Page 94 of Shadows of Nightshade
“He’ll attack after I’m gone,” she was saying to Finn, and he nodded in response.
Wait. What? I blinked between the two of them, sure that I’d misheard, or even missed, a sliver of context somewhere.
“I know,” Finn replied, and there was a steeliness to his tone only used when he was preparing for a fight.
“Who?” I asked, unease twisting in my stomach. I didn’t like it when Finn needlessly fought people.
“We’re talking about the spirit,” Finn answered. “The one that apparently wants to kill you. Rosalie has been using all her energy to keep it from hurting you. If she’s gone, there’d be nothing left to stop him.”
An unpleasant taste filled my mouth as the implications hit. Essentially, I was exchanging myself for her. Finn shot me a look—brows lifted and eyes alert—his silent way of asking me, ‘Is that what you want?’.
It’s the right thing to do.
“It’ll be okay,” I smiled at her, trying to be brave despite my own reservations. Finn looked at me. “Trust me.”
Rosalie’s grief lifted. She turned her attention back to me, her hand outstretched, palm facing forward. “I feel so much better now!”
Well, at least one of us was happy.
“Oh, good,” I managed, weakly mimicking her movements. We’d been in this position once before, although only in a reflection. “What do you…”
“Thank you,” she said, closing her eyes and touching her hand to mine. “I’d like to go now, please.”
There was a second of solidity—almost as if she were still alive—before the space between us glowed a bright green, and her palm sunk into mine. Despite the peaceful look on her face, there was a growing buzzing in my ears, and my body began to feelweightless. Alarm and panic rose in my chest, but just as quickly as they came, the feeling was swallowed away.
Don’t be afraid.
There it was again—I had no way to know she’d be safe. I didn’t even know what was expected of me.
She’ll be safe because you want it to be so. Focus on that feeling.
“Then go,” I told her, allowing the warmness to fill my chest. “You’ll no longer be tied to this world.” I didn’t know where the words were coming from, but they made sense to her. There was a tiny smile on her lips, and when she fell forward, I was strangely devoid of fear.
I was surrounded by an emerald light and I fell to my knees as a glow filled the space, chasing away the darkness. I squeezed my eyes shut, and my chest and arms were tingling anywhere she’d pressed into me. But after a short moment, the vibrations in the air gradually stilled.
I knew that, when I opened my eyes again, she’d be gone.
Now what?
Finn was beside me, still brandishing his light as he stood guard. “We need to go,” he said, not moving his attention from the bottom of the stairs.
I was ready to argue but stopped at the sight of his face. He’d been contemplative, defensive, and alert, almost constantly from the very first moment I saw him.
But, right now, he was afraid.
“Finn…” I began, but he reached down and grabbed my arm, dragging me to my feet.
“Now!” he commanded in a voice that left little choice but compliance.
I stumbled forward, with hardly a second to catch my balance, before the light vanished and Finn grabbed my hand. The darkbasement pressed in around us—suffocating, scary—as he dragged me after him to the stairwell.
“Get upstairs!” He pushed me in front of him as I stumbled into the bottom stairs. The order had been shouted this time, but I could barely hear him over the sound of my harsh breaths and pounding heartbeat.
It was only after I felt the handrail and stepped onto the first stair that the dam burst.
The air shrieked, and a piercing bang echoed through the room. It was followed by the sound of spilling, breaking wood, and crashing glass. The floor shook and splintered under my feet as I stumbled up the stairs. Finn followed me, both of us grasping onto the higher stairs and handrails, as we fought to keep our balance over the suddenly shaking staircase.
“Finn!” My voice sounded panicky and pathetic as I tripped over a knotty stair. I banged my knee as I fell, and he went down with me. My hands were splayed over the splintering wood as the stairway strained under us.
