Vindicate (34 page)

“You threaten one of my own – you threaten me,” I said coldly.

Silas’ eyes shimmered as he g lanced at Landen. “He is your light,” his eyes mov ed to Drake, “but he is not. H
e’s a poison. L
ike Draven.”

Drake’s energy raged out at Silas, but Silas reflected it. When I saw it coming back at Drake with more force than he had given it I dove in front him .
T
aking the blow.
As I fell to the ground, Silas vanished.

I could swear that every bone in my body was broken – shattered. I closed my eyes and pulled myself into a ball. I heard the others yell directions at each other. If felt Drake’s hypnotic touch on my head, moving down to my shoulders, then I felt Landen’s hand s moving over every inch of me.
I felt his energy inside of me. I nstant relief.
We had to get out of here. We were already on borrowed time. I just knew that we were.

I let out a deep breath as my eyes flew open. “I’m going to kill him,” I said as I pulled myself up.

“Stand in line. H
e’s mine ,” Drake said through gritted teeth.

Landen was breathless and fell from his knees at my side. He looked up at Brady. “Where the hell are we? Where is everyone else? Why are they not here?”

“This isn’t Esterious, man, it’s a wicked R
ealm that girl took you into,” Brady explained.

“What girl?” Drake asked.

I pulled my self up between them. “Bianca. A rather poorly seductive girl that wanted your status in reality. Wanted Landen’s energy and by all observations, me dead.”
I felt a chill rush through my core as I said that last part.

Landen’s rage was instant.

“We need to go back,” Ol ivia ordered . “We need to wake up. L
ike now.”

Good to know I wasn’t the only one that felt that threat in the air.

I turned my head from side to side. “Cha rlie and Draven are still here and it doesn’t feel like they are having a good time,” I muttered as I took in th e emotions of anger, sorrow , and fear that I felt coming from them.
I couldn’t leave them here. Not after everything they’d clearly sacrificed for us.

“You’re weak, Willow. They are, too . L
et’s go back and get Aden and Madison. T
hey will know where they are. W
e’ll co me back, I promise,” Olivia pleaded , reaching for my hand.

I refused to take it. “There isn’t enough time.”

“I agree with her, W
illow. A ll of you are weak,” Brady argued .

“This is like a dream. T
his is our soul, not our body?
”
Landen clarified .

I nodded, holding my defiant stare with Olivia.

“Turn around,” Landen said firmly to Brady and Olivia.

“What?!” Brady said.

“Turn. A round,” Landen said in a harsher tone than was needed. I knew how weak he felt was fueling that hostility.

Brady and Olivia did as they were told.

Landen glanced across me to Drake, then took my ha nd. His energy melted into mine causing pure rapture in my soul. His energy was intensified; it was like it was on fire with life, passion. I held in a moan that would have been humiliating if I let it out.

I reached out for Drake, but he refused to take my hand . “We don’t have time for this argument,” I whispered harshly as I felt Landen’s energy wave through me again and again.

Hesitating slightly, Drake took my hand and the connection between us was complete.

I felt my e nergy empowering both of them. E
ach time Drake would pull mine, Landen’s would replace it –escalating my soul ’
s core . The room illuminated into a bright glow. When I knew I was strong – when I felt invincible, I let my hand fall from Drake’s. Landen leaned closer to me and let his lips rest on my temple, sending even more energy through me. His lips were blazing. I leaned into him craving more of all that he was.

Regretfully, Landen slowly moved away.
There was no time for the reunion we were both hungry for.

The glow faded, and all around us there were shadows mocking the images of man whispering pleas in every language you could imagine.

“Landen,” Brady said, stepping back defensively, guarding us.

The three of us were on our feet immediately.

“This is w hy we needed Aden and Madison. W
e can’t help them!” Olivia yelled, steppi ng back to us as terror came over her. T
he fear was a justifiable emotion. We were staring into the faces of the damned.

I gripped Landen’s hand and reached for Drake’s. “Think of how much you love me,” I whispered as I remembered Char lie demanding th at I show the dead that emotion . A s I remembered their first moments in Esterious.

The whispers of the shadows stopped, and they focused on the three of us. “You want to feel this?” I asked.

The whispers began again as the shadows moved forward.

“Remember it. Remember it in a song. In a sunset. In a scent. R
emember!” I yelled at them.

At first nothing happened, then I saw a light , then another – then another. W
ith e ach light, a shadow disappeared. W
ithin minutes, they were all gone.

Brady turned to look at me. “What now?”

I glanced down as I tried to focus on the emotions I felt from Charlie and Draven. “Do you feel them?” I asked Landen.

He nodded to confirm, then reached for Brady’s arm as Drake reached for Olivia’s hand.

“Focus on that,” I said quietly as I closed my eyes.

When I opened them again I saw a forest all around us. A head just a few hundred yards, there was an opening. Shadows were surrounding the opening, but I could see a light gleaming from the center. I took off in a sprint , feeling Landen at my side.

When I reached the shadows, I pushed through them.
I saw Silas and Draven fighting each other with weapons that would change from swords to daggers. E
very imaginable dangerous tool. The ligh t was coming from butterflies. T
hey were surrounding Charlie.

Charlie was screami ng their names, circling them. D
ark shadows were pouring into Draven, and as they did, his rage grew, his thirst grew. Silas aimed a dagger at Draven’s heart as Charlie dove between them.
Si las almost didn’t stop in time. T
he blad e cut into her back – not deep, but deep enough to draw blood.

Draven’s eyes, full of thirst, locked with Charlie’s. She was crying.
I had no idea what she was saying to him but it didn’t seem to be helping. At. All.

