Insight (26 page)

Brady and Marc took the dresses and jewels the girls were wearing and burned them in one of the side fields. Chrispin hovered near Olivia, only leaving her when they changed her clothes. I wondered if Chrispin was the source of her peace. I couldn’t ever recall her even acknowledging that boys existed, and now she looked so natural next to Chrispin.

It was so weird. The two people that I would have chosen to bring with me here were brought by fate. I always saw myself next to Olivia and Dane as I thought of where life would take me. I just wish Olivia’s path here was not painful. She’d lived through enough already.

“How old is Chrispin?”
I asked.

Landen grinned and glanced over to where Olivia and Chrispin had settled.
“He turned twenty a few months ago. That’s why he wanted to know so much about the strings he hadn’t seen yet.”

“How come he didn’t already know? You know them.”

Landen pursed his lips. I could see that he wasn’t comfortable in his thoughts, feeling guilty for something out of his control, the favor he was given as a child.
“As soon as it was clear that I had an insight, I was put in the strings, traveling further than permitted by those well beyond my years. That’s what your father meant when he said we’d be more prepared. Insight is treated with a high degree of respect.”

Our conversation was cut short as Rose arrived at the house. She stepped in the room and motioned with her eyes for us to come to her. We followed her through the kitchen, off the porch, and into the backfield, far away from earshot of the house full of people. Coming to a stop, she turned and crossed her arms, looking at us over her small square glasses.

“So, little Libby mentioned that she saw the two of you in her room last night,” Rose said. She had a proud smile on her face as she measured our response. We looked at each other with guilty smiles on our faces until the realization that our secret was no more suddenly set in.

“The others won’t learn what you can do from me,” she reassured us. “It is your gift. All I want to do is help you with it.”

“Do you know how she could see us?” I asked, knowing that Landen was just as grateful for her confidence.

“Libby is connected to the both of you. The only vision she has directly involves the two of you, or your surroundings. It makes sense that she can see you when others can’t.”

I stared at Landen. Both of us had deep concern coming from us. We felt protective over her. We didn’t want her to see anything as dark as we’d seen that day.

“When your father told me of the way you dream, I was sure that you did meet soul-to-soul. Your bodies are only vessels,” Rose said proudly. “That’s why I agreed with the decision to keep Willow in Infante. I knew you two were never really apart.” Her eyes looked over Landen and me carefully. “Have you learned to use each other’s insight as one yet?”

I nodded once, telling Landen to reveal our latest accomplishment.

“If you mean that I can feel emotions and she can see intent, then yes.”

Rose gave off an emotion of surprise, meaning that wasn’t what she meant.

“You now have both,” she said, trying to hold down her excitement.

“We’re just now learning our new ones. It can easily be overlooked because our own is so familiar to us.”

“In a way, your gifts are the same. Together, they should intensify. Landen, you could almost certainly assume someone’s mood or emotion by their intent, and Willow, knowing how someone feels would make you able to assume short-term intent,” Rose said. “You both should try to intensify your primary gift.”

“How do you mean?” Landen asked.

“Try seeing intent further away or changing emotions with a touch to those that are here. Don’t push it, or you could hinder your progress. Let it come to you.”

“Can you change emotions?” I asked.

Landen looked fleetingly at me, astonished, then back to Rose. “No wonder you always understood me,” Landen muttered under his breath as he jokingly glared at Rose.

Rose grinned. “Someone needed to walk in your shoes with you for a while,” she said, hugging him. She then looked at me as she let Landen go and said, “We all have the power to change the emotions of the ones around us. A kind word could make someone’s day, just as a harsh one will bring pain. The secret is to know your own energy and use it to fill the room around you. By being connected the way the two of you are, I can only imagine the energy you could find as one.”

It was just after noon in our dimension, and it had already been a long day. I explained to Olivia that she needed to tell her aunt and uncle that she was safe. She agreed, and we handed her a blank page. She told them that she’d met someone and was going to see the world before she went to school, explaining that the line was busy each time she’d tried to call. We enclosed a snap shot of Chrispin and Olivia using the sun as a backdrop, covering her eyes with sunglasses.

My father had given Jessica and Hannah the herb Relm that would take their short-term memory away, and it would soon take effect. The girls hugged Olivia goodbye, and Hannah argued one last time through Jessica with Olivia to come home, but her words went unheeded.

Chrispin stayed behind with Olivia, and Ashten and my father joined us as we walked back to the string. Landen led us. We were going to use the new paths he’d discovered, avoiding Esterious all together. Jessica and Hannah held their eyes down as we led them, and I could feel their anger toward their position. As we walked, their eyes grew heavy, and eventually Marc and Brady carried them as they drifted off to sleep.

