His grip loosened, not because I’d suggested so much with my struggle, but because he saw something. A second later, Clarissa manifested near the wall.
“I can see her,” she said before disappearing into the wall again.
Silas vanished from my sight. I ran to the hall, not knowing if there were still men in black, if the ‘her’ was Bianca, or if Madison wasn’t as lucky as I was.
At the end of the hall, twenty doorways away I saw a ghostly image. It was a woman who looked a lot like an older version of Monroe. She was in modern clothes. A few doorways from her, Grayson ran out. He glanced quickly in my direction, then ran toward the ghost, yelling, “Mom!” They then vanished into thin air.
I all but ran down the hall, wishing my heels were not making so much noise. I didn’t get far, though; strong arms held me back. I turned to fight, but I lost that notion as soon as I saw Aden. I threw my arms around him, holding onto him for dear life.
“How are you here?” I asked, seeing that he was dressed like home, like the real us, in jeans and a T-shirt. He felt solid. Real.
“Austin. He was helping me find Grayson. We were in The Realm, the string, then here. They’re all gone now. The Witness killed them all.”
I could hear the symphony music shifting to a new song and the rumble of conversation behind me.
“You have to go. It’s dangerous here. Go to Chara. I’m so mad at you for running away,” I scolded him.
“Had to,” he said, looking at me as if I were the sun. “I wanted to figure out who the enemy was. I was looking for one, but there are more.”
I felt an icy chill in the air, one that reminded me of Xavier.
“You have to go now,” I said in a rushed panic. I heard footsteps approaching the doorway that we were just feet from, but there was nowhere for Aden to run - and if I knew him, he wasn’t planning on it.
Some kind of instinct kicked in - call it self-preservation, call it defensiveness - but I saw the energy around Aden and pushed it up, flinging him to the arched hundred-foot ceiling. A chip of paint silently fell to the marble floor just as Xavier stepped into the hallway.
His eyes locked with mine as he approached. The chill of his energy intensified. I wondered if it was because Drake and Draven were not close enough to drown it out. I knew one thing for sure: every fiber in my body was telling me to destroy this man.
When he reached me I could not help stepping back toward the wall behind me. I felt something cold poke my back just below my ribs. It was sharp, the size of a quarter. Moving forward would bring me closer to this evil man, so I let it slice through the lace in the back of my gown, let it threaten to stab me where I stood. So much for self-preservation.
I focused on the hold I had on Aden, pushing it as hard as I could against him - one, so he wouldn’t fall; and two, so he would stay quiet.
“I was beginning to think you retired for the evening,” Xavier stated in an accusatory tone.
“I was enjoying the artwork.”
“I see,” he said, glancing to my side like he knew a knife was at my back.
Hearing the direct play on his words, I wanted to ask what he was seeing, but instead I held my head high with all the grace I was told to show.
“Tell me, Charlie, how long shall we play this game?”
“Game?”
Like a saving grace, Cashton appeared at that moment.
“Don’t let him see you freak out. He is trying to figure out what you know.”
Xavier smiled tightly. “Aren’t you too old for games? Apparently, your late parental influences were a bit too lax in your upbringing, allowing you to be with a mere half-man.”
Cashton smirked. “He has drastically underestimated you. He thinks you only know of Pompeii. Make him think you don’t even know about that.”
“You might want to tell them to take the wine from your table. Your language and demeanor are making no sense to me. I find it threatening. I may ask the dear Queen if such treatment is customary.”
With a glance his energy pushed me back, driving whatever was against my back through my body. Shock allowed me not to make a sound or even an expression. Maybe it was because my energy was too focused on Aden’s safety. I had no idea how I was maintaining any composure at all.
“Are you making an advance at me?” I asked with a glare, hiding the pain in my voice.
Cashton vanished. I knew he was getting help - and God knows I needed it. This hurt.
“So now we admit that you are aware of the power of energy. Is the game of dress up over?” Xavier asked, raking his eyes over me.
“Was that a secret? Do you not feel the power of my counterpart? Of your King? Do you not recognize when you are humbled by that power, when it forces you into submission? Because that is your role: a servant to the power you will never hold - or destroy.”
Before he had a response, Draven reached the doorway with Cashton at his side. Draven’s eyes glanced at the ceiling, then to where I was. I was flush against the wall, so there was no way for him to know that something like a blade was lodged inside of me. The thought of it there made the pain register to the point where I knew I was close to fainting.
One glance of Draven’s green eyes shifted Aden at least six doorways down, then into a dark room. Not having to hold Aden in place any longer, my focus was back to my body and I wondered absently why blood wasn’t pooling at my feet.
“I was unaware that you asked for a conference,” Draven seethed.
“My apologies. It seems I’ve left half my manners in my quarters.”
“Maybe you should retrieve them - or I may be forced to leave all of mine behind. It takes a bold man to speak to another’s counterpart without permission.”
“Tell me, what did it feel like when her father gave you her hand?” Xavier asked.
Though that day had not come - and even if it did, to most it would look as if I were walking down an aisle by myself - my father had given his blessing to Draven on more than one occasion. The thought of that took some of the pain away from me. I was starting to feel numb, cold. I told myself not to let my knees buckle because if they did, this metal would slice me in two.
