“So...um...I say we go to your house and see if you’re strong enough to throw me,” Brady said, looking at Landen. We both looked at him like he was crazy. “Hey, that may come in handy - it sure would have last time,” he said, climbing into the back of Landen’s jeep.
Landen reached back, wrapped his arm around me, and kissed the top of my head, then he led me to my side of the jeep and opened the door for me to climb in.
Back at our house, we walked to the side yard, away from the view of any other houses. “Alright, let’s see what you got,” Brady said with a boyish grin as he stood a few feet away from Landen.
Landen took a deep breath and reached out for Brady’s energy; his hand moved trough it as if it were thin air. He tried over and over again, but nothing happened. Brady laughed out loud as he watched Landen try, and something inside me boiled to the surface. I knew Brady meant no harm, but when it came to my family - to Landen - I had a low tolerance. I reached my hand out and pushed Brady’s energy away from us, and he fell flat on his bottom. Landen’s eyes widened just before he belted into laughter. Brady stood up gradually, dazed. I slowly looked at my hand. I had used my right hand; the rings we wore, the rings of protection, were on our left hands.
“How did you do that? “ Brady asked me, blushing.
I shrugged my shoulders, confused.
Landen tried to control his laughter. “You made her mad when you were teasing me,” Landen said through broken laughs.
Brady looked at me and shook his head slowly. “So now we have a Scorpio - the one sign that you should never cross - with the power to throw a grown man down when she’s mad...you better be careful, man,” he said, moving his eyes to Landen.
The same defensive emotion that I felt inside me rose in Landen. He raised his hand, grabbed Brady, and pulled him up, suspending him ten feet in the air. I felt Brady’s emotion turn to pure pride. He started to laugh.
“What are you laughing at?” Landen said as he raised Brady up and down, then spun him slowly around.
“Because I’m a genius; I just taught you how to use this power,” Brady screamed from the air.
“What?” Landen said as he lowered him down slowly.
“Don’t you see? I had to strike at one of you for you to figure it out. You used the power like a reflex. I bet if you practiced, you wouldn’t have to be mad or afraid to use it,” Brady said, adjusting his clothes. Landen looked at me with an impish grin and picked up Brady again, taking him higher and higher. “How heavy am I?” Brady yelled from the air.
“You’re as light as thin air,” Landen yelled back at him.
Landen lowered him again. Brady smiled widely. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we were playing football and you just picked up everyone and threw them?” Brady said.
A mental picture of bodies being suspended in thin air passed through my mind, and I couldn’t control my laughter.
We practiced with Brady for the rest of the day, then Landen lowered Brady as we felt Olivia and the others pass through the opening of the string in front of our house. I left Landen and Brady, and went to catch them; I wanted to apologize in person for canceling on them today. Dane and Chrispin passed me first.
Dane stopped, smiled, and hugged me. “Are you alright?” he asked, looking me over. I nodded. “We need to catch up; I feel like we’re growing apart,” he said
“Never,” I said, hugging him again.
Chrispin called him over to Brady and Landen; I could see a football game starting. “Be careful,” I warned Dane as he walked away. He looked back at me like I was crazy. I looked over to Landen.
“I’m not going to show them yet. I’ll be out here all night if I did,” Landen thought.
I laughed and walked over to Olivia and Clarissa. “Hey, did you guys have fun?” I asked, meeting them in the field.
Olivia’s Aura was a deep violet purple. I was almost sure she had dreamed again.
“Yeah. It would have been better if you were there, though; we could have stayed longer,” Clarissa said, looping her arm around me as we walked back to my house.
“Landen said that we should go there for a few months when this Mercury thing is over,” I promised. “Why didn’t you guys stay longer?”
“We’re just trying to stay close to you guys. Hey, we’re going to New York tomorrow. Do you guys want to come?” Olivia asked.
“Yeah. I mean, I don’t see what it would hurt,” I said, hoping there wouldn’t be another late night discussion that would take me somewhere else. We sat on the steps and watched the guys play an aggressive game of football. It gave me peace to see Landen carefree, without any worries.
“So, what did you guys learn?” Clarissa asked me.
“Just more about energy,” I replied. I looked at Olivia and asked, “How did you sleep last night?”
Clarissa didn’t seem surprised by my question; I was sure Olivia had told her by now, and it was the reason they were staying close to me and Landen.
“Good. Same old dream, nothing new,” Olivia said, trying to sound positive.
We unloaded my refrigerator and heated up dinner for everyone. Amazingly, after dinner was over and everyone left, no one called or came over. Landen and I had a quiet night all to ourselves.
Landen climbed into bed next to me. We lay on our sides, facing one another as we always did before we closed our eyes. I let my eyes trace over all the colors of his Aura; even in our dark room, I could still make out the white line that encased us and the blue that surrounded the outer edge of him. I looked in his eyes; the blue seemed to go liquid in the reflection. He smiled softly at me. I raised my fingers to trace the dimples on his face next his eyes; they were my favorite feature.
“Tonight, let’s stay here first,” he thought softly. As my eyes questioned his thoughts, he leaned forward and kissed my lips softly. “I just want to try something,” he finished. He then laid his head back down on his pillow, and we stared at each other until our eyes felt so heavy that they began to close slowly.
