Vindicate (Insight #5)(43)

“And how do you plan to do that?” Brady asked , not breaking his stare with Landen’s body.

“I’m going to teach her to see – if you plan to follow her there , then you might want to grasp it.” He glance d at the doorway. “I need Aden. Charlie.” He walked around to foot of the bed and pulled the drape closed . “Madison.”

“Where are they?” I asked , wanting to learn this now.

“With Perodine – in the study , ” Alamos answered .

“I’ll get them,” Brady said as he turned to leave the room.

Alamos pulled the drapes on the side of Drake’s bed closed a little more as he locked eyes with Draven. I felt Draven’s emotions range in every direction as he stared at him.

“Are you judging me , son?” Alamos asked , looking carefully over him.

“Not at all. Just trying to understand , ” Draven said calmly.

“What is it that you are trying to understand?” Alamos asked in a defensive tone.

Draven’s eyes smiled slig htly. “Over four million years. One love. Yet you fight with her.”

Alamos was speechless of a second. “I’m not fighting with her. I’m protecting Drake. Someone has to.”

Draven glanced at me , then Alamo s. “That role has been filled. You need to find another excuse.”

“Has it?” Alamos said shortly. “I see two bodies lying here. Not one – he is not safe until she decides she loves him. She is the one that needs to stop fighting.”

“She does , ” Draven said shortly. “If she didn’t , he would already be dead…as soon as you stop focusing on what you want and focus on what he really needs , your eyes will be open.”

“Do you honestly think I am going to take advice from a mere infant? Someone who only thinks they have grasped --” Alamos stopped in mid -sentence as his eyes moved to the doorway.

Madison was standing there. All alone. Staring at the closed drapes around the bed. I could see the curiosity in her eyes and wanted more than anyth ing to feel her emotions. To know if she felt Drake ’s soul just feet away from her.

I felt an immediate hope rise in my father as he slowly walked to her side. “I don’t believe we have met , ” m y father said peacefully. Madison tried to smile , but her nerves would not let her. “I’m Jason, Willow’s father – and your name?”

“Madison , ” s he said quietly , catching Alamos ’ eyes as he walked in a stunned trance to her.

“Where does your sun lie?” Alamos asked humbly.

“She’s a Scorpio , ” I answered for Madison.

Madison walked toward me and stopped at the foot of the bed. She was standing in front of Drake’s body , and I was standing in front of Landen’s . Though they could not be seen , I was sure she felt something. Her olive skin blushed as she locked eyes with me. “How intensely do you feel emotions?” she asked me.

“Very.”

“Do you see them or feel them?” she asked , looking all around me.

“Feel. Sometimes I see them in someone’s energy . You?”

With my question , I felt the astonishment rise in the room.

“I see it first , ” s he said quietly , looking at the drape to her left.

“What do you see right now?” I asked .

“Love,” she said with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

“We are meant to love everyone. You should see that , ” I said , trying to apologize for what she may or may not be feeling from Drake’s direction.

“True…yet sometimes we love someone so much that we cannot see anyone else , ” s he replied , obviously getting more comfortable with me.

“I thi nk we do that to fill the void. Until the person we are meant to be with comes into our life…at that moment , that love is shifted – we feel it for everything – gratitude for having felt it at all.”

She moved her head from side to side , holding in a smirk. “I don’t see it that way.”

Alamos stepped in front of me to see Madison more clearly. “When is your birthday ? How old are you?”

She looked at him like he was insane as she tried to figure out why that would matter. “I’ll be nineteen on the nineteenth of this month , ” s he answered.

“Of November?” I asked bleakly.

She nodded to confirm.

“What day is it at your home?” Alamos asked with wide eyes.

Madison looked at Draven. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “The twelfth.”

Alamos looked down and moved his head from side to side , trying to hold in his frustration.

“So.” I said quietly. “How does that help our timeline?”

“It doesn’t , ” Alamos said shortly. “At this point , the sky we are studying is an illusion – it will be different no m atter what dimension you go in. What was once a be acon of hope is now an illusion. I can’t predict anything anymore.”

“I guess that means you didn’t see us coming , ” Madison said , slightly amused.

Alamos didn’t take it as a humorous statement. “I didn’t. But she did , ” h e said , looking at me.

On the inside I was grinning. On the verge of making up some little taunting song with the lyrics ‘I told you so.’ Now, Alamos, tell me I’m meant to love Drake. Tell me it’s my fault his life is in jeopardy. Tell me that I was wrong. Dare ya.