“How did you get here so quickly?” Landen asked, grinning proudly at Chrispin.
“Rose and Libby were at the gate. Preston had that look in his eye; you know the one: like something life-changing is about to happen,” Chrispin said, raising his eyebrows.
Landen’s smile fell, and the room filled with a sense of dread. Perodine stood up straight, then looked at Dane and Olivia.
“You’re a Cancer,” Perodine said to Olivia. Olivia smiled and bowed her head. “Have you always had a sense of optimism - even in the darkest hour?” Perodine asked.
Olivia looked at me, and I nodded. In my opinion, she had too many dark hours. When we were only children, she lost both of her parents – but even though grief consumed her, she still found a way to smile, and to make me smile.
“And you are the dreamer?” Perodine said under her breath.
Chrispin looked past me at Dane, and I felt a tension rise between them. Landen stretched his hand out for Chrispin’s knee, drawing his attention away from Dane and giving himself a sense of calm. Chrispin broke his stare and pulled Olivia closer to him. I could feel Perodine’s emotions racing; it terrified her to know that if it weren’t for August insisting that we allow Drake to stay, I could have been easily overcome by the demon. Drake had been the only thing standing between me and the darkness that chased me.
“Water is every part of your chart,” Perodine said to Olivia. “It gives you the ability to see beyond the moment you are in...you are the one the demon fears the most - for you can see it coming,” she said slowly.
I felt Dane come to the edge of the couch, but I didn’t look at him; I knew if I did, his eyes would make me feel guilty for not thinking he was the one who was supposed to protect me.
“I feel better now,” Perodine said, smiling slightly. We all looked at her curiously. “I could not figure out how he was able to cause the illusion in the bathroom or get as close as he did inside of Drake. I thought he had somehow grown more powerful than the shield, but that was not the case,” Perodine looked at Landen, then to me. “The shield was simply misplaced.”
“To admit you were wrong is the same as admitting that you could be wrong again,” Dane said through his teeth; anger and jealously were engulfing him.
August leaned forward and raised his hands as if to calm the room. “Then we’ll just make sure that in the future they’re both with Willow; that way, we have no doubts - and Willow is protected.”
I felt Landen’s anticipation. I looked to my side at him, then followed his eyes to the doorway August had come through. “It must have been a short meeting,” Landen said aloud, watching the doorway.
I felt him sorting through the emotions and intent of Alamos and Drake. I still couldn’t feel them; I could only feel Landen’s response to what he felt – and at that moment, he had sorrow, fear, and anger.
Adrenaline spread through me, and I unknowingly held my breath, waiting for the moment when I’d look into Drake’s dark eyes.
“Is it bad?” I asked.
He looked at me. “They’re just very overwhelmed, and apparently they aren’t thinking clearly.”
I drew in an uneasy breath and waited for them to enter the room. Alamos came in first. His eyes moved across the room, first finding me, then Perodine. He passed by me and stood at Perodine’s side. He felt Olivia’s gaze and stared curiously back at her. Drake appeared in the doorway. He looked passed everyone at me. Our eyes locked, and for a second I thought time had stopped; I couldn’t hear or feel anything - I could only see his captivating dark eyes outlined in dark circles. He looked so tired. The sleeves on his button up shirt were rolled up, and my eyes fell to his tattoo of the dragon covered by a willow tree on the inside of his arm. He carefully rolled his sleeves down when he saw the tattoo had once again taken my attention, then kept his eyes on me as he took a seat on the couch next to August. I was calmer than I thought I would be in his presence.
Clarissa reached for my hand and held it tight. I felt how uncomfortable she was around Drake; like every young girl in his presence, she was completely captivated by him.
Olivia turned to look at him, and he smiled slightly, noticing her for the first time. “I was wondering where you were,” he said to Olivia as he relaxed into the couch.
His eyes moved to Alamos.
“I thought that was her,” Alamos said.
Marc walked behind Landen. “You should recognize her; are you not the one who held her captive, the one who took her sight?” he said shortly.
Alamos smiled slightly, then looked at Drake and Marc. “Son, the priest you seek revenge on has since lost his life; beyond that, it’s impossible to take her sight. If anything, they caused her to find her third eye more suddenly than expected,” he said.
“Third eye?” Marc repeated sarcastically, shaking his head.
Alamos looked at Perodine. “The only one that really matters,” he said. “What we see with our minds is far more important that what our eyes see; this child has the ability to see clearly without concentration.”
You’d think Olivia would be afraid of the power they were telling her she had, but she wasn’t; it was like she’d known all along. I envied her calm state. I looked at Drake to see his eyes barely open. He broke our gaze and gently shut his eyes.
“Why didn’t you just tell us that before?” Marc asked. It terrified him to think that we’d made a bad decision, that in our haste we’d left behind the one that could guide us clearly.
