The Evanescence (Fallen Soul Series) - By Jessica Sorensen Page 0,53
her as tears roll down her eyes.
I don’t cry. All I can think is, why. Why does it always happen? Death, pain, terror. The four of us constantly work to save the world, only for the world to become endangered again. Aleesa is dead, Alex is turning into the Lord of the Afterlife, Fey and Lost Souls are torching the world.
I put my hand on Aislin’s shoulder and stand there, closing my eyes as she sobs and sobs, wishing that I could erase her pain somehow. Not just her pain. All of this. I wish I could go back and shift something so that the Star never fell and our lives were ordinary, even boring.
I hear footsteps coming around the rocks towards us and I lift my hand from her shoulder, reaching for the knife in my back pocket, but it’s gone. I begin to panic, patting my pockets. “Where did it go?”
One of the guards from earlier—Tiny—weaves around the largest boulder. Shock is written on his face as he takes in the scene, but what’s surprising is that there’s sympathy in his eyes as he stares at Aleesa’s body.
“I’ll go get help,” he tells us and turns to leave with his spear to his side, but unexpectedly, he stops and looks back at us. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he says and then weaves around the rock quickly.
I gape unfathomably at him. “Was he just nice?” I shake my head because it’s beside the point right now.
“It’s my fault,” Aislin whispers through her tears and sniffles. She lets go of Aleesa and stands up, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.
“It’s not your fault,” I say. “You didn’t make her climb the cliff.
“Yes, it is.” Tears stain her cheeks and drip down to her pink t-shirt. “I should have made her stay… but she wanted to try it... try to escape… or at least go somewhere else. I told her I didn’t think it would be safe, but I didn’t make her stay.” Her voice lowers. “I should have made her.” She starts crying again, her shoulders heaving, and I don’t know what to do. I’m not very good in these kinds of situations and I can’t seem to stop staring at Aleesa, like if I stare long enough, she’ll wake up.
Aislin quiets down when the guard returns, carrying a white blanket in his hand instead of the spear. There are three other guards with him, all similar in looks and holding spears along with a stretcher. They lower the stretcher to the ground next to Aleesa, and then they each place a hand underneath her body. Lifting together, they slide her over onto the stretcher. The guard carrying the blanket carefully drapes it over her body, covering it up.
I’m surprised by the respect they’re showing her and I wonder if Luna knows. They each take a corner and then inhaling, they lift the stretcher together, carrying her body away, winding around the rocks and disappearing wherever they entered. At the last second, Tiny glances back and his eyes scan over me and there’s a sparkle in them, like he knows one of my secrets. I’d try to narrow it down to which one, but I’m full of them, so there’s no point. Tiny nods his head once before hurrying away with the others and then, seconds later, they vanish into the air.
One of them has left their spear on the ground and I bend over to pick it up, figuring I can use it as a weapon.
Aislin gasps. “Where did you get the Cornu Lepore, and why are you wearing it?” she asks with a sniffle, wiping her nose.
Clutching the spear, I stand upright. “Huh?”
She points at my neck and I glance down at the teardrop pendant showing on the outside of my shirt. “Wait. How long has that been hanging out?” I touch my neck, remembering how Tiny looked at me before he disappeared, and my jaw falls. “Oh no, he saw it.”
Aislin looks confused as she blows her nose onto the sleeve of her shirt. “Who saw it?”
I unwrap my fingers from the pendant and tuck it back inside my shirt. “The guard saw the pendant.”
She shrugs at me, trying to look casual, but it looks awkward because she’s still kind of crying. “So what if he saw you wearing the Cornu Lepore. What are they going to do, lock you up for wearing it?” She gestures around the cliffs. “Because