Vindicate (Insight #5)(22)

They just kept staring ; their emotions were on a roller coaster ride, which was making me even weaker.

“What?!” I asked as my eyes moved from one to the other. “Why are you staring at me?” Change your tone, Willow, I thought to myself. These people are innocent. And right now you look like a mad woman.

I stared at Draven , who was walking slowly toward me. The magnetism in his eyes made me think of Drake. I t felt like he was walking to me. That he was about to bluntly put me in my place. “There ’s a lot to see. Your existence is vast , ” Draven said with a voice that was smooth as velvet . His tone was hypnotic , almost as hypnotic as his eyes , which I could swear had turned dark.

“Well,” I said , holding in rampant emotions , “i t’s about to end if you don’t help me.”

At that moment , I felt anger, determination, and betrayal , but it wasn’t coming from them ; it was coming from a much more familiar source. A second later , I felt Brady’s strong hands on my arms just before he turned me to face him.

Brady and the two travelers we ’d passed had stepped through the gray passage into this studio.

“We had a deal,” Brady said through his teeth as he leaned inches from my face.

“Hey – HEY!” Aden yelled as he tried to push his way between me Brady . He had the immediate intent to protect me , and his brother Draven was inches behind him. I was terrified that either Brady or I would hurt them without even trying. I had to stop that.

“Brady,” I said , losing my battle with the tears I was holding back. “He sent me here.” I’d stopped the tears, but my eyes were glassed over.

The anger in Brady’s eyes faded instantly as they tried to peer into me , t o understand me.

“Brady ? Like Landen’s brother Brady?” Aden asked.

Brady broke his glare with me and looked around the room . He nodded once at Aden , and the tension in the room faded. Brady pulled me to his chest when he heard the rain begin to fall against the window. At least it was soft rain. I took it as good sign that I was still in control. “How did you find me ? Did you dream of him , too?” I asked in a frail whisper. I felt his hand cradle the back of my head as sympathy and grief engulfed him. “Preston. I dreamed of Preston , ” Brady said quietly.

“Sorry, man , ” Aden said , stepping back as he glanced at Charlie. “I know how it is.”

I couldn’t comprehend what he meant by that , but the disdain I felt in Charlie led me to believe that Aden had either played the role Brady was playing in my life before or soon would.

Brady looked over his shoulder to the travelers that had come with him. “Go tell them I have her . Make sure Marc stays there.” He then looked down at me and cupped his hands around my face. “What did he say?” he asked , trying to hide his grief and bury his frustration with me.

“He told me to find them, that they see everything - and they do ; they said they do , ” I said , looking from him to Olivia.

Olivia regarded the others. “You see where they are? Can you take us there?” she asked.

All of them seem ed to look at Draven , who glanced down , then looked up at me. “This isn ’t a place. There isn ’t a passage. You ’re going to have to see your way there.”

“What if I can’t?” I asked . Please tell me you can go there I thought to myself. I knew I felt his intent to go, but I wanted to hear him say it.

His eyes drifted behind me , and I felt the nervousness in the room build . I nstantly , almost defensively , I shielded my energy around myself , t hen I heard , “We’ll go. We’ll kill Bianca.” I turned to see a girl in the doorway.

No. Freaking . Way. No way. Now? She shows up now. Well, isn’t that poetic. I glanced up at Brady just to make sure my mind was not playing tricks on me.

Her hair was long, dark. Her skin was olive like mine. Her eyes were emerald green. Same height. Same weight. We may not of looked exactly alike, but we were close enough.

I knew her. This was not the first time our paths had crossed. I was sure of it. I struggled to throw every insight I had at her, but she was a void. Her energy was familiar to me, near soothing , but she was a void. Figures.

“You called that one,” Brady murmured so only I could hear him.

Yup. I was right. The re she stood. The counterpart to a boy I cared very deeply about. Did she know? Was she aware that she was royalty? That an entire dimension was waiting for her to take Drake’s hand and rule their golden age. My gut told me she did. It also told me she was just as stubborn as I was. She didn’t care for her fate to be outlined for her.

“Why can’t I feel you?” I asked , stepping back from Brady Absentmindedly I stretched out my insights wanting to know if I had any more surprises coming at me. I needed to know if anyone else would walk through that door. There were others here, at least four others , maybe more. They weren ’t dangerous. I felt their concern, protective mindset , and determination. They were somewhere in this building we were in.

The girl nervously moved her hand across her wrist, and that wa s when I saw it : an Ankh tattoo with a star in the loop. “I could ask you the same thing , ” s he said , focusing her eyes on me. “I can’t see you either.” She looked past me to Charlie , hesitating in what looked like frustration , then she looked at Aden and Draven. “Why are you not showing me?”