Vindicate

  “This isn’t helping me now . I need to know where they are.” I muttered with as I spun the ring more slowly now.

  “In e very sense of the word , they are right here, but in reality , they are fighting in a different realm. A nother place that we have to determine how to reach.”

  “Determine , ” I said shortly , nodding my head toward the table. She didn’t move ; she kept her stare with me. “Tell me about the dream world you were in yesterday, Willow. How dangerous was it?”

  “It wasn’t , ” I said firmly. “It was peaceful. Mostly , anyway . The weather was unpredictable , ” I said with a sense of sarcasm , which brought a smirk to Brady’s face. No one else got the joke. Figures.

  Marc, who had been pacing back and forth behind me , spoke up. “How can they both be having the same dream?”

  “The same way Willow and Landen shared their dreams , ” Rose said with a peaceful voice. “Our dreams can easily intertwine with another , especially if the other person has a common goal . Willow and Landen’s was to find each other , and even though they didn’t know it then , it was to redeem this dimension. Drake and Landen have a common goal : to protect Willow . They are fighting for her right now.”

  “More than me , ” I mumbled as I looked to Landen’s body , trying to feel an emotion from him. Above all , I felt his anger , but underneath all the negative emotions , I felt his love for me. I didn’t know what I wou ld do if I felt fear within him. Madness would be my only choice. “I brought Landen back. When he saw Drake next to him , he slipped away. He went back for him.”

  Tension filled the room , and all eyes were on me. Alamos left the table and came to August and Marc’s side. Perodine stood in front of them all , waiting for me to tell them how. Brady squeezed my hands , calling my a ttention to to his eyes. “How ?” he asked quietly.

  “My energy . I gave it -” I stopped myself , remembering that none of them knew that I ’d g iven my energy to Drake before. That I had saved his life with that power. That because I’d done that , Landen and Drake both carried the strength of my heart. “I gave it to Landen. I t brought him back , but only for an instant.”

  “Did he say anything?” Brady asked , holding my stare.

  “‘An angel fallen , a devil risen.’” I felt the confused stares from them all. “Drake said , ‘Fate is calling , this world will not be our prison.’” I bit my lip as I spun the ring vigorously. Maybe I should try giving them my energy again. Maybe I should just completely collide my soul with Landen’s. Would that get me to where he is? God knows it would help me. I felt so weak. Like dizzy weak.

  “What do you mean Drake said that?” Marc asked . “Did he come back , too? How did you get him to come back?”

  I let my eyes fall from Brady’s and stared at the fl oor. I wasn’t going to tell him. That was o ur secret. The power the three of us shared.

  “Just the hint of her energy. Her being near him , would have been enough to bring him back for a second , ” August said , taking the attention off me.

  I looked at him with grateful eyes. Though we never told him that I had let Drake ’s energy in me , I was almost sure he knew. And right now , I felt h is intent to keep it a secret. Our secret.

  “What do those words mean?” I asked .

  None of them seem ed to know. Alamos went to the table to write the words down before he forgot them.

  “I have to figur e out how to get to that realm. I need to know what they are fighting.” I also had to figure out how to get them all out of this room for a few hours. It would take at least that long for me to merge my soul with Landen’s. I couldn’t hold a thought long enough to figure out if that was a rational plan. Would it help or hurt him. Is that was the evil whore is waiting on? For me to submerge my energy with his so she can kill me, too. What did she want with him anyway? Power? Was that it? I felt a sharp pain in my core and told myself she would taste the raw end of my power before this was all over with.

  “Right,” Perodine said. “And we have to figure out how to fight what ’s here.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked , not seeing any danger beyond losing Landen and Drake.

  “War,” Alamos said from behind me. “Mars is war , and we are facing it at this moment.”

  “Who ’s killing who?” I asked bleakly , prepared to just send my emotions - the violent atmosphere , at the ones that were in the wrong. I didn’t have time for nonsense.

