Vindicate (14 page)

Nana grinned. “Understood.”

As they left the room , I stole a few mor e sips of my soup. I felt vacant , like it didn’t matter what I ate ; at th at point , I would still be famished . Nana didn’t say a word until my bowl was empty.

“Now…what did he tell you ? H
ow did he tell you to remain strong?”
s he asked , already knowing the answer.

“Landen?” I said as the sound of his name pierced through my chest.

She nodded.

“To think of us , ” I whispered as my eyes stared into the past.

She nodded. “And why are we not doing that?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess I was too hungry to think of that , ” I said in a sly attempt to thank her for taking care of me.

I breathed in deeply and closed my eyes. I let memories rush me back, back to the beginning. Our first kiss …the first time he held me in a passionate embrace. H
is words .
His soothing energy. Then I remembered his energy falling into mine, the addicting sensation of how astounding it felt when we were truly one. I felt his power, our power , course through my soul. I took a deeper breath , feeling life come back to me. I was wide-awake , full of energy and determination. I opened my eyes to see Nana smiling at me.

“Did you – did you just see all of that?” I asked , feeling my cheeks turn crimson.
Frantically I twirled my ring, letting my nail slice into my tender skin. Control. I had it. At least for this moment.

“No,” she promised , echoing truth.

“I don’t understand this seeing thing.”

She folded her hands in front of her. “Seeing the living is hard ; all you can see is their perception . I f you’re wise , you will look around them and find your own conclusions. The dead are simpler ; they have no secrets.” She sighed. “Don’t worry about anyone seeing what you don’t want them to – if you hide it from yourself , you hide it from them. Your deeply personal thoughts are locked in a vault in your mind w h ere only you and the one that created them can see.”

“Madison couldn’t see me, how come?” I asked , understanding the frustration she must have with me . I t had to be like not feeling Drake, or any dark soul in Esterious.

“I would consider that a blessing , ” Nana said , trying to smile. “Sometimes our souls are wise and blind us from what we should not see. I don’t think it’s a good idea for either of yo u to see each other now or ever.” Her eyes danced across my face.
“
I understand Scorpios are a bit jealous.”

“She’s a Scorpio?”
I said with a smirk .
I was so right about her.
“What would I feel if I could feel her?” I asked carefully.

“A very confused girl who is hiding from her fate.”

Sounds familiar.
“Why? Why does she hide?”

“Would you not hide from yours if you had the choice?”

Lying was a reflex.
“I had a choice .
I faced it.”

“Not in this life, Willow. W
hether you believe it or not , you felt connected to Drake long before your nightmares had a face.”

I couldn ’
t overcome how eerie it was that she knew so much about me. I felt v ul nerable , and I didn’t like it at all. “What you just said to me , ” I nodded toward the doorway that Brady and Olivia had left , “
w hat you just did to Brady – that could be seen as an invasion of privacy. Some people may not want you to med d l e in their thoughts.”

I felt her intent to choose her words more carefully around me . I felt bad for causing her to put up that wall. When did I become so rude? If my mother knew I was acting like this I would never hear the end of it.

“True . O
ne would argue that feeling others ’
emotions, seeing intent, feeling truth could be an invasion as well.”

“Very true,” I said , smiling for the first time since Landen had left. “I’ve said that before.”

“Right.”

“You see my past – do you see a different choice I could have ever made ?
” I asked , daring to know if that were the case.

Her eyes fell to my chest to where the blade had pierced my heart , t hen they rose to meet mine. “No. Y
ou have made choices that no one should ever be asked to, and as my grandson so poetically said , you made them with the grace of a queen an d the heart of a warrior. Y
ou prevailed.”

“I’m not a queen , ” I said gruffly , know ing that fate had given that title to Madison .
Whether she liked it or not.

“Yes , you are . I n your heart , you are a queen , and your king needs you to be strong – to fight for him.”

I felt a familiar anger rumble inside of me , then reflect in the sound of thunder. “If you truly see me , then you know it is Landen , not Drake , that I love with my soul.”
I let out a breath as I dug my nail into my skin. I didn’t mean to let that emotion slip out.

“Correct , ”
s he said , looking to the window , then to me. “But right now – you are going to have to save them both…you are going to have to do this because I don’t think Madison is ready for your world.”

She said save not love. It felt so good to hear that . “She is the one , ” I stated bleakly. “Fate demands that she helps me with this.”

Nana tried to smile , but the concern in her eyes wouldn ’
t let her. “Neither you or I know that for sure ; only they will.”

“Why do you think she is not ready ?” I asked .
Maybe it was me. Maybe Madison knew I tried to love them both. That would make me mad if the tables were reversed.

“Because I know who is in her dreams. I know the destiny she is refusing to seek. I know that she has herself consumed with Charlie’s fate – with Draven’s , but truth is that all of you, every last one of you , need each other.”

“What is going on with Charlie?” I asked . To me that girl looked solid as rock. Like someone I would need in my life.

Nana held my gaze.
“Charlie mad e a choice many, many years ago. S
he chose Draven’s soul, and the one she left behind wants nothing more than for her to…reconsider.”

“Sounds familiar , ” I mumbled .

Nana laughed under her breath. “You remind me of her ; in fact , you are a perfect combination of both her and Madison . T
he only diffe rence is your soul is old – more focused on your intent.”

“If she lived many years ago , she is an old soul , ” I corrected respectfully.
Not to mention it was clear to me that her intent was to help Draven through his hell.

