“What is it, Landen?” Ashten asked.
“I’m trying to remember which one is Willow’s house. That’s the best place we could all appear out of nowhere without being noticed,” Landen said, debating now on one area of the wall.
The admiration coming from the others intensified in the string. Landen held his hand up, telling us all to stay put then he stepped inside the haze. Everyone in the string tensed, expecting Landen to feel the burn as he walked through the wall. I saw Ashten look at my father and shake his head in disbelief.
Seconds passed, and Landen didn’t come back. I felt my heart rate rise. The pain was seeping into my veins, the same way it did when he left me before. I held my breath, trying to block it out, but with each second that passed, it intensified. I saw spots in my vision, and my head started to spin. I fell back without warning. Brady, who was standing beside me, caught me.
“Jason, what’s going on here?” Brady yelled.
My father quickly turned and saw my condition. I felt his panic, along with everyone else’s. It wasn’t helping me at all—it was draining me.
“It’s happening again. Their bodies can’t be separated by the string,” my father said, trying to remain calm. My head fell back.
“What do we do?” Brady said, picking me up. “Do I walk through the wall?”
Suddenly, I felt life come back into me—I felt Landen again.
“No,” I heard Landen say.
He emerged several feet from where he’d disappeared, walked quickly to Brady, and took me from his arms. With his touch, the pain left, leaving a tingle in its wake. I was weak. It had taken my energy, but when Landen kissed my lips, it sent a rush of energy through me. He squeezed me in his arms, and it was as if nothing ever happened.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Are you okay?” Landen thought.
I nodded. Landen set me on my feet but held me against him, I swear—I could feel the pulse of souls, it healing the unseen wounds and making me high as hell.
“Is something wrong? Why didn’t you come back?” Marc asked, ready for a fight.
“No, that goes to their house, but there are a ton of people there, cleaning up after the fire.” I couldn’t just disappear. I had to find another opening.
“Let me look at you,” my father said. He circled Landen and me, shaking his head. “I don’t understand why you can’t be apart. I mean, you were apart for eighteen years.”
“Maybe that’s their bodies way of saying that they should have never been kept apart in the first place,” Brady bit out, still upset with Ashten for hiding me from Landen.
Clarissa saw the potential disagreement and added a more positive note. “Or maybe it symbolizes that they are together forever,” she said, glancing at Brady. “We can’t change the past. We’ve all made mistakes in judgment.”
Landen squeezed me tighter and kissed the top of my head. I could sense turmoil inside him. He didn’t want his family to fight over any of this. My father nodded in Clarissa’s direction and let the matter go.
The current in the string began to flow more aggressively, and the hum grew a little bit louder. Landen looked at my father. “You don’t have long to convince them to come. The storm will pass here in less than six hours,” he warned.
“I don’t think it’s going to be hard. Grace told me that both Jessica and Hannah’s parents wanted the girls to go with Willow to Paris,” my father said.
Landen held me tight and led us forward. Everyone lined up behind us, and we passed through the green wall together. The passage opened into a wooded area just fifty yards from my house. I could still smell the smoke in the air.
We casually walked to the road. In the distance, I could hear hammers and saws. I saw trucks lining the street, in no time we were in front of the charred remains of my house.
The brick remained in place. The roof was gone, and so were all the windows.
People were rushing in every direction. It didn’t take long for someone to notice us. On the front porch was Josh’s father, Mr. Campbell. He owned a very successful construction company. Mr. Campbell saw my dad and grinned from ear to ear.
“Well, now, I didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” he said to my father, once he reached our side.
“We’re just passing through. Grace wanted me and Willow to see if there was anything that could be saved before we went overseas,” my father said, clearly not comfortable lying.
“Now, Jason, I told you the night it burned that I was going to fix this for you, and I meant it,” Mr. Campbell said looking over his shoulder, then back at my father, feeling proud of what he’d accomplished in such a short time.