  “It’s hard to say . We have no idea who has survived. What members of the court remain , ” Alamos answered.

  “None , ” I said coldly a s I remembered the Estate blowing away just a few hours ago.

  “Perhaps , ” Perodine said , looking at Marc. “But right now , we can’t let them think that Drake is dead . Th ey have to have a ruler . Then there are the rumors we have to fight.”

  “The ones that said I was with Drake now?” I asked . “How could they have reached here by now?”

  “There is no way to know , ” Alamos said. “It’s been too dangerous for us to leave the palace.”

  Thanks for the reminder there. Like I didn’t know how scared the people outside were. Like I didn’t know it was my fault.

  “What do we need to do?” m y father asked as he took my hand.

  “We need to cut our losses. We are going to have to give back the city of Delen , ” Perodine said regretfully.

  “What? No!” I yelled .

  “Listen,” my father whispered in his calm tone. He wasn’t comma nding that I listen to anyone. Just that I listened.

  “Why?” I asked in a more approachable tone.

  Perodine ’s eyes looked over me carefully. “Th is world has to have a leader. Without one , they will fall into civil war at best ; they will destroy themselves at worst.”

  “We don’t have one , ” I said as my eyes moved to Drake’s body. Sweat was pouring off both him and Landen now.

  As m y father left my side to care for them, Alamos followed him . I stood , wanting to do anything I could to help. Brady held me back , but I managed to pull him to the end of the bed. Alamos and my father ripped their shirts open and poured handfuls of water from the basin across their perfectly sculpted chest s , across every muscle - every part of their bodies. I pushed forward , wanting to crawl between them. To give them any comfort. Brady wrapped his arms around me , holding me in place. I’m sure I could have fought him off with a thought , but I let him hold me ; i nstead , I thought of a cool spring breeze and gently let the air leave my lips.

  The wind reached their bodies and dried the glistening sweat from their chest – across their brows. Both Drake and Landen opened their mouths , letting my breath ease across their tender lips.

  “We have to make one . Mock a leader , ” Alamos said , looking up from Drake’s body to Marc , who was lingering behind me.

  Marc stared at Drake’s body as he spoke. “I’m not him.”

  “I didn’t say that you were , ” Alamos said calmly. “But the world needs to think you are right now . You kno w he would want you to do this. That Landen would want you to.”

  Marc’s eyes moved to Brady , then to Alamos. “What do you expect me to do?”

  Alamos looked at Perodine , who was at my side , asking her to explain . He then gave his attention back to Drake.

  “We have to have a mourning. That will b u y us time , ” s he explained.

  “Who are we mourning?” I asked bleakly , knowing that I wouldn ’t let them mock my death –or Landen’s .

  “The priest s that died last night on that island . The people that died in Atamentous this morning , ” Perodine carefully explained.

  “And where are we during this mock mourning time ? Where are Landen and Willow ? What do we tell the people we sent here?” I asked , trying my best to grasp control. It was an internal war, but this girl was winning at the moment.

  “We tell them nothing , ” Alamos said bleakly as he rose from Drake ’s side. “As dark and twisted as you think this dimensio
n is , its traditions and beliefs are going to give you the time you need now.”

  “What tradition?” I asked .

  “Mourning last s two weeks for any member of the court . Due to the mass loss , we coul d extend that well past a month. I n that time , there will be no speeches – no words. Silence is demanded as we reflect. In e ffect , we can freeze this dimension in place while we fight the battle in their mind s right now , ” Alamos said as his eyes moved bac k to Drake. “Marc has no choice. Either he initiates the mo u rning , or he declares it invalid , the way Drake did with Donalt’s death . I f nothing is done , war will erupt immediately as other s try to rise and take control. Countless men desire to rule this world.”

  “This world didn ’t mo u rn Donalt?” I asked with a smirk. Oddly , that brought me the hope that I could one day sa ve them all from the destruction that that man brought them.

