Page 121 of Road to Absolution

EPILOGUE

Seeing Into the Future

Larissa’s gifts came in many forms, but dreams were common. They were elusive at times, but most informative. It was only a matter of piecing the messages together. Never had she received so many at once—through so many sets of eyes not her own. Never had such energy—so many souls—reached out to touch her—communicate with her—before. It was prolific.

Standing on a train track, in the night, Larissa tried to not fear the roaring sound getting louder. She couldn’t see its source, but heard a train, barreling toward her. Even though the dark tracks were empty, almost not as if her own, she had an instinct telling her to run. When her feet wouldn’t lift as her mind commanded, she peered down to see rope around her ankles, tying her to the wooden strips.

Fear sliced through her.

The sound of the barreling train slowly transitioned into the sound of… dragons?

Suddenly a herd of horses were running toward her. Even though the heavy hooves made the ground tremble, she wasn’t concerned they would trample her. She could only admire their magnificent beauty, and courage that glowed all around each of them. Except for one.

When the horses split to run around her, she observed how there was one horse with a crow flying above him.

As rapidly as they had appeared, they faded behind her, and into the night.

The quiet reminded Larissa of the calm before the storm. Everything was still, until…

Larissa watched, as her hair began to float into the air and static electricity was all around her. She swallowed, trying to understand the meaning. She was no longer a bystander in this dream.

Her breath caught as howls started to erupt in the distance. She swallowed again when seeing dark images slowly stalking toward her. As their shapes revealed themselves, she sighed seeing the wolves. “Artist—”

Larissa quaked when the pack’s eyes unexpectedly lit up, blue light now glowing against her. The alpha glared at her. His snout not moving, she heard him growl, “Are you fucking with the innocent?”

Startled, because his energy was unforgivingly threatening, she tried to reply, “N-No. Never. I only want to help them.”

“Then tell my son your truth.”

She gasped. “Your son?—”

She stopped talking when all the wolves’ ears suddenly perked up, all the animals looking past her. Then they started to whimper and cry, pacing and nudging at each other, as if searching for comfort.

Without warning, they bowed their heads.

Then, a female started to scream, “Gracie! Ice!”

A hurricane wind was suddenly blowing against Larissa’s back, throwing her forward, but her ankles were still tied, preventing her from flowing with nature. She feared her bones would break, until the head of a large wolf pressed the top of his head into her stomach, keeping her from falling over. She instantly recognized his touch… “Artist.”

The rest of the wolves were now howling, sorrowfully, their fur blowing in the storm of this woman’s scream, “Give me back my babies!”

Abruptly, the wind died.

The wolf, Artist, backed away, as the rest of the wolves’ snouts lowered from the sky to which they had been crying, then faced forward. Joining his pack, Artist’s haunch grew in a menacing way, in unison with his brothers. Growls began to rumble…

Crows were suddenly swarming. Wolves were leaping into the air, catching them with their deadly canines. The birds were screaming, but the wolves would not relent in their attack. Larissa shuttered and closed her eyes, as blood sprayed, landing on her.

“I’m sorry.”

Knowing that voice, the screaming birds now quiet, she dared to open her eyes.

She sighed, seeing the man she has fallen in love with.

His blue eyes looking like the crystals she cherished, now filled with apologies. “It’s who I am.” He took a surrendering breath, as energy behind him started to shift. “It’s who I will always be.”

The shifting energy formed into a man, staying behind Artist.

Larissa instantly remembered him from prior dreams. She tried to smile, but sensed worry. “Patience?”