Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(73)
Ashten chose not to resume his lecture, a promise I felt him make Aubrey.
“Now that Willow’s friends are safe, will you stay here?” Ashten asked.
Landen glanced down at me, then to his father. “I won’t make you a promise I can’t keep,” he said respectfully.
“Landen, this is the only dimension that will protect the both of you,” Ashten said, stepping forward and trying to hide his frustration.
“What do you mean?” I asked, looking from Ashten to Landen.
“Chara can only be found by those who were born here,” Ashten said, looking at me, hoping I’d be able to convince Landen to stay.
“Then why didn’t you just bring me here when you found me? Drake never would have found me.”
“We didn’t know that until Drake started looking for you. He passed by the passages to Chara blindly,” Ashten said defensively.
I believed him. Landen’s gift of truth was making itself known inside me. Yet, I also knew that wasn’t the entire story.
“Why now, why is he looking for her?” Landen said with as much constraint as he could manage.
“It doesn’t matter, Landen,” my father said, putting his hand on Landen’s shoulder. “Willow loves you. He can’t take her away from you. When Olivia is feeling better, maybe she can give us a better idea of where the star might be. The palace is as large as a small town; servants who have worked their whole lives there still lose their way. We’ll return the star to where it belongs,” my father said, looking to the charm on my neck.
Ashten sighed and walked down the front steps. “Just promise me you won’t ever go to Esterious alone,” he said, looking back at Landen.
Landen just stared back at him.
My father hugged me and patted Landen on the back before he left.
“I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said as he let me go.
Landen and I walked inside our house to get ready for the celebration in town. “Why do you think they’re so worried about that star?” I asked, “Do you really think it’s that important?”
“I don’t know. I do know I don’t want Drake to have anything that belongs to you,” Landen said. I felt a surge of jealousy come from him.
“Do you think if we got the star we’d be able to heal my friends?” I asked.
“I do,” he said quietly. I nodded. “Then that’s what we’ll do,” I said, sure of myself.
Chapter Fourteen
Dinner was at sunset. We drove Landen’s black Jeep into town; this was the first time I’d left the area around our home. My eyes widened as I gazed at the lush fields, homes sprinkling the horizon. None of them looked the same, a unique personality accompanying each of them. The outline of the town was coming into view on the horizon; from where we were, it looked broader than Franklin.
Landen parked on one of the side streets. The roads were made of stones set perfectly together. The buildings were crafted uniquely, with light colors and wood framework. Each stoop had beautiful flowers sitting on it. The town was full of people, each of them beautifully original; their skin was as dark as night, yet their eyes were a crystal blue. Others would be as light as snow and every shade in between; the one common factor was the peace you could feel emanating from them.
Along the streets, banners were stretched across with our names written in a beautiful script. My parents, Dane and Clarissa, had banners as well. Lights reached out from building to building, giving the street a beautiful canopy. Music could be heard throughout the town. Children ran through the streets dressed in beautiful bright colors. Their laughter energized us as we walked by.
The atmosphere was electric. It reminded me of how a crowded concert would be at home—energized, joyful, and carefree. Some were braver than others, stopping and shaking hands with Landen and me others would only bow their heads, with a sweet smile. Landen introduced me to several couples he’d carried home. I met well over thirty of them in a one-block radius; the pride of having known him was overwhelming around them.
As we neared the center of town, large tables with white cloths lined the streets, and beautiful candles surrounded by roses set the centerpieces. The center of town was transformed into a dance floor, and the band played a beautiful melody.
A path was made for us as we crossed the dance floor, and as Landen swirled me into the center of everyone, applause erupted. He caught me in my spin and pulled me to him, kissing me softly for the world to see. The crowd grew louder, their energy rushing through us. We lost ourselves inside each other’s eyes, dancing to song after song.
The impatience of our favorite little girl, Libby, caught our attention. We went to the other side where we could see our family sitting along a large U-shaped table; others that I hadn’t met sat amongst them.
We took our place near the center, next to my parents, Dane and Clarissa. Landen, with Libby in his lap, sat next to my father. Rose was to my right, Karsten to her side. I watched as they stood and greeted another older couple. A small crowd lingered around them, causing me to lose my stare. Desperate to regain it, I adjusted my seat. The man’s skin was dark, his hair was short and white, and his eyes were as pale as clear water. The woman was small with long black curly hair, her eyes were as black as coal, and I could feel their admiration. Feeling my stare, the man turned to me and smiled as he bowed his head.