Vindicate
Jamie Magee
Published By Jamie Magee
Copyright 2011 Jamie Magee
Vindicate
By
Jamie Magee
“The loss of a loved one is one of the most tragic and devastating things a person could endure.” Author unknown
For every soul this daydream was meant to find…
Chapter One
They say that those who walk among angel s will prevail with the angels. Meaning if you never intended harm, then no harm will come to you. I find this to be BS. I walked among angels. I walked w ith Landen. I walked with Drake. Harm has come to us. Death is at our doorstep.
Two hours ago , a demon . A seductive evil witch that I will destroy took them from me . I don’t know how she did it. What words she said. What mind games she used. All I know is that they’re gone . Their bodies may be here, but she has trapped them somewhere. For the first time in my life , I cannot feel Landen. I am isolated .
Marc and Brady carried them here to the palace, to a room that is several doors down from Perodine’s study. They laid their bodies on the bed. One that was large enough to sleep four grown adults. I keep star ing at the space between them. Wanting to lie there. Wanting to pull Landen’s s eemingly lifeless body to me. Wanting more than anything to feel his energy, but I can ’t. I can’t because my father, Alamos, August , and Perodine have not stopped working on both Landen and Drake .
Outside , a storm is raging. It’s violent and angry. Dangerous. Just like me. Tears have n ot stopped pouring from my eyes. No sound , just tears. I was gripping the post of the bed that held a massive canop y over them. Sound had stopped. Time had stopped. I couldn’t hear the calming words Beth and Rose were saying to me as they caressed my hair and my back. I couldn’t hear the words Alamos was speaking over their lifeless bodies. I couldn’t hear my father, August, an d Perodine discuss their state. I couldn ’t hear the others, Brady, Marc, and Dane. I’m not sure when Dane came here or how long h e and Cl arissa had been trying to get my attention.
August must have called Brady to his side because I saw him rush to Landen and him. Marc was right behind him. Brady nodded as August spoke. Alamos didn’t seem to agree with everything he said , at least not the part that involved Marc. Brady left the room with Dane and Clarissa flank ing him. They had the intent to go to Pelh a n’s to seek his advice or medicine perhaps.
Marc paced the floor next to the bed , feeling trapped. My gaze fell on h im. His pace – his deep thought , his pure soul reminded me of Landen. His fierce eyes, broad shoulders , and determination emanated the shadow of his brother, Drake. The tears began to flow more fiercely from my eyes , and the windowpane behind Marc mocked the flow of my tears. The storm was growing quieter. A s if it w ere exhausted, as exhausted as I was.
I was trapped just like Marc. I had to stay here . I could not chase this demon. Not wi thout Landen. Not unless that d emon was in this dimension, and I had my doubts that she was.
The echo of that music. Those electrifying guitars I heard just before she vanishe d were the only comfort I had. That sound led me to believe that there was a way to defeat that demon. That sound was holding me together, giving me what little strength I had. It was giving me the strength to stand. To hold this end post and gaze at the body of the man I loved .
Alamos slammed the book he was reading closed and rushed from the room as if he had some kind of epiphany. Beth took his place at Drake’s side. I kept watching for breaths . Some kind of life from him . From Landen . A ll I saw was their skin becoming paler and paler. I ignored the blue tint tha t was forming around their lips. Their beautiful faces. I ignored it because it was the sign that told me they were really fading. That Landen was really leaving me. It was the sign that said that my death was only moments away . I ignored it because I was to o mad to die. Rage. A craving for revenge was the air that was seething through my lungs. It was my survival.
A cold blade against the back of my neck pulled me from my thoughts. I heard sawing and defensively turned to my side to see Alamos holding a knife and a lock of my hair. His old wise eyes , full of fear , stared into me as he wrapped my hair around his hand , then wiped my face dry. Leaving my lock of hair drenched in my tears that had fallen for each of them.
