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I watched her with anticipation. I knew that whatever she gave me would be perfect. On the table was a long box made of cherry wood. The hinges were silver, and so was the lock that closed it. Perodine carefully picked up the box and walked to the table in front of which I was standing. I stared at her, wondering what was inside.

“I am afraid it is not new; it was once yours,” she said, smiling.

Landen and Brady came closer to see what was in the box. I carefully reached for the silver latch, then opened and pulled the lid up slowly. Inside, there were paint brushes - every kind imaginable - in perfect condition.

Perodine traced her finger across the box. “I have no idea where the talent of art came from, but it most definitely has always been your passion,” she said as she watched me gently pick up the brush that laid on top. They felt like they were mine; I remembered them. I smiled as images I must have painted long ago came to me.

“You told me that when you painted, you let your soul speak to you. Each time you had a problem that seemed too big for you to comprehend, you would paint; when the painting was complete, you had resolved whatever was tormenting you,” Perodine said.

Olivia and Landen looked at each other, then at me. “I assure you that’s her way of sorting through her conflicts today,” Landen said. I felt how proud he was of me, how much he loved me.

I gently laid down the brush I was holding and carefully closed the box. I then extended my arms to hug Perodine, and in her embrace I felt the kind of love my mother, Grace, gave me: unconditional. Perodine was abundantly thankful I was in her life, and I let the gratuity I felt flow through my emotion. I then leaned back and let my arms fall.

“Did you have a peaceful night?” I asked.

She looked over her shoulder at the wall, then down at the scrolls. “No demons; just the wake of his evil,” she answered. I knew she was referring to the lives that were lost last night, the innocent people who just wanted to escape. An uneasy breath escaped me. I fell into the chair I was standing in front of and tried to pull my thoughts together; there had to be a way around war, a way that Drake wouldn’t be over taken by evil.

Landen reached for the math equation. “Are we sure that Venus is done now?” he asked Perodine.

“I want August and Alamos to check my math, but I am almost certain that the timing was right,” Perodine said.

Landen handed the pad to Brady, who picked up a pen and started going over the equation. I looked at Landen curiously. “
Math is a universal language that Brady has always spoken well,”
Landen thought. I raised my eyebrows, showing the surprise I felt.
“It’s always been too black-and-white for me,”
Landen thought.”
I try to find a way to prove the theories wrong - and it annoys him,”
he finished, smiling at Brady.

I felt August, Nyla, Beth, and Marc approaching from the other direction. My insides started to tie themselves in knots, and adrenaline rushed through my veins. Landen walked around the table and reached for my hand, and I felt his calm as he pulled me up and led me to the couch that faced the fireplace.

“
He’s not with them,”
he thought. With his thoughts and his emotion of calm, the knots started to unwind, and a numb feeling came in the wake of the adrenaline.

“
I don’t think I can talk to him; I won’t be able to control my anger – I’ll only make it worse,”
I said, leaning forward and letting my head rest on my knees.

I felt Landen gently run his hand across my back and Clarissa take a seat next to me. Olivia sat on the table in front of me.
“I don’t want you to hide anything from him; anger, fear – he has the same emotions, and the two of you are going to have to face them.”

As the dread built in me, I turned my head from side to side. I knew that if I were to release any kind of emotion, Landen would feel it. I was struggling to protect him from any doubt that I loved him; I just wanted to hide. Brady’s idea of a deserted island was sounding better and better as the seconds crept by.

“
There’s nothing you’ll feel that will make me doubt what we have; we are not running,”
Landen thought.

I looked up at him to find him smiling at me. “I promise,” he whispered.

I leaned into him and took a deep breath. August and Nyla appeared first in the doorway, and Beth and Marc were behind them; they had so many emotions running through them, it was hard for me to judge them. Marc and August looked curiously at Olivia, and Nyla and Beth just smiled. I knew then that they were more than aware that Olivia had found a way to see in the string, a way to travel.

“Did something happen?” Landen asked August.

“Drake had a meeting with his court, so we had to leave,” August said as he took a seat on the couch next to ours. Nyla sat down next to him. Beth came to Olivia’s side and let her arm drape around her. I watched as Beth whispered something to Olivia; I couldn’t hear her words, but I knew they filled Olivia with pride.

Marc let his hands rest on his hips, then raised his eyebrows. “I knew Chrispin was hiding something from me,” he said, looking between Olivia and Beth.

“He wasn’t hiding anything; he wanted to tell you, but you’ve been distant,” Olivia said.

A guilt came over Marc and Landen; the last thing they intended to do was push anyone away. Landen looked over his shoulder at Brady, then to Olivia. “I won’t leave them behind again - I promise,” he said.

Marc nodded in agreement. “Does he know you’re here? Should I go and tell him?” he asked.

“He’ll be here soon,” Olivia said, turning to smile at me. Clarissa shook her head from side to side and she couldn’t hide the betrayal she was feeling. Olivia and Clarissa had grown close over the last few months, and now they couldn’t feel more distant.

August leaned back, shaking his head slowly from side to side. He then sighed and stared into space. “He’s in a dark place. The only one on his side for sure is Alamos,” he answered. His eyes then moved quickly to Landen. “He’s on his side. You can feel he wants to help him, right?” he asked, looking for validation.

