Synergy (See #3)(76)

“I’m gonna give it back,” Madison promised quietly.

“No. No, you’re not. It saved your life,” I said as fear came to me.

She nodded, but I knew that whatever ideas she had in her head weren’t changed. I tried to see what she went through, what Willow said, or how she did what she did, but all I saw was a blinding light.

Perodine and the man I saw in a cloak earlier were in the hall now. His name was Alamos, and from what I could see in a glimpse, he was just as old, just as powerful as Perodine. Those bad men had been carried off, and now everyone was just trying to catch their breath.

“Step away from the walls,” Perodine said to everyone.

Perodine and Alamos walked side by side down the hall, chanting words. With their words, a light blue glow spread across the walls, then down the hall; it was like they were sealing it with some kind of energy. Those men had come from behind a painting; that was the noise I’d heard before we were attacked. I guess they thought they could seal this hall, protect us from evil people.

“And that’s why they call her the Great Witch,” Madison mumbled.

Willow turned to look at her. “It’s not magic. It’s a focused thought. Her willpower is creating that. She’s lived a long life. Lot of will power.”

“Where I come from, they call that a witch,” Madison said slyly. “I’m gonna change, then I’ll be ready. Are you?”

Willow nodded.

Madison turned to go to the room our stuff was in. I followed her, but she turned to stop me. “Go talk to him.”

“Who?”

“What do you mean, ‘who’? I’m sure that almost killed Draven. Make sure he’s still on our team before we start this war.”

“Why would he not be?” I asked I was numb from the adrenaline rushing through my body.

She rubbed her side, obviously still in shock herself. “Charlie, you can deny that he’s broken all you want, but he’s hungry, and me and Willow just laid a feast before him. I’m sure in some way he’s in pain. Talk to him. Be angry, be sympathetic, be whatever you have to be to make sure he doesn’t slip, not after what I just went through for these people.”

I nodded blankly and glanced over my shoulder. Draven was staring right at me. I waved for him to follow me.

I opened the closest door to me. It was a little kitchen area that I was sure servants used to take care of whoever was on this floor. Draven followed me in and closed the door behind him.

“Look at me,” I said, noticing he was purposely avoiding my eyes. It looked like it took everything he had, but his eyes met mine.

“Why did you hold me back? Why would you not let me help her?”

He didn’t answer me.

“Draven!”

“Charlie.” He let out a tense sigh. “I had to protect you. Someone tried to kill you, and I didn’t know if more were coming and I couldn’t get any closer to Madison...I had to hold you back.”

“Why could you not get closer to our dying best friend?”

He stepped boldly closer to me and glared into my eyes. “Because light was pouring out of her! Because her energy was screaming my name, begging me to take it in.”

“Haven’t we talked about this?” I asked firmly.

“Charlie, do you think you can tell me to pull from myself, then all of a sudden I’m healed from this curse?” he asked as anger blazed though his eyes. “I did what I had to do. I protected you; they were taking care of her.”

“Draven we are one, all of us. These people may be a little off course, but one thing is for sure: they work as a team; they would never leave anyone behind. You’re on our team, one of us - so you can’t leave anyone behind. You’re strong enough to do this. I know you are.”

His eyes were filled with agony. It was killing me to see him hurt this way. “That makes one of us. Charlie, the only reason I’m going after those boys is because I know they’ll be able to protect you. That their intentions aren’t ruled by a broken heart like Silas.”

“Able to protect me, huh? Yet you - the man I love more than the air I breath - is the one that’s saving them. Seems to me that you’re the one with the power. Not them. If you go in The Realm, you’re not going in there for me; you’re going in there because you’re prepared to look this curse in the eye and tell it to go to hell and stand at my side, all of our sides.”

He stepped forward abruptly and pulled me to him, then leaned in to kiss me, but he hesitated; it was like he was fighting something. I reached up and pulled his lips to mine. I didn’t hold anything back as every emotion from anger to passion seeped through my lips. He needed to know that I needed him and that I wasn’t going to walk away from him. I wasn’t going to let him walk away from us. My eager hands moving across his chest and shoulders, expressing more than the words I could have used as an argument at that moment.

A knock on the door stopped us from losing control. He pulled away first. “Let’s end this,” he said breathlessly as his eager hands rushed down my sides once more.

I nodded, even though I knew it wasn’t an end; it was a beginning.

Madison was the one on the other side of the door. She looked between us. “OK there, buddy?” she asked.

He nodded once. “I’m gonna make sure Willow knows what to expect when we step in there,” he said, then walked away before I could say another word.