Alamos looked at Perodine, then to Marc. “I was under the impression that you already knew,” he said, tilting his head in Perodine’s direction.
Perodine shook her head from side to side and tried to suppress her anger. “You only have to worry about Drake; I have to guide the children, Landen and my daughter,” she said, looking apologetically at me.
“My thoughts are always with ‘our’ daughter,” Alamos retorted.
I raised my hands and closed my eyes; the emotions of the room were starting to drain me - and Dane’s feeling of betrayal was killing me. “I know all of you are here for me,” I said, daring to look over my shoulder at Dane, “but when you battle over who’s known me longer or who has the best intentions for me, you lose your focus; you forget that this demon has a power beyond our imagination. Stop fighting, and let’s resolve this.”
Alamos cleared his throat. “Well then...what shall we discuss first? The end of Venus? The impending influence of Mars? The proclamation of war? Or Drake’s awaiting assassination?” Alamos said to the room.
His last words reached inside of me and ripped my soul in two. I couldn’t hide the grief I felt for Drake. I looked to see him resting peacefully. Landen reached his arm around me and pulled me as close to him as he could. He wanted to move my emotion, but it was too strong; my sorrow remained.
“Is it that serious over there?” August asked Alamos.
“The only way he survived the night was by executing those proven to plot his overturn,” Alamos said.
I closed my eyes and thought of the innocents that had lost their lives last night as they tried to cross the wall. If Drake had taken their life, there would be no way for me to forgive him. Landen’s eyes moved to the wall.
Alamos must have known what we were thinking. “We had no part in that; they all were all priest,” he said to Landen. “They were shared enemies of yours, I assure you.”
I looked at Drake, and he opened his eyes slightly, just as I did. I’m sure he was judging my response, and I let the sorrow I was feeling reflect itself in my eyes. He sighed before he gently closed his eyes again.
Beth stood and walked behind the couch he was sitting on, then ran her fingers through his hair; her only desire was to calm him. Her eyes found mine, but I couldn’t look at her long; it hurt too bad.
“We just need to look over the math for Venus. If we’re right, then we can move on to more pressing matters,” Perodine said as she gently pulled Alamos’s arm to the table.
“Mo
re pressing matters than Drake’s death?” Alamos said in a disgusted tone, refusing to look at the equation.
“That is not what I meant,” Perodine said defensively. “I would like to know that there is not a demon pulling the strings, causing him the turmoil he is living through.”
“Trust me, ‘it’ will pull the strings until Willow stands at his side,” Alamos said.
Unable to take another word, Beth leaned down and kissed Drake’s forehead, then left the room. Nyla looked at me, then stood to follow her. August stood and went to the table to help Brady look at the equation. Landen kissed the side of my head, then followed August. I leaned a little closer to Clarissa, then looked up at her she was watching Drake as he seemed to drift to sleep.
“Willow,” she whispered, “you’re stronger than I’d imagined.”
Chrispin rolled his eyes at Clarissa, then stood to follow Landen. As Olivia studied Drake’s sleeping body, her eyes seemed to go to another time; I felt a sea of emotions, varying from happiness to grief. I wanted to pull her aside and make her tell me even the vaguest dreams she’s had, but I knew right now my past wasn’t the issue - it was my future.
“I’m not,” I whispered back, trying to make myself look away from Drake. I wanted to make him feel better, to give him a peace I was sure was escaping him. I stood abruptly, wanting to hide at Landen’s side. As I turned, I caught Landen’s gaze.
“You’re fine,” Landen thought, reaching his arm out for me to come to his side.
August was checking over what Brady had already reviewed while Mark and Dane sat at the table, watching patiently. Perodine and Alamos were locked in a daring stare.
“I feel the trail...the moment Willow’s heart was pierced occurred at the moment the scroll indicated, but the influence of the Venus in retrograde is still in the air. We must be careful with the decisions we make right now,” August said as he checked the last part of the equation.
Alamos broke his stare with Perodine and looked at August. “I think we should take advantage of the influence of the retrograde. We must stop making selfish choices of our own hearts and use logic to save lives,” he said, walking to August’s side.
“And what do you mean by that?” Perodine said coldly, following Alamos to the table.
He turned abruptly to find Perodine inches from his face. “I mean, he will die if she doesn’t stand at his side. I’m not asking that she gives her heart to him; I just want her to stand next to him in front of the court, in front of the world,” Alamos said as he pulled his shoulders back.
Marc and Dane both stood abruptly, and Clarissa turned and caught my stare. She then stood slowly and walked to my side; she was screaming at me with her emotions, her panic, fear, and determination not to let me take that path. Olivia and Chrispin were the only ones that remained calm. I knew then that Aora had predicted what choice I’d be forced to make next.
