Vindicate

  “Are they th e heirs to Donalt?” Drake asked as I caught him gazing at Madison.

  “No, those three are in Chara, and I d on’t know what to make of them. I don’t think they have said one word to me beyond the oldest one telling me that ending Donalt’s existence was fine with him.”

  “They definitely got his attention,” Lande n said, raising his eyebrows. “’Father, temp t me not’ – those are strong words.”

  “I think The Realm is some kind of connection,” I mused. “Madison really made me think when she asked me how I didn’t know we were living in exile –that on the other side of that Realm is our home.”

  “Home for you, maybe,” Drake said shortly. “Remember, I’m an Escort, too, apparently.”

  Landen tensed again. I tried to rehash what I said that could make his emotions spark, but I didn’t get it. I wanted to sit down with him a nd talk out everything he saw in The Realm . I didn’t want him to face whatever was going on in his mind alone.

  “I don’t believe any of that,” I said absentmindedly as I gazed up at him. “I just think that there is a balance of good and evil in every soul. That some are tippe d too heavily to the dark side .” Escorts are not all bad, I thought to myself , as I remembered a wave of energy absorbing my soul. The crisp sent of peppermint came to mind. I swallowed nervously. I felt like I was missing something. And the way Landen was a cting was not helping me soothe my uneasy emotions.

  “I think it’s going to take me some time to absorb this…” Landen said quietly. “I could swear I have read about something like this in other dimensions,” he reached for me to come to his side. “I’m interested to see where August stands with this.”

  “I think he’s home. He wouldn’t talk to you about it here – you know that.”

  “That’s fine. I’m starving any ways, and I could use a shower.”

  “Tell me about it,” Drake said, pulling his open shirt closed a little more.

  “Have dinner with us,” I said, staring at Drake.

  “No,” he said evenly .

  Landen let his hand fall from around me when he felt my determined anger. I stepped forward and poked my finger in Drake’s chest. “After everything you put me through – you owe me dinner. These people ris ked their life to wake you up. You would still be trapped in some seductive dream if it weren’t for them. You are going to take a shower. Get in that string, and come to Chara and act like the grateful man I know you are – and you are going to enjoy it – do you hear me?”

  Drake looked over me at Landen, I’m sure to see if he was OK with that invitation, then down at me. “Fine, Love, dinner it is,” he sighed. “Though I’m sure that will be hours away,” he said, glancing across the room. “There is no telling how long this discussion is going to last.”

  “We are going to cut it short on the grounds that both of you need to be fed.” I looked at Draven and the others. “They need a place to close their eyes in peace tonight.”

  “Good luck with that,” Drake said as he nodded his head and time resumed.

  Landen left my side and went to Brady. “Are you all right? Where does it hurt?”

  Brady looked up at him, trying to understand how Landen was at his side so quickly. “Fine,” Brady said, standing up straig hter. “It’s gone now.” He glanced at Olivia; she had already lost every expression of pain in her face and was running to Chrispin, who was still in the doorway. Once in his arms, he pulled her from the room.

  “Do me a favor,” Landen said to Brady. “Go home and tell mom to cook. Enough for everyone. I’m starving.”

  “Gladly,” Brady said, reaching to pat Landen on the back before he nodded at the others then walked to the doorway.

  “How long did you stop it this time?” Alamos asked, looking at Drake.

  Drake glared. “Long enough to figure out that you invoked mourning. To understand where all our new friends came from,” Drake answered, looking around the room then settling his eyes on Madison.

  I still couldn’t feel this girl, but I could see the anxiety all over her face. Their stare silenced the room. That is, until Madison broke away from his pull and stood and left the room. Charlie was right behind her.

  “How clear do I need to be when I tell you that there are consequences to stopping time?” Alamos pressed.

  “How clear do I need to be that I am not ready to be king?” Drake yelled.

  His tone caused everyone’s eyes to grow wide.