Alamos took th e knife and sliced the lock in two . He handed one to Perodine , who was beside Landen , then leaned over Drake , and at the same time they took my locks of hair and traced Landen and Drake’s brow, their nose, and lips, whispering a chant. All at once , breath seeped into their bodies. The breath Landen took was deep and lasting ; his chest continued to fill with air , then slowly let it out. The breath Drake took was weak , and though he was taking in air , it wasn’t half the amount that Landen was.
I felt the eyes of the room on me. I felt them question if my tears were strong enough to br ing Landen back but not Drake. Question if because I didn’t love Drake as much or in the same way that I could not save him , too. The mixed questions and intent infuriated me.
“OUT!” I said to the room.
They all looked at me like I was insane , freezing in place. “I said OUT, all of you!” Just as I rai sed my hands to argue my point , and to block their impending points of view they left , each of them. I stood still until I heard the door close , u ntil I was sure I was alone with the bodies of Landen and Drake.
I tried to think like Landen. Like Drake. To ask myself what would they do if this were reversed. My mind was invaded ; cruel memories of each time they had to do this taunted my thoughts . Of each tim e they watched my lifeless body. Th ere was on ly one thing that gave us power. My heart. My energy.
I w alked slowly to Landen’s body. My tears washed down my face. I let my hand rest on his chest. I smiled faintly as I felt his powerful breaths. I leaned in , closing my eyes and let ting my lips rest on his. The lack of response, the lack of life, tore into me. I leaned back and closed my eyes as I focused on my energy. I watched my soul move from my frail , weak body and linger next to Landen. I let my hand rest on his chest , then slowly I let my hand fall into him.
His back bowed with the thrust of energy. A beaming light erupted between us , mocking the light n ing that seemed to aim at the palace itself. His skin was no longer pale . Weak. He looked as if he were sleeping . Not peacefully . He looked as if he w ere trapped in a nightmare. One that I could not pull him from. I waited for him to open his eyes. To hear his voice in my thoughts, but the silence reined on. I moved my other hand to his chest , ca using another thrust of energy, another beam of light. This time , his eyes opened slightly. Only he wasn’t there. A t least not all the way. I could see a glimmer, a spa rkle in the center of his eyes. I could see his soul fighting.
“An angel fallen , a devil has ri -”
His thoughts faded , a nd my soul went numb with shock. “Landen!” I screamed in my thoughts. The sparkle in his eye seemed to dwindle ever so slightly as he turned his head toward Drake and his lips mocked the words , ‘A n angel fallen , a devil has risen .’ When his eyes saw Drake’s lifeless body , fear came over him along with the intent to turn back and save Drake from somethin g ominous . I screamed for him to change his intent , to stay with me , to not go back through my thoughts , but he didn’t listen ; i nstead, his eyes closed , and he slipped further away. Everyt hing I’d given him was useless. I t was useless because he was fighting something on a l evel that I could not perceive. A level I could not reach. He wasn’t letting me bring him back for a reason. He was turning back to save Drake. To end this.
Panic came over me. It was like they were fighting the devil in Hell itself. That the only way they could fight him was to stand on death ’s door. Landen had refused to lead me there. To let me follow him. He was intending on ending this war once
and for all.
I moved to Drake , knowing that if I found a way to bring him back , Landen would come back. Landen would come back b ecause he knew Drake was safe. Landen had chosen to fight for Drake. To not leave him in the hell that had captured them. He must be fighting for him because he knew we needed hi m . Fighting because his soul was more pure than mine. He didn ’t have the heart to run away. He was fighting at Drake’s side in some wicked place.
I placed my hands on Drake’s chest and pushed my energy through him. I felt his hypnotically addictive energy eas e through my soul. He was not rea cting the same way Landen had. It was like he was further away. Like the demon had had more time to blind his soul. I needed my voice if I w ere really going to reach him. I moved my soul to my body , then climbed across the bed to Drake’s side. I cupped my hand s around his face and spoke his name. His skin was humming ever so slightly. “Drake , ” I pleaded . “Come back to me.” His lips began to move . He was responding . “Drake , ” I said louder as I moved my ear so I could hear him. “Will not be our prison , ” h e whispered.
