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  He moved his hand to my face, cradling it with his seductive touch. “If you remembered, you’d change your mind; you’d see that we’ve been fooled by our emotions before,” Drake said.

  I moved my head side to side. “If we were meant to remember our past lives, it would come to us naturally. The universe has its reasons for that barrier,” I said, moving Drake’s hand from my face and letting go of him. I looked back at Landen and saw the confidence in his eyes that I felt coming from him.

  “The universe is cruel,” Alamos said quietly.

  “Undo it all,” I repeated.

  Looking at her, I felt Perodine’s grief. “We cannot do as you ask, my precious daughter,” she answered.

  I looked down, then walked slowly to the couch and fell into it. Dane was at my side. Beth followed, and she wrapped her arms around me as I cried quietly on her shoulder.

  “Why not?” I heard Landen ask. “Let her feel him; I assure you, it will change nothing.”

  “It is not that we do not want to,” Perodine answered. “It is because time moves forward. We cannot change what we have done. It is not a magic spell; it was a choice we made. If it was possible, I would not only do as Willow has asked - but I would take her memories of the nightmares away. All that you have lived through is now a part of you.”

  Beth’s arms tightened around me; we were both grieving – grieving for a life that was taken from Drake. I heard August clear his throat, and I looked up from Beth’s shoulder to see him walking to the center of the room; I felt clarity inside of him. His wise eyes looked over Perodine, then Alamos, before looking across the room.

  “This has been a very revealing evening,” August said into the room. “I think that now that all of our secrets are out in the open – we’ll be able to move forward.” He walked to the table where the scrolls were laid and looked down at them, then back to the room. “Forgive me if what I’m about to say offends you,” he said, looking from Alamos to Perodine, “but I think you’ve been both played as a fool.”

  I could feel that he’d offended Perodine; she crossed her arms and waited for him to go on.

  “We’re fighting darkness – not a man; a darkness that does not know the limits of time. Looking back over you lives, it is easy for me to see how it weaved itself into you. It never had a doubt that Aliyanna belonged to the two of you, or what her purpose was: to kill it. I would even guess that it helped you find the passage to the string – knowing it would take four million three hundred and thirty two years before she would return.” August paused as his eyes moved across the room.

  “A lot of damage can be done in that amount of time; it was just too perfect that Drake was born here,” August said, looking looked at Alamos. “a boy that had the path you’d lived in front of him. Both of you were so consumed by your own past that you didn’t see it moving closer, closer and closer to the children – and now it’s upon us, the moment of truth. We need to put the anger and resentment behind us and find a way to beat this demon.”

  Drake walked slowly over and sat on the couch across from me. As he stared deep into my eyes, his emotion was strong enough to cause Landen to turn and look at him. Inside Landen, I felt a remorse for Drake that I’d never felt before. Landen turned around and walked to the table, and Marc followed. I felt Perodine move all of her emotions down deep into her soul. Alamos followed the others.

  “What are these books of?” Landen asked Alamos.

  “Once I discovered your kind – the travelers – I asked them to bring me any knowledge of darkness, of a dark person living in immortality. These are the ones I’ve collected over time.” Alamos opened one of the books and flipped through the pages.

  “You find a common story, a leader of many who turned dark. In most cases, it was moved out of the body it possessed with simple words,” Alamos said.

  As I looked in his direction, I could feel hope building in all of us. Alamos must have sensed it, too; he looked around at all of us and shook his head no. “Every word I found, I said over Donalt; I thought if he died then I’d be released from this life. None of them worked; in fact, one time he caught me speaking them. His laugh bellowed through the wings of the palace. He said, ‘Those words are for my children; they cannot hurt the father.’ I assumed he’d gone mad at that point and resumed my role at his side, counting the days down.”

  “Do you know where the knife is?” Perodine asked.

  Alamos nodded yes. “You’ll need both Landen and Drake to retrieve it. The stone will not move unless the hands of the good and bad soulmate touch it at the same time.” We all looked at him, full of astonishment. “I said the words when I discovered that they were both in this life; my intention was to give reason to spare Drake’s life throughout the course of all the planets,” he said, defending himself.

  “Did you read somewhere that I was a killer?” Landen asked bleakly.

  “I can’t see everything in your chart. I also can’t put limits on a man who’s defending the woman he loves.” Alamos looked across the room at Drake. “I find it hard to believe that you’re both still standing.”

  As he heard those words, Drake closed his eyes. I imagined that Alamos had encouraged him to make a final division between Landen and me, and Drake had declined. The new respect for Drake that I felt inside Landen told me that, more than likely, I was right.

  “Where is it?” Landen asked, looking back at Alamos.

  Alamos nodded his head in the direction of the observatory. “In the center of the pool, you will find a stone that is set deeper than the others. Beneath it, you will find a stone box; the knife is inside there.

  Drake looked across to Landen. “Let’s go,” he said, standing.