  Perodine tried to stop Alamos from walking toward Drake, but he brushed her hold off. “WHO is, son? No one. This is it. You take it, or we leave. We go find some island in the middle of nowhere and retire. Wait for hell to break lo o se – because that is what will happen – if you don’t stop acting like a coward.”

  Drake’s face turned to stone. “I’m not going to hurt you, old man. Not here . Not now . But if you ever call me a co ward again – It will be your last words .”

  Alamos’ shoulders fell as he closed the gap between him and Drake. He reached for Drake’s arm. “I’m sorry, son…I just need you to be the man I know you are. Don’t let him win. Not now. Not this close to the end.”

  “I will win th is on my terms, not forced ones. I have enough to worry about without putting my mother’s heart in play.”

  “Drake,” I said quietly.

  He glanced over his shoulder at me and saw the promise in my eyes. He nodded once, then turned and looked at Draven and held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Welcome to my kingdom.”

  Aden stood out of respect, and Drake held out his hand for him to shake it. “Welcome . A nd thank you both.”

  Drake nodded once at Perodine, thanking her in his own prideful way then walked to the doorway where Marc was standing. “Brother,” Drake said in a heavy tone. “You are a better man than me. I don’t know that I could have stepped into my shoes if I were you.”

  “I know you would have,” Marc said, smiling slightly. “Of all my brothers – somehow you are the one I understand the most.”

  Drake smiled and reached for his shoulder. “I could say the same.” And with that, Drake left the room.

  My father never moved, but I saw his eyes look over Landen and me and a smile come to his face.

  “I guess that means we’re well?” I said, grinning at him.

  My father looked at Draven, then to me. “It means you’ve foun d your immortality once again. You helped. You put y our fears aside, and you helped. Keep doing that.”

  “Promise,” I said quietly.

  He turned to leave; holding the intent to find Ashten and tell him his son was safe – awake.

  I looked at Draven and Aden. “Why don’t you get your things together. I want to take you to my home. I want you to meet our family.”

  Before Draven or Aden could leave, Landen reached his hand out to offer them thanks. I smiled as I felt the humble emotion of all three. Then Draven and Aden eagerly left to find Charlie and Madison.

  Now, Landen and I were alone with Alamos and Perodine.

  “Thank you,” Landen said to the both of them.

  Perodine bowed slightly, then blew out the candles on the altar.

  “Jason is making all of you a pill to take,” Alamos stated .

  “What kind of pill?” I asked, knowing my father was not a fan of any medicine unless it was needed.

  “It’s just herbs,” Alamos promised. “They will naturally enhance yo ur sense. Give you focus. Hopefully enough that something like this won’t happen again.”

  “I want to know how she got into their heads,” I said, reaching for Landen.

  “Don’t we all,” Perodine said. “We are just not goi ng to let that happen anymore. Your mind is the one p lace that we need to protect.”

  “Wh at is your insight on The Realm ?” I asked her.

  “It’s hard for me to say. I know it’s a f eeding ground for dark energy. A place that anyone who wants to hurt someone can go. The energy there is lost and dark and will come to
whomever calls it.”

  “Do you think there is another side to it, though ? Like it’s guarding something, or that there is a war of light and darkness that we cannot perceive?” I asked.

  As I said the words every muscle in Landen ’s body flexed as if he was remembering something. I wasn’t the only one that noticed his odd composure; Perodine and Alamo s ’ stare cascaded over him. I also knew I was the only one in the dark here, and that no one was going to enlighten me anytime soon.

  “It’s hard for me to say…” Perodine whispered. “My focus has always been you . Keeping you sa fe, but as your wise August so eloquently phrases it , ‘Each of us are right, at least in part.’”

  “Bringing these children here,” Alamos said calmly, “has opened doors that have remained close d for longer than my existence. My advice to you - expect e verything. There is no telling what is going to happen next.”

  “They didn’t open a door. It opened in front of them. Whatever happens is not their fault,” I argued.

