Vindicate

  “He’s home,” I whispered.

  Her elation was immediate. She squeezed my hand tightly but kept her stare with the altar. “I thought I felt him,” she whispered.

  “Guess what?” I said slyly.

  She looked to her side at me as concern came to her.

  “He’s coming to dinner. He’s going to Chara.”

  “Are you serious?”

  I nodded. “I told him he owed me,” I said, winking at her.

  She moved her head from side to side. “You are the only one he listens to.”

  “Am I? I think he listens to you. I think he’s aware about how you feel about his life.”

  Her eyes connected with mine. “Has my son sent you to plea for his reign. A re you to ask what he cannot find the courage to?”

  I grimaced. “I don’t think he lacks courage. I think he respects you and his father too much to disgrace that.”

  “But you do not?”

  “I didn’t say that,” I said, squeezing her h and. “If he hasn’t asked you …then how did you know what the question was?”

  She looked at me like I was insane. “Do you not think that Alamos has not had my ear since before this began? Do you think I didn’t know this day was going to come?”

  “I don’t know what to think , o r what I would do if I were you. I’m not even sure I want him to be king. I just know I don’t want to lose him. I don’t want someone to take Alamos or Perodine’s life b efore they are ready to give it. I want peace, and that road is long and complicated.”

  “Does he want to be king?” she asked me.

  “I think so. I think he loves his people. That he wants to rule a golden age for them.”

  “How badly does he want that?” she asked, tilting her head and gazing at me.

  “I’m not sure, Beth. He was exhausted and hungry last I saw him. Why do you ask? I s there a price I need to know about? Do you have conditions that need to be met?”

  “I do,” she said as she glanced at the altar. “My son is asking me to swear before men who are nothing but pure evil that he is not mine. That the love I had for Livingston. The love we had for each other di d not bring him into this world. He is asking that his heritage to Chara be erased. I lov e him enough to give him that. I love him enough to lie. To make a promise that will only matter in this life and not when I face my creator…but I do have a condition.”

  “I’m listening.” I muttered humbly.

  She moved her eyes from the altar to me. “He’s going to have to get his father’s blessing…if Livingston tel ls me he is at peace with this I will vow that I was no thing more than a host for him -- the only breathing heir of Donalt.”

  I let my shoulders fall, along with all of my hope.

  “I guess he doesn’t want to be king that bad,” Beth said, noticing my expression.

  “I’m sure he does, Beth, but to see his dad, he has to come terms w ith the fact that he killed him. He may be strong, but I don’t think he’s that strong. He’s been through too much.”

  “Like I said before …you’re the only one he listens to.”

  “Right,” I mumbled. “And I am going to take one victory at a time.” I stood and reached for her hand. “Come, all of your sons are g oing to be in Chara at one time. You don’t want to miss that.”

  She bowed her head to me gracefully, then stood at my side. Marc was waiting for us. As Beth passed him, I shook my head no, and he nodded once. It was hard for me to tell w here he stood with all of this. I f he even knew what we were asking Beth to do.

  At the passage, Landen was waiting with Draven, Aden, Madison, and Charlie. Beth captured Madison ’s gaze and bowed, then looked up at Marc. “I want to change before we go home.”

  “I’ll bring Stella, Mom, and Drake ,” Marc said calmly.

  I found myself staring at Madison every ti me Drake’s name was mentioned. She was getting better at hiding her anxiety, but I could still see it. I wondered if Drake had approached her since we’d been back , the troubled emotions of Charlie led me to believe that he had. I wonder how well that went. No. No I didn’t it was none of business.

  I handed the cloak I was wearing to Marc just before they walked away.

  Landen glanced at the others. “Can I assume that you can see in the string? I believe Austin mentioned that to me.”

  “Seeing is a blessing and a curse for us,” Aden answered for all of them.

  “Tell me about it,” Landen said, reaching for my hand. We stood in the glow and waited for them all to en ter. “Just stay in the center. Storms are hard to predict.”

