I can’t bear to see her fall, but my eyes snap open and see her, not plummeting to her death, but clinging to a more stable outcropping to the left and pulling herself up onto her stomach. My moment of relief vanishes as Sibeal’s face screws up in shock. We both see Etain reaching for Sibeal as if time has slowed down.
I watch the next few seconds completely unable to move or breathe.
Sibeal’s eyes are full of panic, but her movements are swift and sure as she reaches into the back pocket of her jeans. I can’t understand what she’s doing. The sight of the Soul Stone being yanked from her pocket doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know what she plans to do with it until it goes sailing through the air toward Etain.
Throwing rocks doesn’t seem like it will accomplish much…until Etain catches the stone on instinct and light flares out through her hand at the sound of Sibeal activating the curse. Etain’s howls scour the cliffside. The stench of burning flesh pollutes the air as the stone scorches Etain’s hand. Sibeal covers her ears and turns away as a blast radiates out from the stone, pulling Etain into its depths to rot.
The stone falls back to the ground as if nothing has happened. In reality, I have no freakin’ clue what just happened, but I don’t care. My eyes fasten onto Sibeal’s prostrate form. Small movements show her trying to get up, but they are weak and clumsy. Fear that she might still fall, yanks me up to my feet. That’s as far as I get, though, when the unstable ground beneath me lurches, falling away and taking me with it.
The sound of my name being screamed out by three separate voices does nothing to stop me from falling. As panic grips me, thoughts of Bas race through my mind. His face is the last thing I see before my body slams into the ground.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Arra! Arra, are you okay!”
Some part of my brain tells me to respond. The thought gets washed away by the pain.
“Arra! Arra, please!”
The frantic sound of the voice pulls at me, even through the pain. I attempt to open my mouth, to say something. A flash of agony punishes me for the attempt. I have to do something, though. My hand finds some bit of life. The slight movement of my fingers doesn’t hurt as much as I expected. I move them a little farther.
“Arra, don’t move!” More panic. “Don’t move! Stay exactly where you are.”
I’m happy to follow orders as my thoughts start getting fuzzy again. I feel so tired. The pain seems to be diminishing, which should make me happy, but for some reason, it scares me. Did I fail? I wonder hazily. Did I save the wrong sister? Tlaloc creeps into my mind and I wonder if this is the moment he will revoke his mercy and leave me to die.
The pain is still so great, I’m not sure I care. I just want to go to sleep. The frenzied sound of voices keeps me from nodding off. My eyes flutter as I push myself to open them and tell whoever is screaming at me that I’m still alive. I get far enough to see a hazy figure drop down next to me.
“Arra, sweetheart, please say something. You have to be okay. Please, God, please let her be okay.”
The pain in the voice finally stirs me enough to open my eyes. My vision swims, struggling to focus, to recognize. The sensation of someone’s hand being placed over my cheek gently, of lips pressed against my forehead as tears splash down on my skin sets everything right.
It’s not time yet. Please, Tlaloc, don’t let it be time yet. I open my eyes slowly, praying to the malicious god to spare me one more time. Dark hair and blue eyes swim in front of me.
“Bas?”
“I’m here, Arra. I’m right here with you and I’m not going anywhere.”
His fingers gently rub back and forth across my skin. The salty wetness of his tears still glistens on his face. I reach up and press my fingers to his cheek, but Bas pushes my hand back down.
“Don’t move,” he says gently. “I don’t know how bad you’re hurt. Tanner called the fire department and Sibeal is doing…something to try and help you, but you still shouldn’t move.”
I smile when Bas says Sibeal is trying to help me. It’s still hard to focus, but I remember seeing her heal herself in my dream and I know she is trying to ease my pain now. That must mean she is still alive and I didn’t fail. I try to smile at that thought, but I can’t.
The pain is already just a fraction of what it was when I first came back to consciousness. I had wondered what was happening. I’d actually been pretty scared that it meant I was dying. I think I’m going to be okay now, but I still follow Bas’s directions and stay still.
“Is Etain gone?” I ask.
Bas shakes his head in disbelief. “I have no idea what happened up there, but yeah, she’s gone.”
“Sibeal threw the Soul Stone at her.”
“She said something about how when she took Darcy’s power, it reset the curse.” Bas shakes his head again. “I don’t really know. I was too busy trying to get down to you to really listen.”
“Thank you,” I say tearfully, “for coming down to rescue me.”
Bas smiles. “This is the third time I’ve had to save you.” He brushes my dirt and stick laden hair out of my face. “Hopefully the third time really is the charm and it will stick this time.”
Staring up at him, I am suddenly completely unable to look away. I reach up slowly and wrap my fingers around his shirt. All it takes is a small tug to bring Bas closer. As our eyes meet, everything between us is laid bare. I see into his heart and finally open myself to the beautiful person I knew was there from the very beginning.
The pain disappears from my mind. The voices calling down to us dissolve in the breeze. All I see, hear, and feel is Bas.
“I think the third time is the charm,” I say as I pull him down.
Bas’s lips touch mine so gently, only my soul can feel it, but it brings me to life. Pleasure, more intense than the pain, rushes through my body as Bas’s lips press against mine more hungrily. My hands leave his shirt and wrap around his neck, pulling him closer.
