Vindicate (Insight #5)(28)
I knew from the lack of jealousy he had for this person he spoke of that he had no concern for him, but there was som eone he was worried about. Someone that not only evoked jealously , but every defensive emotion a soul could possess. I knew that emotion intimately. It was how I felt about Landen, how I felt when the thought of someone taking him from me came to mind.
Nana brought two plates with chocolate pie on them and sat them in front of Olivia and Brady . She returned with two more for Austin and Draven , then took my empty bowl and pushed the plate of toast closer.
“How do I get there?” I asked , breaking the bread apart , feeling hunger for the first time in days.
Draven’s eyes smiled at me. He had this essence about him, this pull of energy that almost commanded you to study every feature in his faultless image. He reminded me so much of Drake that I almost felt like I was talking to him.
“Not long ago Charlie forgot how to see. I taug ht her to find that curse again, but I’ve never managed to teach anyone who had never faced this darkness to see. I’m not sure I’d want to , ” h e said with a hint of a warning in his rhythmic voice.
“How did she forget?” Olivia asked. I felt her curiosity of Draven. I felt him leave her just as spellbound as he left me.
Anger swelled in Draven as he tensed. “It was a mind game by Bianca . She had the intent to blind Charlie , so she and Britain – the one that is addicted to Charlie - could feed off her energy, but Charlie is strong. She still has a few lost memories , but they’re there just under the surface.”
“Feed off her?” Brady said tightly , leaning protective ly toward me.
Draven nodded. “Off her energy ; that is what Escorts do. They find light in this life , and i t gives them power in The Realm. I n turn , it leaves this world darker , which also gives them power.”
Brady eyed at me. “We need to ask Perodine about this, these Escorts.”
“She knows what they are,” Draven said quickly. “On e took the one you call Donalt. No doubt there.”
“Why do you say that? How are you sure?” I asked , feeling how confident he was about that statement.
Draven’s eyes stared off in to empty space . As his thumb traced across the calluses on the tips of his fingers , he searched for words and fought the emotion of defeat. “Because…because that is exactly what Escorts do.” His jaw tightened , and I felt a disgust ri se in him. “They take the light. Dwindle it down into nothingness until what was once beautiful is turned into the horrid darkness that it is.”
Through that deep emotion , I thought I felt his heart aching. I thought I felt a degree of self -loathing. It was an emotion I would never allow anyone to feel in my presence. I reached for his hand , feeling a slight tingle of his energy, his magnetism. I tried to think like Landen – think of what he would say if he felt this emotion; how he would bring Draven to peace with the demons he was fighting in his soul. “There is a divide between darkness and light, and in that divide, in that space between , there are warriors, warriors that see both sides clearly…people like that, people like you and me , will save this world. We will end the timeless battle between darkness and ligh t. We’ll end it by showing the darkness that even they are worthy of feeling the power we feel, that they are loved despite the hell they bring.”
I looked down as I realized I was embracing the lesson August had tried to teach me a few hours ago. I smiled slightly as I remembered every time Landen had said my next words. “There is a reason for everything.” I pulled my hand from his. “Never doubt your heart. Love. Love of soul mates is divine , and it is tested every single moment of every day. You have to fight for it. If it’s not worth fighting for , then it’s not love.”
Draven smiled boyishly as he took ownership of the peace I’d tried to give him. “You said it just as poetically as he does . I f he heard you just now , it would have made him smile , revealing those dimples you tend to stare at.”
My eyes glassed over as I craved Landen. I ached for the moment I would see him smile again. “You really can see everything in my past?” I murmured .
His magnetic emerald eyes peered into mine. “Within your existence.”
I felt a surge of energy soar through me. “Everything ? Even before – before ?”
He nodded as his eyes and soul filled with sympathy. “You carry the soul of a w arrior and the heart of a queen. I’m humbled by the quest I see in your past. By Landen , ” h e looked down , hiding his eyes , “by Drake.”
I swallowed hard. Before – before this moment , before Landen was taken from me , I would have pulled Draven aside and begg ed him to tell me every detail. Every word I’d spoken to each of them. But the funny thing is sometimes when you g et what you ask for - you no longer want it. I didn’t want to know what was said or done in my forgotten lifetimes. I t didn’t matter. My soul was one with Landen’s . Our existence was one source of energy – even if my heart had felt compassion for Drake , it was a far cry from that kind of knowledge.
I pushed the empty pla te that had bread on it farther from me and glanced at my side at Brady. He was warily looking over me , questioning the thoughts in my mind.
“I want him back . Now , ” I said , looking into Brady’s blue eyes , wishing with every ounce of my soul that they were Landen’s.