Vindicate (Insight #5)(19)

“Could you not have found a nicer room?” I said with a hint of disdain.

“I tried , but that is a s far as he would go.”

“Do you need anything?” I asked .

She moved her head from side to side , then moved her hands over the water once more. She saw something there and called the traveler over to her. I put my hand on her back, offering a silent thank you just before I left the room.

I wandered aimlessly through the open halls , fighting a shaky feeling as I gazed at the paintings , trying to clear my mind – find the answers I needed – hold a thought and find a direction.

When I felt Olivia I broke my stare with the painting of an angel wrapped in black silk I’d found outside the doorway to the room where the passage to th e string was. I saw her speed walking toward me with the intent not to rest until she found me.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you , ” s he said when she reached my side.

“Found , ” I said with little enthusiasm.

She was wearing jeans and a black ho o die and combat boots that were untied. “You look like hom e. Well , our old home , ” I said as flashes of a time when my life was simple came to me.

“Yeah . Been trying to fit in . This is from home , to o, ” s he said as she reached in her pocket and pulled out an iPod with headphones wrapped around it.

“Did you find the song you were looking for?” I asked , peeking with hope.

She raised one eyebrow. “I hope it’s the song we ’re both looking for.”

I took the headphones from her , and as I put them in my ears , she turned the volume all the way up. I knew in stantly it was the right song. The guitars – the drums were identical. I started to say something , but she raised her finger , telling me to listen. When the voice began , I recognized it. It was the one from my dream. I t was strong, commanding, yet poetic at the same time. I started to say something again , b ut she held her finger up , telling me to listen. That’s when I heard it for the first time : ‘an angel fallen , a devil risen , our fate is calling , this world will not be our prison.’

My eyes grew wide , and every part of me froze. This song. Landen and Drake weren ’t telling me some twisted myth ; they were telling me the lyrics to this song. I pulled the headphones out as I swallowed hard.

“Where did you find this? Who are they ? A re they bad people?”

She handed me the iPod so I could see the image on the screen. There was a shadowed image of a boy. A ball of fire was around him. A massive snake that was half -woman circled him – on the woman’s neck , I saw the birthmark I’d grown to hate : a broken heart.

I pulled the image closer , taking in all the details . I t was clear that no a mateur had created this . Behind the fire , I saw images of others ; they were ci rcling the boy. They seemed frozen in place. Terrified and furious at the same time. There was an image of another girl . She was crouched down , preparing to pull the snake away from the boy. The artwork was full of every emotion and literally caused you to stand still. I didn’t think the artist was twisted or demonic. I t was more like they were reflecting – coping with something they’d faced , s omething I ’d done more times than I could remember.

“Where did you get this?” I asked breathlessly.

“It took me forever. I found it on the Web. The song and artwork were free. I t s had over two million downloads in the past two weeks.”

“Who ’s the band?’

“Anonymous.”

“They have that many downloads , and they’re anonymous?”

“Yes and no . That ’s the name of the band , ‘Anonymous , ’ but at the same time there are n’t any photos of them . I think th ey’re indie. I found a few forums talking about how they have pop up concerts in the UK and in the north of the US.”

“That ’s a lot of ground to cover , ” I murmured , thinking that without Austin , we would never find these twins. I f this was even them . Either way , I needed to find the people who created this song . I knew now without a doubt they were linked to me. Linked to that demon.

“Right . Dane and Clarissa are searching for th em. Others are across the north. We’ll find them.” She vowed.

As she spoke , m y dream flashed before my eyes. Preston. The passage he led me to. “I know where they are , ” I whispered as I turned to walk to the passage of the string.

I ’d reached the wave of energy before Olivia put her hand on my shoulder to stop me. “Willow , tell me where , and we’ll go . You can’t. You have to stay. I t will hurt , ” s he assumed , looking down to my chest.

I raised my hand to where I’d seen that flower in my dream. “If it hurts , I’ll turn back – if not , then I know I’m suppose d to go . I should have already gone. The second I woke up from that dream , ” I said , hating myself for not be ing able to hold one thought long enough to have seen that before . I should ha ve woke from that dream and ran. Ran like hell until I found them.

“What dream?”

I didn’t answer her until I ’d tucked my shirt into my jeans and straightened my hair with my fingers. “It was Landen . He knows I’m safe. Preston told me where to go. Who we needed . I’ve seen visions of these people ; I’m sure of it.”

Her eyes grew wide. “OK – OK - l et’s get Chrispin. Brady.”