Enflame (Insight #6)(82)

“What’s going on?” Madison asked, clearly feeling the emotions now. She was holding her side. On instinct, Drake reached his arms around her to balance her.

“Nothing,” I murmured, knowing if I told her she would really be in pain.

I walked into the common passage we always used, assuming it was safe because Landen left me here with them. Inside, Alamos was waiting with Perodine. They were both pacing back and forth.

“Where the hell have you been?” Alamos bellowed at Drake when they followed me into the passage.

Madison fell forward, as if his anger had stuck her. I didn’t understand how or why her insight of emotions was so out of line.

With a glance, Drake pushed Alamos back as he helped me pull Madison up. I sent what calm I had through my touch to her. When she sighed in relief, I took care of myself, reaching for a lemon drop in my pocket. My stash was getting low, too fast. I didn’t even have to focus on my energy to know that my stress was causing even more cracks to appear in my gold shield.

“I have every right to leave this dimension when I want to with whomever I want,” Drake seethed as he dominantly walked toward Alamos, who was doing his best to remain calm.

“If you want out, tell me now,” Alamos stated flatly.

“Willow,” Perodine said, touching my arm, looking over Madison and me. “How strong are you right now?”

I lied. “Well rested, should be good. Why?”

“I want you to be careful tonight.”

“Did you read something?” I asked in a confused tone.

“Nothing more than you already know. We’re ready for whoever falls, but it’s not going to matter if you don’t survive. Know your limits, and don’t pass them. It’s—” she froze. Everything stopped.

I locked eyes with Drake across the room. “That’s not good,” I gasped.

“He had to have a reason to stop it.”

“And it would not have been a good one.”

“What happened last night after we left?” he asked me.

“Like I know. I had my own getaway.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I was not babysitting your dimension while you went out on the town.”

“Our dimension. When are you going to get that through your head?” His tone was sarcastic and harsh.

I started to argue with him, but the shocked emotions of the room let me know that time had been unfrozen for a second or two too long, that Madison had heard that, that they all had heard it.

“It is going to take every last one of us to save them. You want to have a good time? Fine. So do I. Next time, we plan our absences,” was my stalled rebuttal.

I glanced back at Madison to see her in too much pain to care about our argument.

“What is going on with you?” I asked her.

“I feel it all,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Like pain?”

She nodded stiffly to answer.

I reached in my pocket and grabbed the broken leaves of the lemon balm and walked over to her. I took her hands and rubbed the leaves across her skin, then her lips, so she could take in the aroma.

“Lemon balm. Is it calming you?” I asked.

She nodded once, taking the leaves from me.

“Time stopped, something happened. I’m going to figure out what,” I said, walking to the passage.

“Willow, you have to get to that spell,” Perodine ordered. “We only have a small window.”

“There will not be a spell without the others.”

Marc and Aden stepped through the doorway to the room we were in.

“I’m leaving,” I said, then glanced back at Drake. “Not asking anyone to come with me or for any paths to cross.” I looked forward. “I have to help my sister and Dane.”

With the exception of Perodine, Alamos, Drake, and Marc, everyone followed me.

Once in the string, I felt confident. Landen was close, so were Brady, Draven, and Charlie. Charlie was a wreck, furious, and Draven wasn’t much better.

Brady just kept walking when he reached us, heading toward Infante. I caught Landen’s glance when he reached me, ignoring everyone else that was asking him what happened.

“You stopped time.”

“I was testing them. Their insights are growing,” he thought as he took my hand and kept pace with the others. “I think someone is trying to frame Skylynn. She reached out to them, and a Mirror is telling them they sent her.”

“What Mirror, Landen?” My thoughts were short as the girl that took him from me came to mind.

“Let it be.”

“Let what be? They are following us here—spells, paths, whatever are crossed.”

“Different restaurant, same street. We’ll see how close they really are before long.”

“What do we have to do now? Where are Skylynn and Phoenix?”

“Around, I’m sure. Brady made sure there were Jeeps outside of the passage we are going to use. When we get there, we are going to call Nana, ask her where she is so she can see them. If she is at the house, so be it.”

“You know she will come to where they are, that they are going to play tonight.”

He glanced down at me. “Monroe is with Nana. She asked to go. Brady took her.”