  Landen nodded and looked at me, and I stood to follow them. Beth stood and went to the doorway that led in the other direction; I felt her intent of finding them dry clothes. Landen and Drake walked side-by-side. Standing behind them, I felt divided; I loved Landen with every ounce of energy that I possessed, but I couldn’t help feeling a deep sympathy for Drake.

  I could feel how uneasy Marc was. Dane let his hand rest on the small of my back. As we entered the observatory, I felt the chill of a November night in the air; I could only imagine how cold that water must be.

  Alamos came in behind us and walked to the edge of the pool, then pointed to the center that was over fifteen feet away. “The water will get deeper; that’s how you’ll know you’re close,” he said, looking at Drake.

  Landen and Drake slid out of their shoes and pulled their shirts over their heads; chills ran across both of their perfect bodies. As Drake rubbed his arms together to stay warm, I saw his tattoo. In my nightmares, it was of a dragon - but now it had been altered; the dragon now curled around a majestic willow tree. It didn’t matter that it shielded the dragon - I knew it was there. It was a grim reminder of the horror I’d always felt.

  I moved my hand to cover my tattoo, my ankh, which Drake had marked with a star. My fear caused Landen to look in my direction, and when he saw me covering my wrist, he looked to Drake’s arm. Landen’s attention didn’t go unnoticed; everyone - including Drake - was watching me. Drake moved his hand to cover his arm from my view, then walked to edge of the pool and moved his legs over to wade in.

  Chapter Nine

  Landen walked to Drake’s side and moved his legs over the edge. As they waded forward, the water grew deeper; it was just over their waist when they reached the middle. I saw them look at the water as they moved their feet across the bottom of the pool.

  “The water will get deeper than that when you get to it,” Alamos said across the pool. Drake waded to his left, and the water rose to midway on his chest. “Here,” he said to get Landen’s attention.

  Landen waded in Drake’s direction. When he reached him, Landen nodded, and the two of them merged in the water. Seconds moved by, and the water suddenly grew still; I felt my heart begin to race. I could feel Landen’s frustration and anger. They both emerged at the same time
.

  “Move it to the left, and I’ll pick it up from the bottom,” Landen said to Drake.

  Drake nodded, and they fell into the water again. In that instant, the water turned white; it was glowing, lighting the entire room. Landen and Drake came from the water at the same time, and Landen was holding the box. They were both taken aback by the glow around them. The water began to dim, and images of our family appeared on the surface; you could hear their cries as watery images of hands stretched out of the water. The room began to roar. Dane wrapped his arms as tight as he could around me, and Marc dove into the water to Landen’s side. A dark shadow appeared over them. Drake raised his hand and pushed a force at it. When his energy reached the darkness, the sound was as it was before: as loud as thunder. It vanished into the night sky, and the water returned to darkness. The cries of our family echoed along the stone walls.

  I went limp in Dane’s arms; the fear had knocked the wind out of me, and the voices had torn my soul in half. Drake, Marc, and Landen waded carefully in our direction. When Landen reached the side of the pool, he handed the box to August, who’s hands trembled as he took it from him.

  Landen walked over to me, and Dane slowly let go of me as Landen’s cold, wet arms surrounded me. In his embrace, I felt a calm come over me. He kissed my forehead. “They’re only illusions,” he thought, moving my chin up so I’d have to look at him.

  “It still hurts,” I thought back.

  “Don’t let them make you weak – I need you to be strong for me now. This is almost over, he thought.”

  I nodded, then reached up and moved one of his dark locks out of his eyes. “Let’s get you warm,” I said, letting my hand fall into his.

  We led the others back to the study, where Beth had summoned the silent girl that had followed Perodine since her return. They had towels and changes of clothes laid out on the back of the couch, and the girl was pouring steaming tea into cups. August, Alamos, and Perodine walked to the table. August set the box gently in the center of the table. Landen, Drake, and Marc began to dry themselves off before they changed, and I turned my back, giving them privacy. When the young girl had filled all the cups, she handed me and Dane one, then smiled at me and turned and left the room.

  “What’s the deal with that tattoo anyway?” I heard Marc ask.

  I looked up at Dane, and he nodded, letting me know that it was safe to turn around. Drake was pulling a long sleeve shirt over his T-shirt, and his eyes caught mine before he answered Marc. “Part of it represents my name; the other part represents what makes all of this hell worth it: Willow.” Drake finished butting up his shirt as he stared at his mother. “I was named after a constellation in the northern sky that never rests: a protector,” he said, sighing.

  “The dragon in the sky,” Landen said, looking at Drake. Drake nodded.

  “I’ve heard it called more than a protector,” Marc said in a teasing manner.

  Drake looked at Marc, unamused. “I’ve heard every mythology there is about that constellation, and I find it foolish; it’s not me and I’m not it...nothing more than stars,” he said to Marc.

