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  “What are you doing here?” Dane yelled at Drake, who was trying to stand.

  Landen wrapped his arms around me and tried to get me to look at him, but I was still, frozen in place. “What did he do? Tell me,” he thought.

  “It wasn’t him; whatever it was is in the shadows,” I thought, replaying the image in my mind.

  “You’re bleeding, Willow,” Landen thought as he frantically looked over me.

  “No, it’s him.”

  Drake stood just as August came to the hallway. He stared at me in absolute disbelief, then looked around as if he was realizing where he was for the first time.

  “How did you get here?” Landen asked Drake.

  Drake focused on Landen, then tilted his head and reached for the wound on his neck. He pulled his hand away and looked at the blood, then back at Landen. “You brought me here,” he said.

  “He was with us,” Marc argued, stepping closer to Landen.

  “You would defend him - brother,” Drake said shortly, making a face as if he had a horrible taste in his mouth.

  Landen had an amused smirk across his face. “We may not agree with one another, but the likelihood of me locking you in a room with Willow is impossible,” he said to Drake as he looked over his wound.

  Drake looked down, then around the room again; he was confused, there was no doubt about it. August stepped forward and cautiously put his hand on Drake’s shoulder, his eyes warily searching over him. Drake returned the stare; it was a seminal moment: August was saying hello to the grandson he never knew. I could feel a remorse coming from August. “Is your mouth bitter?” he asked. Drake nodded. “Marc, get him some water,” August ordered.

  “I’m not leaving Landen,” Marc argued.

  “Dane will be strong enough to keep him away for a few moments. Hurry,” August said, looking over Drake.

  Marc looked at Landen, who nodded for him to go. Dane stepped closer to us.

  “What’s the last thing you remember?” August asked.

  Drake looked at me; I could see the familiar pain there. He sighed and looked back at August. “I was asleep, dreaming. Then I was awakened by a sharp pain in my neck.” He looked at Landen and said, “You pulled me to the string.” He then looked at me and said, “And then you whispered my name. I couldn’t move. I felt so heavy, I had to push a weight away from me; it felt like it tore me in two as it left my body,” he concluded, looking back at August.

  Marc returned with a glass of water and handed it to Drake. As he stared into Marc’s eyes, a crooked smile came across Drake’s face, and I felt anger surface inside of Marc. Landen reached his hand to Marc’s shoulder to calm him before he lost control. Drake turned the glass of water up and drank every drop, but it didn’t look like it brought him any relief; he made a face as he swallowed.

  “It was Donalt, Drake; he’s using you,” August said.

  Drake looked at him and shook his head; with his jaw locked, the pain I saw in his eyes turned to anger. “I’ve heard that before; like father, like son - I suppose,” he said with a smirk. The night he lost his life, Livingston had told Drake those same words.

  “He’s telling the truth,” I said, stepping forward. Landen and Dane mirrored me, and Marc blocked me completely from seeing Drake.

  “Well, this is a little unfair - three against one,” Drake said in a causal tone, tilting his head so I could see his dark eyes.

  “No, it’s all of us against Donalt,” August corrected. “He’s counting on all of you being divided. We cannot make this easy for him; you need to stay here with us,” he said.

  At that moment, I felt a rush of panic consume me, and I reached for Landen. He looked back at me, and I could tell that he felt it, too; it was too strong to come from one, or even a few - it was coming from a mass of people. Perodine swiftly came through the doorway; she didn’t seem to be surprised to see Drake; in fact, she walked right up to him. “You must stop this,” she said to him.

  “I haven’t done anything,” Drake said coldly.

  “Alamos just announced that Landen kidnapped you; they’re charging the wall!” she yelled at him.

  “Well, he did - so I guess this little redemption is over,” Drake said, pulling back his shoulders.

  “You fool, this is what he wants; you’re playing into his web. He will consume you if you do not stop this...let us help you,” Perodine said in a lower tone.

  “He’ll use the energy from the anger to make him stronger,” August warned.

  “Let me talk to him,” I thought. Landen looked back at me before slowly stepping aside.

  “Drake...make time stand still,” I whispered.

  I’d seen Drake stop time on the streets of New York, and Landen and I had never quite figured out how he managed to do it. Drake looked at me as if the others in the room had vanished, then raised his hands and effortlessly stopped time. While the others stood frozen around us, Drake stepped closer to me, his eyes full of pain, searching over me carefully. “Is it their life you fear for - or mine?” he asked in a low, deep tone.

  “I told you I didn’t want to hurt anyone,” I said, staring back into his eyes.

  “Well, it’s a little too late for that scenario,” he said, looking away from me and crossing his arms.

  “How can you be angry with me for something I can’t control? My heart will love who it wants to,” I whispered back.

  “I just don’t see how you can’t remember...mine are vividly haunting,” he said, looking back at me.

