Enflame (Insight #6)(8)

“They are not hurting each other? You’re sure?”

“Words can be more painful than blows, so I can’t tell you that. His sister is trying to explain to him what happened in The Realm.”

“She knows they did something to him that he’s not the same,” I breathed.

“It appears. I don’t think anything was done per se in The Realm. He was opened in some way, and all that he was is now flooding to the surface. Clarissa is telling him to let it rise, but he disagrees because...”

“Because why?”

“Crossed energy.”

I leaned back in my seat as a piercing pain struck my temple and I smelled mint for no reason. Something was telling me not to worry about crossed energy, but I couldn’t figure out what that was. As I struggled to open dormant memories, Nana spoke again.

“Clarissa is arguing that we are all one, that the energy that is in Landen was not Drake’s soul, not even an essence. She’s comparing it to healing, to family.”

“He’s not buying it, is he?”

“No,” she mumbled. “Landen claims that letting him out was planned that Donalt was trying to move his soul or Drake’s so he would have a host. He’s yelling that he will make them regret letting him survive.”

“He’s not off-base. That sounds like something Donalt would do.”

“Donalt is one ghost. What you’re fighting is more than that,” she offered, as if Donalt was nothing more than a nuisance.

“One ghost that has condemned an entire dimension. One ghost that wants to take over Drake’s body, but he can’t do it without the power in my heart, or something like that.”

“One ghost, one dimension. You have been consumed with one Escort’s playground. He’s not alone. That is what these near corporeal ghosts are telling you. You need to expand your horizons. I almost feel that if you see a bigger picture, you will find a way to stop this Donalt Escort.”

“One problem: he is the picture. I have trials to face, lives out of balance. He’s keeping me on this playground. It wasn’t my choice to play here.”

“Think outside the box. Maybe he’s distracting you for a reason. I want you to think about all the souls in this universe.”

“I know there’s a lot,” I grumbled.

“Now think about all the dead ones, the ones that have lived before—that’s a lot. A lot of power. Don’t focus on this one dead Escort. Focus on what you are called to do.”

“Sure. What was that again?”

I heard her smirk. “I see Charlie and Madison are rubbing off on you.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled, realizing how sarcastic I sounded.

“I have to get off the phone so we can take off. I will be there in a few hours. We’ll figure out why they are calling Charlie and Draven.”

“Wait—wait—I need out of this room.”

“I understand, but they don’t. Let Landen and his sister work this out. No one is dying tonight.”

“K...but I don’t know how to tell you where I am.”

“I know where you are. I traced the line.”

Seriously? “K.”

“Until I get there, practice using that wall, Willow. You have to get control. The spirits with you are upset that you are not using your powers wisely.”

“Wisely?”

“Apparently. I’ll see you soon.”

I hung up the phone and leaned back into my seat. My first thought was to forget about the wall, fall into meditation, rise from my body, and walk out of this room, but with that thought the ice in the hall grew thicker, the air grew tense, and I knew that would be a bad idea.

The candles on the altar in front of the desk shook in place. I grew still, wondering if I’d done that. Then the flames grew larger and the chalice began to move forward, gracefully easing around the candles.

I stood abruptly. I don’t know how I knew, but I knew that someone or something was about to take that chalice, and I didn’t want them to. I was going to make them manifest and explain to me what they wanted with Charlie, what power I was misusing.

I eased around the altar. With a steady hand, I cupped the base of the chalice to urge it back, but I might as well have been trying to push a mountain. I grimaced as I used all my energy to push it back, the same energy that had knocked grown men down, moved massive ships, raised children hundreds of feet in the air; the same energy that made Donalt tremble.

With the power I was enforcing, the chalice shook violently in place. I felt like I was pushing two magnets against one another. Then what was in the chalice began to spin. It wasn’t liquid. At first I thought it was herbs, but as it rose from the cup, I recognized it to be ashes. The ashes spun in place, making a small tornado.

I wasn’t alone in this room anymore. I felt a fire of energy behind me. Daring me to stand in its way any longer.





Chapter Three


Now illuminating the room with a soft glow were flames burning in the once dark fireplace. I could smell cedar burning, hear the wood popping in protest of not only the flames, but also the electrifying energy searing through the room. The tiny hairs on my arms stood at attention as I held my breath and prepared for a fight. Slowly, on one heel, I turned to face my opponent.

The breath I was holding escaped slowly as I gazed at the flawless creature before me. He was tall. Broad shoulders gave way to a fit body dressed in dark jeans and a tight black T-shirt, but my eyes did not travel down him. They were locked in his.