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  Suddenly realizing that there was something odd about Perodine, August walked to Landen’s side.

  “Before retrieving Willow a few days ago, I hadn’t been in a room with Alamos for close to four million years,” Perodine answered quietly. Landen and August looked at one another, questioning the words she’d said. I knew she was telling the truth; I just didn’t understand how it was possible.

  Seeing our questioning eyes, she said, “Alamos was suspended with me and Donalt.”

  “But you both lived here, right?” August questioned.

  “It’s a big palace,” Perodine said, looking down at her notes again.

  “Why was he suspended?” Landen asked.

  Perodine looked up at Landen, then across the room at me before looking down at her notes.

  “I’m sure he’ll be more than eager to tell you himself,” she answered.

  Patrick cleared his throat. “I’m going to get more people to help us with the mirrors and paintings. Do you need anything?” he asked, looking at me.

  I shook my head no; I was still stunned, trying to figure out what Perodine was saying. I looked up at Dane, then down to my clothes; if changing them meant I’d have to leave his side, I’d rather wear the bloodstains I had on.

  “Come on; I can turn my back,” Dane said, tilting his head to the hallway.

  Landen looked back at us, and Dane waved, telling him to come. Landen looked at Perodine once more, then walked over to us. Dane briskly crossed the hall to open the door for me. The room lacked the elegance of the palace; there was only a bed and a table consuming the small space. I assumed it had been a servant’s room as well.

  Dane closed the door and stared at it. I quickly began to change while Landen paced in front of the bed, tossing mixed emotions and intent back and forth inside him.

  “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m thinking this is all about to get real interesting,” Dane said in a low tone.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Landen said, almost to himself.

  I pulled my shirt over my head, then Landen reached back and touched Dane’s shoulder, letting him know that it was safe to turn around.

  “How was that guy suspended? I thought this had to do with your first parents or something?” Dane asked.

  “It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve been told half-truths,” Landen said through his teeth, trying to suppress unwanted anger.

  “No one ever said why they were suspended; August just said that the power Perodine found in the stars suspended her and Donalt’s life. Alamos can read them just as well as she can; she said so herself...maybe he found power, too,” I argued, defending our family.

  Landen shook his head from side to side, staring at the floor.

  “I’m with Landen; there’s more to it than that...she’s too nervous,” Dane said.

  I raised my eyebrows, questioning Dane. “Getting a new insight?” I asked.

  “No; common sense. Ten minutes ago, her hair was down, she was in pants, and she looked exhausted; now, she’s dressed like she’s going to a ball – and she won’t give a straight answer,” Dane whispered harshly.

  “You’ve met him; do you think he has a bigger part in this?” Landen asked me.

  I let my eyes search over the time Alamos cared for me. “I don’t remember. I mean, Drake seemed to be the one in control of the situation,” I answered.

  Dane looked back and forth between me and Landen. “I don’t trust any of them,” he said under his breath. “I just have a really bad feeling,”

  I could feel Dane’s placid clam cracking, and it was making me uneasy; so far, he and Landen had been the very thin string holding me together.

  “Just stay calm,” Landen said, looking between me and Dane.

  In the distance, I could feel Beth; she was near panic. Landen pushed past Dane and opened the door. I rushed out behind him, and Dane followed us in a confused rush. On the other end of the hallway, we saw her running to us - and Alamos was walking casually behind her. We began to run in her direction, and when we reached her, we saw tears pouring out of her eyes. She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me as tight as she could.

  “What happened?” I yelled over her sobs.

  “The string...something’s wrong...you can hear them screaming,” she said between broken sobs.

  “Who’s screaming?” Landen asked, pulling Beth away from me so he could see her face.

  “All of them...our family...Marc and Drake pushed us through here and went to find out why,” Beth said, trembling.

  Landen grabbed my hand, and we ran down the hall with Dane right at our side; we almost knocked Alamos down as we ran by. Once at the passage, we pushed through – and we heard the screams immediately; they were blood curdling. I could hear Allie crying and Preston and Libby screaming our names. We ran in the direction of Pelhan’s world. As the passages of Esterious ended, we saw Drake and Marc. The string was blocked by what looked like a gray wall, Olivia’s dream was coming to life in front of me - and Brady’s fears were confirmed. I looked at Landen; his face was engulfed with the panic I felt coming from him.

  “We can’t push through, Landen,” Marc said as Stella’s voice yelled his name. “Do something, Landen!” he yelled as he pushed against the wall - only to get burned.

  “Stop hurting yourself!” Landen yelled, pulling Marc back.

  I paced in front of the wall, trying to read the emotions, to see what was hurting them; I couldn’t tell one from another.

  “ I think it’s an illusion,” I thought. Landen looked at me for an explanation. “I’ve felt Stella’s terror before, and that’s not it,” I thought, cringing at the sound of her voice echoing in the string.