  “They didn’t mourn because the ruler – Drake - told the court that there wasn’t time . Because in his own way , he didn’t th ink his death deserved mourning. That was the spark. After that it was said that Drake’s heart and not his mind were leading this world. That he had given his reign to another man.”

  Perodine looked down at her folded hands. “Is that your perception?”

  “Why would it not be?” Alamos asked smugly.

  “Because you know just as well as I do that that is not why Drake didn’t initiate the mourning,” s he said , linking stares with Alamos.

  “What are you talking about?” Brady asked as we all felt the anxiety fill the room.

  “Tell them, your majesty , ” Alamos said with heavy sarcasm as he mocked a bow.

  Perodine glared at him for an endless moment , then looked at me . “It is tradition that when our King dies – his court – his Queen – her court are to be put to death with him. They are to be murdered so that when the King enters hi s next life, his status…his reign is in place , just as it was in this life.”

  “They would have killed you?!” I asked as a sick feeling rose and settled in the back of my throat , e ven though I doubted anyone would be powerful enough to end her long life.

  “They defin i t e ly would have tried , ” Perodine answered. “Drake incited a law weeks back that stated that death would only come to thos e who would not benefit his reign . The law has to reside for one moon for it to be in place ; his pause in the announcement protected me and Alamos.”

  I felt respect rise in Brady. “Wise act?”

  “Perhaps…Don alt’s rule was near everlasting. I t was a tradition that has not been ex ercised for millions of years. Drake’s decision divided the parts of the world that believed Donalt to be dead.”

  “What do you mean ‘parts ’?” I asked , completely bewildered .

  “Communication is no t as clear here as it is in the home where I raised you , ” my father answered.

  “There are people who don’t know he’s dead?! No wonder I ’m having such a hard time here , ” I said as my frustration washed across my face.

  “Why are the ones who know divided?” Marc asked , befuddled.

  Alamos crossed his arms. “Several reasons. The majority of the population has no clue ; only the priests who reside over the cities have the notion that a shift in power has occur r ed. Some of those priests believe that because the court was not executed , Donalt’s soul is not at rest – that now they will suffer even darker times . Those people are seeking the lives of each person in the court. I believe the underground group is called ‘Redeemers of Light.’ From what I understand , they are taking credit for the coll apse on the island last night. For the battle Willow won single -handedly. Then …” he looked at Drake , “t here are ones that are seeking to rule . They argue that Dra ke is not the child of Donalt. That with the execution of the current court , a new sovereign is needed. They are seeking the death of Drake simply to take away the memory of Donalt.”

  Perodine nodded along. “Then , of course , there is the general population that is blindly obedient to the myths that were told to them as a children ... that Drake with the heart of his soul mate will redee m this world, and they believe that a dark man has trapped her heart . That until he dies they will be trapped in darkness.”

  “Seriously?!” I said in a frustrated tone. “Wh y can we not just go out there and lay it all out ? Tell them this is what happen ed. Who Donalt was - who I am. And tell them to get over their foolish f airytales and take the peace I’m giving them?!”

  There didn’t seem to be any way to win . Those that knew Donalt was dead were either calling for Drake’s death or Landen’s , and the blind public was waiting for me to love Drake . They were all wrong , and I wasn’t going to sit here and listen to how jacked up the entire thought process was. I had a good min d t o carry both Drake and Landen away from t here and never look back.

  “Willow,” August said , walking to my side and holding my stare. “Could you imagine going home to Infante and telling a nyone there that their beliefs, their religion was false ? That what has been told – preached and practice for thousands and thousands of years was untrue ?”

  “I’m not going to argue religion with you,” I said as respectfully as I could to him.

  “Yet, you want to argue with theirs , ” h e countered in his common wise tone.

  “Donalt is not religion , ” I said shortly as the hatred I had for that ghost bellowed in me.

