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My father stepped closer to me and looked into my eyes. “Smile,” he said. I submitted to his request and let a smile come across my face. “Now, don’t stop. You’re a source of inspiration; if you want to help the people in Esterious, this world - then teach them to smile,” he said, looking from me to Landen.

Landen let a smile come across his face, bringing to life his perfect dimples.

“The two of you guide Libby home; your mother is eager to get home and bake a cake,” my father said, putting his hand in my mother’s.

I hugged them goodbye and watched them pass into the string. Landen’s parents, Ashten and Aubrey, were beside us when we turned. Aubrey reached for Landen and pulled him down to her. Ashten held his arms out for me to hug him. I smiled and reached my arms around his neck. “Don’t fear that you’ll lose anyone; we’re a family that can’t be divided,” I whispered into his ear.

Ashten extended his arms and looked into my eyes. He nodded and smiled, and I felt a relief overtake him. He released me and reached for Landen, and Aubrey let go of Landen and wrapped her arms around me. “So beautiful...so brave,” she whispered as she squeezed me.

“The same. When we take Beth back, I’m going to talk to Drake to see what protection he can give them,” Landen answered. Ashten raised his eyebrows, questioning Landen. “He was with us throughout most of this,” he said, looking at me. “Since I wasn’t angry, I was able to see the man he is; I know he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

As understanding came over him, Ashten nodded. “Esterious is large, and there are several priests who would seek to rule. I’m sure Drake has a very thin line to walk,” he said.

As a confused look came across our faces, Ashten let his hand rest on Landen’s shoulder. “The illusion of a power struggle between you and him would be better than the reality of facing all the priest Donalt has prepared for this day.”

“Is he in danger?” I asked, prepared to make Drake come to Chara if he was.

“If he appears weak, then he could be overthrown. He has to play the part before him; whatever alliance you’ve formed should be held secret. Delen is outnumbered, and a long road is in front of you,” Ashten explained.

I heard him laugh under his breath. “So you admit that you’re impatient?” he asked. I nodded, remembering that was one of the first things I saw when this life appeared before me.

Rose and Karsten approached us next, and Rose hugged me as she smiled proudly. “You don’t have to tell me what you learned; I can feel you,” she said, extending her arms to look at me.

I smiled back and reached for Karsten. “You’re going to have to tell your friends of the Odionia that they’re wrong; Jayda’s blood runs through them. She found love, and so should they,” I said to him.

Karsten reached his arms around me. “I stand witness to that, my dear,” he said, letting me go.

Rose pulled Landen down to kiss his cheek before she and Karsten passed into the passage.

Clarissa and Dane approached next; they barely glanced up at us. I felt relieved to see her in Dane’s arms again. Clarissa hugged me and Landen at the same time. “I told you everything would be fine,” she said, looking over me.

“I don’t want the two of you to part again. What Landen and I feel is no different from the two of you; the world would mourn if your love was lost,” I said, looking back at her.

A stunned look came across her face, and she looked up at Dane, then to Landen. “Well then, I take that as an invitation to face Mars – because Dane will always be there to protect you,” she said.

Landen’s eyes grew serious; she knew he’d oppose her conclusion and quickly pulled Dane into the passage before Landen could utter a word.

As he looked to where they’d vanished, Landen shook his head in disbelief. “She’s always been too adventurous us for my comfort,” he said under his breath.

Chapter Thirteen

Brady and Felicity approached next. Libby was holding Felicity’s hand, and Brady was cradling Allie. Libby let go of Felicity and ran to us. Landen leaned down to scoop her up, and she laughed as he raised her above his head; it was refreshing to hear it. She reached her arms out for me to come close to her.

“Were you really there?” I asked her. She didn’t answer me; she just hugged us both as tight as she could, then let go as Brady and Felicity came to our side.

Landen looked at me. We hadn’t thought of what their perception of everything was; we were both just glad that they didn’t see what we saw: the demon himself.

“We’ll talk later,” Brady said, putting his hand on Landen’s shoulder.

I was sure that I wouldn’t be a part of that conversation. Still, I hoped that Landen would open up to Brady and vent about what he’d seen, face it, and then share it with me.

Brady gently handed me Allie, kissing my forehead as he let her go. “You’re the bravest girl I’ve ever met,” he whispered.

I blushed as I looked into Brady’s blue eyes; he’d never shown any kind of affection toward me. I’d always imagined he saw me as Landen’s soulmate, never just Willow.

“I’m only brave because he loves me,” I said, looking into the blue eyes that belonged to me.

Landen picked Libby up and led us into the passage. As the darkness came to her, Felicity smiled at me. “You seem calmer with the passage,” I said to her.

“I’m calm because I’m going home - and I know you’ll be there,” she said as she blindly looked in my direction.

Libby laid her head on Landen’s shoulder and closed her eyes. I looked down to my arms; Allie was staring up at me with heavy eyes. I let calm flow through my arms, then watched her drift to sleep. I felt relief and looked to see Brady staring at me.

