Vital (26 page)

Fearful tears laced with anger came to the corners of my eyes. “Stop it! Both of you! He didn’t do anything!” I yelled.

“Do you want to tell her how many they have – or should I ?!” Drake bellowed.

I moved closer to Landen, not sure who’s side to take in this any longer.

“Tell me what?” I asked Drake as my chest rose and fell with anxious breaths.

The hold Drake had on Dane tightened, and Dane screamed in agony.

“Stop it! Tell me what? Put him down!” I yelled at Drake.

The moment the words left my lips, he let Dane fall to the floor. Dane then stood defensively with an angry scowl on his face.

Drake turned to look at me. “Do you want to know why less and less people were brought to me for execution? Why there were none today?”

“What are you talking about?” I asked in a panicked tone, realizing that Landen was waiting for just one excuse to permanently remove Dane from my life.

“Mr. ‘I know everything, who all the spies are’ forgot to tell you that your followers were led like innocent sheep into the arms of the darkest priest in this world, that they were forced onto the boats like common animals...women, children, entire families being used as bait,” Drake seethed as his coal dark eyes stared into me.

“Bait for me?” I asked in gasping breaths as a sick, nauseating feeling consumed me.

Drake nodded. “They didn’t know if they’d be able to find you - and even now they have their doubts. I was told that either Willow was waiting on me or that the real Willow would come for her followers – for the one they thought was Willow.”

“How many?” I asked breathlessly.

“At least a thousand, maybe more...I hope less,” Alamos said, stepping into the room and looking over Dane with accusing eyes.

I looked at Dane. “Did you know that?”

He shook his head no. “Not in the way they’re making it seem,” he said, stepping closer to me, only to receive a nod from Landen that caused him to move back at least five feet. Rage filled Dane’s expression. “I was a follower of Drake - not Landen! I heard rumors that the ones that followed Landen were being executed by Drake, but that some were saved by the priest. I didn’t know they were prisoners – or bait!”

“You know more than you’re saying,” Landen said, crossing his arms as he glared at Dane, waiting for another excuse to strike him.

I tried to feel the truth in Dane’s words, but I couldn’t; I could barely feel his emotion. I assumed he was just protecting himself - and honestly, he needed to; I doubted I could control Landen, not anymore...he was changing before my eyes.

Dane turned to look at Landen. “I know that the priests you fight aren’t fools; they’ve reasoned every scenario, and for every plan, they have an alternative. I doubt the men you’re really fighting are on the island,” Dane said as he glared at Drake. “Most of them are here, walking the streets, working side by side with all of us.”

“You know who they are?” I asked.

Dane looked back at me. “I would know their voices before their faces. I have two choices: I can either go out there and pretend to be one of them, or I can stay in here and protect you...I’m staying here.”

“Protect her?” Landen repeated sarcastically. “She doesn’t need you; she’s made that clear.”

“Olivia isn’t here. She needs one of us,” Dane argued, looking at me for some kind of understanding.

“Conveniently,” Drake mocked, stepping in front of me and blocking Dane from my view. “I saw you in the courtyard. I saw her walk over to you. What did you say to her? How did you get her on that boat?” Drake demanded.

I stepped out from behind him, tired of being shielded, tired of this stupid fight between all of them.

“Did you see her?” I asked him.

As Dane looked at me, his eyes filled with a sympathy that I couldn’t feel from him. “If you have to ask me that, maybe I should go,” he said quietly.

“There’s the door,” Landen said, extending his arm to show Dane.

“Stop. No one’s going anywhere,” I said, raising my hands, trying to stay calm. “How are we gonna save them – all of them?” I asked, looking to Landen for some kind of answer.

He closed the gap between us and pulled my face against his chest. “Ideas,” he said to the others in an impatient tone.

I heard Alamos clear his throat. “I do not think saving them will be the issue; the issue is saving the three of you. They plan to sink the boat with all of Willow’s followers in it. They believe some will swim to shore, while others will drown - trapped in their shackles. They’re using them as a diversion.”

“From...?” Landen asked.

I looked up from him to study Alamos’s eyes. “Well, from all of you. These priests were told by Donalt before he died that wretches and kings would fight them. They feel that the people of this town, the wretches, will save Willow’s followers, leaving only the kings for them to fight - your family – and they are ready for you.”

“Just us,” Landen said, looking at Alamos.

“You may want to make sure it stays that way,” Alamos said. “There could be hundreds on the beach, even more inside. Each of them can see energy, can move energy - and will, at the very least, give you an obstacle. I don’t even know how you’re going to manage to get there to merge; that alone should tell you it’s a bad idea.”

“I told you how,” Drake said.

“I think it proves they should,” Perodine said at almost the same time.

“How?” Landen asked Drake.

“They wanted me to board a boat and sail there, and I told them that a true king had his own passage. There is a passage that leads to the center of the island.”

“Perfect. Then we all go attack from the inside,” I said as hope suddenly came into me.

Drake shook his head. “Center stage; only I can go. Landen will have to step into me before we appear; it’s too dangerous for everyone to go.”

“And I told you that you won’t be able to handle it that long. Even if Perodine is right and you have some kind of tolerance, no man can withstand the pain for that long. Dane is right: every scenario has been imagined. The two of you merge into one easy target, then when you’re gone there will be just Willow. She may be able to hold them off for a moment, maybe even escape to fight again – but then her grief would kill her. Donalt’s ghost – this demon – is brilliant. If it seems too easy, then it is,” Alamos preached.

I ignored him; I had no choice. If I tried to think about losing either of them, I’d become just as crazy as they thought I was. “So the only problem we have is getting me there inside of Olivia...I wonder if all three of us could merge into Drake,” I said, looking up at Landen.

