Vindicate (Insight #5)(11)
A heavy silence bellowed through the room. The anxious emotions from them all led me to believe that they felt that I alone I could do what August had advised. They thought I needed Landen. I knew I could be that person. But right now, anger was keeping me sane. I wasn’t a lovesick helpless girl. I was a furious soul who could not understand why that each time I pushed for peace I found hell.
“Tell me, Willow, who do you know in this life that has no knowledge of dualities ? Who do you know that finds the essence of light in everything and everyone ? Who has been your guiding light ? Who whispers , ‘patien ce’?”
I glanced over my shoulder at Brady to find his eyes waiting on me. One might think that August was referring to Pelhan, his world, but Brady and I knew differently. August was speaking of Allie, Preston, and Libby.
I looked back at August. “The children.”
A smile beamed across his face. “Correct … by the time your purpose is filled. The world will be cons umed with people just like them. There will come a time when instead of teaching our children to follow conformity , we will teach them to follow their soul. To create their own path and avoid every path that has been made…for when they are on that path , their purpose will be hidden. I t is only when they are on the correct life path that doorways that can only be seen by them will open. That will be when both light and darkness find peace…when it is no longer a war of right and wrong , but an existence that basks in the glory that it is…it will be time when war…hate…anger do not exist.”
“That is a beautiful endin g…but I still do not understand. A ll I see is a battle for my heart – all I see are trials that are cruel.” I swallowed my fury feeling the pain in my core once more. “All I feel is the desire for revenge on what has been done to these people. To our family.”
August sque ezed my hands. “Rise above that. Rise above what you see , and seek what you cannot. I f a Scorpio can rise above duality – override the natural craving for revenge when wronged…then anyone can.”
Tears glassed over m y eyes. “I just want to go home. I w ant to take him home .”
August let go of my hand and placed it on my chest. “This is home. Right here in your soul. The path you take – the very human emotions you feel today will be the lessons of tomorrow. No one in history reached great ness without hardship. Without sacrifice.”
“I will not sacrifice any of you.”
August let his hands fall from me . He was not smiling , but his eyes still sparkled. “Landen has spoken the same words. Long before he ever met you. That is how I know that both of you will prevail…my lesson today will not bring i mmediate change in your thought, but somewhere on your path , whether it be today or a hundred years from now , you will remember this moment. You will see what is escaping you now.”
“Yo u still think we are immortal. Even after every brush of death we have faced. With the one we’re facing now?”
August looked over his shoulder at my father , then back to me. “When I told you that your life would be long…and at some point you would grow weary of youth and accept age – you were help ing people. You and Landen were giving your energy to images that appear before you – you were helping your friends. Today , you have stopped that. Today , each of you are giving your energ y to each other and no one else. That is making you very mortal.”
“I can’t help anyone if they don ’t appear. The only people wh o have needed our energy is us. These trials have stolen that privilege from us.”
“They have not,” August said , raising his eyebrows. “Your intent has . Where your focus is , is where you’re led. You have forgotten the innocen ce of your beginning. The pure , innocent love you had. The desire to help others.”
“I’m trying to help millions , not just one anymore – can you not see that ?”
“Can you not see that by helping one , you are helping millions ? That if you throw a pebble into a river , it w ill cause a ripple , and that ripple will travel across the surface , making waves that did not exist before ?”
I gritted my teeth. “Fine. If or when I see an image again , I will help.”
“You will not see one until your intent is set there.” August assured.
“Well, right now my intent is set on bringing them back – there isn’t room for any other notion.”
August gave me a weak , sardonic smile , then slightly bowed his head before returning to Landen’s side. I didn’t know what to say or do. I thought for sure Alamos would argue the points August tried to make , but when my eyes met his , I saw a pleading – a pleading for me to listen to what August had said. Maybe under different circumstances , I would have. Right now , I wanted a cut and dry answer to what I was facing.
Alamos ’ eyes moved to Drake , and he kept them there , not bothering to push me to any kind of understanding.
“Marc –starting the mourning process. That will stop the war?” Brady asked as his arms fell from around me ; he was starting to trust my control.
“We can hope,” Perodine said bleakly. “The thing is – this world is also superstitious. If the weather keeps up – they will not hold to the rituals of mourning ; they will begin to fight with each other. A ll the different point s of view will clash, and the result of that will be a death warrant for all of us.” Her eyes carefully moved over me. “You’re going to have to stay calm. Do not give them a reason to think that something is off. That the devil i s at large.”