Enflame (Insight #6)(85)
“It might not be the concert. It could be because Draven and the others are in that house,” I said under my breath.
“Thought that, too. It’s The Realm that had me change my mind. You can get in there, right, Sunshine?”
“Yes,” I said, rolling my eyes and bringing an instant focus to mind. I was in the orange field before he could utter another word. He and Landen appeared right after me, clearly not fond of how eager I took off.
The field of the battle was empty, looking like a set stage, but that wasn’t what Phoenix wanted to show us.
“Over there. Your mate, Silas, and Dane are leading that defense.”
On the far horizon, I saw a wall of black with lightning shattering through it.
“They’re sending everything they have at us, on every level of The Realm,” Phoenix offered.
“They’re coming after Monroe,” Landen said under his breath.
“Maybe you’re right. There is no need for them to be this upset over us shutting one channel of energy down,” Phoenix said, crossing his arms and pulling his shoulders back. I’d never seen him look anything but confident before this moment. He was just as worried as Landen was about tonight.
“Why did we bring her here, then?” I asked.
“She told them she could stay hidden in the darkness, but I’m sure that little girl knows something,” Landen murmured, keeping his fierce blue eyes on the horizon.
“For every strong point we have, a weak one is in place. Sunshine is aware this go around, but Skylynn is weak, distracted,” Phoenix said to Landen.
“I am not,” Skylynn said as she appeared next to us.
“Oh yeah? Why are you throwing Jeeps around, then?” I seethed at the sight of her, tasting the blood that was seeping into my mouth.
“Displaced energy. Try living a few thousand years without being heard by the living, and see how balanced you are,” she said, not really caring how upset I was with her. “Listen, the best way in The Realm is through the circle the band will make. It will ensure we have a bigger porthole, that we all come out together.”
“Or die together,” Phoenix rebutted. “We both know you’re trying to make sure lover boy makes it out alive.”
“Whatever. There is no room for sacrifice. If we are connected, then we know who is falling and when. We will have to adjust our actions accordingly. We have no way of knowing how this is going to play out. Where or if Willow will be in this Realm, or the others. The best plan is to know that at any second, we will have to adjust our energy.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out another velvet bag and handed it to me. “Your emotions are your weapon. Calm yourself and use them wisely.” She glanced at them. “The point is to get to the pentagram. Everyone that was there that night needs to be there.”
They nodded in agreement.
“They’re getting on stage. Let’s get back,” Landen said to me.
I brought myself back to where I was standing before I entered The Realm. When we stepped out of the veil and appeared in the graveyard, I saw Charlie walking away from it, all alone.
“Was she looking for us?” I asked, feeling like a really bad friend.
“I think she just needed a breath,” Landen said solemnly.
I looked around for Phoenix and Skylynn, but they were not around us. The next thing I felt was Landen’s arm around me, then a warm rush of air. I was standing off to the side of the stage. Nervously, I looked around for Landen.
“Right here,” he thought.
That is when I saw him in the crowd next to Brady. Draven was just behind the instruments, adjusting his guitar strap. Aden was taking his seat behind massive drums. Across the stage, I saw Drake. At first he seemed out of place, but the relief of having him in this with me took over, subduing the nasty flavor in my mouth. He gave me a subtle smile, then his eyes drifted out to the crowd, which is when I saw Charlie and Madison perched on large speakers. The circle was complete.
“Can you see me?” I heard Skylynn say.
I glanced to my side, finding her there and nodded once. She wasn’t even looking at me; she was intently focused on Aden.
“I wasn’t going to say it in front of them, but you and Madison are in the line of fire. Xavier will do whatever he can to humble your power so he can steal it.”
“Good warning. Exactly how do I avoid that again?”
She glanced to her side at me. “My motto: if I can’t have it, then no else can either. Give it all up, let it explode out of you. Do whatever you want, but don’t let him have it, and if you do by some miracle have control, pull down. The door is at our feet, not above us.”
She vanished before I could press her for more information, or at least ask her to warn Madison.
Draven was walking toward the stage. As another man introduced him, he leaned into my ear so I could hear him.
“When you see the energy rise, that is when we leave, usually around the bridge of the song.”
I nodded to tell him I understood.
He stepped forward into the view of the ecstatic audience. When my heart began to beat faster, I reached in my pocket for a lemon drop, noticing it was my last one. I also grabbed a few leaves of the lemon balm and slowly rolled them between my hands as the drums began to beat with the rhythm of my heart.
It wasn’t long before I could see the energy rising from the crowd that had both the living and dead within it.