“Many – not millions , ” Nana said , raising one eyebrow. “Listen…I don’t think seei ng is going to be hard for you. Y
ou are very aware of energy and the emotions behind them . L
isten to what they say to you, and when you step into The R
ealm , do not fear what you see…it is only time you must endure.”

Now that was a warning that got my attention.
“What will I see?”

“Everything you don’t want to , ”
s he promised .

I heard the wind crash against the house as my jealousy rose in me.
In my minds eye I could see that seductive whench with her hands all over Landen.
I held my breath. Stabbed my nail into my skin and demanded my soul to find control.

“It ’s temporary.
Its just time. What happens in this moment will end , and the next will come and end – what happens in those moments will end. Do not let the demons you fight deep in your soul , blind you there.”

“Wise words. I’ve been told time is nothing more than an illusion.”

“An illusion that you will have to pass through.” She looked down , then up at me. “I’m entrusting you with the children I love more than the air in this old lad y’
s lungs – they will help you and expect nothing in return because that is how I raised them . B
ut I’m asking you, begging you to help Charlie ; help her save Draven from his demons.”

“I will,” I promised quietly. “Anything I need to know about the others?” I asked , looking to the doorway that led to the den.

Nana smiled slightly. “If you can handle Brady , you can handle Aden. He has a pure soul that wants nothing more than to end this darkness and protect his brother. Monroe…she is a gifted , innocent soul who sees beyond any of us. She doesn’t speak, at lea st not to anyone beyond Charlie. H
er brothers Grayson and Winston are like night a nd day. You’ve see n Grayson already, he’s the oldest. He has helped Dra ven fight the addiction to The R
ealm. His younger brother Winston – well, we are concerned that he enjoys that place to o much and that when his test to dwell there or fight comes , he will not fare as well as Draven.”

“How are they in your care?” I asked , knowing that she did love them but not as intently as she loved her boys, Charlie and Madison.

“Orphans, victims of The Realm. Y
ou have more to worry about than their past right now. They are now a part of this family, this fate.”

“Can you not teach me to see now, before I go back? Is that what I need to know to survive?”

“You already knew what you needed to know to survive – his energy – yours , how it makes all of you stronger. The only problem was that it was a secret between the three of you , so no one from your family could have helped you remember that.”

“True , ” I said , blushing slightly.

“You have already begun the l essons you need to know to see. Y
our father taught you the first one. H
e told you to listen. T
o see , you must listen.”

“Still working on that lesson,” I said under my breath.

She held in a laugh. “Beyond that , you have to ask the soul what yo u want to know – just a thought, and if it ’
s focused enough, if the intent to help is right , you will see your answer. I n fact , ”
s he said as her eyes moved all around me. “This , in part , has already come to you . T
hat last morning at your home , you saw my boys ; you saw their image. You had to have thought so mething that opened that vision. B
efore that , Preston showed you a memory of Charlie in your world – that is seeing in its earliest phases. F
lashes of memories that pull you in so deeply that you feel like you are there.”

“What are the later stages of seeing?” I asked , remembering each moment she mentioned clearly.

“
L
ater , you don’t see it. Y
ou ’
r e there . A nd once you ’
r e there , you can go back at any moment. I t’s a passage through time ; not something I care for any of you to toy with.”

“And how does this lead to The R
ealm?”

“The R
ealm called Draven . T
he others used their gift of seeing to follow him into his thoughts…
. but it’s not Drav en’s thoughts you need to see. I t ’
s Landen’s.”

“Right, but how?”

“You know his soul better than anyone. If I had to guess , you know what is going on in his mind at all times . Y
ou react to him on a level that no one can perceive – just feel him – absorb him , and if you do it correctly , you will be there.”

I let out a desperate breath. “Alright,” I said , pushing my chair ba ck. “I’ll take care of them, and I will repay them , even if it’s my last deed.”

“It won’t be,” Nana promised as she stood.

I looked over my shoulder , feeling Charlie’s emotions getting closer. She was sad, excited, and s ca red all at once. A moment later , she opened the back door , with Madison f ollowing her. She caught my gaze , then looked over what I was wearing. “Looks like Nana took care of you.”

I look down at her clothes. “Yeah…thanks for letting me borrow these.”

She smiled vaguely as her cheeks blushed. “Are we ready?”

I looked past her at Madison. She was avoiding my eyes , but I could see how nervous she was to be near me - how determined she was to kill this demon I was fighting.

“Are we , Madison?” I asked .

She looked up at me and smiled faintly . She was a stunning girl…her soul had so much depth , and though I couldn ’
t feel her , I could see that her energy was strong, that she was strong, someone I could call a friend, family. “Not at all, but that ’
s beside the point. We have a demon to kill , ”
s he answered.

I glanced down at her wrist , then to Charlie. “I want to apologize for anything irrational I may do. Sometimes my emotions outweigh thought , and right now for some unknown , complicated reason , my emotions are reflected around me.
I don’t mean any harm.”

They both looked at each other , and I felt a foreboding rise in Charlie ; it was like she knew how dangerous I could be.

The worst feeling in the world was knowing that no one really trusted you. Including you. I sighed.
“The place we are going might seem fright en ing at first . I t’s a palace ; very old, very elegant.
There is a lot of energy there , and I hate to say that none of it is good. My family is there. We all have a common goal to redeem those people one way or another. I beg you just to endure it long enough for me to figure out how to get in The R
ealm, and once I do , I will bring you home, or anywhere else you want to go. I promise.”