“She hasn’t slept in three days,” he said.

Landen looked at Brady curiously.

“Libby, Preston, and Allie have sat in the center of Pelhan’s front room, not sleeping, eating – nothing; we couldn’t get them to say or do anything,” Brady said.

Felicity blindly reached to let her hand rest on Allie. “If I took Allie from Libby and Preston, she’d cry endlessly,” she said.

“We knew you had a victory when we heard their laughter. Preston and Libby were jumping in place, and Allie was waving her tiny hands and smiling,” Brady added.

Landen looked back at me. Hearing that didn’t make us feel any better; in fact, we were afraid - afraid that we were incapable of leading these children to any victory.

I let the calm I was feeling continue to flow through Allie, and I felt Landen do the same with Libby. We knew how tired we were, and it was hard to imagine that their little bodies had endured with us.

Inside Chara, I handed Allie’s sleeping body to Felicity; I felt her relief when she saw how calm Allie was. Brady let me and Felicity in the back of Landen’s Jeep, which was waiting by the passage. Landen sat in the passenger’s seat, still holding Libby’s sleeping body. I knew that Brady wouldn’t rest until he had a moment alone with Landen; he wanted to assure himself he was fine.

I leaned between the front seats. “Can you guys take me home first? I want a hot shower,” I said, looking from Brady to Landen. Landen looked back at me as fear suddenly came through him; his memory was sharper than mine: I’d almost forgotten the illusion of blood that I’d faced in the palace.

“
We’re home,”
I thought.

Landen smiled slightly, then leaned back to kiss me. Brady drove carefully across the field. I slid back into my seat and looked at Felicity, who leaned in and whispered, “Do you need to talk to someone?”

“
I’m sure they’re just as eager to rest as you and I,”
he thought, smiling.

I smiled at Brady and Felicity, then turned to walk up my front steps. It was dark, but I could still see the glow of energy around the flowers of every color that decorated our house. The door was unlocked; it always was. As I climbed the stairs, I didn’t turn on any lights. In a daze I walked to the bathroom in my bedroom.

I stared into the mirror at my refection: my eyes had dark circles beneath them; it seemed to enhance the emerald green that was staring back me. I did feel older - not one year, millions of years. I couldn’t find the courage to turn on the shower; instead, I let the tub fill with steaming hot water. I pulled my shirt over my head and stared at the faint line that set above my heart; I could feel the scar beneath it, and the pain I felt as the blade moved through me suddenly came to me...standing there now, I had no idea how I’d found the courage to do that.

Every moment from the time I saw Perodine wading in the water until now raced through my mind, and I felt the emotions of every intense second as if it were happening at that moment. I started to breathe harder; it felt like my chest was closing in. I tried to focus on the mirror, my image, to tell myself that I was here now, that it was over. But in my reflection, I saw Alyianna, Jayda, and all the images that I’d seen merge into my charm. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath – but calm still escaped me. I made my way to the tub and slowly slid into the steaming water, feeling it burn my skin. I then let my entire body submerge under the water.

Underneath the water, I found the silence and peace that I’d been grasping for, and I felt my mind numb - finding peace for the first time in days. When my breath expired, I slowly rose. As my hands brushed the water from my face, I stared at my tattoo: the star Drake had placed in the center of the Ankh. His memory flooded my mind. I could have lost him; a few weeks ago I would have seen that as a victory, but that night I was selfishly glad that he was still in my life.

I felt Landen approaching the house and pushed my thoughts of Drake away. I then sensed Landen drifting through the house and heard water running; I assumed he was showering in one of the other bathrooms. As I moved the soap across my body, my mind began to play over the last few days; this time, at peace, I could see clearly. I’d wanted so badly to have a chance to know who I was in my past lives, and that night that desire was granted. My hand settled on my charm, and the visions of all I was moving back into it gave me strength. I let the memories that Aliyanna gave me dance through my mind: growing up with Landen at my side, coming to Chara, Libby - they were so beautiful.

My mind moved to Jayda’s life. As the memory of her touch came to me, so did the grief she felt. I tried to call back the images of her children, to see if they even slightly resembled Libby, but she’d never clearly shown them to me. My charm hummed, and her visions grew clearer to me. In my calm state, I felt every emotion she had as she traveled back to Oba, and I heard the words she said to Samilya’s children to comfort them.

Through her eyes, I watched as maids dressed me to stand before Oba for my punishment; I felt the fear as if the moment were occurring right then and there. Jayda had never laid eyes on him before. Through her eyes, I watched as she was escorted to his throne. When the doors opened before her, I expected to see the image of Landen as Oba, but I didn’t. I moved slowly forward, gripping the sides of the tub as my memory played a lost past for me. Before me was a perfect face, the face of a king - the face of Drake. I watched as he fell and the darkness left him, just as I had days ago. My stomach turned, and heat came to my face. I was struggling to remain calm, not to alert Landen. I didn’t understand; how could he have been Oba? Oba was my soulmate; our love overcame the darkness.