Enflame (Insight #6)(41)

“The property was leased by our friend for the film. The shoot is over, and they’re packing up. You are more than welcome here.”

Just as I rounded the driveway in front of the house, an image of a little girl appeared in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, but the Jeep rolled right through her.

“Control,” Nana firmly stated as my pounding heart caused the taste of blood to surface. I pushed that sensation away and charged out of the Jeep, thinking I’d seen an image, that they were back. But when I reached the back of the Jeep, the little girl looked up at me, then vanished.

I heard the Jeep cut off. A second later, Nana walked around to where I was.

“Not your images, sweetheart.”

“A ghost?” I asked as what I witnessed last night echoed in my thoughts.

“Right. It seems you are starting to see into the veil. The images can’t be far behind.”

“I never saw ghosts before,” I muttered.

“Child, the goal is not to repeat our past, but recreate it. Seeing the veil is a plus. I’m sure Phoenix is helping you with that in some way,” she said as she held her arm out to guide me into the home.

When we reached the bottom stair, I heard a haunting violin. Somehow the music was putting me at ease, helping me hold that control that was demanded by my soul.

Inside the home, the entry hall was lined with lighting equipment and thick plastic black suitcases, apparently ready to be loaded in the eighteen-wheelers that were outside.

The violin sound was more intense inside, too pure to be a recorded sound. As we passed the great room on the right, I saw its creator and suddenly control was something that I could lose in the next breath.

Skylynn was playing as she gazed at a burning fire.

“Jealousy only resides in those who have doubt,” Nana cautioned.

“Then I guess both Landen and I have doubt.”

“I said resides; I didn’t say it could not surface to remind us how foolish we are to let it. Talk to her. She means you no harm.” Nana let her hand run across my back, then walked down the hall in the direction of where I felt Landen.

I listened patiently to the cry of the violin, hearing its whispers of love, promise of heartbreak, the power behind the music. Moments later, after a long, crying note, she glanced at me for the first time.

I took a brave step into the room with her.

“You see me?” she asked.

I nodded to confirm.

“That is good, I suppose,” she said quietly as she let the violin fall from her shoulder.

“I don’t want to hate you. I really don’t, but it is hard for me to look at you,” I flatly stated as my glance cascaded over every inch of her. She was beautiful.

She weakly nodded once. “That’s fair. Before yesterday, you didn’t know I existed, but I always knew you did.”

I wanted to ask her why she held him anyway, but I had no right. I was in another’s arms at the time.

The violin in her hand vanished as she crossed her arms and tilted her head in the direction I knew Landen was.

“I love him, but not in the way that you think I do. I find comfort in his protection, hope in his life, and purpose in his plan...it was a physical friendship that was it.”

“I don’t need a description,” I bit out.

“Fair...” Her blue eyes appraised every part of me. “You’re lucky.”

“Maybe you have been in the veil too long. I am the furthest thing from lucky.”

She smirked. “I meant that you found him so early. My impatience cost me so much.”

“I don’t think you can ever really lose anybody.”

“You don’t understand. I used a power to see my future, to see my love. Then I sought him, but by doing so I altered who we were and he was taken. Now I know of him, but he does not know of me. I worry that my meddling has caused me to lose him to someone else.”

“If he is yours, you can’t lose him.”

“He holds her now. I saw them. I feel myself growing weaker. I see no reason to fight if that is true. I think that is why we failed last night.”

“How are you sure you are looking at the right person? That the magic you used led you to the right vision?”

Anger blushed her ivory skin. “Why would you ask such a cruel question? Doubt me?”

Oh, I had a reason to ask. No doubt there.

“There is a girl that looks just like me, and last night I saw that her image was used to fool Landen.”

Something sparked in her eyes, and she vanished at that moment. I heard clapping and turned to see Phoenix leaning in the doorway.

“I’ve never gotten her to leave that peacefully before.”

“Here I was thinking it was something I said, when she must have run when she saw you,” I teased.

“No. I’m sure it was something you said. She’s on the hunt now.”

“For...?”

“Who knows? She has a host of secrets she keeps,” he said with a modest disdain.

Something beyond this was on his mind, and it had everything to do with Skylynn. That scarf bracelet came to mind. I wondered who it belonged to, why the aroma of it caused emotions to erupt within the soul of Phoenix. He didn’t strike me as someone who lost his cool often.

“You must have reminded her of one,” he said under his breath.