Vindicate (Insight #5)(52)

Madison looked down. “He is coming ho me. I ’ll bring him home.”

Beth smiled, and Madison swiftly walked away.

Once I knew she was far enough to hear us, I looked at Beth. “Well?”

She stared back at me for countless seconds. “Yes and no.”

“And that means?” I asked.

She stepped closer to me and reached her hand for my shou lder. “Willow . Let it be . You will find them.”

“I know that. She’s the one, though.” I whispered.

“Learn from her. Let h er learn from you .”

“You sound like Preston,” I muttered , looking down.

“I will never b e as wise as my son…” She glanced up at Marc. “All of my sons have a purpose beyond my imagination…” She looked b ack at me. “Just bring him back.”

“I will,” I promised as my eyes met hers.

Marc held his arm out for his mother, and I watched as he escorted her to the stairway. I hesitated before I walked back to the others. I let the conversation with Madison rush through my mind. Not the argument about Drake, but everything else. I wondered for a moment why my images had not come as often as they once had. I wondered if I rea lly was just running in circles. I f someho w I was missing the big picture. I wondered if there was someo ne else out there waiting on me. Needing me . I f I needed them. Did I bring all of this on myself?

I walked through the study, knowing the hallway on the other side of it was the fastest way to get back to where I’d left Landen and Drake’s bodies. When I stepped in the room, I saw Olivia pacing back and forth with an open book. At first glance, that didn’t seem odd to me . Gr owing up, her head was always in a book. Lost in another world. Honestly, I can’t recall seeing her read a single thing since we had been here. I felt her excitement and curiosity, and it made me smile.

“Now that is the Olivia I grew up with,” I said as I walked to her side. She jumped at the sound of my voice. “Though I did assume you would be trying t o figure out this seeing thing so you could follow me into The Realm. Must be a good book.”

“I am following you. Perodine is going to help us,” Olivia said as she marked the page she was on.

“How is that?” I asked curiously.

“With one of her little spells . Something about energy colliding so you could see where you are going. That there was no way for Draven to teach you how to see.”

“Well, that’s a bit negative. I’m a fast learner . Especially if it gets me to where I need to go.” I knew none of them were meaning to hurt my feelings, but this had to be one of the longest, hardest days of my life. I felt like no one understood me, or trusted me. Well, no one but Draven.

“I think that’s the pro blem,” Olivia said, raising her eyebrow s .

“What?”

“Apparently, grasping auras – energy – moving into souls – bodies came too fast for you. Because it came so fast, you never learned the fundamentals of it, and without that, you cannot get this seeing thing as instan tly as we all know you want to. Stella said your impatie nce would cause another storm. Possible flooding. As soon as Perodine decided to help you another way,” Olivia raised her hands slightly in the air and tilted her head with a fake playful smile, “then the sun came out.”

“Are you mocking me?” I said as I playfully squinted my eyes.

“No,” she said with a wink. “If you can see where t his place is, you can go there. Perodine is going to make it where you can see it.”

“Why couldn’t we have just done that before?”

“Because. You have to see it first . Draven has seen it. She is going to do one of her wit chy spells and pull his energy along with Landen and Drake’s together so you can see it . Move there. It will also ensure we all go to the same place at the same time.”

“Witchy?” I repeated , trying not to laugh. Perodine was definitely in tune with the energy of the world, but I wouldn’t call her a Witch.

Olivia smirked . “I didn’t call her that . Your little Madison friend did . And Perodine didn’t argue. A pparently , Perodine has been looking a little harder for your ‘twin’ than she let on.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked as I tried to judge her with every insight I owned.

Olivia shrugged her shoulders. “Something about dreams Madison was having . Then there was some woman that stopped Madison and Charlie on the street yesterday and told her that she had a message for her – that the most powerful Witch was seeking her to satisfy the goddess of Mother Nature.”

The absurdity of that statement made laughter erupt from me. I held my mouth to block the guilt for feeling that emotion. “Are you serious?”

Olivia grinned. “You know she has been a round for a few million years. I’m sure she has picked up a t hing or two in the way of magic.” He r smile faded as her gaze drifted over me. “Charlie said the woman was as serious as she cou ld be. It scared them at first, but now that they a re here, know what you can do. Know that you’re not some goddess loo king for a sacrifice, they’re good with it.”

“Well, what do you know. Willow Haywood was right all along. I do have a twin.” I meant it as tease, but it sounded harsher than that.

“Willow.”