“You are a fool. You may deceive the world - but you will never fool the devil,” Perodine said, pushing against Alamo’s chest.
He caught her hands and held them tightly. “You may hate me right now,” Alamos said, “but you loved me at one time. You know I’m not an evil man; I’m trying to save his life, the lives of innocent bystanders. How many people must die before you see that I’m right?” Alamos said.
Perodine looked away from him and pulled her hands from him. As her eyes caught mine, the tension in the room began to rise.
“I’m sorry,” Perodine said, looking at me.
A single tear fell from my eye. Landen pulled me closer to him, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. I could feel his solid intent of saving lives, of putting the world’s needs in front of his.
Brady moved passed August to Alamos, and Marc and Dane were close behind him. “Listen, I don’t know you. I have no way of knowing what your intent is, but I know that this isn’t the answer. Willow belongs at Landen’s side,” he said in a calm tone.
Alamos shook his head in disgust. “You’re defending your brother’s heart; a noble thing to do. But you get to go home and live in a world of peace, and we’re left here to hear the blood-curdling screams of those who lose their lives based on Willow’s choices.”
Marc pushed in front of Brady. “And you’re defending a tragedy that you caused. You’d think that a man that’s lived as long as you would have brought more harm than good,” he said as loud as he could.
Marc’s tone startled Drake out of his rest, and he sat forward and surveyed the room.
“Aww, look - he’s awake now,” Marc said sarcastically, looking at Drake. “Let me fill you in: your latest plot to get Willow has failed; she will not stand at your side - no matter what the risk is.”
Drake stood with an angry scowl on his face. Alamos looked away from him; it was clear he wanted no part of Alamos’s reasoning. Landen looked at Drake, then sighed and moved his eyes to Marc. “This is a decision that Willow and I must make - not you,” Landen said.
“Have you lost your mind?!” Marc yelled. “I refuse to let you make this choice!”
“You’re causing more harm than good,” Brady said to Marc.
Clarissa rushed to my side and gripped my shoulders; her eyes showed the anger she felt. “Mistakes are only made once; don’t do this. Remember what I told you: you will die in vain,” she warned me.
I gently pulled her arms from my shoulders, then looked over my shoulder to see Olivia still seated calmly; I wished the others would just follow her lead and let me think.
“I never realized how selfish the souls of Chara were,” Alamos said bleakly into the room.
As arguments from every direction erupted, I felt like my head was going to explode. I turned to Landen and buried my face in his chest - then silence. I slowly leaned my head up and found that time had once again been frozen. I looked up at Landen and saw that he was looking over his shoulder at Drake.
“Was that you or me?” Drake asked.
“I think we made the decision to stop and think at the same time,” Landen said, looking down at me.
“Well,” Drake said, “how long do you intend to keep them frozen?”
“Long enough for you and Willow to leave the room and work this out in private,” Landen answered.
“Don’t make me do this,” I thought in a pleading tone.
“Willow, I love you and would never make you do anything that makes you unhappy. I just want us to make a decision and not regret it,” he thought.
“Then the three of us need to make it,” I thought.
“Talk to him alone, then the three of us will decide. You need to clear your mind and get your anger and grief under control,” he thought.
He leaned down and kissed my lips tenderly, then slowly stepped away. Behind him, Drake was standing staring at me with exhausted eyes.
“Take her far enough away that the emotions of this room are muffled. They know she can feel them, and they’ll do everything in their power to distract her,” Landen said.
Drake turned and walked to the doorway. I looked up at Landen, and he smiled at me, then tilted his head, telling me to follow Drake. I held my breath and told myself to put one foot in front of the other. My heart began to race, and the exhausting adrenaline raced through me once again.
Chapter Seventeen
We walked silently to the other side of the palace, and Drake opened a double doorway that led to a beautiful open bedroom. I hesitated, trying to remember to breathe; I then stepped cautiously forward. He walked to the window and stood with his hands on his waist, then let his head fall. I stepped guardedly closer to him.
“Would it save your life - the souls in Delen - if I stood at your side before the court?” I asked in a careful tone.
His shoulders tensed, then he turned to look at me, tightening his jaw and swallowing before he answered. “We won’t lead them to truth with a lie,” he said quietly.
“You didn’t answer my question. Will it save your life?”
“Listen to me,” he
said, stepping forward. “Preston told me no less than two hours ago that if you came to my side, you must come completely; otherwise, the demon would consume me and you wouldn’t know any different. That’s not going to happen.”
“I’ve looked the devil in the eye; I would know,” I said, offended by the lack of confidence Preston had in me.
“He’s never been wrong before,” Drake said, looking away from me.
“You want to know what I think?” I said in a sharp tone. “I think you just have a death wish that you’re determined to end your life and make it my fault – to make me suffer.”