  “Are you sure?” Landen thought.

  I nodded and swallowed. As I focused on the emotions of the string, I was very sure; they didn’t have the soul of the people I knew beneath them. I’d taught myself when I was only a girl that there’s a signature in all of our emotions, something that can’t be mocked or completely covered by another dominate emotion. I’d tried to teach this to Landen, but it was harder for him to perceive; his gift of intent seemed to overshadow the one of emotion.

  As Landen’s eyes moved back and forth from one emotion to the next, he realized I was right. “It’s an illusion Marc; she’s not hurt,” Landen said, grasping Marc’s hands before he burned himself again.

  “This wall is not an illusion,” Drake said as Preston yelled his name.

  “Tell me how you know,” Marc said, putting his hands on Landen’s shoulder. He was so angry and scared, his whole face was red.

  “She doesn’t feel the same...they all feel the same; there’s nothing making them individuals,” Landen explained, trying to calm Marc - but Marc pushed away, not allowing Landen to calm him.

  “I told you to save that,” Marc said, harshly covering his face and falling to his knees, trying to calm his own emotions.

  I sat down in the center of the string and closed my eyes, blocking out the screams and dark images my mind wanted to create for me. I wanted to assure myself that they weren’t there. I knew if they were in distress that I’d feel the pull of the string, that they’d appear before me as an image - and we’d find a way through the wall. I felt nothing, though; just an emptiness. I could barely feel the people of Esterious. I opened my eyes to find the four of them staring at me.

  “Nothing,” I said to them.

  “Landen, can you find another path? Let’s make sure they’re OK,” Dane said as he heard his name echoed by Clarissa’s voice.

  Landen nodded and reached for my hand to pull me up. We walked in the opposite direction, and when the passages to Esteroious ended, another gray wall was in front of us. The devastation coming from all of us was almost too much to bear in the vibration of string. This wall was silent; there was no emotion behind it. At that moment, it was as if the only dimension that existed was the dark one of Esterious.

  “We’re trapped in hell,” Marc sai
d in an angry tone.

  Drake looked at him and shook his head. “Trust me - you’ll get used to it,” he said, running his hands through his dark hair.

  “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Marc said as his face turned to stone.

  Drake pulled his shoulders back, ready to defend himself, but Dane stepped in front of Marc and Landen stepped in front of Drake.

  “My little brother is trapped on the other side of that wall with people I don’t even know – and you think I’m fine with that?” Drake said, looking over Landen’s shoulder.

  “Trust me – he’s better off there than he ever was here,” Marc yelled in Drake’s direction.

  The current in the string began to rush around us, and the roar of the energy mocked an evil laugh. We all stood frozen, listening to it.

  “This is what it wants,” I whispered. “It wants us to be angry and scared; divided. August was right: you guys have to call a truce for now,” I said, looking from Drake to Marc.

  I felt their tension leave and calm come – and at that moment, the screams of our family grew louder. “See, when you grow calm – it gives you another reason to be angry,” I said.

  Landen stepped away from Drake and put his arm around me. “Come on, we need to leave here before someone really gets hurt,” he said over his shoulder as he guided us back to our passage.

  Drake’s eyes looked over the embrace in which Landen had me, and his jaw locked; whatever he wanted to say or do, he suppressed.

  Landen and I led them back to the passage of Drake’s room, but before we stepped through, our names were all screamed out from the voices of our family. A chill ran down my spine as Drake’s dark room came into view. We walked quickly back to Perodine’s study; we wanted her to assure us that we were right, that dark illusions were toying with us.

  When we reached the study, we saw the silent girl that had shadowed Perodine comforting Beth on the couch. August was at her side, rubbing her back. Perodine was at the table, lost in her work. Alamos was nowhere to be seen.

  “Are they OK? Tell me he’s OK,” Beth said, walking to Drake. Her eyes searched over his face, which held only sympathy for her. “Marc?” Beth said, moving to him - only to find Marc reflecting the same sympathy that Drake had. “Willow? Landen? Someone answer me,” she said, walking to me and Landen.

  “There’s a wall, a gray wall; we can’t reach them, but we’re more than sure that the screams are an illusion,” Landen said, looking across the room at Perodine. I followed his stare to see Perodine nodding in agreement.

  Beth covered her mouth and held back a scream she wanted so desperately to let out; she then walked slowly to the couch, fell into it, and looked up at Marc. “Who did you leave him with? Is he with Chrispin?” she asked as grief for Preston overcame her.

  “We left all of them with Pelhan,” Marc said, walking to the cart of food that was in the room.

  “So, he’s with your father?” Beth said as relief came over her.

  Drake looked at Beth, astonished by what he'd heard before he looked at Marc. Marc nodded and reached for a towel to make himself an ice pack for his burns. Drake looked at me for understanding.

