Vital (40 page)

I didn’t believe him, but I kept my hold on him as he swayed us from side to side.

I felt the eager intent of Olivia to leave for Infante; she was more determined than ever to understand the dream she had of her mother. I leaned back to catch Landen’s stare.

He let out a calm breath and smiled slightly at me. “I’ll call them and tell them we’ll go, too. I want to look for Austin first, meet those people he was talking about...I have this weird feeling that somehow this all connects.”

“Me, too,” I said as my legs fell to the side of the bed. Out of nowhere, flashes of twins came to me – male twins. They were young men, captivating young men. As I peered into this elusive, uncalled for vision, I recognized the twins - or at least one of them; it was the one holding Charlie, the one with the hypnotic voice. My heart started to race, and my eyes grew wide as I tried to piece it all together.

“What?” Landen asked, climbing out of the bed and kneeling before me so he could see more clearly. He couldn’t understand why my emotions were out of control.

“I know who the twins are, the male twins...we have to find Austin - like
now
.”

“What’s going on?” Landen asked.

I shook my head from side to side as I fought with the outrageous feeling that I needed Charlie in my life. I needed all of them...there was something...a warning, a solution...I just couldn’t put my finger on it. “Preston showed me the people Austin knew, the ones he met here. He showed me the girl and the boy – the boy is a twin.”

“How do you know?” he asked, filling with an odd mix of excitement and fear.

“I don’t know,” I said breathlessly. “I feel it.”

“Show me your emotions...show me what Preston showed you,” Landen said as he gripped my hands.

I closed my eyes and tried to recall everything that Preston had showed me: those girls in the field, Charlie and the one I couldn’t see, the image behind them of Landen wrapped in grief, Charlie going to Esterious, her in the arms of that musician, the passion between them, his voice. When I was sure I’d remembered every emotion, I opened my eyes to see Landen staring at me in disbelief.

“Did you see it? Did you see Charlie?”

Landen slowly stood and looked to our balcony. “I saw both of them,” he muttered.

I didn’t know if he was talking about that boy and his twin, or perhaps him holding Charlie - but it was clear that Landen was having a hard time grasping what he saw and felt.

“Who was that other girl with Charlie? Did Preston say?” he asked as he began to pace.

“He didn’t say. I couldn’t see her.”

He stopped his pacing and looked at me. “You didn’t see her?”

I looked at him like he was crazy. “The sun was blocking her.”

Landen furrowed his eyebrows and muttered, “Preston” as he began to get dressed.

“Is she bad?” I asked as I tried to judge Landen’s emotions, which were running in every direction.

He shook his head no. “She was terrified...terrified of her fate.”

“Why?” I asked as I stood, prepared to help this girl.

“Because it’s wrapped around ours – and she knows that,” Landen said as he pulled his shoes on. “I need to find Austin, Preston...we need to get to Infante, to convince them to go to Perodine so we can figure this out. Get ready, K?” he said as he leaned down and kissed my lips before leaving the room.

I sat, paralyzed, trying not only to control my emotions, but also his. I thought of Charlie’s innocent face; it reminded me of myself a few months ago. I was about to charge into her life and tell them about the demon I’d fought, and I could only hope she proved to be more balanced with the idea than I was. I told myself she had to be, that she was already fighting something and that together we’d be strong.

My stomach was tying itself in knots, and I felt weak with anxiety. I could see the room grow dim; the sun outside had faded. I focused, controlled my anxiety. As I fought not to push it down, at that moment the sun resumed and a smile filled my face.

I started to get dressed. As I pulled my jeans on, I felt Dane getting closer to the house, and I smiled as I felt the familiar emotion of his soul. I was eager to leave for Infante, but I wanted to make sure he was OK before I left.

As I finished getting dressed, I reached out my sense of emotion to see who had come home. I felt everyone with the exception of August and Nyla, but I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t find them there; I had no doubt that August was eagerly trying to understanding what was coming at us now.

When I reached the bottom of the steps, I found Landen and Dane talking casually. As Landen looked up at me, his blues eyes sparkled, reflecting the joy he had at that moment; it was like he had a huge surprise for me, like he couldn’t wait to find Charlie. I couldn't understand where that was coming from.

“Chrispin and Olivia left for Infante. I told them we’d meet them there soon,” Landen said to me as he tried to subside his uncalled for excitement.

“Did you find Austin?”

“No. He’s traveling, but I have a pretty good idea where he is. Maybe we can go there, too; I might just be able to find out who they are by going to a few of the houses he stays at in Infante. I’m sure he has their name written down somewhere.”

“What about Preston? Did you ask him?”

“Yeah. He said it was time for our worlds to collide – whatever that means,” Landen said, raising his eyebrows slightly, like he was giving me a clue to his odd emotion.

Dane looked back and forth between us, trying to understand what was going on. “We’re going to Infante?”

Landen nodded. “Maybe you should rest more first, spend time with Clarissa.”

Dane smiled. “Gladly.”

Landen smirked. “Alright, I’m going to get Brady. He said that Marc and Stella went to check on the looking glass, and he wants to go with us. I’ll be right back,” Landen said as he walked toward the porch.

I smiled at Dane as I reached for my black coat, which was hanging on the banister. “Good to have you back.”

He stepped forward and helped me push my arms through the coat, then opened the door. I breathed in the winter air, feeling elated by it. Dane leaned against the railing and smiled at me. “I wanted to tell you thank you,” he said quietly.

“It was nothing. I have no issue destroying that devil – even if it’s piece by piece.”

