Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(90)

“Willow, help me find the blue and green ones,” she ordered.

“What?”

“Willow, hurry—blue and green, I need lots.” Libby was now frantically searching the ground, looking at all the flowers.

“Find blue and green ones, hurry!” I yelled at Landen and Marc as they approached, and the three of us searched the ground frantically with Libby. Once her basket was full, she took off in a sprint toward her house, and we all followed her.

As we approached the house, I counted the emotions around me; beyond us, I could only feel two. I ran past Libby up the stairs to Hannah and Jessica’s room. My stomach dropped before the door even opened. There was something wrong. The room was without emotion. Libby pushed past me and opened the door.

From the doorway, I could see the blue tint of their skin as they lay in the same place we’d seen them last night. Marc took one look, then ran down the hall, screaming my father’s name.

Libby sat the basket on the floor between the beds and began pulling the petals off the flowers and putting them on Hannah’s chest. I looked at Landen, and we both rushed to her side to help her.

“Put them everywhere, Willow,” Libby ordered.

My father and Marc came crashing into the room; just like Landen, I could feel my father’s dread when his eyes fell on Hannah and Jessica’s bodies. We all knew that they weren’t breathing, and my father knew more. The basket was empty now, and the girls were covered in blue and green petals. Libby looked over them once, picking up a few loose petals and putting them on the girls’ chests.

“Okay, say this with me: land and will, will and land,” Libby said to Landen and me.

In a sacred trance, we did as she ordered and said, “Land and will, will and land,” in unison with Libby, repeating it over and over. Seconds later, I felt a burst of energy coming from Hannah and Jessica at the same time, and my ring and necklace warmed against my skin. I closed my eyes, and a numbing emotion swept through my body. As it passed, a dizzy feeling caused me to open my eyes, gaining balance. I looked at Landen and could see he felt it, too.

As Landen and I stood paralyzed by each other’s stare, my father rushed to the girls’ sides. We didn’t notice Libby dancing in place, my mother rushing in at the last moment, or even the overwhelming fear coming from Marc and my father as they looked back at us from the girls’ bedside.

Hannah and Jessica’s chests began to rise and fall, but their eyes never opened, and they didn’t move.

“Jason, what happened?” my mother screamed, taking into account that the girls were covered in flowers. My father kept his stunned look, staring at Landen and me.

“Jason? Willow? Somebody talk to me!” my mother shouted.

“They were sleeping too far away. The flowers helped Willow and Landen bring them back to the right sleep,” Libby answered, giggling.

“Libby, sweetie, why don’t you go and get some breakfast. I’ll be there in just one minute, okay?” my mother said, pushing Libby out of the room.

“Dad, are they okay? Look, are they okay!” I demanded, trying to get his attention away from Landen and me.

He slowly turned to look at Hannah and Jessica, shaking his head as he took a second look. “They’re fine, for now,” he said quietly.

“Were they…? Were they…?” I tried to ask if they were dead.

“Yes…for a while,” he answered in a low tone.

“What is this? Why flowers? Why did you say that?” my mother asked frantically.

“Libby told us to. We saw her picking flowers; she only wanted blue and green. Is that myth true? Did we hurt them by bringing them here?” I asked, feeling sick to my stomach.

“I don’t know if it’s our world, or if it’s something that was spoken over them. They’re fine now,” my father said, looking over Landen and me again.

“Are you sure?” I asked, looking at Hannah and Jessica.

“Their hearts are weak. Somehow they started to beat again, but they aren’t beating the way they’re meant to; it’s like they’re on life support.”

“The flowers,” Landen whispered. My father looked at Landen and nodded.

“So we have two choices? We take them home and let demons dance across their chests, or we leave them here barely alive?” I said through my teeth.

“They are very alive, and they shouldn’t be—you brought them back,” my mother said calmly.

“Did you know you could do that?” Marc asked.

“We have no idea what we can do. We’re just as baffled,” Landen answered, pulling me to him and shielding my view.

News travels fast with an energetic little girl proud of her morning’s accomplishments. Rose and August came to my mother’s house first. My mother was frantically fixing breakfast, trying to keep her mind busy. The only sound in the kitchen was the clanging of pans and plates

Brady, not hearing the news of the morning’s events, strolled in the back door, beaming with excitement and slapping Marc on the back as he smiled proudly at him. “You guys aren’t going to believe what happened,” he announced to the room, but his words fell on deaf ears, so to speak.

His frustration grew with our blank expressions. “Did you guys hear me? I have good news, not just good news, amazing news.” While he spoke, Felicity slid in behind him, giving way to Chrispin and Olivia.