Blakeshire (Insight #9)(89)

“I think they call it Infante. Salem, specifically.”

He laughed as he leaned in for another kiss before disappearing into the closet.

Once I caught my breath, I rose from the bed and made my way toward the window.

After willing the drapes open in the distance, I saw that the sky was a vibrant orange. The explosion was so new that black smoke had yet to join the fire. Instead, you could see white racing through the fire, the birth of the conflagration in progress. I let out a little prayer that every soul in its path had been moved.

A frantic pounding on my door caught me so off guard that I jumped forward.

I was right before: whatever vacation I had from dark emotions was ending. An insane sense of urgency absorbed me as I turned to face my closed door.





Chapter Nineteen




Drake emerged from the closet, staring at the door as he fastened the cuff on his wrist. He reached back and grabbed a robe for me. I met him in the center of the room. He waited until I had my robe pulled closed before he willed the door open with a glance.

Standing there was my cousin—not Aden, but Draven. I held in a breath as I saw the colors of his aura halo around him. I was seeing him the way I always had before my insights had gone on hiatus. On instinct, my mind asked where he had been, how he was still moving if time was halted.

My answers came back to me just as smoothly as they had in the past: this time freeze no longer affected him or Charlie. They had been tested by Landen. Apparently, he and Willow were also immune to this power. Around Draven I saw The Realm, what could only be the Veil of death. It was clear he and Charlie had been fighting their own battles recently.

Draven took one look at me. “You all right?”

I nodded once. “Apparently, better than ever.”

Draven’s eyes met Drake’s. “They need you to let it go now.”

“Everyone is in place,” Drake said as he adjusted his tie.

“Apparently not, but we can’t make what is wrong right until time moves,” Draven said as he gazed over me and raised one brow and gave me a nod of approval. That said a lot. Aden was my nice twin cousin; Draven was harder to convince. He was condoning mine and Drake’s relationship. This would be the first time Draven had ever approved of anyone I was dating or considering dating.

“Is he going to be okay?” Drake asked Draven.

He? What was going on? Who was hurt?

“It was told to me. I haven’t seen it happen, and if it does I will never be right again,” Draven said. He tilted his head “Are you seeing now? Do you own that insight?” Draven asked, stepping closer to Drake. It wouldn’t matter how close he came to him; Drake’s eyes were too dark to see his pupils expand.

An uncharacteristic blush surfaced on Drake’s skin as his eyes moved to me. “I suppose I am.”

I felt the relief in Draven, but the emotions coming from Drake were nearing rage which was odd because he was staring at me.

“In the dimension the rest of us are in, we are far ahead of you in time now. Phoenix said time here would surge forward. I’m not sure all of us are going to line up now. I have to go back to the Veil. We are building our charge against the lords of death at this moment. Are you letting time go now?” Draven asked him.

Lords of death? Phoenix? What the hell had been going on in their lives? Holy crap, I thought Draven and Charlie were writing music somewhere, maybe picking a fight just so they could have fun making up. Now this? I was so lost and worried about Charlie and Draven, but at the same time I knew I needed to be here. I felt like I was late for something.

“In a minute,” Drake said, holding his stare on me.

Draven glanced between the two of us, and suddenly I felt the same rage Drake had within Draven. “Where’s Aden?” he asked me.

“Asleep.”

“Don’t leave him, Maddie. You stay safe. You hear me?” Draven said in his familiar stubborn tone.

“Yes, sir,” I responded mockingly.

Draven rolled his eyes before he vanished.



Drake



Why does my life always work out like this? Why is every moment of bliss followed by hell?

She broke the bonds of the cold that were in my soul. It wasn’t all gone, but I had more control now than I ever had. She shared her soul with me, made a mystical vow that we were now one.

Apparently, that vow shared our insights. That should make me happy, give me peace that she would have the same strength in her energy that I had in mine. That wasn’t the issue. The issue was now I could ‘see’ as clear as day. I saw the time she was away from me today. I saw him. I saw the doubt in her eyes. Right now, I felt played.

I willed the door closed with a glance before turning to face her. “You said he just touched your knee.”

She looked at me like I was insane, but then darkness flooded her emerald green eyes. She saw my thoughts centered around Britain.

“You were already mad enough. It doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t matter that he has threatened your life? That he has stated over and over again that you have to leave with him?” My words were cold and accusing. I couldn’t help it. I really couldn’t.

“Not to me.”

Britain was as good as dead. “Treason. Penalty. Death.”

“What has gotten into you?”