Enflame (Insight #6)(81)

I nudged Olivia. She squinted her eyes as they opened.

“Oh, hey. I was about to come and get you. We need to head back. There is a big time difference between here and home,” she said in a sleepy tone.

“It’s Willow. You overslept.”

She shot up, followed by Chrispin, who was jolted awake. I reached for the lamp.

“How much trouble are we in?” Olivia asked.

“With me, none,” I said honestly. “Alamos, everyone else—no idea.” I glanced around the room, noticing another door. “Is that a bathroom?”

She nodded to confirm.

“I need to clean up. I had a wicked wake up call, too.”

“I’ll get you some clothes,” Olivia said as she pulled herself to the side of the bed.

“Landen is down the hall,” I said to Chrispin.

I brushed my teeth with my finger, used a warm washcloth to wash my face, and was about to steal a brush when Olivia came in the bathroom with a stack of clothes in her hand.

“Whose are those?”

“Some I bought last night, a few are Madison’s,” she said as she pulled a toothbrush out of a cosmetic bag she had in her hand.

By the time I’d changed my clothes, she’d washed her face and gotten herself cleaned up.

“You’re mad,” she said to my reflection.

“Why would I be mad?”

“I don’t know...I feel it.”

“I’m good.”

“What has been going on with you? I’ve heard pieces, but that is not the same as hearing it from your best friend,” she pressed.

It felt good to hear her call me that.

“Missed you. Sharing you with them sucks, but thanks for keeping them safe.”

“Missed you,” she said, turning to face me. “What has been going on?”

“Long story. Basically, Landen is or was a phoenix, and we’ve had to work with his ex, who loves throwing their past in my face.”

“Do what?” she gasped as her eyes grew wide.

“I told you it was a long story. I’m not fighting her for him or anything. It’s just knowing that is killing me.”

“That sounds familiar,” Olivia murmured.

“Yeah, I heard,” I said, realizing that Madison was more than likely facing something very similar. “I was told not to distract him—hence, why I’m in here and not shaking them awake.”

“How’s the other stuff, Mother Nature?”

That reminded me to get my lemon drops and lemon balm leaves out of the jacket I’d just taken off. “Getting control.” That was a lie. It was more like I was slowly losing it.

“Clarissa? Dane?” she asked, staring deeply into me as her pupils expanded.

“I’m going to make sure they are all right, too. Just have to get through this spell.”

“What spell?”

A knock on the door halted my answer. It was Landen. He glanced over me, surprised at how fast I’d cleaned up.

“We have to drive to the passage at Draven’s. I can’t carry us all.”

“Carry us?” Olivia asked.

“Long story,” I said again as I walked past her, following Landen out of the room and through the house.

Outside, there was a Hummer running. Drake was in the driver’s seat, Madison was on the passenger side. Landen climbed in and pulled me up on his lap so there would be enough room for Olivia and Chrispin to get in.

“Nice ride,” I said to Drake’s eyes, which were staring back at me in the rearview mirror.

“Stole it,” he said with a wicked smirk.

“You did what?”

Madison grinned faintly and pointed in the direction he needed to go. “It’s Draven’s,” she said to reassure me before staring out the passenger side window. I followed her lead and kept my eyes down and let the awkward silence take over.

When we reached the house I assumed belonged to Draven and the others, Drake pulled in the garage. Madison reached across him to push the button to seal the doors behind him. I felt my heart flutter when I saw their eyes meet. For the first time, I saw a connection reflecting in her image.

I didn’t have time to analyze it, though. Landen was clearly in a rush. I told myself it was because he’d now rather travel the other way, the phoenix way.

There was a hidden key we used to get in. Minutes later, we were in the studio I’d found them all in when we first met, walking through the passage that led to the string.

I avoided the glances Drake was giving me. He was trying to do one of two things: figure out if either I was mad at him or if Landen and I were mad at each other. No one was talking, only rushing, which would lead him to believe that either was possible.

Not long before we reached the beginning of the gray passages, I felt a panic, and I was almost sure it belonged to Brady. Something horrible had happened, and he was rushing to find Landen. Knowing he wasn’t in Esterious told me it had to be Charlie and Draven that were in danger. My heart pounded so viciously that I had no choice but to taste the onset of blood in my mouth.

“Step into Esterious. I’ll be right back,” Landen thought, picking up his pace.

“I’m going with you,” I protested, trying to look stronger than I was.

“I may have to move fast to save them. Wait here,” he thought, giving me an excuse to stay behind, one that would not make me feel like the weak link. “A storm just moved through here. I’ll be right back,” he thought as the haze of the string caused him to vanish into the distance.