Synergy (See #3)(37)

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Trust works both ways. I don’t trust you right now - at least I don’t trust Draven’s fate if it rests in your hands.”

“Harsh words, but very true. You shouldn’t trust me with his life because all I need is an excuse.”

Anger blazed through me as I balled my fist. “What do you want?! You obviously have no desire for me to die – to be what you are. So what is your plan? To kill Draven and then live as a ghost by my side until death does come for me?! I’m not the one that has my priorities out of line – you are. Maybe you should go back to that world we were in and remember peace, calm.”

He was standing before me before I could even blink. He peered down at me with eyes that were filled with agony. “I did everything. I loved you. I protected you. We have walked through heaven and hell together – and what did you do? You left. No reason. No excuse. You left. I’ve never stopped looking for you, and when I found you, was it a blissful moment? One that I have dreamed about endlessly? No. We are right back to the worst day of my life. I’m forced to watch you love a man that is the reflection of everything we promised Isis that we would fight. You abandoned me. You abandoned your city – your promise.”

And with those words, he vanished, leaving me with more questions than answers. I knew one thing: I was going to see my way into that memory. I was going to figure out what Willow said to me, what warning I avoided or ran right into.





Chapter Eight


In a vacant daze, I walked back to my car. I felt sick to my stomach. I felt like I was running out of time and that if I didn’t get my head together, people would die.

Madison was still sitting in my car. I could see the glow of her phone reflecting on her face. I was sure she was talking to Britain, weighing her decision to leave or not. I almost hoped he would talk her into staying here, at least until I figured out why she looked so much like Willow.

I opened the passenger door and slid down in my seat and crossed my arms, glancing in the mirror at Monroe, who was still unbelievably calm.

“Well...?” Madison said, finishing the text she was writing before she hit ‘SLEEP’ on her phone.

“Can you please tell me why I attract self-loathing boys to me?” I complained as I tried to hide the grief in my voice.

“I would be glad to if you would stop blocking Silas from me,” she promised.

“Fine,” I said, locking eyes with her. I let her see the nightmare, the past; I even let her see Egypt, Willow. I braced myself, waiting for her questions, the fear she should have once she figured out that she looked just like Willow, at least the younger version of that woman I knew then. I could only imagine that Willow was our age now, an identical twin to Madison.

“Well, that’s a little deeper than I thought it would be,” Madison said after a few minutes.

“What part?”

“Isis. At least you know now why you have always found peace fighting for this darkness.”

“Madison, seriously, that’s all you got out of that?”

“OK, fine. You loved him, you feel like you are in debt to him - but correct me if I’m wrong: you left him for Draven. End of story, you found a new love, a deeper one.”

“Fine,” I said as I turned the car on and backed out of the driveway. I showed her, showed her Willow, and she didn’t even try to ask questions about that. It was obvious she was not going to face this, and I was sick of worrying about what would happen when she figured it out. For all I knew, she already knew.

We drove in silence to her house. I pulled up behind her car and put my car in park.

“OK, listen, I have already told them what’s going on. I wont be long. I guess just say what you have to say to Draven, and I will be there as soon as I can to help you seal the deal. We’ll leave tonight.”

“Sure about that? No other goodbyes you want to say?” I bit out, gripping the steering wheel, trying once more to get her to talk about how she felt about Britain, what she would do if she were standing between him and that prince.

“This is a good test for him. We’ll see if distance makes his heart grow fonder.”

“I’m not letting you leave without facing him. You have to stop running from your heart. Close the door if you don’t want it open.”

Madison reached to open the door. “We have to convince the others to leave first.” She pulled the seat forward to let Monroe out, then waved behind her as she walked into her mom’s house.

I slammed my fist on the steering wheel. I was so mad at myself. How come I couldn't get through to her? What was I going to do if she got hurt, if something happened to her?

Monroe calmly pulled her seat belt across her. “You can show her all day long. Her mind is not going to let her see what she cannot handle.”

“What? What are you saying? Did she not see her? Willow?”

“You spend almost every moment of every day with her. Do you honestly think that you have never let your guard down when it comes to seeing that prince? Do think that the door was not open for her to walk through?”

“Monroe, does she know?”

She moved her head from side to side as she stared at the house.

“Why is her mind blocking it?”

“It’s just too much.”

“Are they going to hurt her? Is anyone going to hurt her?”