“What?” I said louder.
“Fate is calling ; this world will not be our prison , ” h e said faintly .
I looked into his closed eyes and waited for something , anything that w ould explain why he said that. Where they were. “An angel?!” I yelled . “A Demon?! What prison?! Where are you ?!” I yelled as I pushed against his chest , then moved to try and get another response out of Landen.
I felt the intent of the others . Perodine. My father , they were coming to sedate me. They though t I was going mad with grief. Hurting Landen and Drake . When the door opened , I flung my hand behind me , throwing a wall of energy around the half of the room with the bed. I stared coldly at them, my dad, Perodine, Alamos and August , who were pushing in behind them. The thunder roared , and the wind crashed against the palace. I crawled to the edge of the bed , then to the floor , daring one of them to try and calm me down. To make me relax . I had to find Landen. Go to wherever he was in his mind , and I wasn’t going to let whatever drugs they intended to give me prevent that from happening.
One by one , they left. I refused to let my wall of energy fall. I had encased the three of us.
I stared over their bodies , watching for any sign of where their minds were. Their s kin was no longer pale. It was full of color. A lmost red with anger. Their breaths would speed up , then slow down. I watched as the muscles in Landen’s long , strong arms would flex , then relax. Drake’s entire body seemed to tense often. I’d seen them both make gestures like this before. I could almost visualize the moments they were fighting and the moments they w ere finding rest in their minds. I t was as if they we re living in a different word. One that I was blind to. I wanted to see it. I didn’t c are how twisted or dark it was. I wanted to be fighting at their side.
The door to the bedroom opened again. This time it was Brady, and he was alone. I still wasn’t going to let my guard down, my wall of energy. He vigorously walked toward me , ignoring the barricade I had when he passed through it without effort. I defensively threw my arms up , but he caught them , t hen walked forward , pushing me against the wall - pinning my arms to my side . I glared back at him , trying to hold my rage in. Trying because he looked too much like Landen , and hurting him or anyone el se was not what I wanted to do. No , I wanted to save my rage for the demon that had stolen Landen .
“You need to calm down,” Brady said through gritted teeth.
“I am calm,” I seethed , struggling to move my arms but finding it harder than I should.
“Willow , you’re killing people. Do you understand me?!” His blue eyes blaze d as he leaned down into my face.
“I haven’t killed anyone yet!” I screamed as I scowled .
“Oh yeah?” h e said in a firm tone. “How many people do you think died when the Estate collapsed ? How many people do you think survived the storm that ripped through that town?”
“How many were traitors?!” I bellowed as rage engulfed in me. Someone let that girl into Drake’s chambers ; someone betrayed him. Took him and Landen from me.
“Not all of them, Willow,” he said , squeezing my wrist. “This town is flooding. The winds are deadly. Do you want to kill them ? Do you ? Your followers?!”
Tears burned my eye s as I realized he was right. I was dangerous. My emotions we re controlling the atmosphere. The people in this world were be ing attacked by my wrath . My grief.
“I didn’t mean to,” I whispered tearfully as my body went limp.
Brady’s eyes grew tender , and he pulled me to his chest. He held me as tight as he could , and I squeezed him back , imagining for a brief second that he was Landen. Brady leaned my head back and wiped my tears away. “I’m goi ng to ask you to do something. Something that will be far more d ifficult than taking your life. Far greater than facing any demon.” My eyes questioned him , eager to do anything if it w ould bring them back. “Control. I need you to take what you are feeling and control it . The devil is using your r age to murder this dimension. You don’t want that. I know you don’t.”
I moved my head from side to side as I wiped away more tears.
“I’ll make a deal with you,” he said, as his eyes grew sincere. “I will help you hunt her down , watch you end her life. Pr otect you. Bring them back to you if you just learn control.”
“I can’t…” I said as m y eyes moved to Landen .
