Page 75 of Visions & Shadows

I suck in a deep breath of air while pressing a hand to my stomach again.

Raighne steps closer. “Can you think of it again? Let me see.”

“No!” I shake my head wildly.

My chin starts to tremble, and I feel the tears coming. I don’t want to be weak, but it was horrible.

There’s no way I want to relive any of it ever again.

Brenna steps forward, her face an unreadable mask. I’m surprised when her voice doesn’t hold the usual bite. “What did you see?”

“I can’t,” I gasp, a tear spiraling down my cheek.

I try my best to block the memory, but the image of the man flashes through my mind, his lifeless eyes burned into my memory.

I suck in a trembling breath. “I see a man, but I don’t know him.”

Raighne’s head snaps toward the others, and his features are tense with anger. “She saw Ares.”

Taking hold of my shoulder, he pulls me to his chest, and when his arms wrap around me, his warmth gives me instant relief from the hell I just experienced.

“How many visions has she had?” Brenna asks.

“A few. One that I know of has come to pass. She saw me coming to get her,” Raighne says, his voice sounding downright predatory.

“What else has she seen?” Roark asks.

Pulling away from Raighne, I clear my throat and answer, “I’ve seen a volcano erupting, the aftermath, and then someone shooting me.” I wrap my arms around myself before I add, “I’ve also had a vision of Adeth and Ares before. They…they…” I shake my head.

They’re going to kill me.

“No, they won’t,”Raighne growls in my mind.“Not while I’m alive.”

“You haven’t had any visions of the chosen ones?” Brenna seems surprised as she asks the question.

“Not that I’m aware of.” My head begins to pound, and my stomach feels like it’s stuck on spin cycle.

I can’t talk about any of this anymore. I need to be alone.

“We should let her take a break,” Raighne says, his tone unyielding. “We can look into the visions later when she feels more rested.”

“Let her rest and let the memories fade,” Brenna snaps. “This isn’t about your precious Alchera, Raighne. It’s about the chosen ones.”

Before any of us can reply to her outburst, she storms off, with Finian following after her.

I turn in the opposite direction and start walking, trying to focus on processing the vision so I can file it away under shit I neverwant to see again.

“Come.” Raighne suddenly takes my hand and leads me down an incline. It gets really steep, and he wraps an arm around my waist to keep me from falling as we climb to the bottom.

He takes hold of my hand again, and we walk for quite a distance. Not that I mind. It gives me time to think about what happened.

God. It was awful.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,”he reassures me.

I have to admit, this time, it feels soothing hearing him in my frazzled mind.

He lets go of my hand and wraps his arm around my shoulders, tugging me to his side.

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