Landen found a passage that was on the roof of the only hospital in Franklin. The street lights started to blink yellow, meaning it was past midnight. My father had worked in the hospital for close to twenty years, and he knew everything there was to know about it. He went in to put the girls names in the computer and assigned them a room. When he returned, he had two beds with him. Brady and Marc laid the girls down, and Ashten went with my father to take them to their rooms.

Taking advantage of the time that they were gone, I walked to the edge of the roof and gazed toward the town. The streets were empty, but my memory took me back to so many happy days that I’d spent growing up within a four-block radius. Landen came to my side, smiling as if they were his memories as well.

The walk home was quiet, the mood complacent. No one wanted to comment on what had happened to the girls, or where we’d found them. Talking seemed to confuse the issue more. We made two stops on the way back, one in the Florida Keys to mail Olivia’s letter, and one in New York to mail letters my mother had prepared for her friends that she’d left behind. Sharon’s letter was on top.

Landen and I had agreed to return to Franklin that night while our bodies slept. It would be daylight soon, and the girls would be awake, and we could see if forgetting had healed their hearing and voice. Once home, everyone departed to dress for the celebration. My father and Ashten lingered behind the others. Worried glances came from Aubrey as she helped Olivia into the car.

Ashten chose not to resume his lecture, a promise I felt him make Aubrey.

“Now that Willow’s friends are safe, will you stay here?” Ashten asked.

Landen glanced down at me, then to his father. “I won’t make you a promise I can’t keep,” he said respectfully.

“Landen, this is the only dimension that will protect the both of you,” Ashten said, stepping forward and trying to hide his frustration.

“What do you mean?” I asked, looking from Ashten to Landen.

“Chara can only be found by those who were born here,” Ashten said, looking at me, hoping I’d be able to convince Landen to stay.

“Then why didn’t you just bring me here when you found me? Drake never would have found me.”

“We didn’t know that until Drake started looking for you. He passed by the passages to Chara blindly,” Ashten said defensively.

I believed him. Landen’s gift of truth was making itself known inside me. Yet, I also knew that wasn’t the entire story.

“Why now, why is he looking for her?” Landen said with as much constraint as he could manage.

“It doesn’t matter, Landen,” my father said, putting his hand on Landen’s shoulder. “Willow loves you. He can’t take her away from you. When Olivia is feeling better, maybe she can give us a better idea of where the star might be. The palace is as large as a small town; servants who have worked their whole lives there still lose their way. We’ll return the star to where it belongs,” my father said, looking to the charm on my neck.

Ashten sighed and walked down the front steps. “Just promise me you won’t ever go to Esterious alone,” he said, looking back at Landen.

Landen just stared back at him.

My father hugged me and patted Landen on the back before he left.

“I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said as he let me go.

Landen and I walked inside our house to get ready for the celebration in town. “Why do you think they’re so worried about that star?” I asked, “Do you really think it’s that important?”

“I don’t know. I do know I don’t want Drake to have anything that belongs to you,” Landen said. I felt a surge of jealousy come from him.

“Do you think if we got the star we’d be able to heal my friends?” I asked.

“I do,” he said quietly. I nodded. “Then that’s what we’ll do,” I said, sure of myself.

Chapter Fourteen

Dinner was at sunset. We drove Landen’s black Jeep into town; this was the first time I’d left the area around our home. My eyes widened as I gazed at the lush fields, homes sprinkling the horizon. None of them looked the same, a unique personality accompanying each of them. The outline of the town was coming into view on the horizon; from where we were, it looked broader than Franklin.

Landen parked on one of the side streets. The roads were made of stones set perfectly together. The buildings were crafted uniquely, with light colors and wood framework. Each stoop had beautiful flowers sitting on it. The town was full of people, each of them beautifully original; their skin was as dark as night, yet their eyes were a crystal blue. Others would be as light as snow and every shade in between; the one common factor was the peace you could feel emanating from them.

Along the streets, banners were stretched across with our names written in a beautiful script. My parents, Dane and Clarissa, had banners as well. Lights reached out from building to building, giving the street a beautiful canopy. Music could be heard throughout the town. Children ran through the streets dressed in beautiful bright colors. Their laughter energized us as we walked by.

The atmosphere was electric. It reminded me of how a crowded concert would be at home—energized, joyful, and carefree. Some were braver than others, stopping and shaking hands with Landen and me others would only bow their heads, with a sweet smile. Landen introduced me to several couples he’d carried home. I met well over thirty of them in a one-block radius; the pride of having known him was overwhelming around them.

As we neared the center of town, large tables with white cloths lined the streets, and beautiful candles surrounded by roses set the centerpieces. The center of town was transformed into a dance floor, and the band played a beautiful melody.

