Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(22)

“You know you have been quite difficult to find, my dear,” she said in a motherly tone.

“Who are you?” I asked softly.

She circled me, smiling proudly, her green eyes glinting.

“I am Perodine. You have known me from your first heartbeat.”

“What do you want?” I asked, nervously, looking around.

“My dear, I want you. I have waited well over four million years to see you this way.”

“What? Why?” I asked, trying to understand.

Perodine had stopped in front of me and was beaming with excitement.

“You are very gifted, my dear, and I have loved very few…” She tilted her head, placed her hands on my shoulders, and captured my gaze. “I have loved you…you must listen to me. Your heart is the power, the one who sees must have it.”

Sees what?

“Why do you take my gift? Why do you bring me pain?”

“It has never been my intention to bring you pain. I have protected you, given you the power.”

“I don’t understand.” I couldn’t hide the tremble in my voice.

“I cannot undo what was once said, when the Blue Moon rises, you will choose.”

“Choose what?”

Perodine went to speak, and as she did, I could feel pain through her. With her eyes closed, she inhaled deeply and said in a hushed voice, “Our time now is over.”

The room flashed back, and the others in the room gasped. The pain on my chest intensified. I panted for breath, trying to push the pain out of my body. Before I could even focus on what was happening, Perodine was taken away by men in long black robes. She glanced over her shoulder at me as if she could feel my pain and wanted nothing more than to take it away.

I could feel someone’s warm breath on my neck, then a mesmerizing hum swarmed every part of my body as their lips touched my skin. I turned and saw Drake, who grinned and wrapped his arm around me, paralyzing any response I could have tried to make.

“They are waiting,” Drake said, smiling adoringly.

The glass doors opened, the roar of a crowd erupted, and I walked unwittingly with Drake to the balcony. The sky was a beautiful blue, and the sunlight warmed my face. The crowd grew louder as they saw us standing side by side. Looking down, I saw a sea of color surrounding the people who cheered below.

My eyes peered up at Drake, watching his coal black eyes smile at me. He was pulling me in, trapping my gaze, and my willpower was losing a battle that any other girl would have lost the first time that she saw him. Then, above the crowd, I heard the sweetest voice.

“Willow…”

I turned to look back in the room and saw Libby standing there. I could not feel her, but I could see the fear in her eyes. Not hesitating, I ran to where she was, but she vanished before my eyes, the roar of the crowd grew silent, and the sky turned gray.

“You’re mine,” Drake said unsympathetically.

I turned back to where he was and raised my arms to block a light I was sure would come. As I moved my hand, I saw that my wrist was bare and that the Ankh was gone. I fell to my knees, gasping as I tried to understand why it was gone.

Drake grinned down at me, clearly enjoying my agony. As chants echoed against the walls, I closed my eyes and found the image of the one who always made me feel safe: my blue eyes. The room shook, and the paintings crashed to the floor. The noise shocked my body, causing me to wake with a scream. My mother was so frightened that she veered off the road.

“Willow? Are you okay?” she was yelling at me.

I felt my eyes focus as I looked down at my wrist: the tattoo of the Ankh and one lonely star was still there. I was safe, at least for now.

I had dreamed with Drake more times than I could count. Something was off about him in that last one…it was like I knew someone was playing his part, someone cold and deceitful. The question was how was any one of them getting into my head in the first place.

“Just a bad dream. I’m fine.”

“We got you some breakfast, well, lunch. You were sleeping so soundly that I didn’t want to wake you. I wish that I had now.”

“How close are we?” I asked, looking at the secluded highway.

“Only an hour away. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, Mom, just a dream,” I shuddered as it flashed into my memory.

As I calmed down, my eyes raced over the dream. This was bigger than me.

I knew then that I was going to make my father let me find the blue-eyed boy. I didn’t care how old I was. I didn’t want to choose anything on my own. I sat back slowly and turned my head to see Libby sleeping soundly in her seat. I watched her chest slowly rise and fall, assuring myself that she wasn’t having a nightmare. Looking at her, I knew that she was a part of this, too, and I had to protect her.

My mother turned off onto a small road where a picturesque mountain played the role of a breathtaking background. We then turned off onto a less traveled path. Without warning, a beautiful, massive log home nestled next to a magnificent river came into view.

I could sense the excitement and relief coming from the two people on the porch of the cabin. As we got closer, I could see my father standing next to an attractive man whom I assumed was Ashten. He was smiling and patting my father on the back. Strangely, he looked familiar to me.

I woke Libby up as we stopped. My mother was already in my father’s arms. Libby and I followed her lead. When we got to the porch, my father introduced Libby and me to his lifelong friend, Ashten Chambers.