I felt Draven fighting the darkness t hat he had absorbed inside of him, but he wasn’t strong enough. T
he rage he had for Silas was fueling that weakness , and he was losing control. H
e was submitting to his desires. B
ecoming what he feared most, the darkness inside of him reached out and began to take Charlie’s light into him. T
he butterflies started to f ade. D
isappearing almost instantly into his chest. Charlie ’s knees began to buckle, but Draven held her against him. T
he look in h is eyes did not belong to him. I t was near demonic.

I knew I had to give him energy. L
ight. I had to . I f I didn’t, he would take all of Ch arlie’s. H
e would kill her. Landen squeezed my hand when he felt my intent, and with one thought I was at Draven’s side and Landen was at his o ther. We touched his shoulders. Held the intent to help him. To pull this darkness from him. T
o give him what he needed to stay the man I knew he was.

The pull he had on Charlie stopped instantly , and her light was returned to her. B
utterflies were glowing even more brightly as they flew from his chest. Silas pulled her away, but as he did, Drake charged him to the ground.

“Breathe,” I said in the sweetest voice I had to Draven. “You’re pure. Y
ou’
re beautiful. You love this girl. Y
ou love her more than the thirst for power.”

With my words, Landen and I focused on him. Draven’s skin began to glow as our energy poured into him. As he took in a deep breath of euphoria calm a bsorbed every part of his being .
H
is soul returned to his eyes.

Charlie’s tears stopped. “Draven,” she said as she reached for his face.

His gaze was wide, but he found a way to focus on her to pull her to his lips.

It was a beautiful moment, but it wasn’t one I could give all of my attention to. In front of us, Drake and Si las were in a fearless battle. N
ot with weapons, but with energy. T
hey were thrustin g each other from side to side.
I felt Brady’s intent to stand between them, but Landen and I both knew that would be near fatal.

Landen’s energy reached out for Silas, raising him, then letting him fall. Silas caught himself, but not bef ore Drake landed on top of him holding him down.

Charlie became aware of what was happening and ran to Silas. With all of her strength, she tried to pull Drake off him. “Stop! Don’t hurt him! I saved you! I brought Willow here!” Charlie screamed.

“And he tried to kill her!” Drake said as his eyes glared down at Silas.

“Drake , ” I said calmly as I walked toward to him. Charl ie’s frantic eyes peered into mine . I felt her emotion begging me for mercy. F
or understanding. The thing was that I did understand. I had stood between two m en more times than I cared to.
I knew exactly how she felt.

Drake froze at the sound of my voice. “I have no doubt that if you spare him, he will leave. H
e will not hurt anyone,” I said steadily , moving my eyes from Charlie to Silas.

Drake glared down at Silas. “Is that true?”

Silas looked behind Drake at Draven. “If you have him under control, I will not hurt him.”

Charlie’s guilt was immediate. F
or the first time, she fel t the betrayed stare of Draven. She realized he was watching her plea for the life of man that a moment ago was willing to take his.

“
They do. T
hey do !” Charlie yelled. “Let him go. It’s over. E
verything is over.”

“Drake,” Landen said as Brady and Olivia came to his side, blocking Draven’s view on purpose.

Drake stood and looked down at Silas as he climbed to his feet. When they were face to face, Drake stepped forward. “Think twice before you call someone ‘poison’ again.”

Silas threw some nasty comment back at him but I couldn’t hear it. I was distracted. The shadows that were surrounding us began to shift uneasily . Troubled. One by one they began to vanish. As if a predator was silently approaching.

“We got to get out of here.”
I thought.

Landen looked over his shoulder at Draven. “Now would be the time to console her,” he said quietly. Draven didn’t move; he couldn ’t. His emotion of betrayal and guilt was paralyzing him.

I guess Drake had convinced Silas to leave. Now Charlie was standing alone, crying. Landen knew Draven was our way out. We also knew his intent was to stay right here. He was to traumatized to make a move.

Landen turned and walked to his side, and quietly in Draven’s ear he whispered something. Draven’s eyes grew wide as he looked at Landen, then swallo wed hard and walked to Charlie. H
e spun her around and kissed her passionately. She wrapped her arms around him as he picked her up.

“
What did you say?
”
I thought.
Realizing that most of the shadows had vanished at this point, and a howling wind was creeping through the trees.

He reached his arm out for me and pulled me to his burning lips. When he slowly pulled away, he looked into my eyes.
“
I told him to love her fearlessly, for that is how she loves him.
”
He laced his hand through mine, focusing on the raw skin under and around my ring. He healed me as he glanced around at the trees, picking up on the silent warning of danger . His skin hummed . I furrowed my eyebrows to question what this Realm had done to us.
Finally convincing myself it was just because he was healing my meaningless wound.

Even with imminent danger I could not stop staring at his mesmerizing blue eyes. There I saw the passion, love and devotion.
I felt those beautiful emotions in my core, and told myself my mind was playing tricks on me.
Landen was whole. The Realm had not taken or altered anything within him. If anything it amplified all that he was. And he was mine.

“Um – I don’t mean to ruin the moment, but can we wake up now?” Olivia asked.

I broke my stare with Landen and looked at Draven, who was still locked in a passionate embrace with Charlie.

Drake tapped on his shoulder. “I get it, man. I do, but I d on’t know where the hell I am. H
elp us get back.”

Draven took in one last deep kiss from Charlie, then set her down. Blushing slightly, he turned to face us. “Alright,” he said, letting out a breath.
“This is not like meditation. I t’s a dream.”