Shadow of the Sun (Timeless #1)

Chapter 26: Timeless

There was a cold so penetrating I thought I'd choke on ice. The scene before me burst into a million tiny wisps of smoke. My body trembled, a little unhinged, as I cried out. I jerked upright, silencing my voice.

"Abelie," I breathed. The infinite sadness resonated in my voice as my mind pulsed and churned.

I took in my surroundings. I was back in her bedroom—not on a battlefield. I'd fallen back to reality with a thud.

There was movement in the darkness, and I jerked away, startled. "It's just me," Andrew whispered as he lightly traced a finger down my cheek. A small spark of electricity followed his touch.

My chest rapidly jumped up and down as I tried to regain my composure. Fear and grief boiled in the pit of my stomach. Andrew whispered something, and a lamp in the corner sprang to life. I blinked, adjusting my eyes. My back was pressed against the wall, my knees pulled up to my chest. Andrew sat up, the covers over his legs. I looked down at the top of my knees, Abelie's silk robe barely covering them.

"Gabriella?" Andrew ran his fingers along my jaw, so soft compared to the hard look on his face. "Are you..." he trailed off when my eyes shot to his face. He examined my expression and must have seen the truth. "Oh, Gabriella," he sighed. "What did you see?"

My breathing slowed but not my thoughts. They exploded in my mind like a hammer slamming into a mirror. "Your death."

"What—"

"The Ladies of Light," I said. "It was them all along. From your death to the Shadows." I shook my head. "It was them. Always, it was them."

I glanced over Andrew's shoulder, my vision blurring. He cupped my cheeks between his palms, forcing me to stare at him. His eyes were still a brilliant blue, just as somber as before.

"Tell me your dream. Please," he said softly. "Let me help you."

I inhaled deeply. "The Ladies of Light are after me. They're after the Illuminator." A blast of realization hit so hard it knocked the breath from me. "And now I know why. It's because I know, because Abelie knows—knew."

"I know they attacked us before, but—" I put a hand up to stop him. He needed to know the truth.

"It's more than that. I know why Karen, Soul Stalker, didn't remember the Halo of the Sun. I know why Abelie wasn't married to Aiden like you remembered—and why he's a Shadow. It all makes sense. I understand. I know why." I blinked a few times, trying to rid my eyes of the pictures from my dream.

Names didn't define good or evil, it was the soul within. The Shadow of the Sun might have caused death, but those full of light altered their minds. I saw it happen. The Ladies of Light wanted the power; they were hungry for it. They turned the Guardians into Shadows. They altered Abelie's mind. In the dream, I felt what she did, heard what she did. She didn't remember Aiden when she stared at him after he turned into a Shadow. She felt terror. And in her mind, she didn't know why she was there.

Andrew pushed a piece of my hair behind my ear, startling me from my reverie. There was a faint frown line between his eyebrows. "Tell me. I want to know; I want to help," he said. "What did you witness? I could sense your feelings while you slept; they were a mixture of emotions. You were angry and irritated, you were afraid, and you grieved. And all I could do was hold you and try to take those feelings away. Please, let me do that now. Let me be your peace."

I nodded slowly. I felt like I could cry again at any second, but I was dry—there were no more tears left in me. Plus, I was tired of crying. "I saw it all," I breathed, my voice husky with sleep. "The answer to everything."

"Which is?"

"It's best if I tell everyone at once," I said.

He nodded and looked down, deep in thought. "I'll gather everyone. Will you be okay?"