Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(13)

“So how does a traveler know if they can see more than one passage?”

“For travelers, their passage is always brighter in their eyes, like a beacon,” he answered, winking at me.

“So when I go into the string, I will see a beacon leading me to my soul mate?”

My father’s smile lessened a little. “The ‘beacon’ will shine when it’s supposed to,” he said as his eyes searched over my face. I could feel anticipation wrapped in dread coming from him.

“Okay, then tell me what the string looks like to begin with.” If there was a chance I could find my blue-eyed boy I was going to take it.

He tilted his head and gave me a shy smile.

“Well, it’s like standing in the center of a bright light. You feel surrounded by it. As you walk, you see hazes of different colors, they are the doorways to other dimensions.”

“Is it big? I mean, how do you know where to go?” I asked. Details, Dad, I need details.

His eyes danced over my face as his smile widened. “There are three traits that define a ‘traveler’,” he said. “Seeing the passages is only one. Another is that travelers have the ability to feel their way home. Everyone has their own way of using that feeling to navigate. For me, I would picture my dimension in my mind, then visualize the paths to where I needed to go.”

I looked at him like he was crazy. That didn’t make any sense. I knew where my house was, but that didn’t mean I’d always be able to find my way home.

“You’ll see,” he said, laughing at my incredulous expression.

“What is the third trait?” I asked hungry to know everything.

“It’s the ability to understand every language.”

“All of them?” I asked, astonished. That would have made the three foreign language classes I’d taken easier. Not that they were all that hard in the first place. I just hated all the rules in the written part of it.

He nodded. “That one is very important. You see, travelers do more than just pass through the string. We also learn about all the cultures and help the person who is searching to abide by them.”

“What do you mean?”

He laughed at the eagerness in my voice. “If you take someone to a dimension, they have to understand what is customary for the time that they live there. We teach them everything they need to know, then get them settled.”

“Settled? You don’t just leave when they find someone?” I asked. That revelation was not helping my short window of time.

“It just depends. In some dimensions, a fast courtship is customary. In others, it could last years. When I knew I was coming to this dimension, Infante, I planned to stay for at least a year, and if your mother had not wanted to leave, I would have stayed here for the rest of my life.”

“So you would have left everything and everyone you loved?” I asked with wide-eyes knowing I was way more selfish than that.

“When you find your soul mate, you find the person that completes you. They are everything and everyone you love.” He paused. “I’m eager for you to meet your grandparents, though,” he said, raising his chin slightly.

My mouth dropped open. I didn’t know I had any living grandparents. My mother’s parents had died before I was born, and my father had told me that his parents were in a beautiful place. I had taken that as Heaven, not another dimension.

“Why have I not met them before?”

“My mother, Rose, feared that if she came to Infante, your hiding spot would be revealed. She and my father, Karsten, just wanted you safe.”

I looked down, suddenly realizing that my family had made a lot of sacrifices on my account. My father glanced down at my tattoo, then back at me.

“You have never told me what your nightmares involve,” he said softly.

I traced the star with my finger, remembering the dark figure and the sensation of his touch before it burned me. “I help someone, then I see a dark figure.”

“Every time?” he asked. I nodded. “Is that figure the only one you dream of?”

I looked up at him, feeling his concern beginning to build. “I dream good dreams every night,” I answered evasively.

My father’s emotion moved to relief, then he looked down, avoiding my eyes.

“Are you sure you can get Libby to Chara safely?” I asked. “I don’t want her in danger because of me.”

My father nodded, and I felt his confidence build. “Ashten said that they’d discovered new passages the storms have made. They are trying to find a way home without passing the Esterious dimension.”

I took in his confidence and let it calm me. Feeling a sense of relief. I knew that I’d now be able to ask for help with my gift. I’d even be able to explore it more.

“Do you want to ask me anything else?” he asked clearly wondering why I was being so calm about this. It was the shock, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. He already looked too worried.

“So, Chara is only different because of the culture? Do I need to learn anything before I go there?” Seemed like an obvious question.

He smiled widely at me and beamed with pride. “Different cultures have come together as soul mates, leaving a perfect blend of harmony in their wake.” He stared at me for a second, then went on. “We have a simple faith. Life itself is a gift from above, and love is the most powerful thing in the universe.”