Vindicate (Insight #5)(67)

“Willow,” Landen said.

I felt Brady’s hand grip my arm. “Do I need to say illusion?” he said under his breath.

He could have screamed those words, and I doubt I would have heard them. I was too captivated. To entranced by the image b efore me. I felt my heart race. Every part of my soul come to life at the sight of him.

The image of Landen slanted his head, and his eyes grew serious. “I thought I told you this place was dangerous.”

At that moment, the woman stepped out of the shadows. Her long, dark hair was down and curled, making her look as innocent as her angelic blue eyes. She walked slowly to the image of Landen. I found myself focusing on the echo her heels made o n the marble floor. It was like a clock ticking. A countdown to her death. When she reached the image of Landen, she wrapped her arm around him and against his neck as she stared at me and sai d, “Is that what you told her. I s that the excuse you gave her so you could be alone with me?”

Her hands moved seductively across his chest, then reached for his strong jawline and pulled his lips to her. When her kiss ended, the image of Landen looked at me, then walked slowly to my side.

Brady pulled me behind him, refusing to let me face this illusion. Draven was at his side, and Olivia gripped my other arm in an attempt to hold me back.

When Landen and Brady were face to face, Landen smirked. “Move, brother . I have a goodbye to say.”

“Go to hell,” Brady said through gritted teeth. “There is not one part of this image that is my brother.”

The image of Land en laughed out loud. “Trust me. There is.”

Landen tilted his head around Brady. “I’m afraid this is goodbye.”

“Is it?” I said under my breath.

Draven glanced over his shoulder at me, then said, “A shame she had to witness you kiss that whore just before you said goodbye to her.”

I recognized the effor t he put behind the word ‘kiss.’ I think when Draven had told me that I need a word or memory that I could use against the illusions he thought I w ould not be able to tell if Landen or Drake were real or not. So far, I was doing quite well with that, but I also remembered that he said that facing these illusions – proving they were false would make Landen and Drake stronger. Somehow give them the memories or energy she had taken back to them.

The image of Landen grabbed Draven’s shirt and pulled him to him. “She’s not a whore.”

I reached my hand for his grip and urged Draven behind me. “He’s right. Though that was agonizing and your words are painful I have memories to live on. Like the first time you kissed me…” I looked into the blue eyes that were a perfect reflection of Landen. “Do you remember?”

With that question, he vanished, leaving only Bianca there with us. I cr ossed my arms and peered at her as if she were nothing to me. Someone not worth the thought that would kill her.

“Well,” she said as she smiled innocently and stepped closer to Draven. “I see you have been sharing secrets.” Her hand reached for his face, and he instantly dodged out of the way. “Aw, Draven, my sweet Draven, are you jealous ? Mad at me for moving on? Have you changed your mind ? Do you want to play with me?”

“I’m just here for the show,” Draven said smugly.

“What show?” she asked. “That one?” she said as she looked past us to the open doorway.

I turned to see that the courtyard was gone; now there was a battlefield. On one sid e was Landen, the other Drake. Behind them, images of me with them, locked in passion, were across the field.

“Silly boys,” Bianca sa id innocently. “Always fighting. No worries. Soon those images will mean nothing to them.” And with that, she was gone.

We were left to witness a battle of Landen and Drake’s darkest side.





Chapter Fourteen


One might think that my attention would have been captured by the images of Drake and Landen standing face-to-face full of rage, but my attention was not there. It was on the images behind them. The ones that reflected the most private, sensual moments I’d had with them. Most of the ones with Landen I recognized. They were recent; others were ones that I could not recall but had no doubt existed in another time.

An odd hum bellowed in my soul as glimpses of life behind those moments came to me. For an instant I could swear I felt a million emotions and knew with vivid detail what my each moment of my past contained. That feeling vanished as quickly as it appeared. What the hell was this Realm doing to me?

The images behind Drake were all new to me, at least most of th em. A few I’d seen in the dream we shared a few days ago , he ’d showed me what our passion was capable of. Yet, that hum didn’t come when I gazed at them. I almost felt like it was not my past with him that was on display.

In the heat of this moment , I found myself embarrassed. Embarrassed that all of my moments of passion were on display for anyone who wished to gawk at them.

“Co uld she be any more revealing? I nvading?” I bit out through gritted teeth.

“I don’t see anything,” Draven said. He glanced at Brady. “Do you?”

From his tone, I knew he saw what I saw and that he was conveying the gentleman I knew he was by ignoring the images .

Brady crossed his arms. “Not a thing besides two idiots.”