Their Light

Special Chapter - Isaac Meeting Hadley

Isaac

I paced around the living room, trying not to think about what could go wrong. They would find him. They had to. And he would be fine. He was Finn. I hated not knowing. I hated being left behind.

I understood why it was necessary and why I was selected, but that didn't mean I had to like it. It didn't help that I did not know when they would return. They should hopefully be back by sunrise, but that was still hours from now.

I heard car doors slam outside and rushed to the front window. A huge breath of relief left me. I counted five heads. Wait. My eyes narrowed, flicking from person to person. Yep, there were five of them. A young woman accompanied them. Her long blonde hair stood out in the moonlight.

She took in the house and the surroundings with a wariness that confused me. Her entire existence confused me. I thought they were just going to rescue Finn. When did they pick her up? Why did they bring her here? It was forbidden to allow humans into our Statios. Caspian wouldn't break that rule. That meant she must have been a Probus or a Kustos. The way they flanked her coming up the path my bet was on Probus.

That made this even stranger. Most of us hadn't had pleasant interactions with Probus. I didn't understand why they would bring one here unless she was in trouble. Concern filled me with that thought. It was against my instincts for a Probus to be in danger. Like an itch I couldn't scratch or a gnawing guilt I couldn't erase, it didn't sit well with me. It didn't sit well with any of us.

They entered through the front door, and my eyes found Finn immediately. I raced up to him, looking him over from head to toe. I didn't spot any obvious injuries. Straightening, I smacked him on the back of the head.

"Never do that again," I ordered. He nodded sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. My pounding heart finally calmed seeing him home and whole. My eyes slid from him to the new addition. She watched me warily. "Who have you guys kidnapped this time?"

I meant it as a joke. It was my crutch. She looked so sad and scared. I just wanted to make her laugh, but every face in the room paled at my words. I wished I could take them back immediately. She backed up a step, and it felt like a dagger to the gut. She looked over all of us as if she expected any of us to attack her at any moment. What had happened to this girl?

"You kidnap people often?" she asked, her voice calm but shaky.

"No," Peter told her. "Isaac is too much of a clow for his own good sometimes."

He fixed me with a harsh glare. I deserved it. I shrugged my shoulders, trying to play it off. "They're right. My name's Isaac, it's-."

I stepped forward, reaching a hand out for her to shake. My words were cut off as a blast of air sent me flying across the room. I grunted as I landed hard on the rug. I tried to remember how to breathe as I pushed myself over.

"-nice to meet you," I finished from my sprawled position on the ground. Man, this Probus packed one hell of the kick.

"I'm regretting meeting all of you more and more each minute," she muttered, glaring.

I pushed myself into a seated position, but I didn't get up. I didn't want to scare her anymore than she already was. Peter moved forward, thankfully. He was the best at defusing situations. Stepping forward, he raised his hands up, palms out.

"What we promised still stands," he said, speaking gently. "Everyone here is more likely to fall on their own blade than raise it against you."

I watched Caspian cross the room and grab Finn's forgotten cuffs out of the drawer. He slammed them onto his wrists. Finn sent him a small smile as he adjusted them. Good, now he wouldn't forget them.