He shook his head from side to side. “That’s not what I meant. Clarissa told me everything: how she told you that she was wrong about me, that I wasn’t her soul mate and she was just eager to find hers, that you wouldn’t listen to her -”

“Because I knew she was wrong. I didn’t understand it, what you were doing to yourself, but I wasn’t going to let anyone toss you aside.”

Dane reached his arms around his chest as if he were remembering the pain I’d inflicted on the one we’d thought was Dane. “You definitely put me in my place,” he said, smiling slightly.

“You remember that?” I asked as my smile faded.

“I don’t remember any of it clearly – only parts. I remember sending Clarissa away from me, fighting with you...everything else is really vague. Your dad said to let it come to me slowly, that I needed to let myself forget what my mind couldn’t handle and use what it could.”

“I don’t think it was you...it couldn’t have been.”

He smiled slightly. “I hope you’re right. The flashes of memories I see aren’t good. They make me sick to my stomach. I just want to promise you that I’ll do whatever I have to do to pay you back for believing in me when I didn’t deserve it.”

“You deserved it; you’ve always been there for me.”

He nodded and looked down. “Always will be.”

I felt Landen and Brady getting closer. I reached up to hug Dane, and he wrapped his arms around me tightly. “I’ll get Clarissa and come with you.”

I pulled away. “Go home and lock yourself in your house with her. I’ll come get you when I need you.”

He nodded as a grin spread across his face.

Landen pulled up in front of our porch, and I slid in the backseat.

“How’s Felicity?” I asked Brady as we drove to the passage.

He looked over his shoulder at me and smiled. “Better now. I swear, she feels what you go through at a distance.”

I wanted to talk to her about that dream but didn’t have time right then. I knew Olivia needed me; she needed me to tell her that the dreams she had were coming true, that I was more than sure who that song belonged to – more than sure that Charlie’s world was about to collide with mine.

Once we stepped into the passage, Landen took my hand and Brady walked on my other side.

“How many storms has the looking glass created?” I asked, looking between the two of them.

“I’ve only heard of a few,” Brady said, looking down at me. “August thinks they were just created by the looking glass going under water; we haven’t felt one since around that time.”

I nodded but kept my guard up; I didn’t believe that the devil wasn’t wanting for another chance to hurt me. In the distance, I felt the eagerness of Marc coming toward us. Landen gripped my hand as he felt Marc’s intent to warn us.

We started to walk faster to meet him; a second later, he emerged from the glow of the string. He seemed relieved to have found us so easily.

“What is it?” Landen asked him.

Marc shook his head. “I’m not sure. There are rumors that Drake found Willow, that they were joined. They’re saying that this morning, they saw her and him in a window. He didn’t give a speech or anything; a member of the court just announced that he was taking control of the palace, that this was all over.”

I looked up at Landen. “What?! He found her?”

It could be just a careless rumor
,
he thought. I knew he didn’t believe it; I knew he’d unraveled something in the vision that I showed him of Charlie, but he wasn’t sharing it - not yet, not until he was certain.

“Let’s go there,” he said to Marc.

“I’ll show the passage to his chambers,” Marc said.

As we walked closer to Esterious, I felt the confusion and concern of Beth.

“They’re in here,” I said, walking faster.

“Drake isn’t with them,” Landen said, holding my hand tighter. “She and Alamos are with another traveler.

A moment later, I saw three images coming forth: it was Beth, Alamos, and a young man I’d seen before helping us carry my followers through the string.

“What’s going on?” Marc asked, reaching for Beth to let her know he was there.

The traveler looked at Landen. “Mrs. Beth saw me on the streets outside of the estate and sent a messenger to ask me to bring them to the palace. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

Landen nodded as if to tell him it was fine, then reached for Alamos. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know,” Alamos said as he blindly looked forward. “I can’t get into his chambers; he’s sealed himself in there. I knew you could come through the passage. I’m worried that he might have hurt himself or something worse.”

“What about the rumors?” I asked.

“What rumors?” Alamos asked as his eyes blindly moved to the sound of my voice.

“That he’s found me and has taken over the palace. They say they saw him in a window with me,” I answered.

“I heard that through the whispers of the staff; that’s why I was so worried. He’s never blocked me out before...something is wrong...I can feel it,” Beth said.

Landen looked at the traveler. “Take them to the palace.”

“Wait,” Alamos said. “You need to find the male twins. The scroll said they can see darkness, light...they have something to do with music.”

“We know,” Landen said solemnly, regretting that we hadn’t already searched for them, regretting that the universe itself had kept us apart for some distant reason. “I know how to find them...” Landen said, looking me.

“Who’s with Drake?” Brady asked, trying to understand what was going on.

“Time to find out,” Landen said, nodding for the traveler to lead Beth and Alamos.

Marc’s steps were bold as he led us to the passage that would lead into Drake’s chambers. “When you walk through here, it’ll feel like you’re in a closet. A few steps forward, and you’ll be in a living area. His bedroom is to the right, and the door to the rest of the estate is to the left. I’m going to make sure mom gets to the palace safely.”

Landen nodded, telling him to go.

“Are you coming back there?” Marc asked.

“Depends...if you don’t find us there, we’ll be in Infante. I need to find Chrispin and Austin,” Landen answered.

“Austin?” Marc and Brady said at the same time.

Landen nodded. “I think he may be holding the key to the next trial. I have a feeling that we’re not alone in this war...we need the musicians.”

“Musicians?” Marc repeated in disbelief.

Landen looked down at me, then to them. “Music can’t be seen or touched; it can only be felt. Music, like every art, evokes emotion. Willow always expresses emotion through art; when you look at her work, you feel what she felt. I think these twins - and a girl that’s with them - are changing emotions with this gift; they’re fighting at our side, even though we’re worlds apart.”