snowing.”
Ian looked down at the gun in his hand. It shook slightly. I
could have done it, he thought. I could have gone the other way, left
Aileen, betrayed them.
The shaking worsened. “I’m going outside to build a fire,”
he said.
Smashing an old wooden chair and part of a wooden desk felt
disturbingly good, and the fire burned easily enough. It was still colder than
it should be for October in Tennessee but the boy had been right. At least
there was no snow.
He knew she was there before she spoke. Her presence eased
his mind, but not enough.
“I know you think something terrible has happened to you,
Ian, but you’re wrong. Whatever that thing convinced you of was not real. It
was an illusion meant to scare you and make you doubt yourself.”
“It worked,” he said.
She touched his arm. “You’re stronger than you think.”
Thunder rolled across the sky and in the mountains. Ian
gazed across the horizon at the dark red of a dying world. He turned toward
her. “I would have done what that thing wanted if you hadn’t used your magic.”
“No,” she insisted.
He grabbed her by both arms.
She cried out.
“Yes, Aileen. I would have joined the other side. I would
have betrayed you and Asher and helped Mictlan kill you. I was this close to
doing it.” He showed her an inch between his thumb and forefinger.
“Ian, it’s not true. He wants you to believe that, but
you’re too good for that. It was a moment of weakness during a ride that made
you ill. Mictlan took advantage because in that moment he could read you.”
He shook her. “Don’t you see? That’s the point. He can take
advantage of those moments, and I could kill you or the boy.”
“Look at me.”
His gaze had been off in the distance but at her command he
turned. Dark circles marred the skin under her eyes, which appeared dimmer than
usual. Her exhaustion was evident. Using the magic had done this. He was sure
of it.
He loosened his grip on her arms.
Her smile was weak. “He can take advantage of any of us
during those moments, Ian. It is you who must see. When you’re weak I’ll be
strong. I don’t know what the boy’s role is but he held up pretty good up
there. We need him, and I need you.”
“I think it might be best if you went on without me.” The
pain of saying those words burned his chest. “I got you away from Mictlan.
Maybe that was my part in all this. Now I should go.”
“No, I need you.” She reached up and touched his cheek. “I
can’t do this without you.”
“Maybe what we want doesn’t matter anymore, sweetheart.”
Her anger was palpable. “If that’s the case then what’s the
point of saving this world? I lost everything just like you, Ian, and from what
I can tell I had a lot more to lose. My parents and two sisters were all gone
in an instant with no chance to say goodbye. If at the end of it there is
nothing else worth living for then why should I do this?”
“I don’t understand,” he said though it was half a lie. He
wanted to hear her say the words.
She took his face in both her hands. “Love is the only
reason to risk everything. You are my only reason for making this journey, Ian.
I was ready to let Mictlan have me. I had given up. Then you risked everything
to save me and all of that changed.”
“You make it sound like I made a conscious decision, Aileen.
I only acted instinctively when I ripped you from the lightning.”
She smiled up at him. “And what about since then? You saved
me from the crows and that creature in the lodge. Was that instinct, too?”
“No,” he admitted. “The idea of losing you…” He shook his
head.
“I know,” she said. “We go on together or we do not go on.
Do you understand me?”
He pulled her close.
“Ehhhhhem.”
Both Ian and Aileen turned toward the sound of Asher in the
doorway.
“I thought we might eat something before it gets too late,”
he said holding up three cans of soup and an opener.
“Then I can take the
Ian looked down at the gun in his hand. It shook slightly. I
could have done it, he thought. I could have gone the other way, left
Aileen, betrayed them.
The shaking worsened. “I’m going outside to build a fire,”
he said.
Smashing an old wooden chair and part of a wooden desk felt
disturbingly good, and the fire burned easily enough. It was still colder than
it should be for October in Tennessee but the boy had been right. At least
there was no snow.
He knew she was there before she spoke. Her presence eased
his mind, but not enough.
“I know you think something terrible has happened to you,
Ian, but you’re wrong. Whatever that thing convinced you of was not real. It
was an illusion meant to scare you and make you doubt yourself.”
“It worked,” he said.
She touched his arm. “You’re stronger than you think.”
Thunder rolled across the sky and in the mountains. Ian
gazed across the horizon at the dark red of a dying world. He turned toward
her. “I would have done what that thing wanted if you hadn’t used your magic.”
“No,” she insisted.
He grabbed her by both arms.
She cried out.
“Yes, Aileen. I would have joined the other side. I would
have betrayed you and Asher and helped Mictlan kill you. I was this close to
doing it.” He showed her an inch between his thumb and forefinger.
“Ian, it’s not true. He wants you to believe that, but
you’re too good for that. It was a moment of weakness during a ride that made
you ill. Mictlan took advantage because in that moment he could read you.”
He shook her. “Don’t you see? That’s the point. He can take
advantage of those moments, and I could kill you or the boy.”
“Look at me.”
His gaze had been off in the distance but at her command he
turned. Dark circles marred the skin under her eyes, which appeared dimmer than
usual. Her exhaustion was evident. Using the magic had done this. He was sure
of it.
He loosened his grip on her arms.
Her smile was weak. “He can take advantage of any of us
during those moments, Ian. It is you who must see. When you’re weak I’ll be
strong. I don’t know what the boy’s role is but he held up pretty good up
there. We need him, and I need you.”
“I think it might be best if you went on without me.” The
pain of saying those words burned his chest. “I got you away from Mictlan.
Maybe that was my part in all this. Now I should go.”
“No, I need you.” She reached up and touched his cheek. “I
can’t do this without you.”
“Maybe what we want doesn’t matter anymore, sweetheart.”
Her anger was palpable. “If that’s the case then what’s the
point of saving this world? I lost everything just like you, Ian, and from what
I can tell I had a lot more to lose. My parents and two sisters were all gone
in an instant with no chance to say goodbye. If at the end of it there is
nothing else worth living for then why should I do this?”
“I don’t understand,” he said though it was half a lie. He
wanted to hear her say the words.
She took his face in both her hands. “Love is the only
reason to risk everything. You are my only reason for making this journey, Ian.
I was ready to let Mictlan have me. I had given up. Then you risked everything
to save me and all of that changed.”
“You make it sound like I made a conscious decision, Aileen.
I only acted instinctively when I ripped you from the lightning.”
She smiled up at him. “And what about since then? You saved
me from the crows and that creature in the lodge. Was that instinct, too?”
“No,” he admitted. “The idea of losing you…” He shook his
head.
“I know,” she said. “We go on together or we do not go on.
Do you understand me?”
He pulled her close.
“Ehhhhhem.”
Both Ian and Aileen turned toward the sound of Asher in the
doorway.
“I thought we might eat something before it gets too late,”
he said holding up three cans of soup and an opener.
“Then I can take the
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