“Really, it’s not necessary,” my father said, raising his hands.
“Look, Jason, I had doctor after doctor tell me I needed open heart surgery, but you took one look at me and told me how to heal myself. I vowed then to repay you. All these people here, they don’t work for me. They’re volunteers, your patients, Grace’s friends, and Willow’s friends. I’ve never known a man as good as you before, none of us have. This is our way of saying thank you.”
“I do appreciate this. This town will always be a part of Grace and me,” my father said humbly.
“Well, there isn’t a lot to salvage. We have a few storage containers in the back of the house. Anything that we think you’d still want or use, we put in there,” Mr. Campbell said, looking at all of the people my father had with him. His eyes landed on Dane. “Son, your mother is going to be happy to see you.” He then looked around at the trucks lining the street. “How did all of you get here?”
“Cab,” my father said quickly. “We’re actually on a layover, and we don’t have very long before our next flight,” he continued, getting better at lying.
Mr. Campbell nodded as my father talked; that was a trait about him that I’d always found funny. “Well, I’ll tell you what,” he said, pulling his keys out of his pocket. “Dane, take my truck go and introduce that cute thing you have with you to your mother.”
Clarissa blushed, not knowing how to respond to Mr. Campbell. Smiling, Dane took the keys then glanced back at Landen and me before he left.
“I tell you what, Jason. They’ve been hoping you would show up. It seems two girls showed up at the hospital, and they don’t know what to make of what’s wrong with them,” Mr. Campbell said.
“Are they still at the hospital?” my father asked.
“No, I believe they sent them home,” Mr. Campbell answered, waving his son, Josh, over to us. Josh walked over to all of us and looked at Landen and Brady, confusion all over his face.
“Are you a doctor, too?” Mr. Campbell asked Ashten.
I felt my father’s embarrassment as he looked back at us, realizing he hadn’t introduced anyone. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me. This is Ashten. Yes, he’s a doctor; he taught me everything I know,” he said.
Mr. Campbell reached over and shook Ashten’s hand. Everyone else was trying not to laugh at the idea of Ashten being a doctor.
“And these are his sons, Brady and Landen, and his nephews, Chrispin and Marc,” my father said.
Mr. Campbell shook everyone’s hands, saving Landen’s for last. It was not hard to see that we were a couple. Since the pain in the string, Landen had made sure that one part of him was always touching me.
“You must be a lucky man,” Mr. Campbell said to Landen. “I told my son Josh here that girls like Willow are rare.” Mr. Campbell looked back at Josh, shaking his head in a teasing manner. “Maybe next time he’ll listen to me.”
Josh rolled his eyes at his father then nodded in Landen’s direction, still confused.
“Josh, let Jason take your truck. He needs to go and check on those girls,” Mr. Campbell said. Josh complied without complaint.
“I want to stay here to see what’s in storage,” I said to Landen and my father.
“Dad, just go with Jason. I’ll stay here with them,” Brady said to Ashten.
Mr. Campbel
l waved then turned to go back to the house. Josh looked at Landen, one more time then followed his dad.
“Maybe your herb didn’t work that well on him,” I thought, Landen shrugged his shoulders, not caring what Josh thought of him.
“We’ll be back in a little bit,” my father said over his shoulder.
Brady and Chrispin walked toward the house, and Mr. Campbell gave them hard hats before he allowed them in. Landen, Marc, and I walked around the house. Looking up at the damage, I felt an overwhelming grief. I wondered how many people I would bring destruction to before this conflict with Drake was over. I tried to hide my emotion from Landen, but he felt it.
“I’m sorry, Willow,” he thought, filling with remorse.
Though we never lost touch, I could feel his mind drifting somewhere else. If I could turn back time, I wouldn’t have allowed him to look at those birth charts. They’d changed him.
We walked around the house along the fence. Volunteers had laid out paintings that could be saved.
“Are all of these yours?” Marc asked.