“Oh, Arra,” Bas whispers against my mouth, setting every nerve ending in my body on fire.
“Bas, I …”
The slap of a coil of rope startles me, and my words trail off unspoken as members of the fire department start hollering instructions down to us. Bas looks down at me with a bit of regret that we were interrupted. He’s glad, though, that someone is here to help us. He whispers that everything is going to be alright and he’ll be right here with me the whole time as he does what he’s told to secure me to a backboard they lower down.
A moment of panic grips me as the fire fighters start hauling me up and I have to let go of Bas’s hand. He smiles and kisses my fingertips, promising to be right behind me. I try to trust him as they yank me up inch by inch. Getting me up over the edge of the cliff is a little awkward, but finally they manage to set me on solid ground and start checking me over.
Tanner and Sibeal land on the grass next to me a second later. The firefighters try to push them away, but neither one will have any of that. It’s not until they finally unstrap me from the board, and give me the okay to sit up slowly, that Tanner and Sibeal really get a chance to make sure I’m not dying.
Sibeal gingerly wraps her arms around me. “Thank you so much,” she says through her tears, “for everything. You saved my life more than once today. Thank you.”
“Thank you for helping me with whatever you were doing up here,” I whisper.
She pulls back and wipes away her tears. “Did it work? Did I heal you?”
“You have no idea how much pain I was in when I first woke up and now I feel almost back to normal, so thank you. I’m just glad you’re okay, too.”
Sibeal is pushed away, then, by Tanner. His arms wrap around me as well, but something about his embrace feels odd, different. When he pulls back, the expression on his face is full of pain and confusion.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he says. His expression cracks, but when I try to pull him back into a hug he won’t let me. “I saw Bas kiss you while
you were down there on the ledge.”
My mouths pops open to say…something, but Tanner stops me with a shake of his head.
“I’m not mad,” he confesses. “I haven’t been blind the last few weeks. I saw what was happening between the two of you. I know you have feelings for Bas, but I love you, Arra, and I’m not giving up without a fight.”
“Tanner …”
“I need you to move back, son, so we can get her into the ambulance,” one of the fire fighters interrupts.
I’m about to remind him that there is no ambulance and he should stop interrupting people, but the short wail of a siren announces the arrival of the ambulance. My shoulders drop, knowing what is about to happen. As expected, my dad barrels out of the ambulance looking like he is in the middle of a full blown panic attack. I know that look, and I know it means I will most likely be spending the next few days in the hospital being run through every test my dad can think of.
“Dad, I’m okay,” I try to tell him.
His arms nearly squeeze the life out of me as he hugs me to his chest. “What were you doing?” he demands when he finally releases me.
“We were watching the ocean when the bank collapsed,” Sibeal says timidly. “Arra grabbed me and kept me from falling, but after she got me back up the bank collapsed again and she fell. It’s all my fault, sir. I’m so sorry.”
As tears start flowing down Sibeal’s face, my dad pulls her into a hug without letting go of me. “It was just an accident,” he says softly. The guilt on his face for making her cry, crowds in with worry for me. “Why don’t we get you both to the hospital to make sure you’re okay?”
Neither one of us resists as we are bundled over to the ambulance. My dad immediately sets to work inspecting our cuts and bruises and searching for more serious injuries. I know he won’t be satisfied for a while, and even though I feel confident that his concern is unwarranted, I’m happy to let him poke and prod to his heart’s content.
It’s at least an hour later before Sibeal and I are tucked away in a hospital room in private. Sibeal was cleared to go home with her mom, who is waiting outside the door, but I am stuck here until at least tomorrow morning. I know Sibeal is probably exhausted and wants to go home, but I don’t object when she climbs up on the bed and sits next to me.
“How are you doing?” I ask her seriously.
The corner of her mouth twitches, but she tries to wiggle out of the question. “You’re the one who fell ten feet and smacked into that big rock sticking out of the cliffside. How are you doing?”
I reach over and take one of her hands. I’m not surprised to find it trembling. “Sibeal, you lost your sister and someone you thought was your friend today. I know you’re hurting, so don’t try to pretend you’re fine.”
Sibeal’s chin quivers as she tries to hold off the pain. “I know it must seem stupid to be so upset about Darcy. She was the worst person I had ever met. Part of me hated her so much.”
“But you loved her, too. She was your sister, Sibeal. Of course you’re going to grieve for her. It’s okay.”
“I don’t even know what to feel about Etain,” Sibeal admits. “She was my friend and teacher for so long, and now I just feel betrayed. I’m so angry at her, and angry at myself for believing her.”
“She’s been doing this for centuries, Sibeal. I doubt any of her victims ever saw it coming. You can’t blame yourself for that.”
“I know,” she says, but we both know getting over what happened today won’t be an easy thing. “I’m just glad I don’t have to be scared of her anymore.”
“What exactly happened when she touched the stone? Is she trapped in there now?”
Sibeal shakes her head. “I didn’t just reactivate the curse so it would trap her and her power in the stone. That wouldn’t have worked because it was her curse to start with.”