  “I want to help you forget. I want you to forget so you’ll find the one who’s waiting on you; it’s not fair to her,” I said in a quivering voice, realizing for the first time that there had to be someone somewhere that completed Drake.

  “I’m looking at her,” Drake said, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “Drake, stop them from charging the wall; don’t let the people in Delen pay for my mistakes,” I pleaded with him, stepping cautiously forward. He stared at me; pain was held in every part of his expression. “I will not betray them,” he whispered.

  I felt my stomach turn; just a few days ago, when I was lost inside of Evelyn, Drake had told me that this world thought that he and I had betrayed them.

  He moved his hands, resuming time, then dropped his eyes and sighed. He then began to walk to the doorway, but Landen stepped in front of him to block him. They stared at each other, then Landen cautiously reached for the wound on Drake’s neck.

  Marc reached for Landen’s shoulder to stop him. “You need to save that; you don’t know what’s yet to come,” he said in a harsh whisper.

  Landen looked at Marc, then to Drake. “Everyone deserves to be healed,” he said, staring at Drake - fully intent on healing him.

  “Not everyone,” Marc repeated sarcastically. “I’m sure that’s the same opinion he had every time he tried to kill you.”

  Drake shook his head, staring at Marc. “Kill him? Really? Yeah, that would be the best way to win Willow’s heart,” he said in a slow sarcastic tone.

  Marc’s eyes shot to Drake, and they stared at each other coldly. “We all know what you’re capable of,” he said through a locked jaw.

  Out of nowhere, Drake charged Marc, and Landen and August jumped in the middle of them. Landen held Drake back, and August guarded Marc. Meanwhile, Dane pulled me behind him, and Perodine put her arm around my waist with the intent of pulling me out of the room. I stood stiffly, though, not allowing her to move me. The tension in the room was a suffocating wall.

  “You fool! Do you think I meant to do that?!” Drake yelled over Landen at Marc. Drake stopped pushing against Landen, then stepped back. He looked into my eyes, then to Marc. “I lost everything...I had a beautiful woman, a family that loved me, a throne with my name on it – then out of nowhere I’m told that I’m a monster, a secret too dark to share...in the blink of an eye, everything and everyone I knew changed – and now I have to listen to perfect son ‘Marc’ tell me that I don’t deserve to be healed.”


  As Marc took in Drake’s words - seeing it all through his eyes for the first time - his anger suppressed itself. Struggling against feeling sympathy, he gave Drake one nod; Drake then let out a breath that he was holding, and the wall of tension began to fall. Landen tilted his head to get Drake’s attention, then carefully reached for Drake’s neck; I felt a rush of energy and saw a white glow under Landen’s hand. Landen pulled his hand away, then Drake reached up and touched his healed skin. He nodded and walked past Landen.

  “If you want our mother to return with me, then you need to come; I can’t guide and defend both her and Alamos through the string,” Drake said over his shoulder to Marc.

  “Alamos,” Perodine repeated, stepping in front of me.

  Drake stopped and turned around. “If you think I’m going to allow you to read my stars, you’ve lost your mind. He’s the only one that’s never lied to me,” he said.

  I could feel Perodine’s emotions going out of control; she was scared, excited, dreadful, and blissful...it was if she had butterflies rushing through her.

  Marc looked at Landen.

  “Go,” Landen said.

  “What about you? He’s protecting you,” I thought.

  Landen walked over to me and looked over Perodine, trying to judge her emotions. He then wrapped his arm around my shoulder and thought, “Drake intends on returning within the hour; I’ll be fine.”

  I looked feverishly to Dane, who was looking at me. “It’ll be fine. I’m not going anywhere,” he said calmly.

  I sighed and leaned into Landen; he felt my anxieties and pulled me closer as we followed Drake out of the room. He walked down the large hallway, then led us to the room we’d entered last night, the room in which Drake had dreamed throughout his childhood. He stepped in and looked at the bed and candles. I saw him let out a deep breath, then walk to the passage we’d entered. Marc looked cautiously back at us, and Landen nodded, telling him to go. We could feel Marc’s excitement about bringing his mother there; since he’d discovered that she was alive, he hadn’t had a moment that wasn’t rushed with her.

  When they disappeared into the white glow, Dane and August began to turn over the paintings of me that were on every wall. Once August was sure all the paintings had been turned, he and Perodine rushed out of the room. I could feel the fear all around me; it sent a chill down my spine. Landen wrapped me in his arms and began to lead us out of the room. “Come on, let’s go watch the wall,” he thought as he led us in the direction of the study. Dane followed us; I could feel his placid calm. I looked back at him, and he smiled slightly, then looked to the shadows around us.

  “Are you sure you’re OK?” Landen thought.

  “I think Donalt is more powerful than we’ve imagined,” I answered.

  “He can’t hurt us, Willow. You have to believe that; I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promised, believing his every word.