“I can’t take this anymore,” Dane said as he threw his hands in the air and left the room.

He’s going outside to look for another way for you to get there
, Landen thought before I had a chance to stop Dane.

“Both of you cannot merge into him; it’s impossible. I can only imagine what it would feel like if Drake and Willow’s energy combined – though it isn’t something that will be possible,” Alamos said, crossing his arms.

I looked at Drake and watched him try to hide a guilty grin that wanted to surface. Landen saw it, too, and a raging jealously began to build inside of him.

I moved my head from side to side. I knew Alamos was right: at the very least, it would leave me so weak that I wouldn’t be able to fight for Olivia.

“We can figure this out. Chrispin, Marc, and Brady may already know,” Landen said, looking to the staircase that led to the roof.

“How long do we have? How long would it have taken you to sail there?” I asked Drake.

“Just over thirty two hours. They were worried I wouldn’t make it in time because the trip alone would have taken almost three days. They’re confused about the time as well; they’re watching the sky and thought they had more time before today,” Drake answered.

Alamos moved his head from side to side. “I don’t know that any of us can be certain what time we’re on; for all we know, the space we thought we had between Venus and Mars has vanished and this is Mars – which means it’s more dangerous than you’re allowing yourself to think. Beyond that, I still don’t understand why it moved twice last night or what the looking glass is doing to our perception.”

“Then go figure it out,” Drake said shortly, nodding his head toward the study.

Alamos started to say something, but he held whatever it was in and turned to leave. As Perodine looked at me before she turned to follow Alamos, I saw the dread and compassion I felt inside of her consume her expression.

Once again, I was alone with Drake and Landen with emotions I didn’t have time to deal with.

Chapter Twelve

I sat on the edge of the pool and pulled my black coat around me, trying to warm myself from the winter air that was seeping in from the open roof. Landen began to pace, as he often did when he struggled with what direction he should take. Drake walked to my side and sat next to me, trying to give me some warmth.

“Maybe we should go to another room; it’s almost too cold in here,” he said, looking over me.

“She’s fine,” Landen said firmly as his eyes locked with Drake.

I closed my eyes as I let out a slight sigh. “I want to figure this out.”

I felt Landen’s jealously decrease as his intent shifted to finding a safe solution to this trial.

“Do you have any idea who we’re fighting? What priest?” Landen asked Drake.

He sighed before he answered. “I don’t trust any of them. I almost think this ghost moves in and out of some of them; one day I feel like I can trust them, and others it’s as if the only one on my side is Alamos. My dad warned me of this; he told me that when or if I took power of this dimension, it would be the darkest day of my life...that...that it wouldn’t matter if Willow loved me or not...the path that Donalt had created would wind and spin out of control.”

I looked to my side at him and reached my arm through his. “Do you want to see Livingston?”

Landen stopped his pacing and stood in front of us, judging the emotions and intent he felt from Drake.

Drake’s perfect lips tried to smile. “He’s come in my dreams. I know all of you have seen him, that he’s at peace - but I’m not ready to go to the world Preston told me about. When I see him again, I want to know who I am, understand what this is all really about.” He looked at me. “I can’t bear for him to tell me again that I shouldn’t love you – because who can control the way they feel?”

I looked away from him, unable to hide the sympathy I had for him. I loved him, but not in the way he needed me to. I tried to judge Landen’s emotion to see if I felt the jealousy rise again, but he was holding it at bay for my benefit - for the benefit of Livingston; if there were one soul that could set Drake on the right course, tell him not to push the leeway Landen was giving him, it would be Livingston.

He isn’t ready
, Landen thought.
He feels too guilty. The closer he gets to Marc and Chrispin, the harder it is for him to think of their dad.

I nodded, understanding that Drake’s family had been through more than I could ever fathom.

I tightened my arm around Drake’s and said, “When you’re ready – and I don’t care if it’s the dead of the night – tell me, and I’ll go with you. He loves you, and he has no sorrow. He’s always watching you, and he’ll continue to do so until you’re happy...until all of us are.”

His slight smile grew, and he leaned closer to me and gently kissed my temple. “I know,” he whispered.

I closed my eyes and let a breath out, trying to block his touch as I stood to go to Landen’s side, knowing if I didn’t distract him from Drake’s innocent kiss that they’d fight again - and I didn’t have the strength to stand between them. “Do you think it’s safe enough for us to go on the roof? Are they watching?”

He shook his head no as he reached for my waist and pulled me against him. “It’s not safe. I can feel a wild mix of intent and emotion all around us. I think Dane is right: there are spies here. They’re watching the palace closely. I don’t think any are in here, but I can feel the intent for them to question the workers on why those windows are broken.”

“We need to tell them you broke them,” Drake said, standing. “That it was your rage when you discovered that Willow was taken. This will be a lot easier if they think Olivia is Willow. They need to be as confused as possible, and we have to choose our words carefully around...around everyone,” he said, looking at Landen.

I knew he was referring to Dane, and I was so over the idea of them not liking him. For all they knew, he could be the key to solving all of this. In my mind, he’d already paid the ultimate sacrifice for me: he let go of Clarissa – half of his soul.

Ashten came to the doorway, sorrow and worry completely consuming him. As Landen waved him closer to us, he eagerly came, surprised and humbled that Landen needed him.

“I need you to tell those workers that I did that, broke the windows. You have to be convincing; they’ll be questioned when they leave the palace,” Landen said quietly.

Ashten nodded, agreeing with him. “They’re almost done, and I’ll make sure everyone knows to convey that thought. I was asked more than once if it was Olivia or Willow when we were outside.”