Vindicate (Insight #5)(18)

I’d yet to explore every corner of this palace ; in fact , the hall I was on and the front entryway were all I’d seen. In truth , I doubted the rest of the place looked much different. The hallways were wide. Oil paintings lined the walls, with narrow couches and tables here and there. Some rooms opened to luxurious settings , others vast bedrooms.

I didn’t let the emotion of fear come over me when I stepped into the last room I’d seen Donalt alive in. When I saw his wheelchair still sitting in the same place as before. When I walked down the tunnel that led to the looking glass , I didn’t let the images of that girl that had tempted Landen haunt me. I’d passed that point. I had bigger issues.

When I reached the stone room with pool of water and the looking glass , I saw Stella standing in front of it. The water was glowing. I t brought more light than I’d ever seen in this room. There were other doorways; one s that I doubte d had bookcases blocking them. One was to the right of the pool; the other was to the left. I could feel August close by , but he was not in sight. Wherever he was, he was asleep. There were other souls close by , too. A ll carrying the signature peace the citizens of Chara had in their soul.

Stella , from the back , almost looked like a priest. She had a long black robe with a deep hood on. Her hair was pulled tightly back into a French twist. She didn’t turn to me as I walked to her side.

“Well , ” I said , gazing at her. I couldn ’t help but notice how the innocen ce had vanished from her image. She looked sure of herself. Like someone who had commanded this looking glass for centuries.

She broke her stare with the glowing water and looked at me. “You look weak.”

“Do I?” I asked hoarsely , knowing I felt that way.

She nodded once , then looked back to the water. “Do you see what I see?”

I followed her gaze , and in the pool, in the center of the moving rings , I saw images . I t was like watching a movie through water. There was what looked like a chapel , and men in black cloaks filed in the room , swinging incense lanterns. On the alt a r , there were candles , and who I hoped was Drake , but knew was Marc , was standing there , wearing a black cloak lined with gold. The hood was pulled down so low that you could barely see his strong jawline.

“Where is this ? Marc was sleeping a moment ago .”

“This will happen. I n a few hours , I assume. I t is the ceremony that brings silence to the priest. I t ’s meant to rel ease the dead into another form. Marc will fill his role perfectly. Fool them once again , ” s he said with a hint of pride in her emotion.

“This is the future? How far can you look?” I asked , focusing my eyes on the water.

“Not far enough,” she said as she moved her hands across the water.

The rings began to tilt , and when they did I could see other parts of the palace. I could see priest - men who I didn’t know or could feel were roaming the halls silently. I could see guards blocking this wing. I saw Chrispin and men that I knew were travelers from Chara , along with Ashten , stopping a nyone from coming in our wing. I saw them capturing those who were attempting to use secret passages to reach Perodine’s quarters . I couldn’t feel their intent in this reflection , but I had no doubt they were won dering what Perodine was hiding . They knew. The y knew that their King was lost. A t least for now.

“At least we can see them coming , ” I mumbled , fighting a wave of wooziness that swept through me.

“I can see. You can see, but so far no one else can see these reflections , ” s he said , raising her hand as if she w ere calling someone to her.

At that moment , a young man, one I recognized from Chara , stepped out of the shadowed doorway to the right of the room. When he reached Stella’s side , she said , “West wing – second floor – behind the large painting , there is a passage. Two men.”

The traveler nodded , then left, and another young man came to the shadow of the doorway a second later with the intent of waiting on another message Stella would need delivered.

“Can you move it forward? Even a day or so ? How long wi ll this last?”

“After the ceremony of silence Marc will give in the morning – a few hours after that – everything turns dark.”

I swallowed hard. Fearin g the end in just a few hours. Fearing the death of Landen and Drake. That would be dar kness. Complete darkness. “I thought this was going to help me turn back time ?” I whispered.

She reached her hand for mine and squeezed it so tightly that for an instant I qu estioned her strength. “It will. When the time is right.”

“It’s right now , ” I said , gripping my sides and feeling a sharp pain, and a sick , dizzy feeling.

She hesitated before she spoke. “I don’t think it is.”

“Show me the darkness you see. I s it that demon?”

Her eyes told me no as she raised her hands and the rings moved agai n. I saw the passage I use to come and go to the string. Olivia and I appeared in the passage , then all at once everything turned murky .

“That didn’t help,” I mumbled.

“I’ll let you know when I can see past that point. That darkness , ” s he promised , t elling me in her own way that that wouldn ’t be the end.

“Where’s August?”

She nodded her head toward a dark doorway to the left. “I made him sleep.”