“She’ll make it through without our help.”
“What about the rest?” he asked.
“Blake’s too smart to risk any of us. Forcing Isabelle will mean that she uses her ability around Bethi. No Judgement can be made if any of us die.”
The steering wheel groaned again.
“Except you,” he said.
“Except me,” I agreed. “But only at the right time.”
Sweat coated my palms, and I casually wiped my hands on my thighs. The sweating had started the moment we’d walked out of the restaurant. The moment I’d realized I’d eaten my last meal, felt my last sunrise, and had my last drink. It was the only thing I couldn’t seem to control. I could suppress my fear and keep my pulse steady, but I couldn’t seem to stop sweating.
“How long until we get there?” I asked.
“We passed the sign for the park several minutes ago. Winifred said they parked their cars to the side and went in on foot. It shouldn’t be far.”
I watched the road ahead. The Others raced back and forth, swirling around the first car as soon as it came into view. My stomach flipped wildly as they stretched out to cover the long line of stationary vehicles.
As soon as Jim stopped, he told me to stay put then jogged around the front of the car to open the door for me.
“The ground’s too rocky,” he said. “I’ll carry you.”
Safely in the cradle of his arms, I traveled toward my end. The Others swirled in a dizzying frenzy, sensing their time was near. They outlined our path, the towering pillars that guarded it, and the men standing on top.
As we passed, the men jumped down from their perches.
“Are they werewolves?” I asked softly.
“Yes. They will follow us in to keep us safe. The first of the Urbat are here now and closing in.”
He sped up, and I closed my eyes. With my ear pressed to his chest, I listened to his heartbeat and tried to enjoy each second.
Courage,the Lady said.You’ve had it since the beginning and will keep it until the end. The world will know your sacrifice.
I tried to let her words console me. I’d never doubted that the world was worth the sacrifice until I’d met Jim. Until I’d felt his lips on mine. I knew I had no choice, but I regretted we hadn’t had more time together.
Jim ran into a vast canyon. People milled about in the center. Jim approached a group standing slightly apart from the rest and set me on my feet. He didn’t let go, though. He threaded his fingers through mine and held me close.
“The Urbat will be here any minute,” Gabby said. “Isabelle and Bethi are just behind the final wave coming from the north. There are more coming from the east who will arrive around the same time.”
I could feel Blake drawing closer now that we’d stopped moving, and I turned my head in that direction. The direction from which we’d come.
“Bethi and Isabelle will arrive after Blake,” I said. “He won’t hurt them. He’ll focus on us, on killing the werewolves, until they get here. When they do, he’ll let them pass because he knows Isabelle will self-destruct if he tries something. Once she’s with us, though, I don’t know what he’ll try. As soon as she’s here, we need to make the Judgement as quickly as possible. Did Bethi and Isabelle discover the answer?”
“She thinks you only need to hold hands,” Winifred said.
The answer has been given and understood,the Lady said.This time, my daughters will not fail.
The Others wailed their displeasure so loudly, I winced and brought my free hand to my ear, not that it helped.
“What’s wrong?” Jim asked, pulling me protectively into his arms.
“The Others are upset that we have our answer.”
Twenty-Three
JIM…
