Sorry I didn't do the acknowledgments last time. The reviews have been tailing off for quite a long time. Perhaps because the story's so long.
Anyway...
Altaira: Thanks for always giving a review: I really appreciate it!
Rosey: glad you're enjoying the story
Ria: glad you're liking the story
Operation Ivy: In case I haven't driven you off by accidentally getting way too over-enthusiastic ages ago, I hope you're enjoying the story.
Face the Apocalypse: part 2
Obsidian ice swept closer at the speed of light, only miles lay between it and the four chosen to save the world and their Soulmates. Except Iliana was alone.
Her hands wrapped around herself, she shivered: her lips were blue, her violet eyes sparkling like ice. She was fairy-like and felt sick, nauseous. Poison crept through her mind in the guise of fear.
Delos swept the knife across his wrist: blood sprang forth. He clenched his fist.
"I can't get used to how easily he does that," Maggie confided to Sarah, who laughed nervously, watching as Delos handed the knife to Kierlan, Sarah's Soulmate. The way Delos regarded Kierlan with superior dark eyes was a challenge: Kierlan responded to that fiercely and Sarah groaned inwardly as Kierlan swiped the knife neatly across his wrist, clenched his fist too. Blood wept and Kierlan didn't flinch.
Jez used her own vampiric teeth to cut her wrist.
"Iliana," Jez said, her tongue licked up over her wet lips,cleaning away a trace of blood. "Your turn."
Iliana watched her blankly for a second then numbly accepted the knife from Kierlan, ran it slowly over her wrist.
"Are you alright?" Kierlan asked his fellow witch. She didn't respond.
"It'll be upon us if we don't do it now," Delos interrupted Kierlan's wait for Iliana's answer. "We must do it now."
Jez nodded in agreement.
Kierlan gave a look to Sarah: that was all it took and then blue fire rose and wrapped around his fist.
Delos gave a brief smile to Maggie who rose on her toes and kissed his lips. His smile deepened and she held his free hand as he summoned blue fire.
"No testosterone," Sarah mouthed at Kierlan fiercely. "Just save the world please!"
He grinned. "Do I get a kiss too?" She rolled her eyes and gave him a kiss on the lips too.
Morgead kissed Jez on the lips, smiling, then stepped back."Go get 'em, tiger." Jez smiled fiercely: her blue fire was slower to rise, but as blue as a cluster of sapphires.
Sarah hesitated, then gave Iliana a hug. "Make Keller and Galen proud."
Iliana nodded, her eyes vacant.
Three beacons of blue now shone on this cliff edge.
Black ice swept faster towards them, drawn by the wild power fire, eager to extinguish and absorb it.
Four less one and darkness triumphs...
"Iliana!" Delos snapped. "Hurry up and power up!"
Iliana didn't respond.
"Don't be scared, Iliana," Jez said roughly. "Use the blue fire to stay warm. Come on!"
"Iliana," Kierlan said, voice tinged with fear. "Hurry! We need you!"
Maggie grabbed Iliana by the shoulders, lightly shook her. "Come on, girl! Wake up!"
Iliana was as limp as a rag doll as Maggie shook her.
"We can't do this without you!" Jez shouted at Iliana, her eyes trained on the obsidian ice speeding towards them. "Come on! Please!"
Iliana still didn't respond. Blueness spread over her features. Maggie pressed the back of her hand to Iliana's cheek. "She's cold as ice, guys!"
"We have to try on our own," Delos decided swiftly. His eyes had gained uncertainty though.
"But the prophecy..." Kierlan spoke up, his voice strained.
"No help for it," Delos replied, then spoke to Maggie. "Try and get Iliana to snap out of it. It's vital!"
"No need to tell me that!" Maggie snapped anxiously.
"Sorry." Delos turned back to the obsidian ice, breathed in a deep sigh. Blue fire lanced out from his hand, arcing towards the obsidian ice.
Kierlan gave one last sorry glance to Iliana, then turned his blue fire towards the black ice.
Jez did the same: the blue fire from the three was magnificent, but the black ice swept forwards eagerly, ravenously. A bead of sweat broke out on Kierlan's forehead.
Sarah shook Iliana's shoulders, looked at Maggie. "What can we do?" she asked helplessly, close to tears.
"We don't even know what's wrong," Maggie agreed, eyes desperate, she pinched Iliana's shoulder. Iliana didn't react at all, just stood there, her violet eyes blank, her skin blue-tinged.
"It's because she's here!" Sarah said desperately, shaking Iliana harder. "Lonely people...people without Soulmates...aren't meant to be here!"
"But she is," Maggie looked around desperately. The ice as swift as the sea, rushing towards them. "She's going insane!"
"We can't let her be here," Sarah squeezed her eyes shut. "We have to take her back."
"No!" Delos snapped. "Just try and get her to use her power!"
Sarahpried the knife free from Iliana's stiff fingers and stretched Iliana's arm out, briskly, feeling sick, ran the knife over Iliana's arm, watched blood weep swiftly from the wound. "Come on, come on,"Sarah whispered.
Iliana jerked slightly at the pain.
"Come on, Iliana," Maggie encouraged desperately.
Iliana's violet eyes were hazing over again.
Sarah and Maggie cajoled and tugged Iliana over to stand beside the other three Wild Powers.
Delos was breathing in short, sharp bursts. Kierlan was ghostly white, gripping his forearm, muttering something under his breath. Jez's eyes were narrowed like a hawk's, and her fingers were outstretched with the force of the blue fire flying from her arm.
"Iliana, damn you, do this!" Maggie hissed helplessly. Iliana didn't stir.
And the obsidian ice was minutes from sweeping over them all, seconds from destroying everything...