Cashton put his hand under my arm, holding me in place. Before Draven could answer, Drake and Alamos rounded the corner. A few feet behind them were Olivia and Chrispin. Drake curtly looked over Xavier, taking in the situation before bowing slightly to Draven.
“I was seeking a conference with your sister. Is that permitted?”
“Ah,” Draven said with a sarcastic grin. “It is still custom to ask and not force a woman into one – in a private hall, at that.”
The glares that landed on Xavier were as sharp as blades.
“Come,” Alamos said, nodding to Xavier, who hesitated before he complied.
Draven tried to reach his arm around me, but both Cashton and I blocked him. I wanted to tell him why, but I was afraid Xavier would hear.
Chrispin closed the doors next to me as Olivia rushed to my side. At that moment Landen appeared out of nowhere.
“Shh...” Landen said gently as he reached for my hand. The calm he gave me allowed me to breathe for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
I could only see Olivia, Landen, and Cashton, but I felt Draven’s panicked energy all around me.
“What’s going on?” Draven asked as he saw the care Landen was taking with me and moved Cashton so he could be near me.
“I’m going to lift you, Charlie. It may hurt, but only for a second,” Landen promised.
I nodded, feeling sweat come across my body. Draven’s eyes moved to where Landen’s hand was going. What he saw must have terrified him because I felt it in the stabbing energy around me.
Landen lifted me and I held in a scream as I felt warm blood ease across my skin. His hand was over the wound immediately, his other on my stomach. All through my body, a warm, seeping energy absorbed me. I felt my flesh growing together, the wound closing, the blood restored. I felt
like I was coming off a massive adrenaline rush. I was numb, near sleepy.
Landen pulled me closer to him so he could see the wound and make sure it was healed. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the wrought iron sword that was on the bottom of the frame of a massive painting, covered in blood. It was three inches long and close to two inches thick. The sight of it made me feel faint. If I’d known it was that big, I doubt I would have willingly stepped back.
Landen reached for my chin, forcing me to gaze into the blue of his eyes, which I saw expand as if he were taking in a new world. I didn’t get why he was looking at me like that.
“All better,” he finally said, nodding to Draven.
“I’m following Xavier,” Cashton bit out as he vanished.
I felt Draven’s arm go around me, and I turned in his embrace, clenching his body, his energy, for dear life. Over his shoulder, I saw Madison approaching with the elderly man that was posing as Draven’s advisor.
I heard a loud crash and looked back to see that Drake had flung the massive painting to the other end of the hall with a glance. It was now stabbing another priceless painting.
I felt a whoosh of warm wind, and when I turned I saw that Landen was gone. Olivia was staring at where I was pinned with wide eyes, apparently in shock.
“We have to get Aden out of here,” I whispered to Draven.
He nodded, releasing me to Olivia as he walked to where he’d shoved Aden before. Chrispin followed him as Madison and Olivia ushered me into the closest doorway. Once inside, Olivia turned me and began to mend my dress. I was sure the blood was gone, but there had to be a hole there.
Madison and I locked stares, showing each other what we had survived. I saw her take down seven men in black before she came across Winston - or at least the image of him. She chased him through the halls and she was almost out of breath before she realized Winston wasn’t running from her - he was running toward the ghostly image of his mother. Something told her it was a trap and she tried to stop him - but he vanished with his mother’s image.
Austin caught up to her a few minutes later and told her Grayson was here, too, that he and Aden were tying to tell him it was trap, but he couldn't seem to hear them.
Clarissa appeared near them and told them I was cornered and that Landen was helping me and that they needed to get Aden out of here. They took back hallways to reach us. Austin broke free from Madison’s side when he saw that Draven had me in his arms, ducking into a door to find Aden, to get him to the safety of another dimension.
Madison’s eyes were furious when she saw what I went through.
“He killed them all,” she said with a gasp.
I squinted as Olivia pulled my dress tighter. “Silas? The men in black? I helped,” I argued, not wanting to look like a damsel in distress.
“No, Charlie, the band, your dad. Xavier killed him. He was the one that haunted him - who caused him to throw that chair. He killed your father. Could you not see that?!”
I felt like I was going to vomit. Madison was backing up Draven’s battle cry. I knew then why the details of this man were kept from me. Draven knew there would be no holding me back if I knew that man was single-handedly the cause of my parents’ heartache.
“No, I saw Pompeii. Tonight.”
“He was taunting you with that. Even if you could not see him in that role, his words should have told you.”
I hit my hands against the wall.
“Paybacks are in order,” I seethed.
Draven wasn’t going to fight this man for me. Xavier was not taking another soul from me.
I charged toward the door, but a force pulled me back and pinned me against the wall.
Olivia let out a sigh. “Don’t be an idiot. If it were that easy to kill that man, he would have been dead ages ago. He didn’t let you see it, but he left a loophole for Madison to see it - and now he is waiting with a trap, no doubt. Your parents and friends are your weakness. Anybody can see that. That man will die, I promise you. But if you do not cool your jets, you might as well serve this dimension and every other one up on a platter. Our only hope of ending this reign of darkness is Drake taking control of this dimension. And God help us, let this place be the vortex, the center point The Realm is feeding on.” She pointed her petite finger at the both of us. “I expect you to act like the balanced old souls that you are. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Anger will kill you.”
