Inferno

By Divamercury

Well, this is it, folks, the last chapter of Inferno. Thank you for all the great reviews! Now you'll just have to start paying attention to Danger Zone, which may have some renovations, and whatever comes after that! Thanks again, and enjoy Chapter 22!

-DM

Chapter 22

Instead of kneeling this time, I took the liberty of sitting next to Sara on her bed. She turned to face me, questions in her eyes. I knew that I couldn't escape this conversation any longer. I took a deep breath and began.

"Sara, do you remember when I came to see you after Irons told you he was your Guardian, and I told you that it was another?"

"Yes. I remember," she said in a tone that clearly said, "Where are you going with this?"

"Well, I wasn't being completely truthful."

"Oh my God!" Sara said, leaping up off the bed. "If you're saying that Irons is my Guardian, I will have to jump out of my window right now because the thought of spending time with him just makes me sick," she emphatically said.

"No, nothat's not what I meant at all!" I said, coming over to her. "It's just thatyou are the one that chooses your Guardian. For all I knew, you weren't the true Wielder and Irons could have deceived you. Now I know that's not the case. I told you that to try and preempt that from occurring, but I suppose it wasn't necessary."

"So you're saying that my Guardian is really up to me?"

"Well, not exactly. There are certain people that have been with youthroughout lifetimes. Only they could truly fathom the responsibility they would face if they were chosen."

"Soare you a possible selection? You know so much about the WitchbladeI just wondered if you were my Guardian."

"Do you want me to be?"

* * *

"Come again?" I was a bit surprised at his bluntness.

"Do you want me to be your Guardian?" he asked again, coming closer to me. His eyes bored straight into mine, dark hazel meeting green. My mind was whirlingmy thoughts were in a jumble. Up, down, left, right, everything was in a jumble. The Witchblade was in an uproar, hissing, moaning, making all sorts of strange sounds. And still I couldn't tear my eyes away from his gaze. And then, finally, a voice broke through my fog, sounding as though it were far away.

"Say it, Sara. You know it's true. You can't deny it. You can trick your mind, but you can't trick your heartor your destiny. Just say it. Say the word."

Visions sprang up before my eyes, tiny flashes of my lifetimes, and I was never alone. Every time he was with me. The faceless person, the Guardianhis countenance was finally beginning to take shape. And I was sure I knew that face.

* * *

Sara's eyes glazed over slightly as I watched her. I instantly realized that she was having visions. I kept my gaze on her, waiting for her to come out of it, waiting for absolution of the pent-up feelings eating away at my insides. The suspense was killing me slowly. What would she say? How would she respond? Would she realize that I was the one? That I would sacrifice everything to keep her safe? And even if she did, could she—would she—accept it? I couldn't take much more of this; she was torturing me and she didn't even know it.

* * *

I saw all I needed to see in a matter of moments because of the speed with which the fantasies flew by. I snapped out of my daze in the blink of an eye, and Ian was still there, waiting for me.

"Could you repeat the question?" I asked so softly it was barely audible.

"Do you want me to be your Guardian?"

"Yes."

He closed his eyes in what must have been relief, and then raised my right hand to his lips. The Witchblade erupted in colorful swirls and patterns while emitting a low, humming sound. We stayed like that for what seemed like eons, but the shrill ringing of a phone shattered the moment. Ian dropped my hand and we looked for our cell phones. It was Ian's, and after taking a deep breath, he answered it.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Ian? Where are you?" It was Irons.

"I am in my usual position, watching over Sara Pezzini."

"Tonight your vigil isn't necessary. Return to me immediately."

"Yes, sir."

"I have noticed your wavering loyalties, Ian. This won't be allowed to continue. I expect you back presently. Don't disobey me."

"I won't, sir."

There was no goodbye exchanged; my ear was filled with the sound of the dial tone. I turned to Sara.

"I have to go."

"No!" she said, blocking the window. "I won't let you. You come here, tell me all this, I accept you as my Guardian, and then you just decide to up and leave me like this? I can't believe you!"

"Sara, listen to me," I said, gently putting my hands on her shoulders. "I don't want to leave you, you must believe that. If I could stay here, I wouldbut you are safer with me near Irons. If I know what he's planning, then I can warn you."

"Oh, I get it. You're going to pull a double agent deal?"

"Something like that. But I can't risk Irons knowing about it yet, or else he will cease to confide in me and then we will have no idea what he intends to do. I won't see you get hurt, Sara."

"All right. If you have to go, then you have to go. Just be careful. We can't let him know that I've chosen you. Will this have told him?" she asked, holding the Witchblade up.

"I'm not sure. He might have sensed its pleasure, but that could be attributed to anything. I doubt that he knows the depth of what happened tonight. But I really must go."

She stepped aside from the window and I climbed out onto the fire escape. I looked back at her for a moment, and then disappeared into the night.

* * *

I went back into my apartment after closing the window to shut out the frigid air. Thoughts were whirling haphazardly through my brain, jeopardizing my sanity. I heard Danny's voice inside my head.

Confusion tolerance, Pez."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Gotta work on that," I said. I stripped down, put on a T-shirt and boxers, and got into bed. As my head touched the pillow and I drifted off toward sleep, it was the Witchblade's inferno of emotions that cast a new light on the inner conflict of my soul.

The Endfor now.