Vindicate (Insight #5)(89)

Monroe, along with Preston and Libby, were sitting in the swing. Though they weren’t talking, I was sure they were communicating. They would loo k at each other, then one of us. I t was like Preston and Libby were explaining who we were to her.

My time in The Realm echoed in my thoughts. I was furious with that Bianca girl. I had to figure out how to kill her. Stop her from hurting anyone else. I meant what I said to her. She was a disgrace to her kind. I mean who would openly seduce souls that didn’t belong to them. Who would willingly mask who they were just to be held by arms that didn’t belong to them.

“Where is that emotion coming from?” Landen thought as his eyes moved from me to Madison. I’m sure he felt a tinge of jealously in my emotion. I knew that Bianca had touched him. He may not remember it, or enjoyed it. But she had held Landen for a brief moment.

I moved my head from side to side. “Not there.” I looked up at him. “What do you remember about that place you were in?”

“More than I want to talk about right now ...I swear to you, I never touched that girl, if that is what you are worried about.”

I was worried about more than that, but I didn’t know how to say that. “You don’t remember her touching you – pretending to be me?”

“I don’t, ” he thought as his warm, burning lips touched my temple. “No one can mock your soul… and that is all I see when I look at you.”

I smiled, feeling the truth in his words. Maybe we could talk this out right now. Put ourselves in our own world for a second or two. “There has to be more, though…y ou were communicating with me. You told me those lyrics. Yo u told me our battle was there. Deep down, you know something else.”

“I do , ” he said, smiling sardonically . “But ri ght now I just want to hold you. I want to be around all of these people we love and enjoy this night. We have plenty of time to talk about the past I now remember.”

I didn’t want to talk about a past. Especially now that I found my twin. I was looking ahead. So I moved the topic. “We’re not all here.”

The moment I thought those words, I felt Monroe’s stare, and it gave me chills for no reason.

“Clari ssa is stubborn and determined. The only way I could have gotten her to come h ome would have been by force, and even that would have more than likely been a challenge.”

“What did your mom say about it?”

Landen looked to where his mom sat. “I know. That’s all she said wh en I told I saw her and that Clarissa said that she loved her.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Why do I feel your concern?”

“Be cause of how she said ‘I know’ like she knew something more. Like a motherly instinct.”

My mom and Felicity had started to clear away the plates, and I stoo d to help them; so did Landen. Once everything was put away, Landen and I walked outside to where everyone was gathering.

Brady and Marc had backed their Jeeps up to the porch and had the hatches open. Small amps were set up along the porch. Draven, Grayson, Brady, Winston, and Charlie all had guitars. Aden had an acoustic drum, and I could feel the excitement of everyone else as they found a place to listen to them all play.

We found our way to a swing that was in t he corner. Monroe was leaning on the rail. Preston was sitting on the ledge, and Libby was on the swing. Landen sat down in the corner. I sat down next to him and pulled Libby to cuddle with us.

As everyone tuned their instruments, my father came over to us and held out two pills and a glass of water.

“I thought you hated medicine?” I said as Landen took the pills from him.

“I do,” my father said as he smiled slightly. “But this will help you to be naturally aware of your sense. Make sure yo u tell me how you feel, though. I f everything is too enhanced,” he looked at Landen, “or if you remember too much too fast.”

“Do you think enhancement is what we need?” Landen asked, glancing at me. That was when I foolishly realized for the first time that he had managed to keep at least one hand on me at all times over the last few hours, sending a calm through me, not wanting the atmosphere to erupt with any of my random thoughts or emotions.

“I think if you are aware of where your energy is going,” my father glanced at me, “it will help you control it.” He looked down. “Hopefully, it will help you see like they do, too.” He said as he glanced at Charlie.

“How?” Landen asked.

My father looked at him. “When you see intent how do you see it? Do you know, or do you see the action?”

“Both, I guess. I t happens so fast, I couldn’t tell you, honestly.”

“Well, the way Grayson has described seeing to August reminds us of how you h ave seen intent. I’m sure they could teach you, but at the same time, the two of you have so many insights overlapping, it would be hard to teach you the fundamentals.” He glanced at the guitars, which were now in tune. “It would be like being a self-taug ht musician. Then learning to read music. I don’t think we have time for that frustration. This may not help. It may help too much, but at least it’s something. I’ve already given Drake his.”

I heard the truth in my father’s words. Felt his intent to help us control all that we had become, then took the pill and swallowed it. Landen did the same.

At that moment, Draven’s guitar screamed out. He had stolen everyone’s attention. I found myself rocking my head back and forth with the sound. When Draven began to sing, I felt a chill run down my back. He was beyond talented. So talented that I kn ew he was not bred by any evil. He was a pure soul fighting to stay that way. My eyes wandered to Charlie; she was looking at me, and as she played, she winked, then nodded over her shoulder to the yard. I followed her direction and saw Drake and Madison talking.