Vindicate (Insight #5)(65)

Britain laughed und er his breath. “Deny it all you want. Take it, or someone else will. I’ll take it. I’ll find a way to not ever fear that I will hurt Madison.”

“You don’t fear that,” Draven seethed. “That’s what you tell her.”

“Wrong,” Britain said as he pushed Draven back and they jumped to their feet. Without a thought, my energy knocked Br itain down and held him there. Brady looked over his shoulder at me, raising one eyebrow in a n effort to tell me well done. Then held out his arm, telling me to do w hat I needed to do. Say what I needed to say.

I walked slowly to Britain’s side and knelt down on one knee and stared into his eyes. I couldn’t feel a single thing from him. No intent. No truth. No emotion. He was a ghost. Vacant of anything that would make me feel any empathy for him.

I understood what he was saying to Draven. That he was telling Draven that instead of helping me that Dr aven should be taking my power. That if he did, he would have Charlie safely at his side forever, but Draven was a pur e soul. I c ould feel everything about him. He was so pure that he put t he needs of others before his. He made that choice for a reaso n. Draven knew that to hurt me he would have to commit to his dark side . He couldn’t do that because he had already committed to love Charlie . Committed to overcome his past. Not become it.

I imagined what ‘light’ wo uld look like to these Escorts. I f it was something that could be felt or sensed in any tangible way. With that thought, one of the glowing butterflies landed on my hand.

I had learned long ag o that by giving, you receive. That it didn’t matter how much energy I used, Landen, the thought of Landen, or even a simple joyful emotion would bring it back. At this point, I didn’t know if I could do it simply because of the age of my soul, or if it was something I cou ld teach Charlie to do . I wondered if knowing that my power was something that was endless would help me conquer this battle between light and dark. This endless war that the darkness was clearly winning.

I remembered clearly telling Madison that if she helped me I would help Draven, even Britain, and I’m not one to break my promises. I decided to bargain with Britain. “Tell me…why are you here? Have you chosen to stand at Bianca’s side?”

His eyes reflected an allure. A magnetic pull that I’m sure any girl would fall for. He smiled innocently. “My Queen, Escorts stand alone. We’re rather greedy.”

“Why are y ou here then? Are you a thief? Or a follower?”

“Now,” he said as his eyes sparkled. “Thoug h those titles are both harsh , they are also true – true for all of my kind. We follow the light . We take light, but we do so to survive. To feel fulfilled.”

“So, let’s say that Bianca found a source of light – you followed her, and now you are planning to take it?”

He moved his head from side to side, and his smile fell. “When Madiso n told me she was coming here I knew she was your sacrifice. I f anyone is going to take her light, it’s going to be me. Not you. Not Bianca.”

Little territorial aren’t we? “Is that love speaking, or some kind of claim on what you see as property?”

“It’s a promise.”

So he was arrogant. What did Madison see in him? “She’s not a sacrifice. You’ve been misinformed.”

His smile returned. “Or have you?”

What did he mean by that? “I protect my own.”

“And then some,” he said as his eyes moved to Draven.

“Britain,” I said in a charming tone, then widened my hand as two more butterflies landed there. “What if I quenched t hat thirst I see in your eyes? What if I g ave you what you were seeking? Would you tell me where your friend Bianca is?”

“Willow,” Brady and Olivia said at the same time.

I raised my eyebrows as I tilted my head and looked down at Britain. “Answer quickly, before they talk me out of this.”

My eyes moved to one of the butterflies , and then to Britain’s chest. On my silent comman d, the butterfly landed there, and he sighed as if he were feeling pure rapture.

“She’s right here. Watching.” He breathed out.

I looked at another butterfly as it moved to his chest. “That’s not helping.”

He sighed as he took in a deep, lasting breath. “Their core lies where you left them. Your victory lies where your existence began.”

I furrowed my eyebrows, knowing that in reality, those two places were distant. One was at the Estate, the other at the Palace.

It was easy to see that the little light I’d given h im had left him near euphoric. I n time, once it had absorbed into his soul, it may give him power, but now he was too high on the feeling in his soul. I moved my eyes to the third butterfly and watched it land on his forehead. “Wake from this Realm. Yo u will not seek Madison here. Not until the man l love is awoken. I f you do. I f you decide to stand with Bian ca. I will not o nly take this feeling from you but I will t ake everything in your energy. I will erase your existence and never feel remorse for that act.”

“You’re not like the others. How?” he asked breathlessly.

“Love. Can you say that word?”

My fingertips traced the letter ‘L’ on his chest as I mocked the letters ‘o’, ‘v’ and ‘e’ his shirt began to burn, his skin was singed and he screamed in agony. I pulled my hand away realizing how powerful that word really was. He healed in stantly, took in a deep breath then vanished.