Chapter 26

“IZZIE!”

Izzie crashed to the ground as her legs buckled.

Someone was screaming her name but it sounded so far off that Izzie knew she would die before they reached her; she would die alone as she deserved.

But as she lay there, Izzie could simply do nothing but watch the sky as her blood stained the courtyard beneath her.

The dark clouds which had gathered and covered the sun were rolling back slowly, revealing a clear blue sky and bringing a smile to her face.

Izzie had to let it go; she had done what she had set out to do. She had avenged her family; maybe now they could rest in peace.

“IZZIE!” A voice was screaming again when Drystan crashed to the ground beside her, his hands hovering over her body before he gripped her by the shoulders and moved her head into his lap.

She winced at the pain but feeling his hands on her body was worth it.

“Drystan,” Izzie smiled softly up at him as she laid her eyes upon his angelic face, to think such a person could love her, “I did it,” she smiled.

“Yes,” Drystan smoothed her hair back from her face, his voice cracking as he took in how calm she was, “Yes, you did it, now don’t worry, we’re going to make you better . . . THOMAS!” Drystan shouted across the courtyard.

“Drystan, no,” Izzie shook her head but he wasn’t listening.

“THOMAS!” Drystan screamed when suddenly everyone was stood around her, blocking the sunlight that had been warming her body.

“Isadora!” Thomas gasped as he froze above her, his religious eyes taking in how injured she was. She saw the hopelessness in his eyes and it crushed her to think that she would never see them again

“Do something!” Drystan was shouting at them and Izzie gazed up at Drystan with regret, “Get your God to heal her!” Drystan was shouting at Thomas.

“It doesn’t work like that,” Thomas shook his head as he knelt beside her, examining her wound making Izzie wince in pain.

“Well, what bloody use is he then!?” Drystan growled at Thomas before he looked up at the sky, “DO YOU HEAR ME!?” Drystan cried, “YOU CAN’T TAKE HER! YOU CAN’T HAVE HER!”

She had been happy to die but now, seeing him here, pleading with God to save her, she wanted to live.

More than anything, she wanted to live just to be with him.

“Drystan,” Izzie swallowed as she tried to tell him before it was too late but an explosion of pain made her scream out as Thomas pressed against her wound.

Her fingers gripped Drystan’s as she tried to remain strong but she was growing weak and her vision was blurring at the edges.

The end was near, “I’m afraid,” Izzie whispered, closing her eyes as tears spilled out.

She had always been strong but right now as she was faced with the unknown darkness, she was afraid. She thought of Iagan and the rest of her family in the same darkness.

She wanted so hard to believe in an afterlife but she couldn’t.

“I know, I know,” Drystan muttered above her when she felt his lips against the thin skin of her forehead.

“Drystan,” Izzie cried as she looked up at him, her eyes darting down to his lips, “I- I-”

“I know,” Drystan interrupted her, “I love you too,” he cradled her head as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.

Izzie let out a deep sigh as his lips seemed to wipe away all of her pain; she never wanted to let him go.

She tried to keep him close forever but her grip failed and a cry escaped her lips.

“I love you, I love you,” Drystan cried as he pressed more kisses against her lips, his fingers brushing her hair back from her face, “You’re the strongest, most lovable person I know,”

Izzie chuckled in pain, “You don’t have to lie to me just because I’m dying,”

“You’re not dying,” Drystan growled, “Do you hear me!? You’re not dying!”

Izzie stared into Drystan’s eyes and no matter how much she wanted to believe him, she couldn’t.

“I’m cold,” Izzie murmured.

“No,” Drystan shook his head as he held her closer, unable to accept that she was dying, “No, you’re not dying. I won’t let you,”

Izzie chuckled as she lifted her hand and pressed it against his wet cheek, it was warm and she closed her eyes in ecstasy.

“No, you can’t die,” Drystan leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, his throat catching when he felt how cold she was, “You can’t die because we’re meant to get married,”

Izzie opened her eyes in shock.

“We were going to get married; Thomas would perform the service,”

Izzie smiled as he conjured a beautiful image up in her mind.

“It’d be in the forest; I could wear a dress,” Izzie smiled as she remembered her mother’s white gown she had been saving for them, “I could meet your family,”

“Yes,” Drystan smiled, “They’d love you. And then we’d tour the country and save a few villages before we set up our own house,”

“And the others could visit,” Izzie looked up and smiled at Jarred and the others who were all watching her with sadness, “We could have our own family,” Izzie whispered with happiness as a dream she never knew she had suddenly sprang to life.

“Two boys and a girl,” Drystan kissed her again, closing his eyes in the hopes that he would open them again and this would all be a bad dream, “They’d all have your perfect brown eyes,”

But as his eyes opened again, he realised that it was all very real.

Izzie’s breathing started to falter, her chest rising in short gasps, as blood dribbled out from between her lips and onto her chin.

“No, Izzie!” Drystan cried, crushing her against him, “Stay with me!”

Izzie tried her best to smile up at him when her head lolled back, too weak to support her own weight, when the sun suddenly broke out from behind a cloud and covered her in warmth and light.

Izzie couldn’t help staring into the light as it seemed like the entire sky had been engulfed in a white blanket.

Tears spilled down her face as Thomas gripped her hand, trying to keep her there, his soft prayers in the background, but Izzie could only watch the sky as figures stepped forward out of the light and she saw her mother and sister.

Her beautiful family were smiling and waving at her to join them; as if they had been waiting for her to come home.

They hadn’t aged a day when another figure stepped forward, wrapping his arm around her mother’s shoulders, and he held that warm smile Izzie had missed so dearly.

It was her father.

Come home, Isadora, He called to her softly, his arm stretched for her to take his hand, You've done your duty. You can rest now. Come home.

“Father,” Izzie whispered as tears flowed down her cheeks. She feared that she had been destined for a deep level of hell for the torment she caused and yet as she looked up at the sky and saw her family beckoning to her, she realised that this was how it was meant to be.

She was meant to die. She had served her purpose in this world.

Izzie! Iagan’s northern chuckle filled her ears and Isadora reluctantly tore her eyes off her family to see the Scottish brute, who had protected her so fiercely, holding his daughter and wife close as he waved her up to join them.

He had been reunited with his family after the years of being so long apart. Izzie ached with joy for him.

“Drystan,” Izzie gasped as she turned back to look at him, “I’m not afraid anymore,”

“Izzie,” Drystan pleaded, “Don’t go. I love you,”

“And I love you,” Izzie coughed through the last few moments of her life, “Please,” Izzie begged knowing that she needed to say this before it was too late, “Live. Live for me”

“Izzie,” Drystan cried, his hands warming her cold skin as he kissed her one last time.

“I’ll say hello to Iagan for you,” Izzie lifted the corner of her lips up into a smile before she let out one last sigh of life.

And she was gone.