“The ones of the people are.”
My mother was more of a still art painter. Marc leaned closer to get a better look. “I think I know this girl,” he said, looking at one of the paintings. It was one I had done of a chick almost a year ago. I remembered how lonely she felt.
“Landen, this looks like that girl we helped bring home a while back—for umm… what was his name? Austin, wasn’t it?” Marc said, not feeling sure of himself.
Landen looked closer at the painting. “It does look like her,” he said. “Was she lonely?” he asked me.
I nodded, astonished that it could be the same girl. “You know her?”
“Maybe. I only remember her because she had no family or belongings. Austin found her living in a shelter; a storm had taken everything from her. It was like she breathed for the first time when she stepped through the gates of Chara."
I smiled, hoping it was the same girl. I wanted all the people that I’d helped to be happy.
In the center of the backyard, there were two large containers. Inside them were more paintings, books, and small knick-knacks. I walked in and started going through the things, making a pile for us to carry home to my mother. I knew it would make her feel better.
The sun was setting, and the volunteers were leaving one by one. Brady and Chrispin came over to us. We all leaned against the fence, waiting for my father. Mr. Campbell waved at us as he climbed into the passenger seat of another truck. I was sure he was going to Gina’s Diner to retrieve his truck. Josh and Chase came around the house with handfuls of bottled water, then they walked over and passed them out to us.
“Thank you,” Landen said, taking two bottles, one for me and one for him.
Josh had yet to lose his confused expression. He must have said something to Chase because now they both looked confused. “It’s Livingston, right?” Josh said to Landen. Marc and Chrispin were in mid-drink when they heard Josh. They both stopped and stared at him while Landen tilted his head and pulled his brows together, questioning Josh.
“Landen,” Landen said finally. I could feel the tension building.
“Sorry. My fault,” Josh said, glancing from Landen to Chase.
“Do you know a Livingston?” Chase asked Landen.
Landen’s lips turned into a wicked smile. “I think I may have met one before. Why do you ask?”
Chase and Josh shook their heads and laughed at themselves. “It’s nothing,” Chase said.
“Chase,” I said sternly, knowing that he knew something. Landen put his hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down before I lost my temper.
“All right,” Chase said, raising his hands, knowing that I’d rip him apart if he didn’t come clean. “Remember your friend, Drake?” I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, anyway, he asked Josh and me if we’d ever seen a guy named Livingston with you or your dad. He said he was tall, dark, wavy hair and unmistakable dimples. We thought he was talking about an older man, but I don’t know,” Chase said, looking at Landen. “You kind of fit the profile. We just thought it was weird that you showed up after he said that.”
Landen turned his head slightly to look at Marc and get his take on what Chase had said. Josh followed Landen’s eyes to Marc. “Hey, do you know Drake?” he asked.
“Should I?” Marc asked, trying not to look baffled.
“I don’t know. You just look like him,” Josh said defensively.
Everyone turned and stared at Marc. It was clear the comparison made him uncomfortable. Josh had a point, though. Both Drake and Marc were built the same way, with a dominant profile I hadn’t noticed before. I think it was the eyes that threw me off. Marc’s are light brown with a sparkle in them, but Drake’s are as dark as night, with a degree of magnetism.
Headlights beamed around the side of the house, breaking the tension; it was Gina’s truck. I could feel Clarissa and Dane. Landen held my hand and led us to the front of the house. Another van pulled in behind Gina’s. I felt Hannah and Jessica with my father and Ashten. My dad must have had success.
Dane and Clarissa got out of the truck and walked over to the van where the girls were. Olivia’s aunt was driving, and my father was in the passenger seat. He rolled down the window. “Willow, I have good news for you,” he said. “It seems Jessica and Hannah are in need of some relaxation to relieve some stress they’re under, so I invited them to come to Paris with us for a week.” I smiled, not having to try hard to seem surprised. Olivia’s aunt leaned forward, looking at all of us grinning, but her eyes hesitated on Chrispin for a moment. That’s when I remembered showing her Olivia dancing with Chrispin.