“More like hot,” Madison argued, completely agreeing that we should go hunt that man down.
Olivia’s tiny finger pushed a force of energy at Madison, knocking her into the wall next to me.
“You would rather invoke hell on earth than have a piece of cake with Drake? Are you that scared to feel something for him - for anyone that is not platonic?”
All of a sudden, Olivia’s eyes became darker. I knew that look. She was seeing, but it was obvious she wasn’t trying to. It just happened. A second later, the tension left her and her eyes seemed less dark.
“He’s a jerk. He deserves that Anna girl and every girl like her. It’s not fair to blame Drake for that - to sacrifice your heart and the lives of billions because of that boy’s nourishment issues.”
Olivia wasn’t saying anything I hadn’t said, but the fact that she saw it made both Madison’s and my eyes expand.
“Did you just see?” I asked, knowing that she did, wanting her to understand that she did.
Her eyes grew wide, then moved from side to side. “Did I?” she asked. After a second or two she said, “You were really hurt, seconds from death - internal bleeding.” She said it so quietly I thought she was talking to herself. It was clear she was recounting what had happened just a few moments ago.
I shrugged.
“Energy was pouring off you,” she said as her eyes met mine.
“And...?” Madison sarcastically asked.
“And I don’t know.” She raised her hands to the side of her head. “How do you turn it off?”
“Stop asking questions, for starters,” Madison answered with a pleased grin. “Sucks, don’t it? Seeing how people lie so easily that they don’t even know they’re doing it. Seeing how blind we are to all the opportunities around us. Seeing how self-centered one can be. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll hear the call of the damned and then get a history lesson on how cruel humanity really was.”
Olivia’s hands fell from her head. A stern expression consumed her face. “Are you forgetting that I can now see you? I know this sarcasm is an act you use when you’re afraid.”
“I guess I did. Dessert anyone? I’m ready to go home,” Madison said, opening the door.
Draven, Chrispin, and the older man that was the advisor were standing there, waiting on us.
“Brother,” Madison said, bowing mockingly at Draven.
He didn’t find that very funny. He was looking over every inch of me for any kind of damage.
“I’m fine,” I mouthed, walking to his outstretched hand. “Aden?”
“In Chara by now,” he assured me.
I sighed, glad this night was almost over.
Madison and I walked side by side in front of Draven to the ballroom. At the entryway we stopped and allowed Draven to stand between us, and the others to flank off to the side.
Most of the people were on the dance floor. For the first time ever I was glad Nana had forced us to take ballroom dancing just before Kara’s wedding. Granted, it had been years, but I thought I could pull it off if I had to.
The crowd parted as Drake crossed the floor. He stopped just before us and bowed slightly.
“May I?”
Draven responded by extending Madison’s hand to his. I was almost excited for her to walk away with him. Even though she was obviously terrified, to anyone watching it was a genuine display of a deep attraction.
Chrispin followed a few steps behind them, along with another member from Chara. I understood this was custom. Chrispin would not go out on the balcony, but he would be close enough to g
uard her if needed. Two men in black cloaks mirrored Drake. I suppose they were the guards for him.
Once they’d ascended the stairs and stepped out onto the balcony, I heard an eruption of applause. It wasn’t coming from the ballroom. It was coming from outside. I guess that dessert was not as private as we thought it was going to be. It sounded like thousands were in the courtyard, watching the elegant candlelit table.
Draven took my hand and led me to the floor as others parted and clapped softly at our approach. I may have messed up on the first few steps, but then I fell into the music and moved with him across the floor. When we would catch each other’s eye, we would show each other what had happened when we were apart.
He pulled me tightly against him. “I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you,” he whispered to me. His warm breath slid down my neck, causing my core to clench as heat flushed through my cheeks.
“I swear I’m fine.”
His hand gently massaged the spot on my back that had been hurt, sending his warm humming energy into my body. I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment as I breathed in his touch.
“I’m worried about Cashton. He was going after him,” I whispered.
“Have I told you how much I like your brother?” His tone was almost sinful.
I turned crimson. “Did you guys get a chance to talk?”
His hands moved up my back as his lips teased my neck. “I want to be as close to you as possible…I’m sorry I put a wall up.”
Nervously I said, “My soul has told me from day one that you are half of me, that you are designed this way for a reason.”
His eyes fell into mine. “I don’t care how I’m designed as long as being half your soul is a part of the deal,” he said as a ghostly smile echoed on the corners of his alluring lips.
“Are we clear on the fact that you are half of me and not half of Aden - so you shouldn’t join or whatever to kill that man?”
I had managed to kill the moment. The playful seductiveness in his eyes vanished as his trademark anger surfaced.
“I knew that,” he said under his breath. “I just want you safe. I think that if Aden was there so long ago, he was there to help me get you that way. I just want you to have peace.”