“Pelhan said you would say that , ” Brady taunted , calling my attention back to him.
“What else did he say?” I asked with a fleeting hope.
“That there is an e qual reaction to every action. That right now you n eeded someone to react to you. To help you control your new power.”
“Who?” I asked , begging for them to come.
“He only had time to teach me. I was the one that understood first.”
“Teach you what?” I asked .
“How to cause a reaction to your power. Willow , I can walk though any wall of energy you put up with one focused , clear thought. With an honest intent , b ut I cannot stop this weather. This destruction . Not without your help. I don’t have the mind power. None of us do.”
I breathed in deeply and called a calm to me. The only way it would come was by thinking about Landen. His touch. At first , the memory was painful be cause it was wrapped in grief. I n the idea that I would never feel it again, but I moved pas t that and thought of every perfect word he ever said to me. His calm energy. When I felt it ease through me, when I felt myself grasping control , I looked at Brady.
“You do have the power. The power of words. Just t alk to me like you would talk to Landen. Be blunt.”
He knew I was fighting guilt now. He was very blunt with me before, and now I knew that I may have hurt or killed innocent people in the moments I lost control. I couldn’t let that happen again.
“I doubt you hurt anyone that didn’t deserve it , ” he mumbled , finding both encouragement and grief in the fact that he had said the words that made m e realize how dangerous I was.
“How can you be sure?” I ask with a tremble as I thought of the innocents that must have been in that city.
“Because everything happens for a reason. Even this.”
I knew he didn’t believe his own words, but for right now I was going to live in his lie. I had no other choice.
“You sound like Landen,” I mum bled . I could hear the rain washing down the windows in response to the stabbing pain I felt in my heart .
Brady cupped his hands around my face. “Willow , I will be your air. I will help you think. Tell you when you are out of control. You have to trust me. We will bring him back. Or die trying. I promise you that.”
That was the truth.
I looked into his blue eyes , which mirrored his brother ’s. I wanted to tell him to leave me alone. To take care of his daughter. To take our family from this dimension and never look back, b ut I’d learned my lesson just a few days ago . I promis
ed myself that I would let them chase whatever fate was calling them. Not tell my family what to do or how to do it. I tried to grasp the idea that everyon e was in my life for a reason. That whe n they felt called to help me that meant they were supposed to. That they were my survival. I just didn’t want to be their death.
I breathed in a nd wiped my last tear from my eyes, then began to pace as I took in calm , slow breaths. I focused on every time I’d laughed , every positive emotion I could. I heard echoes of each time Landen had told me he loved me. My lips turned into a vague smile.
When I first met him , he told me that his world believe d those words to be a promise. A symbol of gratitude toward the universe for allowing them to feel that emotion. It seemed we had used them as if they were a common goodbye, o r words to fill an empty moment. I regretted not putting more emo tion behind those three precious words. I regretted saying them out of habit , even though I didn’t feel that way, my lack of intensity – how freely I said them made me feel as if they had lost their meaning. Thunder crashed with the anger I had with myself.
Brady gripped my arm , causing my pace to stop. “I told you I would be your air. When you feel those emotions , you look into my eyes. You find peace, calm, and determination there. Do you hear me?!” he yelled over the rumbling thunder.
“You’re not him!” I bellowed as light n ing collided against the palace.
“Right now I’m all you’ve got. Like it or not. I’m the only one not afraid of you. The only one who knows you will not break. I know y ou have no choice but to be strong. And you will be.”
I let out a jag ged breath and stared into him. He was telling the truth. They feared me. My family thought this was our end. I gritted my teeth as I swallowed the emotions that told me they were right, Brady was wrong. Then I vowed to prove them all wrong. I would be damned if I let one evil wench stop me from my fate.
Once I took ownership of that determination , the rain stopped, the thunder grew silent , and the dark room became brighter. The skies behind the window were not bright ; they were gray, but gr ay was better than a storm. Better than the destruction I’d already brought.