Image (Insight #3)(63)

Landen looked up as he felt Clarissa’s intent, then shook his head slightly, knowing it would be pointless to persuade her to stay.

“Well,” Felicity said, “honestly, I feel better knowing she’s going with you.”

I looked at her with wide eyes, surprised by her words.

“You need a woman there, a woman as brave as you are,” Felicity said.

“You’re brave,” I said, trying to make her see that she was just as much of an asset to me as the others.

“You and Clarrissa are a lot alike. She’s had to prove herself over and over to travelers outside of our family; she has a strong will and determination. I wasn’t surprised when Aora said she’d travel at your side; in fact, it took everything Brady had to keep her with us after she heard Aora. She wanted to leave then for Esterious - not to see Dane, but to help you. I think she’ll bring you balance when you’re in the midst of turmoil,” Felicity said.

I watched Clarrissa approach Dane’s side. He pulled her to him and held his eyes low. I could a feel an ueasy distance rising inside of him. I furrowed my eyebrows as I tried to understand it.

I took a deep breath then stood, and leaned down to hug Felicity goodbye. I looked down at Allie’s smiling eyes, then made my way across the field to meet the others.

Chapter Sixteen
As I made my way to Landen and the others, Brady passed me; he was going to say goodbye to Felicity and Allie. I started to tell him just to stay, that we were only going to talk to Drake - but I felt his solid intent and decided not to waste my breath. My father looked up, and as I got closer he stepped away from the others and moved toward me. His eyes were still green, but I could see a hint of hazel beginning to invade them. I watched as he looked over my body, stopping at my heart. He smiled slightly. I stopped just in front of him.

“Better?” I asked, reaching for my scar.

“Much better,” he said, moving his head from side to side.

“What?” I asked.

“You and Landen just amaze me,” he said.

I blushed slightly, then let my gaze catch Landen’s over my father’s shoulder. “Are you coming with us?” I asked.

“No,” he answered, staring into my eyes. “This truce must be between you and Drake.”

“That isn’t stopping the others from coming,” I said, looking at Dane and Clarissa.

“Yes, but they won’t remind him of his father as Ashten and I would,” my father answered. “You’ll need him to be calm if you’re going to negotiate with him.”

I looked down at the ground. Drake being calm was never the issue; he was always calm. In my opinion, that was one of the most frustrating traits he had.

“On the inside,” my father said quietly. I looked up at him. “When you have a disagreement with someone, the only way to resolve it is to see their point of view - and for them to see yours,” he said.

I nodded. My father reached his arms around me and held me as tight as he could. “I don’t care how many birthdays you have; you’ll always be my baby girl,” he whispered. I squeezed him tighter and thought of how much I loved him.

As I felt Ashten getting closer, I let go. He wasn’t as calm as my father, but I felt him trying to let go, to let me and Landen live our own lives. I smiled up at him; I could feel his overwhelming pride of having me in his family. He put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me. “You’ll be home tonight, right?” he asked me.

“I don’t think we’ll be there long. It can only go one way or the other; either he’ll help, or we’ll have to find another way,” I said, focusing on a calm emotion and giving it to Ashten.

Brady came up behind me. “Ready?” he asked.

I nodded and let go of Ashten, then smiled at back at my father and began to walk at Brady’s side toward Landen. “Did you get a chance to talk to Landen?” I asked him in a low tone.

Brady looked down at me and smiled slightly. “He talked; I listened,” he answered.

“And...?” I asked, prepared to critique his response.

“I’m relieved to know that Drake isn’t the devil I thought he was,” he answered, raising his eyebrows.

“That was Landen’s conclusion?” I said.

Brady nodded. “I have to give both Landen and Drake credit; I don’t know that I’d be calm enough to let all of this unfold. If I was Landen, you’d be hidden away on a deserted island, far from any reality that Esterious could give you; and if I was Drake, I’d have stolen you away the first chance I got. The two of them prove that love isn’t a selfish act – it’s one that must come with some pain,” he said.

My expression was solemn. It seemed that Drake had managed to reach my family; they now had sympathy for him, which made being angry and resentful toward him all the more difficult.

Brady reached his arm around my shoulder. “It’s not a choice of who you love any longer; you’ve made that decision. Now, it’s a choice of either fighting for the lost souls - or walking away,” he said. His eyes looked somewhere inside me. “Landen and Drake aren’t going to walk away, and neither are you.”

We’d reached the others. As Landen reached his hand out for mine, Brady let his arm fall from around me. A smile came across my face as I felt his touch. He pulled me to his side and kissed my forehead.