  “No one ever really dies,” I said, quietly letting go of Landen and walking to sit on one of the couches. I looked deep in Drake’s eyes as I passed him; some of the pain I always saw there seemed to melt away. I assumed he was forgiving himself for taking Livingston’s life.

  Landen went to Marc; he wanted to heal his burns. Marc, though, just turned his back as he saw Landen approaching. “Why won’t you listen to me? You need to save that,” he said, holding the ice pack in his hands.

  “It’s a small wound. Let me take the pain away,” Landen argued.

  “I don’t care how big or small it is – what’s going to happen when something big happens and you don’t have the energy to heal it because you’ve wasted it on this small stuff?” Marc said.

  Feeling Marc’s solid intent of avoiding him, Landen abruptly turned Marc’s shoulder and grasped his hands. The light was immediate; Marc didn’t have the chance to pull away before Landen had healed him. “You being hurt makes you weak; if you’re weak, how are you going to protect me?” Landen said as he released Marc’s hand.

  Marc looked down at his healed hand, then up to Landen. “I know I’m unbearable; I just didn’t expect all of this,” he said, looking around the room.

  I looked at August. His eyes were lost somewhere in the distance; I felt him struggling to calm himself. He hadn’t really had the chance to say goodbye to Nyla, to any of them.

  “Olivia dreamed of a wall, a stone wall, a gray wall of screams, and gray clouds floating just above the ground” I said, regretfully wishing she were there now.

  Landen looked at me; I felt his regret. He not only wished we’d brought Olivia, he also wished Brady was with him. Brady always had a way of seeing through the chaos; Marc didn’t have his patience. I tuned my head from side to side, letting him know that we were fine, hoping that I was right. Landen looked at Marc, and I felt the two of them fighting the urge to find another passage to Pelhan’s world.

  Dane took a seat next to me and let his arm stretch out behind me, trying to guard me with as much of his energy as he could. Drake’s eyes widened, then he looked across the room at Landen and shook his head in disbelief. He then sat down on the couch opposite me and Dane.

  “Her dreams should bring you comfort,” Perodine said, not looking up from her work.

  Landen walked to her side. Marc followed closely.

  “Why? Why should we have not taken them as a warning?” Landen asked Perodine.

  “Whatever she dreams reflects a victory for the two of you – even if it shows the conflict,” she answered.

  “So that wall will fall?” Landen asked.

  Perodine nodded. “I assume it is there so you will have no choice but to face the synodic cycle. He now has the three of you in the same room. In just a matter of hours, he will consume either you,” her eyes moved to Drake, “or you, then move to overtake Willow.”

  I saw Beth gasp, then her face turned white as a ghost. I moved in front of her to calm her; I knew she was near the point of fainting.

  “Why?” she said in a cracked voice. “What did I do? Why are my children being served to the devil?” she said, putting her face in her hands.

  No one had the nerve to try and answer her; instead, Marc looked at Drake, waiting for him to do something.

  Drake turned his head away and stared at the flames in the fireplace. “Where’s Alamos?” he said in a low tone.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Perodine’s body freeze; the butterflies I’d felt before were back. “You did bring him?” she said under her breath.

  Drake looked at Beth. “He did come through the passage with you – didn’t he?” he questioned, leaning forward.

  As Beth nodded and rubbed her hands across her face, I felt a calm come to her. I moved from in front of her back to Dane’s side.

  “He said he needed to gather things from his study,” Beth said, falling back into the couch.

  I felt the butterflies in Perodine all but consume her. Landen looked at me, and I nodded. He then reached for Perodine’s hand and sent calm through her.

  “It is going to take more energy than the two of you possess,” she whispered to Landen as she pulled her hand gently away from him.

  Drake leaned back in his seat, and his elbow rested on the arm of the couch. His hand covered his flawless profile as his dark, mesmerizing eyes carefully studied Perodine. He tilted his head slightly, then the corners of his perfect lips turned into a curious grin. “I can’t recall ever seeing you and Alamos together,” he said. Then his eyes moved to me and he said, “Well, once - but not beyond that.”

  Drake finished looking back to Perodine. Beth looked at Drake, then to me, then she slowly turned to look at Perodine. You didn’t need the insight of emotion to sense that Perodine was falling apart on the inside. Dane let h
is arm fall from around me, and I leaned back into him, hiding from whatever was going to happen when Alamos joined us. Drake’s eyes moved to us, his jaw tightened, then he then looked at Landen. “You’re proving to have more willpower than me,” he said. “I would have divided the two of them long ago,” he finished, moving his eyes back to Dane.

  Landen rolled his eyes, finding Drake’s words childish. “I know without a doubt that Dane’s soul belongs to my sister Clarissa – just as I know that Willow’s belongs to me. Dane’s sun is water; the closer he is to her, the better,” he said in a casual tone.