“What did you do then?” I ask.
“I stole her curse,” Sibeal says with a wry smile. She can see the question in my eyes and she doesn’t leave me hanging. “I always thought Darcy and I were equally matched when it came to power, but I was wrong. She definitely got the larger half. I didn’t realize how much power I took from her until I tried to fight back against Etain on the cliff after she started hurting you. Etain had taught me the theory of how to steal a curse a long time ago, but I was never powerful enough to do it. I knew I would be this time, and it was the only thing I could think to do.”
“What does that mean, though?” I ask. “What did stealing the curse do?”
The pride of her accomplishment from a moment ago darkens. “I put enough of my power into the Soul Stone to push Etain’s out without destroying the curse. It made the curse now belong to me, so when it was activated, whoever got cursed would be bound to me.”
“So Etain’s power …” I ask.
Sibeal’s head dips down. “I already took it. She’s dead, permanently.”
“I thought it took a year?”
“No,” Sibeal says, “it just had to be made permanent within a year. There was nothing stopping me from doing it sooner. It was just me and Darcy being twins that made it so much more complicated with us. This time, the curse was mine, and I activated it, so I could make it permanent immediately.”
I sit back against the pillows and try to take it all in. “Wow. This is all insane.”
“Yeah,” Sibeal says quietly. The heaviness in her voice makes me look over at her. I am instantly overwhelmed by compassion for this poor girl.
“Hey,” I say, “whenever you need to talk, just give me a call. I’ll be there whenever you need me.”
Sibeal’s face crumples. “Do you really still want to be friends with me?”
Pulling her into a hug, I say, “Of course I do, Sibeal. Crazy curses and homicidal friends aren’t going to run me off. I’d have to run away from myself, too.”
That gets Sibeal laughing. “We could form a club. Membership would be very exclusive.”
“We’d have a pretty hard time keeping Tanner and Bas out, though.”
Sibeal laughs again, but her expression turns serious after a minute. “What are you going to do about them?” she asks.
Falling back against my pillow again, I sigh and shake my head. “I don’t know. I kissed Bas and Tanner told me he loved me.”
Sibeal cocks an eyebrow. “Really? Wow.”
“Tanner saw me kiss Bas.”
Sibeal grimaces. She seems to feel my pain, but her eyebrows pull together a moment later. “Do you think that’s why he told you he loved you?”
To be honest …. “I don’t know.” I shake my head. “I’ve made such a mess of everything. I was so focused on myself this whole time that I didn’t see how much I was hurting them both. I’m so afraid that I’ve ruined their relationship. I don’t want to pull them apart and hurt them anymore than I already have.”
The sound of nervous hands knocking sends both our heads turning toward the door. My heart jumps up a notch at the sight of Bas and Tanner walking in together. I almost grab Sibeal back when she hops down from the bed, but I know this isn’t her mess. I mumble a quick goodbye and promise to check on her when I get out of here. Her goodbyes to the guys are brief as well. The room is dead silent when she slips out.
I push myself up to sitting as they approach the bed. It’s almost alarming to see them split apart and each sit on one side of the bed facing me. Not sure what’s going on here, I fidget with the blankets and my ugly hospital gown. My eyes dart back and forth between them, trying to determine what they’re about to say. What if they’ve both decided their friendship is worth more than either of them being with me? I can admit I’d be crushed, but deep down I know I couldn’t blame them.
“Tanner and I talked,” Bas begins.
“About the three of us,” Tanner finishes.
I can feel my breathing escalating, and my heart making a push to catch up. I don’t think I can bear to hear them tell me they’re both breaking up with me…or whatever it would
be. I’m not even sure. The tension makes me snap, and words start flowing out of my mouth before I can stop them.
“I never wanted to come between the two of you. This whole thing, it kind of snuck up on me. You two are best friends. I’ve already caused enough problems. I completely understand that your friendship is more important. It sucks, but I won’t hang around with either of you if that’s what you want. I’m so sorry for causing so many problems.”
Everything comes rushing out in a single breath. When my words run out, my chest is heaving. Bas and Tanner are staring at me like I’m crazy. I’m frozen, waiting for their reactions. Bas and Tanner turn to look at each other. I don’t know what to do when they start laughing. Have I lost it? Have they?
“You think we’re here to break up with you?” Tanner asks.
Bas says, “We were never going out.”
Tanner says with narrowed eyes. “Close enough, man. You kissed her.”
“True,” Bas says looking guilty, his eyes dropping.
Actually, I was the one who initiated that kiss, I think.
“You have it completely wrong, Arra,” Tanner says. “We’re not here to break up with you. It’s the opposite, actually.”
“What?”
“Arra, you know how I feel, but you’re right that we don’t know each other that well yet,” Bas says.
“And I know things have been rough between us lately,” Tanner admits.
I am totally lost. “What does that mean?”
Bas looks over at Tanner before turning back to me. “It means we’re not cutting you out. We want to be with you, as friends for now. Not really dating either of us specifically, but spending time together however you think is best until you know what you really want.”
My head starts shaking back and forth. “This sounds like a terrible idea. One or all of us is just going to get hurt. I don’t want that.”
Soul Stone Page 28