Chapter Seven
When we opened our eyes, we were standing at the foot of our bed. I slowly looked up to see Landen. Staring at each other, we gradually knelt down on the large rug that centered our room. Even in this state, our Auras followed us. I could feel how nervous and uncertain Landen was. He silently rose his hands. Staring into his eyes, I placed my hands flat against his. I could see my body sigh as my soul felt his energy. Slowly, our hands fell inside one another; as they did, a warm blissful sensation rushed through me. Lying in our bed, our bodies gasped, then pulled closer to one another. The feeling rushing through my soul couldn’t be compared to any sensation I’d ever felt before - even Drake’s touch was shallow in comparison - and it intensified as I felt the impact that I was making on Landen’s soul.
Landen moved one of his hands from mine, then slowly reached for my chest – which was where my heart would be if I were in my body. His hand passed through the surface. I then reached for his chest, and the color around us shifted to a beautiful red. The rush of energy intensified, taking us past any high that we’d ever experienced before - together or apart. It was like living in the peak of adrenaline, a numbing feeling that made you forget that you were human, exhausting and exalting all at once. Growing addicted to the rush, I raised my other hand and moved it through him. He moved closer, pulling us together - and now we were truly one. Both of us relished into a complete state of bliss...I could stay this way for all of eternity.
The glow of red, as well as the rush of energy, sustained themselves well through day break. The only things that brought us back were the sounds of our front door opening and footsteps in our entry hall. We flashed into our bodies, gasping to catch our breath as the energy left us; it had submerged us for so long that we had to focus for a moment before we could use our gifts to see that it was Marc.
“Landen, Willow, I brought lunch. Where are you?” Marc yelled through the house.
I looked at Landen, “Lunch?” I said, blu
shing a little.
He exhaled a deep breath he’d been holding, then laughed to himself before he reached over and kissed me. Even though we were awake, I still felt a hum of energy on his lips. He pushed away and walked to the door. Before he closed it he yelled, “Just a minute,” to Marc.
Within fifteen minutes, we’d both showered and were walking down the steps. Marc was in the kitchen, sitting at the table and finishing his sandwich. When he looked up and saw our wet hair, we could feel his confusion. He raised his eyebrows and said, “Late night?”
I blushed before going to the cabinet to get a glass.
“What are you up to today?” Landen asked him as he pulled a chair out and took a seat next to Marc.
“Nothing. Really, I was looking for Preston; I figured he’d be around you two,” Marc answered with a tinge of jealousy in his voice.
“Looks like you were wrong,” Landen said, nodding his head in the direction of the window. I followed his eyes as I took a seat at the table next to him. Marc turned his head to see Preston and Libby topping the hill, coming from the direction of Marc’s house. “He’s looking for you,” Landen said to Marc, reading Preston’s intent.
Pride and excitement came through Marc as he watched them start to run toward our house. A minute later, the two of them crashed in the back door. Preston ran to Marc, pushing himself in his lap. Libby hugged me, then ran to Landen and pulled herself up on his lap.
“What’s all the excitement about, little man?” Marc asked Preston, rubbing his long hair.
Preston shrugged his shoulders.“We just wanted to say goodbye before you left,” he answered, still catching his breath.
“I’m not going anywhere. I need a bit of a break,” Marc said, squinting his eyes, making it seem more dramatic for Preston’s sake.
Preston looked across the table at Libby, and they both smiled. That exchange always warned Landen and me that they were either up to something or knew something. We passed a weary look and waited for it to come.
“Yes, you are,” Preston said
“Yeah, it’s your turn,” Libby said.
And there it was. Landen and I leaned forward, hoping that if they asked Marc to look for his soulmate, he just might give in.
“My turn for what?” Marc asked, oblivious to what they were saying.
“She’s waiting,” Preston said.
“Yeah, she thinks you forgot her, and she’s really scared,” Libby said.
“Who’s scared?” Marc asked, concern filling his voice.
“The one,” Preston said in a whisper.
Marc looked sternly at Landen. “Did you two put them up to this?” he asked, trying to mask his frustration.
Landen raised his hands, letting Marc know we had no part in this.
“Marc, we’ll help you. It’ll be so easy for us now,” I said, feeling that he was finally considering it.
Libby and Preston shook their heads no. “Marc has to find her,” Libby said.
“He doesn’t need you yet,” Preston added.
Marc sighed and closed his eyes. “Will you tell me where she is? Who she is?” he asked.
When he didn’t hear an answer, he opened his eyes and looked at Preston. The tension filling the room was undeniable. I stood and started to clear the table from lunch. Marc’s eyes raced back in forth. He snapped out of the trance he was in and looked down at Preston. “What do you mean she’s scared? Is she hurt?”
Preston didn’t answer, and panic started to fill Marc’s body. We were all grateful for the insight they gave us, but it never seemed to be enough. Marc sat Preston down, then stood and shifted his weight back and forth.
“I tell you what, let me call Chrispin; he’ll go with you. I bet Dane would go, too. He wants to learn,” Landen said, trying to dodge through Marc’s emotions and intent.
