Synergy (See #3)(72)

“I hope not,” Perodine answered. “If that happens and Willow shows love for Drake inside of Landen’s body, Donalt will have a way in - and if he has a way in, all of his power will be in human form. It would take more than a few undead Witness to stop him, and when they did, the host would perish, Willow would perish, and all that was done to prepare for this day will be over. I’m afraid that means you’ll be over as well; we’ll lose this battle before we ever figure out what we’re fighting or what our roles are.”

“Then we have to stop it now,” I said, standing. “They’re already switching; Aden saw them call each other by different names.”

She stood with us. “We cannot undo what has happened; you just have to make sure they wake there, that there they know who they are. A part of Drake is now in Landen, and a part of Landen is in Drake.”

“If we can’t reverse it, then what are we stopping?” I asked.

She smiled weakly. “It seems my daughter’s one-track mind had a divine purpose. You’ve brought Madison here. You’ve brought doubt. Even if she and Drake aren’t meant to be together now or at any point in their existence, Willow has unknowingly established doubt with her obsession. Landen will believe that Madison is the missing soul mate, and Drake will question his dreams, at least for a moment. A break, no matter how small it is, will not allow Donalt to take control of the host. Drake must have no doubt that he loves Willow in this life, and she must also have no doubt. If you pull them out now, doubt will be in place.”

“And how does this help my brother, or Monroe? We’re going to do this anyway. I’m just curious,” Aden asked.

“I’m sure Monroe will help all of us more than we’ll help her, and as far as your brother, if there’s anyone that can help him fight the darkness that’s seeking him, it’s my daughter... and Drake.”

“Long lost family,” Aden mumbled.

Before Perodine could confirm that theory, Brady stepped into the study.

“Draven was looking for you guys.”

“Um...how’s Madison?” I asked.

Brady’s eyes grew sad. “I tried to stop her from going in there, but she went anyway. I don’t know what’s going on now, but we need a plan. You have to teach me how to see.”

“We don’t have time,” Aden said, glancing at Perodine.

“We need to make it,” Brady said.

“I can help,” Perodine said, stepping closer to Brady.

We followed them to the door, prepared to end this now.

“How?” Brady asked.

“I’m going to combine your energy and open a door. I think all of you need to divide and conquer. One group will seek Drake, and the other Landen.”

“Fine,” Brady said, eager to do anything. “I’ll go with Draven and Willow; we’ll get Landen. The rest of you find Drake.”

“That doesn’t seem very even. Three people who know their way around The Realm looking for Drake, and only one looking for Landen?” I said, wanting to make this as fair as possible, doubting Madison could help me save him, not moments after figuring out he’s real.

Brady sighed slightly. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but Draven seems to know this Realm better than all of you. I wanted to be fair to Drake.”

“He’s right,” Aden said. “Draven is the best, and you can’t be near him in The Realm. We don’t need Silas on top of everything else.”

“Who?” Brady asked.

“Never mind,” I said, glancing at Perodine. “Are you sure you even want Willow in there?”

Perodine smirked. “Trust me. Even if I told her death was certain, she’d still go. Olivia will go with you as well; she’s her shield.”

I didn’t understand the reference to a shield, but I already knew that Olivia would be in The Realm; Madison’s dream had predicted that.

“I’ll get what I need,” Perodine said, turning to leave through a door on the other side of the room.

“We have to change the song,” Aden said to me.

“We could manifest them there. I heard it clear enough.”

“I don’t want to take any chances. Playing it makes it ours,” he said as his pupils expanded.

A second later, drumsticks appeared in his hand. He walked to the sitting area and played a beat on the back of the leather couch. “It was like that, right?” he asked.

“Yeah. We need to change the base guitar, though; I swear I know it well enough from what she showed me,” I argued, not wanting to take the time to hash this new sound out.

“Yeah, but we all have to know what to create, or it’s gonna sound horrible. We both have to agree on the sound.”

“You’re right,” I mumbled, not wanting to ruin the new way that Monroe had showed me to kill those men. The thought of reaching inside of them again made my stomach turn.

Brady had his arms crossed and was looking back and forth between us like we were insane. “Is a guitar going to appear now?” he asked calmly.

“I need to ask Draven which one,” Aden said, nudging my arm for us to go to him.

We left the room with the intent to end this now.





Chapter Fourteen


I was terrified to see Madison; there was no telling what she was going through right now. Halfway down the hall, I saw her run out of that room. She was in a full sprint, running in our direction, fighting tears. Willow was right behind her. I stepped in the center of the hall to catch her, to be the shoulder she needed to cry on, but she ran right past me. I turned to chase her, but Aden caught me. “She wants to be alone,” he whispered in my ear as I struggled against him.