Image (Insight #3)(73)

“If I’m executing mass numbers of people, the court will no longer think that I’m weak. I’ll tell them that Delen wants us to attack them; they know that if we cross the wall, we’ll be demented as well. I can even order a five-hundred-mile radius around the city, claiming the ground the crops grow in is demented,” he said.

“Is that enough room?” I asked, trying to imagine the distance.

He raised his eyebrows, and his grin widened. “That’ll depend on how many people I’m forced to execute. It will buy us time - time we didn’t have when we walked into this room.”

“Will they believe you?”

He let his smile leave, then his eyes turned dark and his jaw locked. “I can be scary if I need to be,” he said, letting his smile return.

A smile spread across my face. His eyes softened, and he tilted his head.

“What?” I asked.

“You’ve never smiled at me in this life before.”

My smile grew wider, and I felt my cheeks blush. “It’s hard to find a reason to smile sometimes,” I said, looking away from him.

“Will you smile when I lead the executed into the string?” he asked. My smile grew wider. “Well then, I suppose I’m going to have to execute not only those who try to pass the wall - but all who show a desire to know you as well,” he said.

I reached my arms around his shoulders and hugged him as tightly as I could. I felt an overwhelming joy come through me, and I let that emotion flow through my touch. “I can feel you,” he whispered. “I want to make you feel like this all the time.”

I let my arms slowly fall from around his neck; I was afraid I was giving him false hope.

His eyes danced across my face, and his smile remained. “We should tell the others; I’m interested to see what Alamos thinks about our resolution,” Drake said. He then took my hand and led me back to the others, back to Landen.

Chapter Eighteen
The closer we got to the study, the more intensely I could feel the emotions of the room; with the exception of August, Chrispin, and Olivia, my family was angry with me and Landen. The doorway to the study was in sight, and I saw Landen appear in the threshold and begin to walk in our direction. I looked up at Drake and saw that he was looking down at me. I let a small smile come across my face; when he saw it, he grinned and a sparkle came to his dark eyes. We stopped and waited for Landen to reach us. When he did, he reached his hand out for me to come to his side. I stepped forward and wrapped my arm around him; when he felt my peace, a relieved smile brought his dimples to life.

“You both look better,” Landen said, looking from me to Drake.

Drake nodded. “I think we have a solution that will buy us some time.”

“He wants to talk to me alone,” Landen thought.

I nodded and looked back at Drake, then up at Landen before I walked past them. I was feverish about stepping into the swarm of emotions that were stirring in the study, and I walked as slowly as I could, hoping that Landen and Drake’s discussion wouldn’t be long. When I reached the threshold, I found the entire room staring at me. Dane walked to my side, then reached down, grabbed my legs and threw me over his shoulders.

“This is for your own good,” he said, turning to go to the opposite doorway. Chrispin and Brady moved to block him, but Clarissa pushed against Brady.

“You two are out of control,” Brady said, pulling Clarissa’s arms away from him and reaching for me. “If Landen sees this, the two of you will be on the other side of the universe with one push of his anger.”

I felt Landen rushing in my direction as arguments erupted all around me. I closed my eyes and focused on my energy, making it as solid as I could as I flung myself out of Dane’s arms and suspended myself in mid-air - just out of reach of his powerful long arms.

“If I were you, I’d back away; she’s barely using the power her energy has,” Alamos said. I looked at him to see an intriguing smile across his aged face.

Marc pushed Dane back, and Clarissa glared up at me. Olivia shook her head with disgust; she felt for them. Perodine nodded for me to come down, and I slowly lowered myself. She then walked cautiously to where I landed. Her green eyes sparkled, and anticipation consumed her.

August walked to my side, guarding Dane and Clarissa’s sight from me. He then held his hand up, telling Chrispin to remain calm. As I felt Landen just feet away, I let my shield of energy fall.

“I can see the resolve in your expression; what did you decide?” Perodine asked.

My eyes looked to the table where Alamos was standing. “Drake will prove to the court that he’s not weak by executing those who chose to know me,” I said, feeling the horrified gaze of my family. “By ‘executing,’ I mean he’ll push them into the string, and Landen and I will retrieve them.”

“Absolute genius,” August said under his breath.

Alamos looked past me, and I followed his eyes to see Drake and Landen standing just inside the doorway. Rage was in Drake’s eyes; meanwhile, a disbelieving anger was consuming Landen as he stared at his sister, Clarissa.

“And where do you intend on taking them? Into a city that will be overcome by war?” Alamos said, clearly not fond of our solution.

“Drake can prevent war,” I said shortly.

“Drake brings nothing but destruction,” Dane said in an angry tone.