Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(78)

A resilient pull came over us, and as we gasped for breath, we suddenly found ourselves back in our bed. My father was standing over me, and Rose was standing over Landen. They were shaking our shoulders. We jolted up, making sure we were both back. Landen dove across the bed and pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my neck. His fear was in rhythm with his heartbeat. He knew just like I did that those things had visited me often. The weight on my chest—that was them.

“Never again, Willow. He will never do that to you again. I swear I’ll kill him—never again,” Landen said through his teeth as he rocked me back and forth.

The fear in the room was overpowering. Rose and my father stood like statues, not sure what had happened.

“Olivia…Landen…Olivia,” I said, pushing him back and holding his face so he would have to look at me through his rage.

Olivia was sleeping now. The demons could be tormenting her where she lay.

“Jason, where is Olivia?” shouted Landen, still staring at me.

“She’s…uh…she’s with Felicity. What’s—”

My father was cut short as we rushed by him down the stairs, out the door, and into the Jeep. Landen didn’t even use the road. He tore off across the field in the darkness. Just over the second hill, a house could be seen in the moonlight. Like the others, it was wrapped in porches. We stopped inches short of the front porch.

Landen charged open the door not caring how loud it banged back. He raced up the stairs two at a time. I ran to keep pace with him. At the top of the stairs, he took a quick left, opening the first door. The light flicked on, and Olivia lay, sleeping peacefully. I walked breathlessly to her side to wake her, and I could hear Brady charging down the hall with Felicity close behind.

“Olivia! Olivia, I need you to wake up!” I said, trying to catch my breath.

Landen stopped Brady at the door, and Felicity peered in under his arm as they stared, wide-eyed.

Startled awake, Olivia sat up defensively.

“Have you had a nightmare?” I said through the tears that were catching up with me, the demons’ eyes staring through my memory.

“What? Willow, are you okay? What happened?”

“Have you had a nightmare!” I yelled.

“No, not since I was little—why?” she asked, reaching for me.

I pushed away before she could touch me, charging my way out of the room and back down the stairs. I needed air. I was gasping, not wanting to cry, not wanting to succumb to the terror that had chased me through childhood.

Landen was right behind me. He grabbed my arm and swung me into his arms as I reached the porch. I buried my face in his chest. Letting it all go, I cried breathlessly. The images that I’d helped, the pain I endured each time, the fear I’d overcome—it all flashed through my eyes.

I felt Rose and my father approach as the others looked out at us. Landen waved them all away and let me cry. Holding me tighter as the minutes passed the tears ran dry. Light was starting to peak over the hill. When the tears finally dried on my face we went in the house.

They were all in the living room; Felicity and Olivia had fallen asleep toe–to-toe on the couch, and Brady, Rose, and my father were sitting, tensely waiting for us.

Brady raised his hands to question what was going on; looking at my father and Rose, it was clear they hadn’t told Brady about watching our bodies. Landen slid in one of the oversized chairs and nestled me against him. I laid on his chest, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone.

“We went to check on Hannah and Jessica. We…” Landen stopped, looking at my father, then down at me. “We saw these things, demonic monkey-looking things, sitting on their chests. They were being tortured with nightmares.”

“Sitting?” my father repeated.

Landen nodded. “Like a heavy weight,” he bit out. Anger coursed through him as he squeezed me tighter.

Brady stood, rubbing his arms nervously. As he began pacing the floor, fear and confusion overcame him. “Landen, are you serious? Demons—seriously!” he said in a harsh whisper, looking back to make sure Felicity was still sleeping.

Landen’s angry blank stare told Brady we were very serious.

“What did you do? I mean, how do you come back from something like that?” asked Brady.

“Garlic salt,” Rose said, realizing Libby had given us the weapon that saved us.

Brady raised his hands in the air protesting the foolishness he heard. “I don’t think I want to know,” he said, sitting back down. “Does Dad know?” he stood again, ready to defend Landen’s point of view if his father came charging in the door. He looked at my father, trying to measure his perspective.

Landen shook his head. “Not yet. Libby told Rose, and we needed Jason to watch our bodies as we slept.”

“What did you mean, ‘bodies’?” Brady said, looking at Rose and Jason.

“We can control where we go when we sleep,” Landen answered.

Brady sat back in his chair and stared blankly. I felt him arguing with his emotions; he wanted to be proud of us, but he was too terrified.

“What did you see?” Brady asked my father.

Landen and I looked curiously in his direction to see if he could see the rush we’d felt helping Connie.

“Their adrenaline levels rose repeatedly, elevating their heartbeats. We didn’t start waking them until Rose could feel their fear,” my father answered.