Image (Insight #3)(77)

Alamos looked down, took in a breath, then looked up at me. “I yearn for the day that my soul will rise above this life, the day that I can look back over the chapters of my time and understand why we’re all put through so much turmoil.”

“We’re not meant to live in turmoil; I believe we decide if we’re happy,” I said, looking at him.

“Maybe so, but I’ve seen more tragedy than good,” Alamos said bleakly.

“Think of the good that’ll come, not the tragedy that’s occurred - and you’ll find a peace that’s escaped you,” I said to him.

He smiled at me. “I just wish you could feel how much I love you...how much Drake loves you,” he said, looking back at the wall.

“I don’t doubt the way the both of you feel about me. You know my insight is rare. The rest of the world has the pleasure of discovering the emotions in others by their actions, their words; I sense an emotion and make a judgment. It’s not my place to judge. Sometimes I feel the insight is more of a curse.”

Alamos looked down at me, his aged eyes studying my every feature. “Aliyanna couldn’t feel others as clearly as you can, but she understood others’ emotions more deeply than any other soul I’ve met. It’s a blessing, not a curse. You have the ability to understand what drives the emotion, which would make you a sound ruler.”

“I’m not going to rule anyone,” I said in a tranquil tone.

“That is growing more and more clear with each passing moment,” Alamos said.

“I need you to stop pushing me in Drake’s direction; you cause him more stress than peace when you do so.”

“I only want him to be happy. He deserves to have at least one life of complete contentment,” Alamos said.

My eyes questioned his words as he looked away.

“He will have that life,” I answered.

As I felt Landen enter the room, I turned. “Well?” I thought.

“I had to convince him; he’s afraid it will hurt you.”

I looked at Drake; he was staring at me with a solemn face. I smiled at him and moved my head from side to side. I wanted him to know that I wanted him safe and that I’d be fine. He let a smile come across his face.

Alamos called Landen to his side, and Landen eagerly came, wanting any council he could get on moving the wall. When Alamos began the same lesson I’d just heard, I walked to the table. My father extended his arm for me to come to his side. The others were seated around the table.

“This is a brilliant plan. I’m proud of you,” my father said.

“It was Drake’s idea,” I said, looking around the table and judging the others’ emotions. Overall, they were pleased that we’d found a peace with Drake - but they feared it, too; they thought Landen trusted him too much.

Marc and Brady came in the room. Marc had changed into Drake’s clothes, and he had his hair tossed back in the same manner that Drake wore his. The sleeves on his shirt were rolled up, revealing the dragon I’d drawn on him.

Drake looked him over carefully and smiled. “You nearly fooled me. This is going to work,” he said. “Come, there’s a room here that looks like my chambers. I’ll show you where I sit and how I act in there in case anyone’s watching.”

Marc nodded and followed Drake out of the room. Brady was smiling at our fathers. “I was just thinking that I should go and get you so you can help us get them home - and now here you are. Let me guess: Libby and Preston?” Brady said, amused by his words.

They smiled back at him. August waved Brady to the table, and Landen came to my side. Alamos appeared at my other side.

August cleared his throat. “Alright. On the roof, there’s a weather main, and a passage is beneath it. All of us will go to the roof with them. Once the wall is moved, they’ll stop time. When it resumes, Drake will already be in the string. Ashten, you need to step into the string. Follow Drake’s path; there’s a chance he’ll be too weak to have made it all the way back. You must make sure he gets to the chamber and that Marc is out safely. Alamos and Beth are going to try and stall the members of the court long enough for Drake to gain some kind of strength.”

I looked up at Landen; he was trying not to smile, not to seem overconfident. We both knew that if Drake used me as a source, he wouldn’t need any time to gain his strength. By the time Ashten made it to the string, he’d more than likely be standing in front of the court - mocking rage at Delen.

“Landen and Willow are going to be weak as well,” August continued. “They’ll need to go home immediately. Brady, Chrispin, and Jason will need to guide them, carry them - whatever they need. Nyla, Olivia, and I will stay here and walk the streets; the people in Delen are going to be terrified. Once you’ve gotten Landen, Willow, and Drake where they need to be, all of you need to return here and make your presence known in the streets; the more of us they see, the calmer they’ll be. It’s going to be a long night,” he finished.

Everyone nodded, taking responsibility for their roles.

“I want someone to take me and Beth back now,” Alamos said. “We’ve already been gone longer than I thought we’d be; someone is sure to be looking for us.”

Brady extended his arm, telling Alamos to come. “I’ll take you,” he said, looking at Landen.