Vindicate (Insight #5)(59)
“Willow,” Draven whispered.
I looked up at him, breaking my stare with whatever ritual Alamos was attempting to perform.
“We need to talk about what is going to happen,” Draven said quietly.
“Listening,” I said as my eyes met his.
He smiled somewhat . “I will be at your side the entire time. I promise you that, but what you have to understand is that what I see – what Brady or Olivia sees – may not be what you see. You are going to have to trust all of us, listen to us.”
“Why would it be different?”
“Because thi s place is like a dream world. Your mind helps create it. We have all see n different things in our life from different perc eptions. What you see as good we may know to be bad. The surroundings may not be the same for all of us. We will see the same thing, but perceive it differently. That’s where you are going to h ave to trust me. Do you trust me?”
“I do. And I have more control than all of you think I do. I’m not afraid of the illusions you say I will see. I feel them. I don’t see them. Does that make sense?”
Draven nodded once. “I know you are in complete control.” It felt so good to hear that. “I will warn you, though; those illusions have Landen and Drake’s energy within them. That is my friendly heads up – K.”
I nodded, and swallowed my emotions. They all thought I was going to lose it in there, but I was going to prove them wrong. I was going to be calm, cool, and in control. Deadly if need be.
Two young men carried in a long narrow table and set it at the foot of the bed. Two young girls carried in candles, red, black, and white , and placed them on the table. The black one was centered. For some r eason, it looked familiar to me. A ll of this seemed familiar to me. It was the strangest feeling.
Olivia and Charlie stepp ed in the room at that moment. I focused on Charlie; she seemed relaxed . It was the first time I’d felt that emotion from her since I found her. Maybe I was wrong about her being nervous about Draven being around energy that was light. Then again she could just be over this entire situation. Just like me.
“Are you alright?” I asked, locking eyes with her.
“Yeah,” she muttered. She glanced from Draven to me and nodded once. I guess she was deciding to trust that he would be safe with us.
“OK,” Aden said to get my attention. “Draven has been watching them . They moved apart. I don’t know if they are doing that by choice or if that is something that Bianca is doing, but they are too far apart in The Realm now for us to have time to save them both.”
“What do you mean?!” I said, preparing to argue that there was time.
Aden held up his hand to calm me. “We are going to divide. Draven, Brady, and Olivia are going with you. I’m going with Charlie and Madison.”
“I don’t understand. How are they far apart?” I asked , looking at Draven.
“Their co re. The soul, if you will , is in the same place , but the essence, parts of their mind are across The Realm .
“You’re going to have to be clearer.” I wanted to hear a solution not an explanation.
“Basically, it’s a dream within a drea m. They’re subdued in The Realm. Bianca has taken memories of them and created illusions; she had to have k nown you’re coming after them.”
“Why do I care about that, thou gh? Let her have the memories. Let’s go to the core.”
Draven sighed. “There is a part of them in those memories, Willow. When we declare an illusion as false it’s going to send that memory back to them. In their dream state, they will start to w ake up. So when we find the core of who they are, they will not be so deep. I t won’t take every part of you to wake them.”
I looked at Charlie. “How do any of you plan to declare an illusion of Drake to be false? You don’t know him. I’m the only one that knows them.”
“We don’t know him, but we know Bianca. I know her very well. If I call her out on who she is, see through the illusion, she will not be able to hold that memory. Trust me.”
“How many illusions of hers have you seen? How sure are you?” I asked, looking for truth in her answer.
A mix of anger and sorrow filled her dark eyes. “More than I care to have, understand that the images she shows you of them in passion are the ones that are the furthest fro m the truth. When you’re close. Really close . She will show you thousands. Everywhere you look, yo u will see her arms around him. Him begging her to hold him tighter.”
A sick, nauseated feeling crawled up my throat, carrying a rage with it. Thunder rattled the windows to reflect that emotion. I stabbed my nail into my skin. Seconds later the rumble outside ceased.
“No soul. No innocence,” Draven said quietly.
I took in a deep breath and nodded as my eyes met Landen’s body. I could do this. I knew I could.
“Tell her the hard part,” Brady said.
“What?” I asked, turning to look at him.
Brady looked down at me. “Have you ever heard th at when you die in your dream you die in real life?” he asked.
I nodded.
“That’s true.” Draven said.
My heart started to race as I looked at Olivia. “Maybe you should go with Charlie. Maybe all of you need to be far away from me.”
Olivia se t her intent to go with me as she crossed her arms, and I decided just to let it be. I may not have a finger when this was over, but I was going to let it be .