Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(43)

It would be my fault, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.

“What if you just call and see?” He knew he was fighting a battle that I wasn’t going to let him win.

“Landen, I have to help her,” I thought in a pleading tone. “You’ll be there, and you can pull me back into the string if he’s there. I’ll even let you take me all the way home if he tries anything.” I felt confident in my words. I knew the others would get Libby and my mother to me, or that Landen could even go back for them if need be.

Landen clenched his jaw. I could feel the turmoil stirring inside him. I felt his pain. He knew I was going to go, and I knew he was trying to think of ways to stop me. He knew if he tried by force, I’d just find another way.

“Okay, let’s just compromise. You can’t stay, no matter what you see. If it’s bad, we’ll get the others and we’ll all help,” he thought.

I could handle that compromise. I didn’t want to put myself in danger. I just wanted to help her. I had to help her. No choice in the matter.

We walked to where Sharon was. She wasn’t screaming anymore, and she looked like she was calming down. Landen held my hand as we passed through the crowd.

“Willow, don’t say anything to her. You have to keep your concentration. You can’t do anything differently than you normally do. I don’t know what could happen if you do.”

I was having doubts. What if I put Landen in danger? I argued with myself. I had to help, though.

When we reached Sharon, Landen stood behind me and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist. His anxiety was growing stronger by the second. Putting him through this was torture. Taking in a deep breath, we reached for Sharon, and the string pulled us through with a rush of energy.

We were in the police station. Sharon was not alone. Other parents were there, in fact, all the parents of my friends were in the room with her. Using all my strength, bringing her a feeling of safety was all I could do. Her tears stopped, but she didn’t smile. I knew I was only giving her temporary peace. Deciding that was the most that we could do, we let go.

Stopping in the string, I could still feel Landen’s arms around me. His anxiety was replaced by sorrow. When I turned to face him, his face held the same emotion. He pulled me closer to him. He saw more than I did. He knew what was wrong, why they were so upset.

“What happened?” I asked.

I knew my thoughts were as pleading as my face. Landen hesitated, just like he always did when he didn’t want to tell me something.

“Landen.”

He breathed in. “There are six missing.” I heard his words, but I couldn’t process them at first.

“He took her,” I thought, remembering how Monica had wanted to go with Drake to the beach to go out on his boat.

“I don’t know how. He’d have had to take them one by one. Esterious is two dimensions from here.”

He was rocking me back and forth, trying to clam me down. The humming and gentle current of the string was helping him. All at once, Landen stopped. His whole body went stiff. I could feel rage coursing through him. Then I heard who was making him angry.

“Well, well…what do we have here?” It was Drake’s deep, charismatic voice.

Landen moved, shielding me with his body.

“Have you hand delivered my queen to me?” Drake said, laughing.

My adrenaline rushed to my defense. I was infuriated with Drake. He had now crossed the line. Landen’s rage rose to meet mine.

“You know, I’d expected to have to deal with her father, or maybe her little boyfriend, Dane. But you, my friend,” Drake paused while looking Landen up and down, “are a worthy opponent.” He began to circle us. “Mmm…yes…a degree of chivalry always makes for a good story.” Drake tilted his head, smiling arrogantly and winking at me. “It will be a good one to tell our son, when I tell him how I won you and every dimension.” As he stopped in front of us, his eyes moved from me to Landen. They were locked in a dead stare, and both of them had their jaws clenched. The rage I felt between them was so powerful that it took my breath away.

“She’s not leaving with you,” Landen growled through his teeth.

“You would think that a man of Chara would want the color to return to Esterious,” Drake said, folding his arms across his chest.

“You don’t need Willow to release those people. It’s you and your beloved Donalt that holds them captive,” Landen said in a harsh tone full of disgust for Drake.

“Willow’s destiny is threaded through mine,” Drake said, glancing at the tattoo of the dragon on his arm, then to my Ankh.

I lunged at him, pushing him into the wall of the string. I could hear the singe of his clothes as he quickly stepped forward. The rage in the string intensified. Every muscle in my body hardened, trying to block out the sheer force of the emotions coursing through the string.

Drake didn’t scream in pain. Instead, a proud grin filled his face, and he chuckled under his breath.

“Where are they?” I screamed at him as Landen pulled me behind him and blocked Drake, who was stepping toward us.

Drake looked at Landen with an arrogant sneer. “She’s always belonged to me…I’ve been with her more nights than you could ever imagine,” Drake said, clearly enticed by my outburst. “Willow, are you going to make this easy or hard on yourself?” he said, glaring at Landen.