Vindicate (Insight #5)(41)
“Then you ’re capable of love. Therefore , you are redeemed from any da rk past your soul has witnessed. Charlie is with you. Somewhere in the realm of time , she chose you. No one can erase the past or promise the future ; all we can do is live in this moment. Love in this moment and trust that it will lead you through the next one. Stop worrying about what could happen. Focus on now. What you say and do ri ght now will be your tomorrow. Make it a good tomorrow.”
He smiled shyly. “Are you giving advice that you ’ve refused to take?” he asked humbly.
“I’m not sure I like you knowing everything about me , ” I mumbled , knowing he was right ; that was advice I’d yet to grasp.
“I don’t know everything , ” h e swore . “When you see someone , you ask a question – and that leads you to a moment in their life and more than likely will lead you to another question. I could only imagine how many questions I would have to ask to see all that you ’ve done.”
“I would hate to think of how many you ’ve already asked to know what you do know.”
He smiled slightly. “Oddly , not that many…I’ve never been able to see someone so easily before.”
“Not even Charlie?”
He smirked. “I have a very hard time seeing Charlie . Not sure if that ’s a good thing or not. I think I see you so clearly because I understand them,” he said , glancing to Drake and Landen. “I understand where they are and what they ’re fighting. I’m the only one who ’s faced that, and if I help you beat it, then I know I ’ll be one step closer to destroying that place . The place that haunts my life and threatens to take away everythi ng worth living for away .”
“The faster we bring them back -- the fas ter I can destroy it for you.” I sat back down beside Landen and took his hand in mine. “So I know what to say. Now what?”
Draven stepped back. “Now , ” he said , reaching for the drapes , “y ou ’re going to have to give them strength. Your energy. That will buy us time until we can teach you, or I can reach where they are.” He nodded to Drake. “I would help him first so Landen can give you back what you lost.”
I felt myself fight with patience. “I want to go now – not make them stronger – how long is this going to take?”
“Willow, I mean it . They’re weak . Even if we went now it may be to o late. You give them your energy , and you pull them back. The more you give , the closer they are to us – the more time we have, the less mast ered you have to be at seeing. I promise , you need to do this . Right now.” The seriousness in his emerald stare made my heart race. I had to push down my jealously, rage, and impatience at least for a moment.
As if he could see my struggle, Draven added, “Think of what you ’ll ask them, and they ’ll look for that question in ev ery illusion they face. You stop whatever she ’s doing to them right now if you do this , ” h e then closed the drape s leaving me with Landen and Drake’s near lifeless bodies.
I focused on Draven’s lingering words and felt his truth, his honest intent. Finding courage and determination I leaned down and let my warm lips rest on Landen’s , wishing for the simplest response from him.
When one didn ’t come , I gently crawled over him to sit between them. I closed my eyes and took in a few deep breaths – clearing my mind and allowing my soul to leave my body.
I appeared just before where I sat. I wanted so des perately to help Landen first. To bring him back to me. I knew I could face what was happening to Drake – to these kids I’d brought here if he was by my side, but Draven was right. I had to give my energy to Drake first because he would leave me weak – blissfully numb and weak.
I edged forward and let my hand rest on his chest. I didn’t use my m emories of that day at the lake. I used his . The o nes I saw when I took my life. The one time I could feel him. Every part of his emotion. I focused on that memory from his perspective and let the energy of my soul seep into his chest.
His body tensed , and his back bowed slightly. His reaction to my simple gesture gave me hope. I began to remember each time he ’d called me ‘Love .’ The dreams he ’d show n me. I forgot the heartache I’d always seen in our past lives and focused on the passion, the love that we must have h ad for one another at one time. The friendship we had now. I leaned closer , letting more of my energy fall into him. At first I didn’t feel the hum his energy always carried , but slowly , as if he w ere coming to life , I felt it. I felt it ease through my soul – then , as if I w ere the air he was breathing , I felt myself pulled into him – into his soul.
Time seemed to stand stil l. I t was quiet. To o qu iet…darkness was all around me. I t was so dark that I felt blind, afraid. I thought his name and whispered it , along with a plea for him to come back to me. Just when I ’d given up hope , when I knew that he was t o o far a way for me to reach , I felt his energy intensify. It was as if he w ere holding me – not in a passionate moment – but in the blissful aftermath – in the moment where you r heart is racing , yet you’re to o numb to move. To think. Then I heard him. “You are life – you are real.” His voice was weak in my thoughts , but he was grasping who I was.
“I am – I am , Drake,” I thought. “Come back to me. She is not real. Remember what is real , ” I thought as I let the memories, his memories of our past , race through my thoughts. I was growing weak , but I felt him gro wing stronger. I felt him waking up. I knew if I didn ’t move now – I never would. I would be too weak. I slowly pulled my energy from his body , seeing his aura reach out for me – begging me to stay.