Insight (34 page)

“See? I’m not so bad,” he whispered as he moved his left hand down my side and his right hand to my face, tracing my cheek bone and leaving a warm tingle where his touch once was. I let out a quiet breath, and he smiled as he saw the effect he was having on my body. “You really shouldn’t listen to all the bad things you hear people say. It’s wrong to judge someone,” he whispered into my ear.

I let another quiet breath loose as I felt his lips near my skin. I was losing my sense of reality.

“I haven’t listened to anyone. I’ve seen with my own eyes,” I answered, searching for clarity.

“What have you seen?” he said, now tracing my eyes with his fingers, then letting his lips dance across my cheek. I was losing control of my body and mind, and I couldn’t find a way to grasp the sensation he gave me.

“You’re the reason Monica is dead,” I sneered, pulling myself back into reality.

Drake hesitated, leaned back then pulled his brow together, questioning my words. Now holding my face with both of his hands, he sent my head into a spin, and I struggled to stay focused.

“She followed you there…she drowned,” I said, more sure of myself.

“Ah, now, my love, that would be fate, not my fault,” he said, grinning with relief.

“You took them…why?

Drake tilted his head, and his eyes slowly moved across my face, then settled on my eyes. His brow drew together as if he’d been through a great pain. I almost felt sorry for him.

“I needed your attention. I couldn’t have you running off and hiding in that ghastly dimension, now could I?” he asked innocently.

“Chara is where I belong, and if you’re Beth and Livingston’s’ son, then you belong there. You need to find the one you’re meant to be with and leave me alone. Are you some kind of fool, playing with demons?”

Taking in my rejection, his jaw tightened, but he recovered and laughed casually, then pulled my face to his chest and pressed himself against me. As the warm vibration touched the front of my body, I closed my eyes, and for the moment my body was winning the battle with the help of my mind. I was having a difficult time remaining angry with him, but finding strength, I slowly pushed away and gasped for air.

“You are meant for me. This is not the first time we’ve loved one another,” Drake said, regaining his touch, holding my face, and sending the head-spinning vibration through me again.

“I don’t love you,” I said, astonished at his words.

He stared in my eyes, looking at someone I was sure didn’t exist. “Your memories of me may be gone, but mine are so vivid. You are the same woman I’ve always loved,” Drake said in a voice that almost trembled.

“Your memories are toying with you. I belong to Landen. I always have, and I always will.”

It was as if I could see his heart break, but I didn’t understand why. I barely knew him. It was my power, not my heart that he wanted.

“I want you to think, Willow, for one minute—how are you so sure?” he asked in a quiet, desperate tone. His eyes captured mine, and I stared back, trying to understand who he was. When I couldn’t find the answer I was looking for, clarity came back to me. Nature had proved more than once that Landen and I could not psychically be apart, meaning we were one and that no one could part us. If Drake knew this, he’d know his efforts were in vain.

As if he had read my thoughts, Drake said, “We can be together, if you choose to take another vessel.” His eyes were searching mine for understanding.

Now Adonia’s body had a purpose.

I was disgusted by his words and scowled at him. “My
soul
is his—not this vessel.”

I looked away from his eyes, trying to break the pull he had on me. “Willow, we have a destiny to fill. You chose this, and you have to let go of your foolish misconceptions.” His eyes chased mine, trying to catch my gaze.

“I will never let him go,” I said, locking stares with him.

“Never say never, my love. Tonight, you have a choice to make, and your choice will not only impact you, but the entire universe.”

Drake pulled my chin up slowly and kissed my lips tenderly. The warm sensation was so heavy, I couldn’t move. He slowly pulled away and smiled at me. “If you will be my queen, I will give you the universe as a canvas. You can bring all the flowers and color you want here, you can move their emotions to happiness.” Drake moved beside me, draping his arm around my shoulder. Before us, the solid white room opened up, and faces rushed by covered in smiles.

Color was everywhere, birds were singing, and the crowds were cheering. I saw Libby playing in a field, and my mother and father walking hand in hand, smiling. Franklin came into view, and I saw all my friends, happy. I watched as Monica waved eagerly in my direction, full of life. As the sickening grief set in, a tear streamed down my face I wanted to run to her, but I knew she was only an illusion. My eyes searched the room and saw Olivia at the theater, then I could see Dane helping his mother at her Diner. Their loneliness reached through to me as my eyes found their way back to Monica. “I can take it all back to the way it was, and I can give you the power to bring the color you crave for this world, all you have to do is say you will have me and only me.”

“Do you take me for a fool? I know that this is not the whole story. What do you get out of having me?” I said, closing my eyes and hiding from the illusions.

“This is the truth I have shown you before remember, my love,” he whispered just before kissing my neck softly.

Through the sensation, I found a way to remember the nightmare I’d had in the car: the crowds cheering, the absence of my tattoo, my gift of emotion, and Libby—all vanished.

“Together, and only together, we could rule the universe. Alone, we are but mere mortals,” he said, quietly studying my face for compliance.

I breathed in and closed my eyes, trying to find control over my own body. “It is not my place to rule over anyone, and it’s not yours either.” I stepped away from Drake, causing him to lose his touch. As he did, the numbing feeling left me, and as clarity came back, the anger rose.

“Do you not love your family?” he said, tilting his head and questioning my resolve.

“Do you not love yours?” I retorted quickly. He shook his head as he laughed at my newfound comfort with him.

“I cannot help the cards that I was dealt. If Donalt is to die, he wishes his will to live on through me, for him to have a final say in eternity. And Alamos, well, Alamos only wants to give his daughter’s body life again. They are my true fathers.”