Marc shook his head no. “I’m going alone.”
“At least tell me where you’re going so we can find you if you’re gone to long,” Landen pleaded.
“I don’t know...look, I’m going to get my bag and say goodbye to everyone. This is good. How many days do I have before that Mercury thing?”
“That doesn’t matter. We’ll be fine; you need to take care of you first,” Landen answered.
“I’ll come home before it orbits,” Marc said. Then he reached down and hugged Preston.“You be a good boy while I’m gone – promise?”
Preston nodded.
Landen and I said our goodbyes to Marc and watched him leave. A sense of relief came over us; we were more than sure that he would find her, whoever she was. Libby and Preston were sitting at the table quietly, watching us.
“Do you guys want to go to New York with us today?” Landen asked.
Libby smiled widely. “We have to go somewhere else first,” she said as excitement rushed through her.
“And where is that?” I asked.
Libby looked out the window. I followed her stare and saw Marc telling August, Ashten, and my father goodbye in the distance. “August will tell you,” she answered, covering her mouth to try and hide her smile.
I let my shoulders droop, feeling the dread of having to cancel on Olivia again. I’d been the worst friend since all this had happened.
Landen felt my dread and said, “I’ll call them. They understand.”
“They already know,” Libby said, looking up at me.
“Yeah, they left already,” Preston added.
“We get to stay all night there,” Libby said.
At this point, confusion was the only expression that Landen and I could call forth. “Maybe we shouldn’t sleep late anymore – look how much we missed,” I thought.
Landen laughed and kissed the top of my head. “I don’t care what we missed. It all seemed to work out. If fact, I think we should sleep in more often,” he thought in a teasing manner before he left the room to get our travel bag. “Libby, baby, can you at least tell me what dimension so I know what currency to bring?” Landen shouted in the direction of the kitchen.
Libby giggled. “You don’t need any, silly,” she yelled back. I felt Landen’s stunned emotion. He quietly walked back in the kitchen with our bag and sat it on the table, then stared at Libby and Preston in disbelief.
“What is it?” I asked.
“There’s only one dimension beyond our own that doesn’t have currency,” he answered.
“Which one – Esterious?” I thought, panicking a little.
“Well, two dimensions. I think they’re taking us to the farthest dimension; it’s more beautiful and peaceful than this one.”
“How is that possible?”
“It’s...very unique...if we ever take someone there when we pass through the opening of the string, the soulmate is always waiting ready to leave. I’ve only been all the way in once – when I was six.”
“Your dad took you?”
“No...Livingston took me. He asked me not tell anyone that I’d been there. I’d forgotten about it until now.”
“Is this bad?”
“I don’t think so...I’d think that they’d be able to help us understand the Auras even more. They’re very spiritual people.”
“Do you think they’ll let us in?”
Landen looked down at the kids, then to the window to see the others walking closer to us. “They must think so,” he muttered. I pushed my feet into my sandals by the back door. Preston and Libby pushed in their chairs. Preston walked over and took my hand, and Libby took Landen’s, then we walked outside and waited for the others to get closer; the yellow and green shades that surrounded them were so beautiful.
August smiled widely when he saw us outside with our travel bag in hand. “I suppose they’ve already told you,” he said, stopping in front of us.
“Are we going to see Pelhan?” Landen asked. August nodded. “How do you know they’ll let us pass all the way through?” Landen asked.
“Yesterday, Pelhan himself was at the gate, and he told me to tell you that ‘He’s been
expecting you any day now,’” August answered.
Landen looked down, then over to me; he was nervous and trying to hide it. “Let’s get going then,” he said, walking in the direction of the opening of the string.
I looked at my father; he was full of pride and excitement. He winked at me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we fell in behind Landen and the others.“Your mother said she wants detailed paintings of this dimension when we get back,” he said to me.
“I don’t see how it can be more beautiful than here,” I whispered, looking forward at Landen.
Ashten and August were flanking him, whispering encouragement. His emotions were swarming out of control, building into a growing fear for our fate.
“I’ve never been past the gate, but it’s more beautiful than any dream you could ever have,” my father said, squeezing me closer.
I thought about the place to which Landen and I had gone, and I had my doubts. Once inside the string, Landen reached his arm back for me to come to his side. He glanced down at my tattoo, then in my eyes, and tried to smile. My father picked up Libby, and Ashten carried Preston. August took the lead.
“What happened when you were six?” I asked
“Nothing really. When we got there, a woman lead us to a beautiful home, and this tiny man took one look at me and nodded, then we left. There were no words at all. I think Livingston was trying to get confirmation that it was me and not Drake that was Gauridan.”
“Why would they know?”
“We’ll have to see.”
“Why are you nervous? They’re all excited.”
“I don’t know. Talking to Pelhan...going here...just makes this more real. Sometimes, it’s easier for me to think of it as a story, separate from us.”
“How many dimensions are there again?” I asked
“It’s debatable. I think that there are eleven, but anyone you ask will give you a different answer. You know they were convinced that Infante was actually divided into three different ones until my father searched for yours.”