I felt an overwhelming pride coursing through Beth. I could feel Chrispin approaching, and I looked over my shoulder; a second later, he appeared in the doorway. He looked at Marc and Brady and smiled boyishly. His eyes then found Olivia, and he walked quickly to sit by her side. He wrapped his arm around her and smiled at me.

“Is she not the most amazing woman you’ve ever met?” he asked Beth.

Beth smiled and nodded. “One of four, hopefully,” she said under her breath. Remorse began to seep into her; I knew her thoughts were with Drake at that time.

Clarissa’s body tensed next to mine, and a jealously raced through her. Perodine slowly walked to the couch next to ours, then leaned against the edge and stared curiously at Olivia.

“How did you get here so quickly?” Landen asked, grinning proudly at Chrispin.

“Rose and Libby were at the gate. Preston had that look in his eye; you know the one: like something life-changing is about to happen,” Chrispin said, raising his eyebrows.

Landen’s smile fell, and the room filled with a sense of dread. Perodine stood up straight, then looked at Dane and Olivia.

“You’re a Cancer,” Perodine said to Olivia. Olivia smiled and bowed her head. “Have you always had a sense of optimism - even in the darkest hour?” Perodine asked.

Olivia looked at me, and I nodded. In my opinion, she had too many dark hours. When we were only children, she lost both of her parents – but even though grief consumed her, she still found a way to smile, and to make me smile.

“And you are the dreamer?” Perodine said under her breath.

Chrispin looked past me at Dane, and I felt a tension rise between them. Landen stretched his hand out for Chrispin’s knee, drawing his attention away from Dane and giving himself a sense of calm. Chrispin broke his stare and pulled Olivia closer to him. I could feel Perodine’s emotions racing; it terrified her to know that if it weren’t for August insisting that we allow Drake to stay, I could have been easily overcome by the demon. Drake had been the only thing standing between me and the darkness that chased me.

“Water is every part of your chart,” Perodine said to Olivia. “It gives you the ability to see beyond the moment you are in...you are the one the demon fears the most - for you can see it coming,” she said slowly.

I felt Dane come to the edge of the couch, but I didn’t look at him; I knew if I did, his eyes would make me feel guilty for not thinking he was the one who was supposed to protect me.

“I feel better now,” Perodine said, smiling slightly. We all looked at her curiously. “I could not figure out how he was able to cause the illusion in the bathroom or get as close as he did inside of Drake. I thought he had somehow grown more powerful than the shield, but that was not the case,” Perodine looked at Landen, then to me. “The shield was simply misplaced.”

“To admit you were wrong is the same as admitting that you could be wrong again,” Dane said through his teeth; anger and jealously were engulfing him.

August leaned forward and raised his hands as if to calm the room. “Then we’ll just make sure that in the future they’re both with Willow; that way, we have no doubts - and Willow is protected.”

I felt Landen’s anticipation. I looked to my side at him, then followed his eyes to the doorway August had come through. “It must have been a short meeting,” Landen said aloud, watching the doorway.

I felt him sorting through the emotions and intent of Alamos and Drake. I still couldn’t feel them; I could only feel Landen’s response to what he felt – and at that moment, he had sorrow, fear, and anger.

Adrenaline spread through me, and I unknowingly held my breath, waiting for the moment when I’d look into Drake’s dark eyes.

“
Is it bad?”
I asked.

He looked at me. “They’re just very overwhelmed, and apparently they aren’t thinking clearly.”

I drew in an uneasy breath and waited for them to enter the room. Alamos came in first. His eyes moved across the room, first finding me, then Perodine. He passed by me and stood at Perodine’s side. He felt Olivia’s gaze and stared curiously back at her. Drake appeared in the doorway. He looked passed everyone at me. Our eyes locked, and for a second I thought time had stopped; I couldn’t hear or feel anything - I could only see his captivating dark eyes outlined in dark circles. He looked so tired. The sleeves on his button up shirt were rolled up, and my eyes fell to his tattoo of the dragon covered by a willow tree on the inside of his arm. He carefully rolled his sleeves down when he saw the tattoo had once again taken my attention, then kept his eyes on me as he took a seat on the couch next to August. I was calmer than I thought I would be in his presence.

Clarissa reached for my hand and held it tight. I felt how uncomfortable she was around Drake; like every young girl in his presence, she was completely captivated by him.

Olivia turned to look at him, and he smiled slightly, noticing her for the first time. “I was wondering where you were,” he said to Olivia as he relaxed into the couch.

His eyes moved to Alamos.

“I thought that was her,” Alamos said.

Marc walked behind Landen. “You should recognize her; are you not the one who held her captive, the one who took her sight?” he said shortly.

Alamos smiled slightly, then looked at Drake and Marc. “Son, the priest you seek revenge on has since lost his life; beyond that, it’s impossible to take her sight. If anything, they caused her to find her third eye more suddenly than expected,” he said.

“Third eye?” Marc repeated sarcastically, shaking his head.

Alamos looked at Perodine. “The only one that really matters,” he said. “What we see with our minds is far more important that what our eyes see; this child has the ability to see clearly without concentration.”

You’d think Olivia would be afraid of the power they were telling her she had, but she wasn’t; it was like she’d known all along. I envied her calm state. I looked at Drake to see his eyes barely open. He broke our gaze and gently shut his eyes.