  I was going to let Landen lead and stay in the back with Madison. He felt my intent to do that and started a conversation with Draven about music. Before I could open a conversation, something distracted me. Dane and Clarissa. I could feel them. A t least I thought I did, and they were not alone.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I stopped in place, as my ey es grew wide. I was so confused. I t was them, no doubt, but at the same time there was something missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I thought maybe it was just the othe r person I could feel with them. A person that should not be with them . Winston. What was tha t boy doing with them ? Why did I feel their anger? Their determination to place Winston in our custody ? Why I did feel Winston’s disdain for that act?

  “Are you alright?” Madison asked me.

  “No,” I said, looking behind me. “Landen.”

  He already sensed the emotions, too, and was walking to my side. The others looked at us like we were in sane, and their anxiety built. They must have noticed how confused we were. A moment later, three images appeared. Winston was in the center of Cl arissa and Dane. They were both holding his arm like he was some kind of prisoner.

  “What the hell?” Draven said as he pulled his shoulders back.

  “Thinking the same thing,” I mumbled.

  “What do we have here?” Landen asked Dane.

  “You look better,” Dane said, smiling slightly.

  “Just y our everyday brush with death. No big deal,” Landen said in a dense tone.

  I noticed immediately that Dane and Clari ssa broke eye contact with us. I felt how nervous they were and how they were trying to hide that.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “We found your little friend. Looks like he lost his way,” Dane said, looking at Landen, not me.

  “Whatever, man,” Winston said, rolling his eyes, pulling free from them, and walking to Aden. When he got there, he received a slap on the back of the head from Aden.

  “Quit being a tool,” Aden said through his teeth. “Where were you ? Where is everyone else?”

  “Ask them,” Winston said, crossing his arms, refusing to answer.

  “He was looking for his daddy,” Dane said with heavy disgust.

  “Were you?” I said sarcastically, raising my eyebrows.

  “You guys weren’t in Esterious. I didn’t feel you there,” Landen said in a mystified tone.

  “Bingo. This man gets a prize,” Winston said, only to get another slap on the back of the head, from Draven this time.

  “Where were you?” I asked. “I haven’t seen you in days.”

  “Infante,” Clarissa answered, “looking into this Escort thing.”

  “That’s not where you found me,” Winston said as he dodged another smack from Aden. “Where were we, chaps? Tell them, why don’t you?”

  “A guy named Silas brought him to us. Told us that you knew him, that he needed to be with you.” Dane supplied.

  I felt Charlie’s heart sink when Silas’ name was said. I looked from her to Clarissa. “He just walked up to you and said, ‘Here, take this kid’?”

  “Something like that,” Clarissa said, not able to hold eye contact with me.

  “Listen,” Da ne said. “We have to get back. Just keep him under control.”

  “Where are you going?” Lande n asked. “Mom’s cooking dinner. Everyone is going to be there. We
need to relax, think things through.”

  “They don’t know how to rest in peace,” Winston said as a wicked grin came across his face.

  “What is going on?” I asked, looking from Winston to Dane and Clarissa.

  “Nothing,” Dane promised. “We’re not trying to be rude – not at all. We’ve met a few p eople who understand The Realm, and we need time to work through it . We’re fine. I promise.”

  “We will work through it with you,” I swore .

  “I know you will, but if I don’t understand it enough to exp lain what I know simply to you then I need more time,” Dane said, looking down at me, pleading for space with his eyes and emotion.

  “Alright. Space . I t’s yours,” I mumbled, still not understanding.

  “Where are you staying so I can find you?” Landen asked.

  “New Orleans. One of Austin’s old houses,” Dane answered.

  “Is that where you have been?” I asked .

  “Spent a lot of time in the French Quarter,” Clarissa said as she tried to smile .

  Dane reached his arm around Clarissa. “We’re going to get back.”

  As they turned to leave, Clarissa hesitated, then looked over her shoulder. “Landen, tel l Mom I love her. Tell Dad, too …I love all of you.”