“If you let his will live on, you are just as evil as he, all the more reason for me not to love your dark heart.” I couldn’t feel him, but I think my words hurt him. Pain was in those obscure eyes of his.

“Once we are joined, it will be
our
choice, not theirs. You cannot fight the way you feel about me. I know that you love me. I’ve seen it, my touch is real.”

Drake walked slowly to me and pulled me to him, kissing me softly and sending his numbing sensation through every part of my body; the high was pulling me up and away from my body. He then stopped and cradled my face with his hands.

“For you to bring back your friend and save this dimension, you must leave this body, join Adonia, and be one with me as we rule the universe.”

His eyes smiled, and his expression softened. I was so dizzy, I had to close my eyes, and when I did I saw Monica’s face, Hannah and Jessica laughing out loud, and color in the gray world that had haunted me my whole life. I felt Drake’s lips touch mine, and my balance came into question. Then, Landen’s blue eyes finally surfaced above all the images in my mind, giving me the strength I needed. I pushed Drake away, looking at him intently.

“I love Landen.”

Drake sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around my limp body. Holding me tightly, he hesitated before he spoke. “Do you love him more than Libby?”

I gasped, pushing away from him and breaking the spell he had on me again. The room opened, but this time the images were of Libby dirty, crying, and alone. The graves of my parents and all my friends slid through the room. The gray world had grown darker. I covered my mouth, stopping the scream that wanted to come out.

“Do you?” Drake said as he stepped in front of the images, blocking my view.

“How could you! How do expect me to believe that someone as cruel as you could ever love someone?”

A sardonic smile echoed on his lips. I had the strangest sense of déjà-vu; it was as if I’d seen him smile that way at me somewhere else in time.

“There you go judging me again,” he said under his breath.

“You can’t force me to love you,” I said through my teeth.

Drake’s grin lessened abruptly, and he looked down and slowly back up at me. “I shouldn’t have to, love. I never have before,” he said finally. I looked at him with utter confusion. Was he insane? He didn’t even know me.

“I am giving you the chance to not only rule a dimension, but an entire universe. Wherever you go, you will be honored, the most beautiful and powerful woman to ever take a breath. You can be as kind or as cruel to your followers as you desire,” Drake said as if he were painting a beautiful portrait.

Libby’s image danced across the room, her laughter echoing around me. Drake’s eyes followed her.

“Would you put your comfort before hers? Yours before billions?”

He’d managed to put his hands on my face again, and my clarity left me. My head fell back, and his lips touched my neck. I felt the ring on my finger burn, and the necklace responded.

“I love Landen. I always have, and I always will.”

As I said the words, the white glow vanished, and we were back in the dark room. I felt someone jerk me away, and I fell to the ground. Opening my eyes wide, I saw Landen and Drake on the ground, fighting. Beth and Marc crouched over Livingston’s body, which was lying at the base of the stonewall. I looked to see that it was Brady that was holding me, and I struggled to stand, halfway pulling him up with me.

“Landen, tell me you love me—tell Drake that’s how I got away.”

Landen stood, and Drake followed. As they glared at each other, Landen said, “I love Willow, she loves me. What you have done will be undone, today and every day that follows.”

Silence fell on the room. Beth stood and slowly walked toward Drake. The rings that we were wearing were drawn to each other, putting me in Landen’s arms. Wind turned in the room. Electricity could be felt coursing through us, and a stunning white light came from our hands then bolted toward Drake. Beth dove in front of him, screaming. Suddenly, she vanished and so did Drake.

On the stonewall, the candle under the moon ignited into a flame that burned the entire wall. Brady raced to the altar, fearing that the book would be next. “I’ve got the page. Do you want to look for the star?” Brady yelled, running to us and handing Landen the page.

“It’s gone,” Landen said in a whisper.

“What?”

“I’m sure that’s where his power came from, it’s still with him,” Landen said, stunned.

“Is he dead?” Marc asked, not looking up from Livingston’s body.

“We don’t know where he is,” Landen said, looking at Marc with remorse.

Sorrow and grief hit Landen and me with a force that wiped our energy away. I looked to my side and saw Livingston. The absence of emotion told us he was gone. I walked slowly to Marc, pulling every single happy memory that I’d ever had forward. He saw me coming and stood and opened his arms. I hugged him tightly and thought the words ‘everything happens for a reason’ over and over, and I finally felt Marc’s emotion break. He was at peace, at least for the moment.

“We should go,” Brady said with a heavy heart. He leaned down and picked up Livingston’s body and carried it to the string. I turned and went for the book on the altar. When I went to pick it up, a force repelled my hands. Landen then reached for the book, only to be repelled as well.

“You have the page. Let’s go,” Brady said.

We looked at each other, knowing that this was not over, and walked toward the passage. I then remembered the little boy and searched for him in the darkness. Landen and I felt his grief and followed it to one of the dark corners, where he was huddled in a small ball. Landen reached down and picked him up, checking to see if he’d been hurt.

“What’s your name?” I asked softly.

“Preston”

“Preston, are you okay?”

“Where did my mommy go?”

We looked quickly to Marc to see the blank, fearful expression on his face.

“She had to leave for now. Where’s your father?” Landen asked.

Preston reached his arm out and pointed at Brady holding Livingston.

“He’s sleeping now,” Preston said in an innocent voice.

Brady stepped through the passage, taking Livingston out of sight. Marc walked over to Landen and reached his arms out for Preston.

“We’re going to take you home now. You’re safe,” Marc promised the little boy.

All at once, I felt overwhelming compassion. Marc walked to the opening in the string, shielding Preston. Landen and I followed. Just as we reached the string, I heard, “Aliyanna—Guardian,” in a comfortingly familiar voice.