Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(71)

I shook my head softly and said, “We don’t know. Dad says that there’s nothing physically wrong that he can see. It’s unexplainable.”

Olivia leaned forward, reaching for my arm. “Do they want to go home?” she asked, I whispered yes, then she turned to where she knew they were sitting and said, “I’m going to stay here. I feel at peace here. With or without my sight, I’ve never felt better.”

Hannah looked at Olivia, tears coming down her face. Hannah’s family had tried so hard to make Olivia a part of their family after her parents had died suddenly, but instead she turned inward to books and movies, hiding from life. I was the only one she felt connected to, I was almost positive she would have asked to stay no matter what. Olivia was truly at peace, a peace that I’d never felt from her before.

Hannah walked over and hugged Olivia, rocking her back and forth. Jessica picked up the pad and wrote, “I want to go home. I do not belong here.”

“Olivia, they want to go home. Are you sure you want to stay here?” I asked softly.

She nodded. Landen then left the room to tell the others what the girls had decided, and I slid down in one of the big chairs in the room, trying to comprehend what was happening all around me.

Sensing that I was the only one in the room, Olivia asked, “Willow, where are we? Who are these people who are trying to help us?”

I glanced in her direction, Hannah was waiting for my answer, too. “They’re my family.”

Their curiosity intensified. Leaning closer, making sure she could hear me, Olivia said, “I didn’t know you had any other family. You never talked about anyone. I thought your family was alone, like me?” Hannah looked sharply at Olivia. Though Olivia couldn’t see it, I was sure she could feel it.

“This is my father’s family. They live far away. We haven’t visited much,” I finally answered.

Jessica tried to speak, but not being able to hear her voice, she was rather loud. “Drake knows that guy with you. He asked if we’d met him yet.”

I stood up quickly. “Landen? He knows Landen?” My rush of fear caused Landen to look in the window at me.

“Come in here.”

Seeing my surprise, Jessica went on. “He just described him. He thought you two were together.”

Landen came in, hearing the last part of what Jessica said, Olivia spoke up. “I remember what Jessica’s talking about, Monica insisted that you and Dane were together. He must have asked all of us several times about the other guy.”

“Did he say anything else about us?” I asked.

“He asked a lot about you, Willow. He wanted to know what you painted, why you have that tattoo, if you ever talked about your dreams or nightmares, and what made you scared or happy,” answered Olivia.

“What did you tell him?” I asked, disgusted with Drake.

I could sense the confusion coming from them, like I was missing some big picture. Olivia then leaned forward further and tilted her head as if to tell me a sad story. “Willow, besides Dane, I’m probably the closest person to you. I told him you’d never tell us something that would make you appear weak. I have to be honest, you were, or are, a very solemn person. I mean, I can’t remember a time when you laughed out loud or were full of energy. You gave the impression that you weren’t afraid of anything.”

Landen and I were locked in a stare. It was easy to see that Drake had an advantage. He knew that Landen and I were meant to be together, and he was searching for information about me.

I felt Aubrey and Felicity approaching the house. Overwhelmed I fell into one of the large chairs. Landen slid in beside me. My mother and Felicity gave the girls food and changed them out of the dresses they were in. Aubrey tried to play the peacemaker between Ashten and her boys, but she was only able to maintain the truce for a moment. Landen’s struggle for independence and Ashten’s growing concern for our safety seemed to collide over and over again.

Brady and Marc took the dresses and jewels the girls were wearing and burned them in one of the side fields. Chrispin hovered near Olivia, only leaving her when they changed her clothes. I wondered if Chrispin was the source of her peace. I couldn’t ever recall her even acknowledging that boys existed, and now she looked so natural next to Chrispin.

It was so weird. The two people that I would have chosen to bring with me here were brought by fate. I always saw myself next to Olivia and Dane as I thought of where life would take me. I just wish Olivia’s path here was not painful. She’d lived through enough already.

“How old is Chrispin?” I asked.

Landen grinned and glanced over to where Olivia and Chrispin had settled. “He turned twenty a few months ago. That’s why he wanted to know so much about the strings he hadn’t seen yet.”

“How come he didn’t already know? You know them.”

Landen pursed his lips. I could see that he wasn’t comfortable in his thoughts, feeling guilty for something out of his control, the favor he was given as a child. “As soon as it was clear that I had an insight, I was put in the strings, traveling further than permitted by those well beyond my years. That’s what your father meant when he said we’d be more prepared. Insight is treated with a high degree of respect.”

Our conversation was cut short as Rose arrived at the house. She stepped in the room and motioned with her eyes for us to come to her. We followed her through the kitchen, off the porch, and into the backfield, far away from earshot of the house full of people. Coming to a stop, she turned and crossed her arms, looking at us over her small square glasses.