Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(39)

Landen and I were back. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as happy for one of my images before.

I smiled up at Landen. “Well, how was that?” I thought, proud of myself.

Landen looked around to see if anyone had seen us come or go. Finding no one paying attention to us, he thought, “I think you have me beat.”

“What? There’s no way—there was no wave or beautiful light.”

“Yes, there was. You just didn’t see it,” he thought, smiling.

What did he mean by that?

“You just crossed the string and made your own light. The pull you feel is the energy of the string,” he continued. “Look at where he was, remember the way you felt…do you see it?”

I could see. It was a wave, where one did not exist before. I took Landen’s hand and stepped through, not knowing if we’d be with the young man or back in the string. When I heard the hum and felt the current, though, I knew we were in the string.

“Look, do you see the green in the wall?” Landen asked. I looked to the right and could see a light green haze, the same size as me. Landen walked to the left side of the string and pointed out the twin image on the other side of the string. As I realized what he was saying, a grin came across my face.

Without warning, the hum of the string grew louder. The current was moving faster, and I felt my breath leave me. Landen pulled me down to the ground and wrapped his arms and body around me tightly. The energy filling the string was so powerful, it vibrated every part of me. Just when I thought I couldn’t stand another moment, everything was still again. I rose in a daze, and a numbing feeling came over me. The walls of the string had changed, and my green haze was no longer there. We had moved.

“Did I do that?” I asked, afraid of what his answer might be.

“It was just a storm. They’re unpredictable.”

“Do you know where we are?” I asked with a trembling voice.

Landen looked at the walls of the string. Once he found his place, a smile came across his face. “Well, we’re back, a little faster than I would have preferred,” he said reaching to help me up.

There was a light blue haze, and as we stepped through it the river that ran along the cabin was in front of us.

As we walked toward the cabin, I felt all the emotions that I loved, the ones that only a family could give you.

Libby was running down the river path as fast as she could, excitement pouring from her. She is so precious. When she reached us, she leaped into Landen’s arms and reached across to pull me to them.

“You guys left me all day,” she said in her fake pout voice. “Did you take Willow to your castle?” she asked Landen. He lifted her above his head making her scream with laughter.

“Did you?” she said through her giggles.

“No, not yet but I will very soon. When I do, you get to come, too. How does that sound?”

“I get to live with you?”

Landen was starting to learn that nothing got past Libby.

“Well, you get to live very close with your mom and dad.”

“How close?” she pressured.

“Close enough that you can run there in less than a minute,” Landen said, setting her down. Libby seemed to be satisfied with his answer, and I was, too. I needed Libby close to me.

At the cabin, dinner was on the table. Marc had made it there safely, and the cabin was filled with a sense of joy. The stories of all the places travelers had seen sent my imagination running wild. I watched my father’s eyes dance as he laughed at the stories being told of his childhood. My eyes always found their way to Libby. She’d insisted on sitting in Landen’s lap for dinner; he didn’t seem to mind. I wondered what she’d filled her day with or if she’d picked up on her insight. Libby seemed not to be surprised by anything anyone was saying, but she was careful to answer when she was required.

When Libby finished her dinner she slid off Landen’s lap and went into the living room. Once there, she stretched out on the floor and began to color across one of my sketchpads. Landen and I stared at her as the others continued to reminisce.

“I wonder if she has a gift of art, too,” Landen thought.

“If she does, she’ll humble my talent.”

“Landen, do you agree that we should wait another day before we travel home?” Livingston asked pulling us from our private conversation.

Landen’s stare was still on Libby, “I don’t want to take any risks. We should wait for the storm that’s turning to pass.”

I could feel eagerness inside Livingston. If it were up to him, we’d already be on our way.

“I’m going to get Libby ready for bed,” I said, standing.

I wanted to spend some time alone with her, see if I could pick up on how well this insight of hers was developing, or at the very least let her know she could ask me about anything she thought was weird.

Everyone else stood and started to clear away the table from dinner. I took Libby upstairs, and we took turns in the shower. After she was ready for bed, I read her a story. I noticed that she was losing the excitement that I loved about her; it was as if she’d aged over the past few days.

“Libby, is there anything you want to talk about or ask me?” I whispered to her.

Her eyes found mine, and she searched my face. I could feel her running through different emotions: anxiety, a little fear, and then returning to the common thread of excitement. “I think I’m different,” she said in a quiet voice.