Landen remembered, too, and he quickly stepped in front of Chrispin. “You guys split up. They’re going to take us to the airport,” my father said. Landen nodded, then turned and pushed Chrispin and Brady in the direction of Gina’s truck. Chrispin looked back at Landen like he’d lost his mind. Landen nodded his head, telling Chrispin to go. Once out of sight, we climbed in the van with Jessica and Hannah. My father had given them something to help them relax.
After we were dropped off at the airport, we waited for a few moments, then hailed a cab to take us back to the passages near my house. Inside the string, the current was flowing more aggressively than before, causing us to rush through the passage. Landen and I stayed on the outside, ready to pull everyone through if the storm erupted before we reached Chara.
Once home in Chara, we took Hannah and Jessica to my father’s house. I could sense how nervous my father was about having them here. I’d never thought my father believed in myths, but then again, I never imagined that he was from another dimension either. It seemed everyone except Marc had someone to see, to tell that they were home safely. Marc, Dane, and Clarissa followed us back to our house, and we all gathered in the living room.
“You don’t think I look like Drake, do you?” Marc asked Landen.
“Does it matter if you do?” Landen retorted, falling back into one of the large chairs and staring at the ceiling.
Marc was immediately irritated by Landen’s clipped tone. Landen was distant with everyone, but I’m sure it hurt me more than them.
“I just want to know how he knew Dad’s name,” Marc argued.
“He’s always in Esterious,” Clarissa answered, trying to give Landen a break from always having to have the answers.
“So am I. So are you. Did the guy say our name? No.”
Landen sat up and looked at me, then at Marc.
“Where is your dad anyway?” Landen asked.
Marc stopped pacing and looked back at Landen; a singe of fear hit him. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since your celebration…Ashten said he went to Esterious to find a way into the palace.”
“He should be back by now, don’t you think?” Landen said.
Marc had been so distracted by everything that had happened that he hadn’t noticed. Guilt came to him immediately.
“You know, you’r
e right,” Marc answered. Fear coursed through the room. Marc rushed to the kitchen to call Ashten.
Aubrey told him that he was already on his way to our house. We waited, watching Marc get more upset, pacing across the room.
Ashten and my father came through the back door at the same time. As they came into the room, their concern grew as they saw Marc in his freaked state.
“What’s going on?” asked Ashten.
“Where’s Dad? Shouldn’t he back by now?”
“Well, not really. He was intent on staying until all this was worked out,” answered Ashten.
“Did he go into the palace?” Marc asked as his anxiety grew.
“I don’t think he’d try anything that would put himself in danger,” Ashten promised.
I glanced in Landen’s direction. I could tell Ashten didn’t believe his own words.
“We need to get him; he needs to know what we know!” Marc yelled.
“What do we know? What did you guys figure out?” Ashten demanded.
“Drake asked Willow’s friends if they knew a Livingston,” Landen explained.
My father and Ashten looked at each other the confusion and frustration in their expressions matched their emotion.
Ashten looked back at Marc. “I can see why that would bother you, but I’m sure there’s a reason,” Ashten stated in a forced calm tone as if he knew Marc was seconds away from doing something foolish.
“Yeah and I’m going to find out right now,” Marc bit out, walking to the door.
Ashten moved to block Marc’s exit. “You’re not going to find him tonight. Curfew has already set in—he won’t be out, and you’re sure to be killed if they see you on the streets,” he said as Marc’s face fell. “Look, he’s okay. We’ll all go in the morning, well, Jason and I will go with you.”
Ashten glanced in Landen’s direction, then at me.
“We’re not afraid of him. We’re going to have to face him sooner or later,” Landen said shortly.
“Later sounds better to me,” retorted Clarissa, reminding Landen that this affected all of them, not just us.