Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(75)

Hearing her conclusion, we nodded slowly with eyes wide open, realizing the danger that she feared for the first time.

Rose’s calm returned to her.

Landen was looking up the street, watching Ashten and his mother leave, waving bye to them.

“Willow, I think we should tell your father, his insight would make what Rose wants to do more efficient.”

The sudden relief that came over me told him that I agreed. Looking now at Rose, Landen laid out a plan for her. “We’re going to tell Jason so he can help you watch us. After we fall asleep, we’ll come to the two of you before we leave.”

The conversation was halted as Karsten and my parents approached. Rose coaxed my mother into letting her and Karsten take her and Libby home; sensing that I needed my father, she went hastily.

Landen opened the passenger door of the Jeep for my father to get in. Looking confused, he complied. I then climbed in the back, and we drove off to a more private place. Landen and my father talked casually about the celebration, August, and others that had come from so far to see all of us.

The lights of the town faded; now only the stars and moon, which was growing fuller each night, showed the way. We stopped at the edge of the driveway that led to my father’s house, and Landen and I got out.

Slowly, my father made his way out, confusion coursing from him. I nodded in Landen’s direction, encouraging him to start. He cleared his throat and said, “Jason, we need you to do us a favor.” My father nodded, agreeing before he even knew what we wanted him to do. “Willow and I can control where we go when we sleep, and tonight we’re going to see if the Realm healed Hannah and Jessica.”

“You can control it?”

“We taught ourselves last night,” Landen said proudly.

“We came to see you,” I added.

My father looked quickly at me. “Did you change my emotion?”

I nodded. I felt my father’s amazement, mixed with pride.

“Jason, Libby told us we’d see mean monkeys tonight. She gave us garlic salt and told us to throw it in their eyes. Rose wants to wake us if we’re scared. You’d be able to see if we were hurt,” Landen said.

“How would my mother know if you were afraid?” my father asked, shaking his head, trying to understand what we were saying.

I glanced at Landen, and he looked back at me; we’d both forgotten that Rose had kept her insight a secret.

“She has the gift of emotion, too,” I said, putting my hand on my father’s shoulder. “She said her father told her that she should keep it to herself if she truly wanted to help people.”

My father nodded. I felt his understanding.

“If you know there’s going to be danger, why are you going?”

“It’s just a precaution. Libby’s not afraid of what we’re going to see. Tonight will serve as a test. If we have a strong enough control over this, maybe we’ll be able to get the star back without putting anyone in danger,” Landen explained.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go into Esterious without your bodies. I’m more than sure that they’d be able to hurt you.”

“How do you know that?” I asked, looking for more answers.

“The Priests were able to put Drake in that state. Obviously, they’d know how to hinder you,” my father explained.

My father sighed and looked back and forth between Landen and me. “How are you going to contact me? Should I stay at your house?”

“We’ll stop here before we leave, try and get some rest,” Landen answered.

“I’m going to get Rose to stay with us, so you only have to stop at one place. I’d think you’d be stronger just as you left…don’t use all your energy finding us.”

We agreed with my father. Landen drove him to his front door, then took us home.

Walking in our home, we almost looked over the small package lying just inside on the floor. August had told Landen that he’d left something for us. I reached down for the box. I was excited to see what was in it.

“Do you know what it is? What did August whisper to you?” I asked, handing it to Landen.

“He said it would keep us both safe.”

When Landen opened the small brown box, something fell and hit the hardwood floor. It was two silver rings, which began circling in place. When they stopped, I reached down and grabbed them.

They were quite heavy for being so small. Within the band of the rings an eye was inscribed. Two long lashes stretched out from the bottom, and seven gold lines made a border along the base of the eye. Landen slid the smaller ring on my left hand, and I slid the larger one on his. As if they’d found their rightful place, the rings tingled our fingers upon first touch, and the silver seemed to brighten.

I slid the ring off again to look at the inscription; as I did, the silver dulled and the tingle left my hand in protest.

“Do you know what this means?” I asked, counting the seven gold lines. I’d seen this before—the night I picked out my tattoo. It was the eye of RA, and it meant “protection.” My Ankh meant “eternal life.” I reasoned that if I had eternal life, I wouldn’t need protection—that’s why I chose the Ankh.

“August told me a lot of stories. If I remember correctly, I think it’s a watchful eye. I don’t remember what culture or dimension he was referring to when he described it, though.”