Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(77)
“Oh, I see. Do you know if Willow’s okay? Chase said that Willow and Dane were really hung up on each other. Apparently, that kid, Drake, made a move on Willow, and Dane showed up, saw it, and was furious. Chase said they had to stop Dane from tearing that guy apart.”
“Remind me to tell Dane he’s awesome when we get back,” Landen thought.
“Willow is happy, too. Grace said she’s in love with a really great guy, and Grace and Jason both seem to love him. They went to school with his parents, I think,” Gina said, trying to curve the conversation.
“So tell me about Clarissa, what’s she like?”
“Dane called a day or so ago. He’s going to go to Paris, too. Right now, they’re in New York. He said he’d come home before he went overseas.”
“So Dane could ask Jason to come home, too?”
Before Gina could answer, the door they were standing in front of opened, and Olivia’s aunt, came out, holding a pad of paper. Still studying the words on it, she looked tired and aged by the event.
“How’s Hannah,” Gina asked.
“She’s asleep now. I don’t know. She doesn’t remember anything about getting on a boat or going to the Keys,” Olivia’s aunt said, leaning against the wall and staring at the notes.
“Do they know what happened to her voice or Jessica’s hearing?”
“The doctor said the memory loss is due to trauma, but he thinks the girls will recover if they rest.”
“What about Olivia? Does Hannah remember where she is?” asked Gina.
“Hannah can’t even tell me if she was ever with them to begin with.”
Feeling their agonizing grief and confusion, I shifted my way in front of Olivia’s aunt. Landen took a protective step forward, bracing himself for anything that could happen.
As I reached for her shoulders, my trembling hands anticipated the rush. Staring into her eyes, I concentrated on peace. I remembered how happy Olivia looked dancing with Chrispin, hearing her laughter over the music. Her eyes closed slowly then opened again, looking past the room. Gina and Chase’s mom started to yell her name, fearing she was passing out. My fingertips tingled. Just as I felt her emotion change to joy, a flash of light came across my face, causing me to lose my touch. The rush found Landen, and the sensation boomeranged between us, intensifying the high and energizing our spirit.
Olivia’s aunt let out a gasp of air as Chase’s mom and Gina both reached for her, blocking a potential fall. At first, I thought I’d done something wrong or hurt her somehow, but she just gasped again then smiled.
“She’s fine. Olivia’s happy, she’s found her place.”
“What?” Gina asked, looking behind her, halfway expecting Olivia to be standing there.
“I could see her, dancing and laughing. She’s in love. It’s in her eyes, a light I haven’t seen … since,” Olivia’s aunts words faded as tears surfaced in the corner of her eyes. She took a deep breath and stood up straight. Smiling, she still carried the joy I’d given her. “I think I need some coffee. Will you guys go with me?”
Gina and Chase’s mom walked behind her, whispering and looking back through where we stood.
“What was that? Did it hurt you?” Landen reached down, examining my fingertips.
“No, it was amazing—exhilarating.”
“Were you thinking of them dancing? Is that what she saw?”
“Yeah, I don’t know how she saw them. I always think of something when I help. Did you see that light?”
Landen nodded.
“Where did it come from?”
“Her, well, the both of you. A light came from your fingers, then another burst from her chest.”
The elevator door dinged, then opened. A nurse got off as Olivia’s aunt and the others got on. We watched as the nurse check a clipboard before going into the room across the hall. As we waited, we were hit hard with terror. Looking at each other, then to the room, we were sure where it was coming from.
Landen grabbed my hand before going into Hannah’s room. It was dark. Only a little light came from the gray windows where rain sheeted across the pane. I could see Jessica’s mother sleeping on a couch under the window. All of a sudden, the terror we were feeling seemed to double. Landen saw them first – the ‘monkeys.’
Jessica and Hannah were in beds side-by-side, asleep, and on their chests sat small demonic animals that resembled monkeys. They had short red hair, and spikes made of reddish bone lined their spines. Horns crowned their head and black collars circled their small necks. Their feet were planted firmly on the girls’ chests as they stared centimeters from their sleeping faces.
We stared, frozen with horror.
“We have to hide our fear,” I thought, remembering that Rose would wake us before we’d be able to help if she felt it in our bodies.
We both pushed it aside and found anger instead. As we stared, not believing our eyes, we listened to the growling of the monkeys as they breathed. Landen reached in his pocket for the bag of garlic salt. He then opened it, grabbed a handful of it, and gave me a handful, too. We never took our eyes off the demons. The girls moaned as if they were in pain, and the chuckle of a growl filled the room.
The terror coming from the girls was growing stronger. Not knowing if the demons could see us, we stepped cautiously in their direction. All at once, the growling halted, and the one on Jessica looked slowly over its shoulder, its red eyes glowing in the dark room. The other one sensed us and turned as well. It was clear that they could see us. As they stepped off the two girls’ chests, their terror faded as they turned restlessly. The demons sauntered toward us as the growls resumed and grew louder. Landen and I threw the handfuls of salt at them. They let out large growls as the salt hit their faces then leaping at us they suddenly vanished. Stunned, we looked slowly at each other, allowing the fear to come out.