Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(41)

“You knew something was off about him – just like I do. He’s looking for power; apparently, next to you I’m the best thing.”

“That’s crap, and you know it. What is it with this power thing, anyway?”

“Draven didn’t tell you? Britain was all too eager to explain it to me.”

I looked to my side at her with my mouth wide open. “Should I pull over and read my texts, or will you explain?”

“Drive.”

“Where am I going – town?”

“Yeah, there’s a studio on the corner of Main Street. We’re already late – go,” she said, pointing for me to speed up. I’d slowed the car down, determined to figure out what Britain had said.

“I’m listening.”

She slouched in her seat as she shook her head slowly from side to side. “It’s crazy…apparently, being awake….aware…builds your energy, and when you can control your energy – use it. You have power in that world.”

“Yeah, but isn’t it like a dream? Everyone has power.”

“It’s like a nightmare – but you know, some nightmares don’t even look like nightmares until it’s too late to be afraid.”

“Deep. I still don’t get it.”

“There’s a dense energy there, one that can only survive in the darkness - but when darkness finds a counterpart that’s willing to collide as one...or even just share power - it becomes sustained, balanced, able to live in our reality…a power that’s undefinable is created.”

“So is the darkness – Bianca – trying to ‘collide’ with Draven?”

Madison looked to her side at me. “Draven is the darkness.”

“What?!”

“Yeah…I didn’t think he would tell you that,” she said in a short tone.

“Explain, or I’m pulling over.”

“Fine. Draven. Britain. Your Dad. Winston. Grayson. More than likely Monroe. They’re all dark. The only thing that separates Britain from them is that he submitted – thousands of years ago.”

“What?! You’ve lost your mind. Next thing you’re gonna tell me is that he’s a vampire or something.”

“No. He lives and dies – he just remembers every life. So when he begins to live again, he’s already way ahead of the game. Not to mention the fact that he’s born into the same bloodline over and over again, and they know what he is.”

“I thought you said that his family line didn’t turn ‘bad’ until, like, a few generations ago?”

“Yeah. That was false. A dead trail. I found at least four more family lines. I think it was put there to throw anyone who cared to check into them off.”

“When did you figure that out?”

“When I went to the UK with Evan. That’s why I came home – moved in with you.”

“Yeah. But you didn’t think to tell me that?”

“I would have when I figured it out.”

“Bad idea.”

“Right.”

“So the escort deal – was that wrong, too? What about that image I saw – what Bianca did to that woman?” That image was the one that set this whole ordeal in play. I tried to help this shadow in the library one night, and instead of helping her, she gave me a warning – one that told me Bianca was coming. When I saw Britain with her, I assumed he was my distraction, meant to keep me quiet while she had her way with Draven…now I don’t know what to think.”

Madison moved her head slowly from side to side. I knew she was furious – furious because she couldn’t figure out how or what was going on. She’s always been a master at knowing what’s going on, and the unknown of what was happening to us was driving her mad.

“So far, that’s real. Apparently, the reason they exist is to subdue a light in this world; when they do that, it’s a double-edged sword. They gain power from the light they live by, the one they blind, and they also manage to create more darkness that gives them power in that world.”

“But they can’t do that to us – or use us – right?”

“Right. We’re very different.”

“Explain,” I said shortly. I wasn’t going to pull this out of her; I needed her to spill it – everything she knew – right now.

“Think about it, Charlie. If what I just told you is true, then that means that Draven is technically one of these escorts - dark people.”

I looked at her like she was insane as I pulled into a parking spot on a side street that led to the studio we were going to. I wasn’t going in until I knew more, and she knew that.

“He’s been at your side your entire life, and never once - not once - has he ever had a power over you. You were the one with the power – the power to make him fight his darkness, to set free the souls that were meant to give him power…you…Charlie Myers subdued the power.”

“I think you’ve seriously misjudged mine and Draven’s relationship. He’s always been in control. With a glance, he can make my heart race, my body flush. He has a way of making me fall into his voice and forget my argument….he…he takes my breath away.”

Madison balled her fist in frustration. “Charlie, listen. If this is true, and Draven is what Britain is – that’s powerful…and you were able to convince him to forget his nature and live a life for good – to go against his own kind. Do you not see how powerful that is? How amazingly powerful your energy is?”