Chapter Fifty-Five
Deafening silence weighed heavy on the air like an electrical storm about to explode. Lifting her head, Emma forced her eyes open only to squeeze them shut again and drop her face into her raw, bleeding hands. The fully restored stones towered over her, aloof and bleak as though passing judgment—and they obviously didn’t approve of anything she’d ever done. The bone-chilling sentries sprouted from the hard-packed earth, silent and mysterious as they had always been. The wide bases disappeared into a white swirling mist floating just above the ground. The cold slabs stood black and glistening with the dampness of the air. Everything had returned to its prior state. The ancient circle was whole and intact just as it had been for untold years. Torin was gone. The gateway sealed. It was over and once again, she’d lost someone she loved.
Angry sobs tore from her body, bursting forth in short hysterical hiccups as she beat the ground with her bleeding hands. Dammit to hell and back! She’d never told Torin she loved him. Why hadn’t she told him? What the hell was wrong with her?
Dragging herself across the ground to the base of the gateway, Emma leaned her cheek against the damp rough surface of the silent spire. Nothing. She bit her lip as she pressed her face harder against the scratching crystals embedded in the obelisk. She sensed nothing from the stone. The pulsing energy that had always greeted her before no longer hummed into her touch. The obelisk stood as mute and detached as any other rock scattered across the earth.
She rolled to a sitting position and leaned back against the cold hard slab. She’d lost him. Propping her elbows on her knees, she covered her face with her throbbing hands. She swayed back and forth against the cold stone and released keening sobs into the swirling mists.
“Emma?”
Laynie’s faint call forced its way through her blanket of misery. Emma curled into a tighter ball against the base of the stone. If she could only melt into the unforgiving gneiss, become a part of the unfeeling rock, she’d never have to explain anything or ever face the truth. Swallowing back a sob, she squeezed her eyes shut so tight; her face ached in protest. She’d allowed a precious love to slip away. She had no one to blame but herself for this pain.
“Emma. Oh my God, Emma. Are you all right?” Laynie knelt by her side, pushing Emma’s burnt, matted hair out of her face.
“No.” Emma croaked the words through dry, cracked lips as she slowly opened her eyes. She’d never be all right again. Turning away from her sister’s concerned expression; she pressed her face harder against the jagged surface of the stone.
“Where are you hurt? Talk to me, Emma. You’ve got to tell me where you’re hurt so I can help you.”
“You can’t help me,” Emma whispered. How ironic. Baby sister coming to her rescue. My, how life had changed. Forcing her hand through her tangled hair, she flinched as the short brittle strands raked across her blistered palms. She’d have to shave the singed mess short. Torin wouldn’t like that. He’d always loved her curls. Desolate realization crushed her heart and knotted in her throat. What did it matter if she cut away what little remained of her hair? She’d never see Torin again.
“Emma, where is Torin? What happened?” Laynie grabbed her shoulders and turned her from the obelisk, forcing Emma to face her.
“Torin’s gone.” Emma flinched as though the words set fire to her tongue. Saying it out loud made it worse, made it impossible to escape the truth. Dragging a shaking hand across her face, she squeezed her burning eyes closed again. “Arach took him through the portal. I’ll never see him again.”
“Who is Arach?” Laynie glanced at the space between the parallel stones. “What portal? I don’t see anything but the stones.”
“I can’t do this, Laynie.” Emma covered her face with her hands. “I can’t talk about this now. Please just go away and leave me alone. I just…I just want to be alone.”
“Bullshit. I’m taking you home and once you’ve rested, we’re going to figure this out.” Laynie grabbed her arms, pulled her up from the ground and supported her body with her shoulder. “You’ve never been one to give up before, Emma. I’ll be damned if you start now.”