A path was made for us as we crossed the dance floor, and as Landen swirled me into the center of everyone, applause erupted. He caught me in my spin and pulled me to him, kissing me softly for the world to see. The crowd grew louder, their energy rushing through us. We lost ourselves inside each other’s eyes, dancing to song after song.

The impatience of our favorite little girl, Libby, caught our attention. We went to the other side where we could see our family sitting along a large U-shaped table; others that I hadn’t met sat amongst them.

We took our place near the center, next to my parents, Dane and Clarissa. Landen, with Libby in his lap, sat next to my father. Rose was to my right, Karsten to her side. I watched as they stood and greeted another older couple. A small crowd lingered around them, causing me to lose my stare. Desperate to regain it, I adjusted my seat. The man’s skin was dark, his hair was short and white, and his eyes were as pale as clear water. The woman was small with long black curly hair, her eyes were as black as coal, and I could feel their admiration. Feeling my stare, the man turned to me and smiled as he bowed his head.

“Landen, who is that next to Karsten?”

Landen looked up from his quiet conversation with my father to follow my gaze. It was clear he hadn’t noticed them before. I could feel respect, joy, and love coming from Landen. He stood, putting Libby in my father’s lap, and pulled me up with him.

“That is my grandfather, August, and my grandmother, Nyla. They’re home.”

I followed Landen as he stepped closer. His grandfather rose as he saw us approach his grandmother followed. Landen all but threw himself into his grandfather’s arms; it was easy to see that he was closer to his grandfather than he was to Ashten.

“Willow, this is August and Nyla, my grandparents,” Landen said, formally introducing me to them. I was quickly pulled into their joyful embrace, and from the dance floor I could hear applause.

“I’m proud of you,” August said to Landen as he looked at me again. “We’ve been trying to get home for days. The storms were more difficult where we were...they haven’t been giving you a hard time, now have they?”

“They’re silent,” Landen said in a frustrated tone as he pulled me closer, smiling down at me.

“I imagine that they are,” August said, smiling at Landen. “I spoke with your father. You’ve certainly humbled him.”

“Not intentionally,” responded Landen.

“I left something for you at your house. You’d already left when we stopped by,” August said.

Landen tilted his head curiously. August leaned in closer and whispered something to Landen, ending the conversation.

Couples filled the dance floor as dinner ended, and one had my full attention: Olivia and Chrispin; they seemed to glide across the floor. The smile across Olivia’s face overshadowed her recent blindness, and no one dared to try and divide them. Landen and I were separated unintentionally. His grandfather, Brady, and others who names I had forgotten surrounded him. I was surrounded as well. The space between us was odd, yet bearable, being filled by people who I’d seen the least since being there.

I was nestled next to Rose as the conversations blossomed around us. I felt safe next to her, and understood. The uncomfortable separation brought Landen back to me, his followers were close behind, and then it was simple just to relax and feel the harmony.

Across the street, I watched as Libby and an older woman were talking. Libby then followed her into the store that they were standing in front of, almost certainly convincing the woman to give her a special treat. My eyes were growing heavy. Our day had been long and arduous. I laid my head on Landen’s shoulder as he listened to one of August’s stories of recent travels.

Kissing the top of my head, he thought,
“You’re not leaving me, are you?”

Before I could protest his thoughts, I felt Libby crawl across my lap and onto Landen’s.

“Willow, I have something for you,” she whispered.

“You do?” I said, genuinely surprised.

Libby reached into the pocket on her dress and brought out a small brown bag, trying to hide it from my parents’ view, not caring that she had Landen and Rose’s full attention.

“Tonight when you go see Hannah and Jessica, you’ll need this,” Libby said.

“What will I need it for?” The bag felt as if it were full of sand.

“When you see the mean monkey, throw this in his eyes, and he’ll go away and not hurt you.”

Landen reached for the bag and causally slid it into his pocket before anyone else noticed the exchange.

“What is it, sweetie?” asked Rose.

“Garlic salt,” Libby said, covering her lips to let Rose know it was a secret.

The feeling of certainty coming from Libby was frightening. A mean monkey—what did she mean? A little girl with ivory skin and liquid blue eyes came over, beckoning Libby to play with her. Libby hugged me tightly and said, “Don’t be scared. I’ve protected you.”

As she ran across the dance floor, my heart sank and my breath left me. We had no power to protect her from what she saw; defenseless, she would witness the battle before it came to be.

The dread was coming from Landen as well, but we were both thankful that whatever we faced tonight would be mild. Libby had no fear; her certainty still lingered around us.

The celebration went on. Not wanting to appear ungrateful for the companionship, we stayed, half-heartedly listening to the many tales around us. Rose’s distraction was apparent, as her laugh would be delayed when a story called for it. As the moon shifted, everyone’s eyes seem to grow weary, and one-by-one the town began to empty of people. Hoping we’d served our purpose, Landen excused us.