  “To them he is , ” August said , taking my hand and forcing me to feel his calm emotion. “The people in this dimension all belie ve in one source of God. That was Donalt, and they have divided into different beliefs on what is to happen. To some , this is the dreadful end of days ; to others , this is a blissful beginning, and there are even those who are unaware that any of this is transpiring. We must tread carefully. Beliefs are precious, and i f you plan to fulfill your fate you must rise ab ove dualities. You cannot take sides.”

  “Dualities?” I repeated .

  August ’s eyes captured mine. “It is a lesson I have been striving to teac h Landen from his first breathe . Dualities. Seeing one side to be right and the other wrong.”

  “But there is one wrong side , ” I argued.

  “Is there?” he asked as a sparkle illuminated in his eyes. “Tell me , Willow. I f you were the princess of darkness…if ending light was your desire - your pur pose – what you needed for survival . Would you not see the ligh t as evil? Duality is taking sides , seeing one thing as correct and the other as wrong . A true r uler. Prophet . Source of change, would not see those. The y would find love for each side. Reason for each action. Forgiveness.”

  If this was any other day I might have agreed with him. “I cannot forgive these actions. I cannot forgive the murder of innocents. Forgive anyone for taking someone’s energy – their purpose, and command ing them to follow obediently to conformity , ” I argued.

  “Let me be clear , ” August said as he reached for my other hand to maintain the calm emotion he wanted me to feel. “Perceiving one to be innocent and one to be guilty is taking sides – embracing dualities. No one can take another’s energy ; it is giv en freely b y the source it is created from. No one ca n command another to conformity. A person has to cho o se to follow.”

  He was so hard to argue with. “August. Do you not see what state this dimension is in? Do you not see how they have been reduced to nothing? Redemption is required.”

  His solemn eyes fell into mine. “I do , ” h e said calmly. “But I see the same in every dimension.”

  “No , not all of them , ” I mumbled .

  “Are you referring to Infante or Chara ?” he asked .

  “Both.”

  “Conformity lives in both.” August replied gently. “Remember the home you were raised in. Were there not social stand a r d s that had to be met for acceptance? Were there not laws and rules that had to be followed, and if they were not , punishment was given ? I s that not what your dimension teaches it s children from birth ? A re the children not reward
ed for following direction and punished for ignoring it?” He tilted his head. “Even in Chara , it exists…each day , people are brought to our world by the ones they love…they are expected to find their purpose …and rising to that expectation because they were told and not because they felt that desire is a form of conformity. Many times , the desire to reach their purpose blinds them. Even tho se born in Chara face that command. Some want to be travelers simply for the glory – for the gifts and protec tion they feel that role brings, and that desire is completely human. Sometimes it leads born members on several paths of discovery . There is not one single dimension that does not have some form of confo rmity - some grasp of dualities. Not yet.”

  Ok, so he had a good point. But still. “Yes, but those are laws. Rules that have to be in place. They are meant to protect people. What would you suggest? That children do as they wish? That there are no laws ? That you can steal – murder and not expect punishment ? Why is it wrong for Chara to ask it s citizens to find their purpose ? What’s wrong with expecting everyone to find that joy?”

  He grinned. Landen had told me more than once that August admired my tenacity when he came to debating philosophy. “I’m simply telling you that this world is the same. There are laws – conformity in place for the purpose of ‘protecting’ people – to guide them.”

  “Their laws are wrong.” I said coldly.

  “They are only wrong because of your perspective – where you cho o se to take sides says that they are.”

  “Right , ” I said , letting his hands go. “Whatever. I give up. I don’t care what they do here. Wake them up , and we’ll go . We will let this world destroy themselves.” It was empty threat that I regretted as soon as I said it.

  “Willow , ” h e said , reaching for my hands again. “Why must you strive for extremes? My lesson to you is that if you are going to bring peace to this dimension or any other…you are going t o have to find an understanding. You are going to have to find a balance. You cannot command for them to believe the way you believe.”