Vindicate (Insight #5)(34)

Oh this was going to be a rude awaking for Madison. “She’s an artist?” I clarified , raising my eyebrows.

“She can sketch better than I can play.” Charlie smirked. “That’s a compl i ment. I promise.”

I thought of the time I was trapped in Evelyn’s body. The room full of canvas Drake had given me. How he told how much he loved the gift or art. I glanced at Madison. She was going to spoiled head-to-toe. Adored by her people. Adored by her lover. That almost made the hell I was going through worth it. Almost.

“And just so you know. There is someone else in her life , ” Charlie whispered.

“Who?” I asked , looking at the brothers Winston and Grayson , knowing I didn’t feel anything between them.

“Britain.”

“The one that was addicted to you?” I asked , not sure I was keeping up with everything I ’d learned in last few hours about these people. It was like there was a depth that I couldn ’t see but needed to if I was going to understand where they were coming from, how we could help each other.

She furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at me. “Are you sure you’re not seeing me?”

“Very. Draven told me about it.”

“Did he?” she said , looking at him as her emotions swarmed from everything from worry to relief. “That’s him. He’s very charismatic, very powerful. She doesn’t trust him, but I catch her thinking about him. If you hadn’t have shown up when you did, chances are he would have found a way to her heart. He’s almost there.”

“There ’s a reason for everything , ” I mumbled under my breath as I felt a familiar emotion that was very livid coming at me.

I picked up my pace , and Charlie followed. She reached for Draven’s hand , and I weaved through the others , feeling Brady at my side. I knew Ashten was in the string now, and he was mad – not so much at me , but at Brady.

Right as the gray hazes of Esterious came into view , I saw him and one other traveler. Grief had aged him ; he looked and felt weak. I walked faster , and before he could say a word , I put my hands on either side of his face and thought of how much I loved Landen , how much I knew he loved his dad. I let that course though my hands , feeling Ashten take on those emotions ; his eyes grew lighter , and the blue made me feel closer to Landen.

“It’s not Brady’s fault, or anyone else’s.” I said so quietly that only he could hear me. “I dreamed of Landen, and I chased that dream.” I looked over my shoulder , then back at him. “I found the twins, the song. I found a way to get to him, to bring him home to us . Don’t scare them with you r fear or anger . We need them ; they need us.”

Ashten slowly let out a breath as I moved my hands f rom his face and he looked behind me at all of them. His eyes moved to Brady , and he tilted his head to the side. It was as if he w ere seeing himself in Brady ; the pride he had told me so. He looked down at me and quietly said , “Well put , Willow…I can’t say that I agree with how any of you ran off without a word or that I think it’s fair that you gave us something else to worry about.” He locked stars with his oldest son. “I understand , and I would have done the same thing.” He glanced pas t Brady and nodded once at Austin. “Who do we have here?”

Austin made his introductions as Ashten nodded along. Ashten looked at all of them . “Who is the Libra?” he asked. Charlie raised her hand. “Taurus , I assume,” he said as he looked at Aden and Draven. They nodded in response . A s they stared deep into Ashten , their emotions , which ranged in every direction , led me to believe that they were seeing him - reading him like a book.

Ashten tilted his head around Winston to look more closely at Madison. I felt his disbelief. “What else did you find, Willow ?” h e asked where only I could hear him.

“Someone who will run if we say a word , ” I mumbled.

He stepped closer to her. “And where does you r sun rest?” he asked warmly.

“Scorpio,” she said as she looked at him with the same frustration with which she looked at me.

“Not a fan of that sign?” Ashten asked in a perplexed tone as he read her expression.

“Love it,” Madison said in a quiet , confident tone. “But I don’t love that I can’t see you , at least not all of you. There ’s a void , and it’s driving me mad , ” s he said as she glanced at Charlie.

Ashten looked at me for some kind of help. “No worries , Ashten . I’m a complete void - she means that she – they – can see everything that led you to this point.”

“All of you have voids , ” Madison said as she looked between Olivia, Brady , and me. “Will you tell me what’s in that void since my best friends refuse to?” s he asked , looking at Charlie and Draven.

If she only knew how badly I wanted to. I felt the fear and dread instantly rise in the others. It was amplified by the energy of the string , and if I had to guess , Madison felt it , to o .

I smiled shyly. “As Draven put it, our existence is vast . There is no way for us to know what you can’t see. I’m sure when you’re meant to see it, ready for it, it will be clear as day.”

I expected her to say that she was ready, to demand that I tell her, because that ’s what I would have done, but she didn’t do that.

She looked down at her wrist to her tattoo , then up at m e. “Agreed. Can we proceed with killing Bianca now?”