  “I t’s no one’s fault,” Alamos agreed . “And it’s everyone’s. I’m not entirely sure those child ren are completely children. I n fact, I’m not sure that either of you are.”

  “What are we then?” Landen asked, not really caring.

  “Divine souls, no doubt. What name I would give you, I do not know. I just know that you ar e more than most can perceive. Just as the battle before you is.”

  I felt Perodine’s grief, and I didn’t understand why. She looked away from us and walked to her table and b egan to straighten her things. I’m sure to prepare for them to move her belongings back to the study.

  Alamos patted my shoulder, then left the room.

  “I’m going to go find Dad. Why don’t you s ee if you can figure that out? Then we’ll go, h e thought as he nodded to Perodine, recognizing her emotion.

  “I want to talk to Beth, too, though.”

  “Do you think now is the time to do that?”

  I grimaced. “She almost lost him again. I f I talk to her while that emotion is still fresh – even if I just open the door to the discussion that would be a start.”

  “Wise woman, ” he thought as he leaned down and kissed me before leaving the room. I hesitated as I watched him walk away; his lips w ere so warm. So suddenly addicting.

  When Perodine didn’t glance up at me, I knew then she was purposely ignoring me. I walked over to her table and started to close the open books. In the center, there were the charts she had been mapping out, ones for each of us. Dane’s was on top, and Clarissa’s was just beneath it. Perodine reached for the papers and took them from me.

  “How far have you gotten with that?” I asked. “Can you see how we are connected? Who will be at risk next?”

  “You’re all at risk, child.” Her tone was laced with foreboding.

  “You know what I mean.”

  She tucked the charts into a book, then looked up at me. “Tell me after all of this that you un derstand that life is eternal. That the bodies we have are borrowed and one day we w ill be asked to give them back. Back to the Earth, but ou r soul will find another host. That we never die. Do you understand that?”

  “Why are you asking me that?” I said as my heart began to beat wildly in my chest. “Who’s dying?”

  “Did you not hear what I said? We don’t die,” she said as she put her book down and reached her hands from my shoulders.

  “I understand that, but you never say anyt hing unless you have a reason. What reason do you have? What is in those charts? On that scroll?”

  “Everything and nothing,” she said as she squeezed my shoulders. “I can tell you every influence – every likely trait – or difficulty in anyone’s path, but I cannot predict the choices of a soul. I cannot tell you who rises and who falls.”

  “What can you tell me?” I said quietly, knowing there was more.

  “I told you that you would finish this with Drake and Landen at your side.”

  “What about everyone else?” I asked in a trembling tone.

  “If we never die, then they will all be at your side one way or another,” she promised.

  “If you saw something horrible, you would tell me, right? You would tell me so I could fix it, right?”

  Her green eyes swam with remorse. “If I see something that I know can be avoided or changed, I most definitely will tell you, but you have to understand those momen ts are few and far between. Some fates are sealed before breath is taken. They are sealed by the ones that chose them, and you cannot fault anyone for the fate they feel in their soul.”

  “Tell me who you are talking about.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, Willow . You have not l earned to see the big picture. I f I told you my fear – my gut feeling, you would foc us everything you had on that, and not see anything else , and ri ght now you have to see it all . Because I could be wrong . I’ve been wrong before, and I’ll be wrong again.”

  “What if I told you I wouldn’t focus on whatever you said?”

  “Then you would be a liar and that is one title my daughter will not hold.”

  “There is nothing I can d o to change what you see coming?” I pressed.

  “There is nothing you can do to change what I fear has already occurred.”

  My insides caved in. Before I could argue, she dropped her hands from my shoulders and took her book s and left the room.

  I glanced across the room to the empty bed…the altar. I took a deep breath and told myself not to worry. I f it had alre ady happened, I’d survived it. I’d survived much worse. I doubted any trial would ever test me as much as this one did.

