Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(100)

His eyes smiled, and his expression softened. I was so dizzy, I had to close my eyes, and when I did I saw Monica’s face, Hannah and Jessica laughing out loud, and color in the gray world that had haunted me my whole life. I felt Drake’s lips touch mine, and my balance came into question. Then, Landen’s blue eyes finally surfaced above all the images in my mind, giving me the strength I needed. I pushed Drake away, looking at him intently.

“I love Landen.”

Drake sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around my limp body. Holding me tightly, he hesitated before he spoke. “Do you love him more than Libby?”

I gasped, pushing away from him and breaking the spell he had on me again. The room opened, but this time the images were of Libby dirty, crying, and alone. The graves of my parents and all my friends slid through the room. The gray world had grown darker. I covered my mouth, stopping the scream that wanted to come out.

“Do you?” Drake said as he stepped in front of the images, blocking my view.

“How could you! How do expect me to believe that someone as cruel as you could ever love someone?”

A sardonic smile echoed on his lips. I had the strangest sense of déjà-vu; it was as if I’d seen him smile that way at me somewhere else in time.

“There you go judging me again,” he said under his breath.

“You can’t force me to love you,” I said through my teeth.

Drake’s grin lessened abruptly, and he looked down and slowly back up at me. “I shouldn’t have to, love. I never have before,” he said finally. I looked at him with utter confusion. Was he insane? He didn’t even know me.

“I am giving you the chance to not only rule a dimension, but an entire universe. Wherever you go, you will be honored, the most beautiful and powerful woman to ever take a breath. You can be as kind or as cruel to your followers as you desire,” Drake said as if he were painting a beautiful portrait.

Libby’s image danced across the room, her laughter echoing around me. Drake’s eyes followed her.

“Would you put your comfort before hers? Yours before billions?”

He’d managed to put his hands on my face again, and my clarity left me. My head fell back, and his lips touched my neck. I felt the ring on my finger burn, and the necklace responded.

“I love Landen. I always have, and I always will.”

As I said the words, the white glow vanished, and we were back in the dark room. I felt someone jerk me away, and I fell to the ground. Opening my eyes wide, I saw Landen and Drake on the ground, fighting. Beth and Marc crouched over Livingston’s body, which was lying at the base of the stonewall. I looked to see that it was Brady that was holding me, and I struggled to stand, halfway pulling him up with me.

“Landen, tell me you love me—tell Drake that’s how I got away.”

Landen stood, and Drake followed. As they glared at each other, Landen said, “I love Willow, she loves me. What you have done will be undone, today and every day that follows.”

Silence fell on the room. Beth stood and slowly walked toward Drake. The rings that we were wearing were drawn to each other, putting me in Landen’s arms. Wind turned in the room. Electricity could be felt coursing through us, and a stunning white light came from our hands then bolted toward Drake. Beth dove in front of him, screaming. Suddenly, she vanished and so did Drake.

On the stonewall, the candle under the moon ignited into a flame that burned the entire wall. Brady raced to the altar, fearing that the book would be next. “I’ve got the page. Do you want to look for the star?” Brady yelled, running to us and handing Landen the page.

“It’s gone,” Landen said in a whisper.

“What?”

“I’m sure that’s where his power came from, it’s still with him,” Landen said, stunned.

“Is he dead?” Marc asked, not looking up from Livingston’s body.

“We don’t know where he is,” Landen said, looking at Marc with remorse.

Sorrow and grief hit Landen and me with a force that wiped our energy away. I looked to my side and saw Livingston. The absence of emotion told us he was gone. I walked slowly to Marc, pulling every single happy memory that I’d ever had forward. He saw me coming and stood and opened his arms. I hugged him tightly and thought the words ‘everything happens for a reason’ over and over, and I finally felt Marc’s emotion break. He was at peace, at least for the moment.

“We should go,” Brady said with a heavy heart. He leaned down and picked up Livingston’s body and carried it to the string. I turned and went for the book on the altar. When I went to pick it up, a force repelled my hands. Landen then reached for the book, only to be repelled as well.

“You have the page. Let’s go,” Brady said.

We looked at each other, knowing that this was not over, and walked toward the passage. I then remembered the little boy and searched for him in the darkness. Landen and I felt his grief and followed it to one of the dark corners, where he was huddled in a small ball. Landen reached down and picked him up, checking to see if he’d been hurt.

“What’s your name?” I asked softly.

“Preston”

“Preston, are you okay?”

“Where did my mommy go?”

We looked quickly to Marc to see the blank, fearful expression on his face.