Synergy (See #3)(89)

Out of nowhere, Willow and Landen appeared behind him. They touched his shoulder, and with their touch, what light had escaped me came back, and my strength came back with it. Dark shadows escaped Draven as Landen and Willow pushed more and more of their energy into him.

Silas jerked me away before Draven or the darkness could return. I pulled forward, refusing to leave Draven in his darkest hour.

At that moment, Draven began to glow; their energy had completely absorbed him. Draven took in a deep breath, and in his eyes I saw him; his soul was back. “Draven?” I said as the tears that were streaming down my face stopped.

His eyes focused on me, then he reached to pull me to his lips. I didn’t feel an angry passion there like I usually did after a fight; I felt innocent love. I felt my Draven, the boy I’d fallen in love with.

The moment didn’t last nearly long enough, though. I heard a vicious fight behind me and pulled away from Draven, fearing that either Silas was hurting the others or they were hurting him. When I turned, I saw Silas suspended in thin air; I could only guess it was Landen that was holding him there. Landen let him fall, then Drake charged him and pinned him to the ground.

I ran to Silas’ side. “Stop! Don’t hurt him! I saved you! I brought Willow here!” I pleaded with Drake, wanting to say anything to bring mercy to Silas. He didn’t deserve to be hurt; he was only trying to protect me.

“And he tried to kill her!” Drake yelled as he glared at Silas.

I didn’t know what to say. It wouldn't make sense that Silas would kill her or even try, not with this ‘family of souls’ thing, not with his loyalty to Landen. The moment, though, was too tense for me to explain any of that to Drake.

“Drake,” Willow said calmly as she looked over me. I begged her with every emotion I had to show mercy -- to help me end this. Drake had frozen at the sound of Willow’s voice.

“I have no doubt that if you spare him, he will leave. He will not hurt anyone,” Willow said gently.

Drake tilted his head. “Is that true?” he asked Silas.

Silas glanced at Draven. “If you have him under control, I will not hurt him.”

I felt Draven’s stare and knew I was in the last place I would ever wish to be: between them. I had to get Silas away before Draven lost control again. I knew I could talk to him later -- that he would understand that by asking him to leave, I was saving him, too. “They do! They do!” I yelled. “Let him go. It’s over. Everything is over!”

“Drake,” Landen said as Brady and Olivia moved closer, blocking Draven from seeing me at Silas’ side.

Drake stood, letting Silas up. Drake waited for him to stand, then said, “Think twice before you call someone ‘poison’ again.”

“I call it like I see it,” Silas said firmly.

I quickly moved between them, prepared to stop another fight. Drake looked down at me, then to Silas. “So do I. You and all your glory of being some holier than thou are a fool. Do you want to why I could never kill Landen?”

“Enlighten me,” Silas seethed.

“Because he’s above this. He has no doubt. No evil in him. You, however, do. You look for wrong and find it because that’s what you’re seeking. Try looking for the contrary.” Drake glanced at me once more. “If you really love this girl, then you’ll understand that having her at your side doesn’t make you a man; loving her in spite of where her heart lies makes you one. You try to kill him again – and I will be your worst nightmare.”

It was like he knew; Drake knew that in some past life, Draven was a friend of his. How could he feel that? How he could he pick up on that, and Willow hadn’t?

I turned to look at Silas to tell him to abandon this fight. His eyes were waiting on me. “Death is a small price to pay for your safety,” he murmured, and with those words, he vanished. To everyone else, I’m sure that statement seemed shallow, something anyone would say, but when I heard them I thought of Pompeii; I thought of the thousands of deaths he’d endure when he died again. That wasn’t a small price. It was a massive one, one that I didn’t deserve.

I was numb, and I wasn’t brave enough to turn and see the anger or betrayal in Draven’s eyes. Then I felt him turn me, and his eyes fell into mine. I saw compassion there; I saw a promise. His lips met mine, and the passion our love was known for took over. He lifted me up, wrapping my legs around him. The world had fallen silent -- at least it had for this moment.





Chapter Eighteen


For the first time in a long a time, I felt like I had my Draven back. We’d been through so much -- losing my memory, his war with himself -- but at this moment he was mine again; we were innocent again, and those dark times were behind us.

I heard Drake say, “I get it, man, I do, but I don’t know where the hell I am. Help us get back.”

Draven pulled away from my lips reluctantly. He smiled boyishly as his skin blushed, and he let me fall gently to the ground before he turned to face Drake. “Alright. This isn’t like mediation. It’s a dream.” As soon as he said that, the room their bodies were in appeared.

“This is where we’re at? We’re in a bed together?” Drake said as he looked down at Willow.

I could only see the bedroom vaguely. I guess I hadn’t spent enough time in that room. The forest was still dominant in my vision.