my shoulder, and my eyes jump from Sky’s terrified face to the colossal wall of water rushing toward us like a dark shadow, crushing trees and everything else in its path.
Oh. My. God.
“Move, Raighne!” I shout, waiting for them to get in front of me.
He powers through the water and reaches the curtain first.
“Go,” I gasp. “I’m right behind you.”
With a mass of pure destruction coming directly at us, my heart beats wildly in my chest as I fight my way through the pool.
Just as Raighne shifts through the curtain, the water around me starts to rise.
Shit!
A smaller wave hits me, carrying me forward, and I quickly think of the waterfall in Ireland as I slam into the curtain.
Water propels me forward, hurling me into the air before I crash painfully hard into a boulder. The air is knocked from my lungs as I roll off the boulder and slam into the footpath around the pool of the waterfall. I skid over the rough surface for a few more feet before coming to a groaning standstill. It feels as if my right arm has been torn off.
I lie still while gasping for air as I stare up at the clear sky.
Holy shit.
“Alchera,” I hear Brenna call out, but I don’t have the strength to lift my head.
“What the fuck?” Doug gasps. “Make this make sense.”
I hear Jason talk to Doug, but I can’t focus on what they’re saying because the pain increases tenfold in my body.
“I’m here.” Raighne drops to his knees beside me, and when his hands fold around my arm, a cry rips free from me. Shivering uncontrollably, I glance down only to see a bone protruding from my arm, and almost pass out at the sight.
Brenna frames my face with her hands and forces me to focus on her so I don’t look at Raighne as he works to heal my broken limb.
“Just look at me,” she says as she brushes her palm over my wet hair. “You did well. I’m proud of you.”
“Yeah?” I gasp. “So I have to almost die to get you to like me?”
She shakes her head. “I’ve always loved you. I was just angry and shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
I hear the bone snap back into place, and Raighne lets out a painful grunt, “Fuck.”
I pull my face free from Brenna’s hold and turn my head so I can look at him. His features are drawn tight with pain, but he keeps working on my arm.
“Stop,” I mutter as I try to sit up, but Brenna pins me down to the ground by my shoulders.
“Keep still,” Raighne growls. “It hurts more when you move.”
“Stop!” I snap at him. “I can handle the pain.”
He just shakes his head at me, and it breaks my heart to see him taking all of my pain.
I glare at Brenna. “Let go of me.”
“Just stay still,” she says, her tone brisk. “He’s almost done.”
When strength returns to my body, Raighne’s still working to close the deep gash from where the bone ripped through my skin, but I manage to shove Brenna away from me and climb to my feet.
“Will you fucking stop,” Raighne snaps, raising his voice at me.
“Enough,” I hiss. “I’m not going to let you take all my pain.”
He moves so fast I have no time to evade him. One of his hands clamps around my throat while the other closes over the gash on my arm. I’m yanked right against him as our eyes lock.
“Stop!” he demands, pouring all his power into the single word.
With my breaths racing over my lips, I’m unable to move a muscle while he finishes healing me. Only once he’s done does he break eye contact, and the force that’s keeping me in place disappears, freeing me.
Before I can say anything else, I hear the wind stirring through the leaves of the trees, and I shiver. “The wind, Raighne.”
“There’s no wind,” he replies, his eyes flicking over my face.
“Raighne,” I whimper, and his arms engulf me as my vision begins to blur and the sound of the wind gets stronger.
“I’ve got you.” I hear his words as if he’s speaking from the end of a tunnel, and I feel my body float into the air as he picks me up.