Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(64)

“Are there any other myths about travelers?” I asked in a light-hearted tone, reaching for his face to trace his perfect profile.

Landen smiled and looked back into my eyes. “Some believe that the gifted travelers are the oldest souls bound by past lives,” he answered, tilting his head and smiling at me as his eyes searched my face.

I smiled, realizing that if that were true, I’d always had Landen close to my soul. It also meant that Libby, my father, and Rose had always been with me as well. I sighed, feeling stronger. “Well, at least that means our families have always been with us,” I whispered.

I heard him laugh under his breath. “Right now, I don’t know if I’d see that as a positive,” he said, trying to hold the sarcasm out of his tone.

I playfully glared at him.

“I didn’t mean it,” he said, wrapping his arm around my waist. “I just want to know what we’re up against so I can protect you. It bothers me that my father doesn’t think I’ll be able to handle it.”

“You’re wrong. I can almost guarantee you that your father thinks you can handle anything. He has a strong pride that comes from him every time he looks at you,” I promised Landen.

“Then why won’t he tell me?” he said, almost to himself.

“Maybe he’s the one that can’t handle it. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think my father or Livingston can either.”

“August will tell us,” Landen murmured looking deeply into my eyes.

“Does your father realize that?” I asked.

“My grandfather has always played peacemaker between me and my father. He has a way of making my father let go and me slow down both at the same time.”

“Maybe that’s what our fathers are waiting on, the peacemaker,” I said with a sinful grin as I my fingertips traced his firm chest.

“He should be home soon,” Landen said with a sigh as my lips teased his neck and he pulled me closer.

“Do you think they lost the star when Justus and Livingston went to bring home Adonia?” I asked, rolling to my side so I could get closer to him.

Landen nodded. “Livingston is the only one besides Justus that’s ever been inside the Blakeshire Palace.”

“Why did Beth go with them? Why didn’t they take more travelers?” I asked as I halted my hands and stared into his eyes.

“August told me that just before I was born, that the storms were so bad that travelers would be gone for months at a time. Justus and Livingston were the only ones close enough to go. Beth was from Esterious, so she went to help them find a new way in the palace.”

“I think it’s strange that no one knows where Beth and Adonia are,” I muttered as I furrowed my brow.

“Marc and I do as well. Marc is convinced that Beth is locked in that palace and that he needs to bring her home.” Unconsciously his arms flexed for an instant around my body.

“What do you think?” I whispered.

“I know that if I were Adonia and I lost my soul mate, I wouldn’t want to live anymore, and if I were Beth, no palace would be able to hold me.”

“Are they as strong as you?”

“I’ve never met them.”

I felt my eyes growing heavy and smiled at Landen.

“So where shall we dream tonight?” I asked.

“Do you think we can choose?” Landen thought as he sat up with a rush of excitement.

“I think you choose. I’ve only ever gone to where you are,” I thought, pulling him back down to my side.

Landen had beaten me to our dreams almost every time. The only time I’d ever been first was the night we danced to the willow tree music box. He was focusing in a straight stare. “What if we plan to go to a place to see if we can control it?” he thought.

“Where?”

“Here sounds safe enough,” he thought as a grin spread across his face.

“If it works then what?”

“Let’s just test it, see what we can do. We never even tried to communicate this way.”

He rushed from the bed, I sat up completely confused, he came back a second later with our clothes.

I grinned and shook my head. It didn’t cross my mind that we needed them, but if we managed to make this work, if we could control this and explore, clothes were needed.

I pulled my dress back on, and turned so he could help me with a zipper.

“This is a tragedy.” He thought in a teasing manner, as his lips touched my shoulder and his hands waved over the dress he had fought so hard to remove.

“Keep talking like that and we are never going to fall asleep,” I teased as I pulled him to follow me to the bed.

After a moment I closed my eyes, keeping my focus both on the space around me and Landen, refusing any other thoughts or fears. I began to drift. It felt like only a moment had passed before I opened my eyes again. My body lay sleeping on the bed before me. Landen’s body was still; only his chest rose and fell. The scene was so surreal. My first reaction was panic, and then I heard, “Can you hear me?”

He stood at my side, staring at our bodies as they lay sleeping. Not only could I hear him, I could also feel his discomfort.

“I can feel you, too.”

Landen looked slowly at me, a sinful grin spread across his face. We were both feeling control of this heart-racing gift we shared.