  We all but ran in through the long hallways that led to the study. When we reached it, Landen stopped in the doorway and pulled me close to him so I’d have to look him in his eyes. Dane leaned against the wall, waiting for Landen to say to me whatever he needed to say.

  “Listen to me: everyone may think that our love is tested with these planets, but I know that -like all soulmates - our love is tested every minute. With every breath we take, we make a choice, a choice to love one another; we endure because we know that love is the most powerful thing in the universe - the air our soul breathes,” he thought, cradling my face.

  “Landen, I don’t care who or what tests me; I’ll only love you,” I thought, furrowing my eyebrows so he would see how serious I was.

  “I can see...I can feel how his words cut through you...you haven’t betrayed anyone; we’ll release them.”

  “I know we will.” I tilted my head, questioning how he’d heard what Drake had said.

  “I don’t think he can stop time for either of us...an odd flaw, I suppose,” Landen thought, trying to hold back an impish grin.

  “You stood frozen,” I thought.

  “Your intent was to speak to him alone; I learned the hard way to let you do what you want to do,” he thought in a more serious tone.

  “I really do wish we could help him forget,” I thought. Landen smiled and moved his head from side to side. “What?” I thought.

  “It’s just ironic that we want this whole world to remember - and one man to forget,” he thought.

  “I love you,” I thought. Landen pulled me closer. I closed my eyes as I felt his tender lips on mine as our lips gently moved against each other I felt an undeniable passion, and I pulled him as close as I could. In our embrace, I could feel the panic from the ones around us drift into a peaceful victory, and I knew that on the other side of the world, Drake was standing before them, telling them that he was fine and to back away from the wall that surrounded Delen. Within that second, the palace vibrated all around us and an angry roar rumbled through the hallways. Landen wrapped his arms as tight as he could around me, looking in every direction, and Dane stepped closer to me and Landen; the fear between the three of us was irrefutable.

  Silence came, and the stillness seemed just as eerie. I stretched out my senses; the emotions around us were still of victory and peace. Landen looked down at me and smiled.

  “Looks like we hit a nerve,” Dane said, looking from shadow to shadow.

  Chapter Six

  August and Patrick came to the doorway. I could feel their abundant relief; they were unshaken. August smiled at Landen and patted his shoulder.

  “Is everyone OK?” Landen asked, intending to heal whoever needed it.

  “No one’s hurt. In fact, the ones that did come over the wall are staying here - almost a thousand more,” Patrick answered, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Amazing,” I whispered. Landen looked down at me and smiled.

  “We’re going to get through this now that we’re all working together,” August said, sighing and feeling relieved. He was proud of Landen. His relief did bring us some comfort, but it couldn’t hinder our anxieties of having Drake there.

  Dane shook his head from side to side in disapproval; I knew he wasn’t looking forward to being in the same room with Drake for any length of time.

  August sensed the tension between us and reached for Dane’s shoulder, then looked back at Landen. “I know there’s a lot to be resentful about. Forgiveness - or even a simple truce - is too much to ask of any of you, but you have to understand that Donalt is counting on that. We need to pull together to beat this monster, and when this is over...well...then maybe we can find a way to resolve the past.”

  His tone was fully of sympathy and left me and Landen with a surge of guilt. Dane, however, held a different emotion. “I respect what you’re saying, August,” he said, leaning closer to me, “but I want you to see this through my eyes. When I was six, I saw terror in my best friend’s eyes; it was so strong, I felt it. It went on, happening once a month like clockwork, and she endured a fear that no one should have to. I couldn’t protect her - no one could. It’s going to take more than an angry ghost to get me to forgive Drake Blakeshire.” Dane looked at Landen and said, “I know you have even more than me to disagree with – so if you tell me you want me to let it go for now, then I will.”

  August stared at Landen while holding the emotion of pride and confidence; in his subtle way, he demanded a peaceful compliance from us. Landen let his eyes fall to the floor. I could feel his emotions turning inside of him; he wasn’t ready to forgive Drake either, but his desire to protect and help the people of Esterious outweighed the anger that wanted to surface.

  “We’ll treat Drake with as much respect as he gives us,” he said, looking up at August.

  August nodded. “That’s all I need to hear,” he said with a sigh.

  Perodine approached the doorway. Oddly, she’d changed her clothes; she was now in a black formal gown, and her hair was set perfectly on her head. Jewels decorated her neck and w
rist, and she looked the same as she did the first time I saw her: like royalty. On the surface, she was calm and reserved, but inside I could still feel her emotions swarming in every direction.

  “I fear your trail will begin when they return,” she said.

  She handed me a change of clothes; I’d forgotten that I still had Drake’s blood all over my shirt. She then walked past us to the table and began searching over her notes. Landen walked to her side, studying her, and she looked up at him as he reached the table.

  “Is it Alamos or Drake that’s concerning you?” he asked.