Synergy (See #3)(65)

“Must be nice to see her,” she mumbled.

“I told you to stay behind, didn’t I?” I said, getting tired of her sarcasm.

“I’m not going to let you walk these halls alone.”

“I’m not talking about the freaking hallway,” I said in a harsh whisper. “I told you to stay at home. I’m not going to sugar coat this for you anymore. You have a huge awakening coming.”

“What does that mean?”

Ok fine keep acting like you don’t know what’s going on. Fine. Whatever. “Does this feel like it could be your home?” I asked, still finding it hard to find the blunt words I needed.

“Nope,” she said shortly.

I rolled my eyes. She had to know. The man that ruled this palace now was the same man who ruled her dreams.

“But I can definitely see why our dear friend Bianca wants these boys: this place reeks of power.”

The hallway was ending, and before us was a large double doorway that led to a room I was sure was the study where everyone usually gathered when they were here. As I went to step in, Olivia stepped out with a guy at her side. He was rather tall and had sandy blond hair that was curly. He had an innocence about him, but he also carried that same protective energy that I felt around all of Willow’s family.

“So, this is Chrispin,” Madison said, noticing that his eyes were wide with shock as he stared at her. Madison looked at me and explained, “Olivia’s soul mate. They all seem to have one; goes well with that blind spot they have.”

I elbowed Madison, telling her to put a lid on the sarcasm. She was starting to get on my nerves and no doubt looked like someone she wasn’t to these people.

Chrispin let a shy smile come to his lips. He was clearly mesmerized by Madison’s resemblance to Willow.

“What -- what are you guys doing?” Olivia asked, obviously concerned that she’d found us wondering the palace. “Where’s everyone else?” she asked, looking behind us down the hall.

“Helping,” I said, glancing over my shoulder and seeing that Aden, along with others, were leaving the room that the bodies were in. They were far enough away from us that none of them noticed us at the far end of the hall.

Madison had glanced over her shoulder. She gripped my arm, then pulled me into the study, almost knocking down Chrispin and Olivia.

“What is it?” I asked her, seeing that she was petrified.

“The Great Witch,” Madison said, daring to look around the corner.

I peeked around the side of the door but didn’t see anyone that looked like a witch. Brady and Aden were down there, so were two older people. The man had a black cloak on, but the woman was in black slacks and a button up black shirt. There was another man, too, but he wasn’t as old as the others. I asked the instant question of who they were and saw that the older man’s name was Jason. He was Willow’s father, a doctor from what it looked like. The older couple was to hard to see because they were so vast, like they’d lived forever, but I didn’t see any harm in them; it seemed like they were helping, or at least trying to, but I wasn’t going to let my guard down until I was close enough to see deeper into all of them. I knew Aden was doing just that as he lingered near them. I assumed that Draven and Willow were still in that room.

“The Great Who?” Chrispin asked, looking down the hall as they stepped into the study with us.

“Madison, are you sure?” I asked in the calmest tone I could manage, thinking maybe she was overreacting. Definitely hoping that she was.

She nodded frantically. “But when she showed me her, she was in, like, a ball gown or something. The older woman in black. That’s her, I’m sure of it.”

“What are we talking about here?” Olivia asked carefully as she stepped closer to us.

I looked around the room for some kind of escape. This was a massive study. Three couches outlined a fireplace that was at least ten feet wide, books were on shelves that reached a hundred feet in the air, and there was an open space behind the couches. I knew for sure there should be a table there. There were two other doorways, and one that led to a different hallway, and one that led to stairs. I wasn’t sure leaving that way would be safe; I didn’t know where one wing ended and one began, and I didn’t want to run from this woman only to find ourselves in more danger somewhere else.

“Listen,” I said, pushing Madison behind me, “I don’t have time to see you, to get the answers I need. Tell me right now: are you planning to use Madison as a sacrifice?”

“What?!” Olivia gasped, trying to hold in a laugh as she glanced at Chrispin, who was completely perplexed.

“This morning - or yesterday; I don’t even know what day it is anymore - a Witch stopped us on the street. She told us that the Goddess of Mother Nature was seeking us, that the Great Witch had sent her to tell us that. Then Willow just appears - needing us. I think I have a right to question all of your motives.” I demanded.

Olivia’s smile fell as she tilted her head to look down the hall, then to Chrispin. It was like they were figuring out something for the first time. “OK, I can see how scary all of this is to you,” she said, catching my defensive stare.

“I’m not scared. I won’t let it happen if it’s true. It’s as simple as that.” I boldly stated.