  Landen’s eyes grew wide as he saw her tears. When he stepped forward, she held her hand out to stop him. “I’m fine. I swear . I’m fine. I just don’t tell you that I love you enough, and I want you to know that I have always felt like the luckiest girl in the world. I have the best family in the world. The best brothers.”

  She leaned against Dane, and he pulled her close as they disappeared into the glow.

  “What the hell?” I thought.

  “I – I don’t know. I’ve never seen her like that.”

  “Should we follow them?”

  His eyes told me no . “They’re telling the truth.”

  “Are you sure?” I thought as a sick feeling settled in my throat.

  He nodded as he stared into the glow they had disappeared into. “Let’s go home.”

  Landen turned around and grabbed Winston by the back of the arm. Draven took his other arm, and they led .

  Charlie was sta ring at me with absolute fear and grief in her soul.

  Madison walked ahead with Aden, but not before whispering something to Charlie.

  I took a few steps forward and found my pace with Charlie. “Why would Silas take Winston to them ? Not us . Not you . Not Chara?”

  Charlie shrugged her shoulders. “He’s unpredictable.”

  “What are you not saying to me?” I asked.

  She grimaced. “I don’t know how to say it.”

  “Try,” I said as I all but stopped.

  Charlie gritted her teeth and balled her fist. Madison looked over her shoulder and raised her eyebrows, telling Charlie to speak up, no doubt.

  “Silas. Silas is not real.”

  “He looked real to me,” I argued.

  Charlie rubbed her hands across her face, then let out a deep b reath. “I mean, he’s not alive, but he’s not dead. He’s undead.”

  “What?!” I whispered harshly, knowing that made no sense.

  “He’s like immortal. Like some kind of archangel or something . He can appear and disappear like a ghost, but there are some pla ces he doesn’t go – or can’t go. He spends a lot of his time in The Realm. A lot of time killing Escorts. I f he’s not there, he’s in old cities like Salem. Like New Orleans.”

  “So he’s a ghost,” I clarified. Oddly, not finding that shocking like most normal people would.

  Charlie moved her head from side to side. “No. My dad is a ghost and he’s not flesh he’s like Draven’s mom. Silas is different; he’s made of flesh. I don’t know want to call him besides undead.”

  I was mystified by this idea. That this girl was somehow in love with someone who was not ‘real,” as she called it, but I was too focused on the mistr ust I had for this Winston kid. On why Dane and Clarissa were not acting like themselves. “I still don’t understand why he would take Winston to them?”

  “I don’t know. I know that he m ade a promise to Winston’s mom, and to Monroe that he would protect the m. Not let The Realm take them. Their Dad take them.”

  “When did he do that?”

  “I don’t know. After Monroe was born. Silas is , like, thousands of years old. That’s my problem; he remembers who I was before, and apparently I was what he was. Undead.”

  “But you’re not dead now,” I said to clarify. This girl was making my head spin.

  “What is dead anywa y? No one is ever really dead. Silas has this whole story . A ll these unspoken rules. A pparently, when I was what he was, I tried to change Escorts. Stop the source of darkness, and...” she said, looking at Drave n, “it only worked with Draven. He fe ll in love with me and changed, but when he changed he became de ad, sent into another life. A ccording to Silas, I followed Draven to protect him. A nd the only way I could do that was to become alive – not undead – a nd to change again, I must die. There is more to it, but that’s the gist.”

  “Is he dangerous, Charlie?” I asked as I remembered Silas’s actions in The Realm.

  She moved her head from side to side. “No. If I had to guess, I would say he’s helping your fr iends. I’m sure he’s recounting where we are with the battle of light and darkness.”

  “Why wouldn’t he share it with us?”

  “I’m sure he will. When he’s ready. When he thinks you’re ready.”

  Before I could ask any more questions, we had reached Chara. Everyone else had entered, and Landen was waiting on me.