  I sat my cup down on the tray and picked up two more cups of tea, then walked over to Drake and handed him one. As he took it from my hand, he stared deep into my eyes, and I held back the emotions that wanted to move through me. I walked to Landen’s side and handed him his cup. He took it, then protectively put his arm around my waist, pulling me to him. I took in his calm and leaned closer.

  Dane offered Marc a cup of tea, but he refused it.

  “We still need the two of you to open this,” Alamos said to get Drake and Landen’s attention.

  We all gathered around the table. Alamos was carefully drying off the small stone black box they’d recovered. In the center of the box, there was a scorpion along the edges, and there were stars made of metal nailed to the black stone. On the side of the box was a latch that divided into two separate parts, each lining the side of the box. Drake reached for one handle, and Landen reached for the other; they then looked at each other, then to the box. They raised their handles slowly and pushed them away from one another, and the metal cried out as it was turned. The levers clicked into place, and the lid rose slightly. Alamos reached his hands vigilantly to the sides of the box and gently lifted the stone lid, and a burst of energy escaped as it was removed.

  Inside the box, lying on a dark purple cloth was the most beautiful knife I’d ever seen in my life. The handle was black with silver shimmers, and it was round and thin. The blade was five inches long; it was so clear, you could see the purple cloth beneath it. The light of the room danced off the sharp edges. Perodine slowly reached her hand in the box. She let her finger barley graze the side of the blade before she pulled away, and I could see the blood surfacing where her finger had touched.

  “Now, that’s a sharp knife,” Dane said under his breath.

  Perodine raised her eyebrows, confirming Dane’s quiet remark. Alamos reached carefully for the lid and set it back on the stone box. He then looked at Perodine, then to August. “Now that we have it, we must discover how to use it,” Alamos said.

  “Did you not create the scroll? Why can you not just tell us?” Marc asked as he pulled out a chair at the table.

  “All I did was map the heavens; I didn’t interrupt them,” Alamos answered.

  “But you will now,” Drake said quietly, looking blankly at Alamos.

  “I will do my best, son,” Alamos answered. His response disgusted Beth, and she turned abruptly and walked to the couch.

  I followed her; I thought if I helped her emotion, I would somehow calm myself. We sat on one of the side couches so we could see the conversation around the table. I felt a sympathy rise inside of Landen, and I looked across the room and saw him staring at Drake. He felt my gaze and looked back at me, then took a deep breath and gave his attention to Alamos.

  Drake walked to the cart. He had his back turned to us, but I could see him reaching for the pot of warm tea. When he turned around, he had a full cup. His eyes caught mine; they were darker than before and looked so sad. He came to Beth’s side and gave it to her, and she smiled slightly as she took it.

  “You need your rest,” he said to her. She nodded and brought the warm cup to her lips. Drake watched as she sipped the tea; when she was done, he took the cup from her and leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I love you,” he whispered to her. She smiled and said, “I love you.”

  Her eyes questioned his display of affection, but he looked away from her and made his way back to the table. Beth gave me a curious look, and I shrugged my shoulders; I’d never understood the calm he always seemed to have.

  Dane came to my side, sitting as close as he could get. I put Beth’s hand in mine and thought of Preston playing, Chrispin laughing, and Marc and Stella’s celebration. I felt her eyes on me and looked at her; she was smiling slightly. “I wish I could have been there,” she whispered to me.

  I looked curiously at her. “You could see that?” I asked quietly.

  She nodded. “Is that uncommon?” she asked.

  I looked to my side at Dane, and he shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve never seen anything,” he said as he stretched his legs out and closed his eyes.

  My eyes moved to Beth’s hand, and I let more memories come to me: the first time I’d seen Chara, my celebration, meeting my beautiful family for the first time...as my eyes moved across the crowd that stood in front of me, I heard Beth gasp, and I looked up at her. “Was that your mother standing next to Jason?” she asked. I called the memory back of my parents, how happy my mother was that night; she almost glowed. I nodded.

  “She’s beautiful,” Beth said, gripping my hand.

  “This is Libby,” I said as I thought of Libby and Preston playing in the field of flowers by my house. “And Olivia, the one for Chrispin,” I said, thinking of Olivia walking across the field with Clarissa.

  Beth nodded. “I remember her,” she said. I’d forgotten until the
n that Olivia had been held here and that her sight had been taken from her by this horrible place. As I looked across the room at Drake, my face turned red with anger. He and Landen had taken a seat at one end of the table and were watching August, Alamos, and Perodine work on the other end.

  Beth followed my gaze. “Drake told me when he pulled her from the ocean that he felt connected to her.” She smiled slightly, ”I didn’t feel her in his heart – but I was more than sure she belonged to one of my sons.”

  The heat in my cheeks left as I remembered that Drake did save her life. She’d fallen overboard with my friend Monica, but they didn’t reach her in time.

  “You said you felt Stella in Marc’s,” I said, remembering the night Beth had watched over me. She nodded as she looked across the room at him. “You could help me find who’s meant for Drake – couldn’t you?” I whispered, sitting up a little.