Page 184 of Visions & Shadows

I fall off the chair and land on my hands and knees. Shaking my head, my mouth is dry, and my heart thunders against my ribs.

“What happened?”I hear Raighne’s voice.

“Just a dream.”I climb to my feet, and hurrying out of the house, I pray to all that’s holy he’ll hear me as I think,“Ares, I need you.”

“Alchera!”Raighne’s voice thunders through my mind, and I start to run.“Don’t you fucking dare.”

A moment later, Ares appears near me, and he holds out his hand. As I grab hold of him, I think of the area where Thana is, and the next second, we shimmer away from Vaalbara.

“Alchera!”Raighne shouts when we appear on Earth.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be back soon.”

“Come back right now,”he demands, his tone tense with worry and anger.

Ignoring him, I glance around us. The area is pretty much deserted except for a few houses in the distance and a man kneeling in the dirt, give or take a thirty yards from us.

“I always thought she was the most beautiful sister until I saw you,” Ares says, drawing my attention away from the kneeling man.

I look at where Thana hovers in the sky, and hoping she can hear me, I think,“I’m here. I’ll save them.”

“Please,”she begs.“I can hear them crying. They’re so scared.”

Ares must’ve been listening in on our thoughts because he asks, “Who are we saving?”

I point to the house that’s familiar from my vision. “They’re over there.”

When I hear the kneeling man groaning, “Thana,” my head snaps to him.

Realizing it’s Phoenix, I run to his side, but what I find shocks the living hell out of me. His skin is gray and riddled with cracks where it lookslike lava is moving beneath the surface. His eyes are glazed over white as he stares up at Thana.

“Oh my God,” I gasp, but before I can touch him, Ares grabs my hand and stops me.

“Fuck,”Raighne’s groan echoes through me, telling me he can see what I see.

With a shake of his head, Ares says, “We can’t help him. Thana’s burning through him.”

“No,” I whisper as I look up at where my sister is hovering, her light so bright it stings my eyes.

“We can’t save them, Alchera,” Ares says, his tone urgent. “We have to leave.”

“Listen to Ares,”Raighne begs.“Get out of there. Now!”

“No,” I shake my head. “I’m not leaving without the children,” I say as I tighten my grip on Ares’ hand. “Take me to the house.”

He instantly shimmers us closer to the house, the area around it looking like a farm with corn stalks reaching above my head. The moment we appear I hear a baby crying, and not thinking of my safety, I shove the front door open and hurry inside.

I find a boy who can’t be older than fourteen, huddling in the living room with three toddlers and a baby. His eyes are wide with fear as he stares at us.

Shit, there’s no glamor to make us look human.

“We’re here to help,” I say as I move closer to them. “You have to come with us.”

“It’s not safe,” the boy argues, his terrified gaze darting between Ares and me. “Our parents left to get help and never came back.”

“Are these your brothers and sisters?” I ask.

He shakes his head, looking like he’s about to cry. “I’m just babysitting them.”

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