  I nodded for Charlie to step in, then we followed her . The sun was setting, and day must have been warm; I could still feel the sun’s energy in the coming night’s chill.

  Through the dusk, a small shado w ran toward us. Libby. She crashed into Landen, who picked her up and spun her around as she laughed out loud.

  “Is she yours?” Madison asked with wide eyes.

  “Not in this life. She’s my sister.”

  A second later, Preston ran from the dusk, and instead of coming to me, he ran to Madison. She froze in place as his tiny arms went a round her waist. “You’re home. Now you know me.”

  Madison looked at me, then down at him. “Just visiting, buddy,” she said, hugging him back. He laughed. “You’re home.” He hugged he r once more, then ran to Libby. Landen was pretending to race her to our house, and Preston joined in, running faster than any child that young should be able to.

  I felt everyone at my house and smiled.

  “This is beautiful,” Aden said, gazing at me.

  “It’s home. I t’s where I come after I face hell. I t’s what gives me reason to face it again.”

  “I can see why.”

  Brady pulled up a moment later and opened the back of his Jeep for all of the bags everyone was carrying. I let the others pile in and decided to wal k the rest of the way . A ll alone.

  I had awful feeling that I was missing something. More than one thing. The Realm had toyed with my thoughts. I was sure of it. Perodine was trying to tell me something that I couldn’t grasp. And something was up with Dane and Clarissa. This was not over. This wasn’t even a lull. I had to find a moment to talk to Landen alone. To assure myself he was Ok. That the hum of his skin and fire on his lips just felt that way now because his soul had been distant from h is body for a few days. I had to figure out how to get this odious foreboding to go away.

  I walked in my open front door, smelling a home cooked meal in the air. Hearing the chatter of everyone I loved. Rose was the first to walk up to me. “I sent Landen to take a shower. How are you?”

  “Good, home now,” I said, beaming . She clearly didn’t believe me, but chose not to push the point.

  My mom came up behind her and hugged me but decided not to say anything. She could see how I was trying to work everything out on the inside.

  Felicity walked out
of the kitchen, holding a stack of plates. “Do you want to help me with this?” she asked.

  I took a few from her. “Where are we going?” I questioned .

  “Side porch. I set a table up that will hold twenty. I doubt that is enough room, but there are enough swings and chairs for everyone.”

  When we got on the porch, she shivered. “Why don’t you turn up the sun? It’s cold,” she said, mocking me, but I decided to listen to her and let the emotion of pure joy come over me. The warmth of the setting sun grew brighter, and the chill of the night was gone.

  “Show off,” she said, laughing.

  “You asked,” I said as I helped her set the plates on the elegant table that only Felicity could create on a porch.

  “Well, I’m not going to ask if you’re OK – because you’re not. What else do you want to talk about?” she asked.

  I smirked. “What do you think of our guest s ?”

  “Well, I know I like those twins becaus e they got Brady to play again, and I can’t wait to hear that. When Madison came in, I thought s he was you. Charlie seems nervous, but who wouldn’t be with all of us welcoming her at once?”

  “The others? I found Winston in the string a second ago.”

  “The others,” Felicity said as she moved the si lverware around. “Well, I think …I think they need a h ome. Some love. I can’t get Monroe to talk, but I could swear I heard her talking to Libby and Preston. Grayson has been with August a lot – giving him family history, I think.”

  “Do you know who that little girl called daddy?”

  “I do. And well who can pi ck their family. Right?” she said, smiling at me.

  “You’re crazy, you know that?”

  “Me? I would say I’m mild compared to the crazy in this family.”

  “You ’re crazy for acting like it’s normal.”

  Felicity looked past me into the field, and her smile grew. Her cheeks slightly blushed. “Now that is not normal.”

  I looked over my shoulder to see Drake a few feet away from me. Marc, Stella, and Beth walking into the house.

  “No, but he’s here. He listened to me,” I mumbled.

  Felicity walked up behind me and leaned into my ear and whisper ed, “Don’t abuse that privilege. Let it be, and it will find its way.”