Libby had fallen asleep in my mother’s lap, and I hugged and kissed them both good night. Landen hugged August and Nyla. I looked for Rose, but I couldn’t find her. My father made his way to us, and he kissed my forehead, telling me goodbye.

When we reached Landen’s Jeep, we saw Rose leaning against the side of it, waiting patiently for us to reach her. She hesitated as a group of people passed by before she spoke.

“I know the last thing you want is someone else telling you what to do. That’s not my intent, but I implore you to please tell me when you leave tonight,” Rose said.

We weren’t concerned with the ‘monkeys’ we were supposed to see that night, simply because Libby had no fear when she’d told us, assuring us we had no reason to be afraid. Rose’s concern, though, was shaking the solid ground on which we stood. Our pause gave her reason to explain further. “If you’re gone too long, or if you’re afraid, I want to try and wake you. That monkey could be anywhere between here and those girls, and waking you might keep you safe.”

Hearing her conclusion, we nodded slowly with eyes wide open, realizing the danger that she feared for the first time.

Rose’s calm returned to her.

Landen was looking up the street, watching Ashten and his mother leave, waving bye to them.

“Willow, I think we should tell your father, his insight would make what Rose wants to do more efficient.”

The sudden relief that came over me told him that I agreed. Looking now at Rose, Landen laid out a plan for her. “We’re going to tell Jason so he can help you watch us. After we fall asleep, we’ll come to the two of you before we leave.”

The conversation was halted as Karsten and my parents approached. Rose coaxed my mother into letting her and Karsten take her and Libby home; sensing that I needed my father, she went hastily.

Landen opened the passenger door of the Jeep for my father to get in. Looking confused, he complied. I then climbed in the back, and we drove off to a more private place. Landen and my father talked casually about the celebration, August, and others that had come from so far to see all of us.

The lights of the town faded; now only the stars and moon, which was growing fuller each night, showed the way. We stopped at the edge of the driveway that led to my father’s house, and Landen and I got out.

Slowly, my father made his way out, confusion coursing from him. I nodded in Landen’s direction, encouraging him to start. He cleared his throat and said, “Jason, we need you to do us a favor.” My father nodded, agreeing before he even knew what we wanted him to do. “Willow and I can control where we go when we sleep, and tonight we’re going to see if the Realm healed Hannah and Jessica.”

“You can control it?”

“We taught ourselves last night,” Landen said proudly.

“We came to see you,” I added.

My father looked quickly at me. “Did you change my emotion?”

I nodded. I felt my father’s amazement, mixed with pride.

“Jason, Libby told us we’d see mean monkeys tonight. She gave us garlic salt and told us to throw it in their eyes. Rose wants to wake us if we’re scared. You’d be able to see if we were hurt,” Landen said.

“How would my mother know if you were afraid?” my father asked, shaking his head, trying to understand what we were saying.

I glanced at Landen, and he looked back at me; we’d both forgotten that Rose had kept her insight a secret.

“She has the gift of emotion, too,” I said, putting my hand on my father’s shoulder. “She said her father told her that she should keep it to herself if she truly wanted to help people.”

My father nodded. I felt his understanding.

“If you know there’s going to be danger, why are you going?”

“It’s just a precaution. Libby’s not afraid of what we’re going to see. Tonight will serve as a test. If we have a strong enough control over this, maybe we’ll be able to get the star back without putting anyone in danger,” Landen explained.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go into Esterious without your bodies. I’m more than sure that they’d be able to hurt you.”

“How do you know that?” I asked, looking for more answers.

“The Priests were able to put Drake in that state. Obviously, they’d know how to hinder you,” my father explained.

My father sighed and looked back and forth between Landen and me. “How are you going to contact me? Should I stay at your house?”

“We’ll stop here before we leave, try and get some rest,” Landen answered.

“I’m going to get Rose to stay with us, so you only have to stop at one place. I’d think you’d be stronger just as you left…don’t use all your energy finding us.”

We agreed with my father. Landen drove him to his front door, then took us home.

Walking in our home, we almost looked over the small package lying just inside on the floor. August had told Landen that he’d left something for us. I reached down for the box. I was excited to see what was in it.

“Do you know what it is? What did August whisper to you?” I asked, handing it to Landen.

“He said it would keep us both safe.”

When Landen opened the small brown box, something fell and hit the hardwood floor. It was two silver rings, which began circling in place. When they stopped, I reached down and grabbed them.

They were quite heavy for being so small. Within the band of the rings an eye was inscribed. Two long lashes stretched out from the bottom, and seven gold lines made a border along the base of the eye. Landen slid the smaller ring on my left hand, and I slid the larger one on his. As if they’d found their rightful place, the rings tingled our fingers upon first touch, and the silver seemed to brighten.