  I felt Landen down the hall and went to find him. As I walked in his direction, I focused on the familiar emotions of my family. Mar c, Stella, Ashten, and August were still here, but everyone else was gone. I thought I felt Beth ju st below me, but I wasn’t sure. Her emotion seemed faint. Like it was far away.

  Landen was at the doorway that led to the passage, talking to Ashten and Marc. They stopped their conversation as I walked up.

  “Talk about making someone uncomfortable,” I teased. “Were you guys talking about me?”

  Landen reached his arm around me and pulled me to his bare chest, which he could not cover with the broken buttons of his shirt. I moved my arms around his warm waist and looked at Ashten and Marc.

  “They were just telling me how brave and fearless you are,” Landen said as he rested his chin on my head.

  “Crazy is more like it. Sane now,” I assured .

  “Not crazy,” Ashten said. “Just a lot of power and no time to learn to control it.”

  “Everybody else left? We just need Charlie and the others?” I clarified.

  “I believe so,” Ashten said.

  “Do you think Stella will come home for dinner?” I asked Marc.

  “Anything’s possible,” Marc said, raising his eyebrows.

  “Am I right in thinking Beth is below me?” I thought.

  “Did you say Beth was in the Chapel?” Landen asked Marc.

  “Yeah, I’ll take you, Willow.”

  “You’re not coming?” I asked Landen.

  He opened his shirt. “I’m not go ing into a chapel half-dressed…” He looked down at me and smiled slightly. “I think you would have a better chance at convincing her to do anything. She favors you, ” he thought.

  “She doesn’t dislike you.”

  “No, but …Motherhood is something I will always respect but never under stand. A man telling her to tell a lie would be an insult to injury – a woman… a beautiful woman like you will have better odds.”

  I smiled and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him , feeling that fire in his touch again. Wide-eyed I caught his stare, but he didn’t seem to notice that anything was off about him . Ashten took off the black cloak he was wearing and put it around me. Landen pulled up the hood.

  “Come on, I’ll take you the secret way,” Marc said, holding
out his arm.

  I took it and looked back at Landen. “Will you get everyone ready? I’m ready to go home.”

  He smiled, revealing the dimples I loved so much, and nodded once.

  Marc led me into a room that was two doors down, and in that room he moved a bookcase, opening a passageway for us.

  “Why are there so many passages? What’s wrong with normal hallways?” I asked sarcastically as I stepped down the stone staircase before us.

  Marc chuckled. “It wouldn’t be Est erious without the mysterious.”

  I elbowed him as we walked down the steps. “Hey, are you alright? I mean, with mocking Drake , with Stella’s ne w role as the all-seeing oracle?”

  He laughed under his breath. “Willow, I knew, I always knew in my life we would be here. Something told me that the girl I would love would have a strong role here…now I didn’t know the details -- t he whole long lost brother thing, but regardless, we’re here and when we don’t want to be, we’ll leave. I t’s as simple as that.”

  “Has she left that looking glass?” I asked.

  “A few hours h ere and there. I just left her, t hough . She said all is calm through the night. I’m sure she’ll go home for a few hours.”

  “Just don’t let her spend the rest of her life staring into that pool. I don’t care i f you take her to Chara or not, b ut make sure she sees the sun. Swear .”

  “Swear ,” he said as we reached a door. He slid it back quietly. “I’ll wait right here. I d on’t think she knows its over. I haven’t told her, at least.”

  Behind the door was a red drape. I pulled the hood on the cloak I was wearing down a little further and glided from behind the drape.

  This was a gorgeous chapel. The ceiling was over a hundred feet high, and the paintings, the stories of angels at war, were breathtaking. The only light was from the altar where thousands of candles were lit. Beth was sitting in the pew all alone in this majestic place.

  I walked slowly to her side, taking in her emotion of grief. I didn’t want to add to that. I decided I would just ask her where she stood with what Drake needed.

  I sat down beside her and reached for her hand.

  “What…why …why have they sent you to speak to me? What happened?” she asked in a trembling voice.