Vindicate (11 page)

The girl nervously moved her hand across her wrist, and that wa s when I saw it : an Ankh tattoo with a star in the loop. “I could ask you the same thing , ”
s he said , focusing her eyes on me. “I can’t see you either.” She looked past me to Charlie , hesitating in what looked like frustration , then she looked at Aden and Draven. “Why are you not showing me?”

“T
o o much,” Charlie said nervously.

Olivia couldn ’
t help herself ; she walked to this girl ’
s side and circled her as if she w ere trying to convince herself that she was real. “What ’
s your name?”
Olivia asked as she reached for her wrist and looked closely at the star.

Was this really happening? Was she real?
She had my tattoo?
Seriously?
“What do you mean you can’t feel me?” I asked .
“You feel emotions ?
”
Oh please tell me you can.

“You could say that , ”
s he said as her eyes slowly moved over me , then settled on my wrist. I pulled up my sleeve to reveal my tattoo.

“Nice tattoo,” she said with a hint of sarcasm.

I glanced at Olivia. “It’s growing less original by the minute.” I couldn ’
t help but think of her dream, the one where her mother told her to get this tattoo so I wouldn’t kill her, so I would know she was real.

“You could say that , ” I heard Charlie say and turned to see her pulling up the sleeves on the hoodie she was wearing. There , she had the same Ankh , the same star in its loop.
This could not be real. I was asleep. Asleep in Chara with Landen at my side. This was some wicked dream. My mind was toying with me again.

I stabbed my fingernail into the tender skin under my ring. Nope. I was awake. Staring at my twin. Knowing there had been more than one soul that had dr eamed of me hurting her along with Olivia.
I tensed my body demanding that storm inside stayed dormant. I loved Olivia too much; I searched for this girl for too long. I would hurt myself before I let one single hair on their heads be harmed.

Brady pulled me again st him protectively as he spoke to Olivia. “This is Felicity’s dream . S
he saw these girls. Is this your dream , to o, Olivia?”

Before Olivia could answer , Charlie said , “You dreamed of it , t o o?”

“Did you?” Olivia asked as shock poured through her.

“No, Madison did , ”
s he answered , looking at the girl in the doorway.

“How did the dream end?” I asked , looking at Madison , trying to understand her , only to find the same quest ion s in her eyes that seemed to mirror mine.

Madison glanced at Charlie , then back to me. “We share a common enemy. T
his mark w ill help us fight her illusions, but it’s going to take more than that to end this.”

“Like what ?
” Brady asked.

Madison gazed across the room at Draven. I couldn’t help but see how they all carefully looked at him before they answered. They didn’t fear him ; that wasn’t it. It was like this realm, this place was a sensitive topic , and it was like that because of him.

Draven let out a slow breath , glancing at Charlie before he answered Brady. “This place, this place is the echo of what you are, what you were. I t’s created by l ost souls. Their energy creates this place. There , anything is po ssible. I t ’
s add ictive, seductive, mind numbing. I t’s the hardest test any soul could be asked to pass.”

“Have you passed it?” I asked , not fearing any such place.

Draven smiled faintly , and I noticed that the only difference between him and his twin was the lack of dimples that Draven had and the black that seemed to outline his green eyes. “Not yet , ”
h e said solemnly.

“Listen,” Charlie said , looking from me to Brady. “You ne ed to know that death haunts us. D
amned souls are called to us.
T
hat it is a fate we didn ’
t ask for but must endure. W
e thought -
-” she looked at Draven , then to me , “we thought coming to y our world would bring us peace, but we don ’
t want to bring our darkness to your doorstep. T
hat’s what we told Austin.”

“Austin? You’ve seen him recently?” Brady asked .

“He’s here,” Aden said , walking past us with the intent to go and get him.

I stared at Charlie , t aking in everything about her.
I knew how she felt. I knew we were walking a path that mirrored the same misery. I could only hope she was faring better than me. I focused so intently on her that I felt myself sway with the lighthead ed ness I felt.
“You’re not bringing anything to my doorstep.”

I felt tension rise in the room and an instant fading hope of Charlie. “It’s already there. H
elp me , and I’ll help you , ” I said weakly.

With my words, her hope came back , and what was tension f ell into shared determination.
I glanced over my shoulder at Madison in the doorway. Behind her , there were stone steps leading down to somewhere else in this place. She wasn’t looking at me ; she was staring into thin air as if she w ere replaying a distant thought.
I didn’t need to feel her to see the heartache she felt. “Who ’
s Bianca ?
” I asked hoarsely .

She nodded toward Brady.
“The one he saw in that room.
The girl who pushed the boy in the shadow of the room to the floor and blew a kiss to the one standing next to you.” Her eyes moved to Charlie. “Oddly , I can’t see anything else.”

Charlie looked away as if she w ere purposely trying to hide something from her.

“How does this seeing thing work?” Brady asked .
“Can you see everything?”

“Only what you cho o se to show us , ” Draven answered as he stared at me.

“You said you could see everything , ” I said as I gripped Brady’s arm – not only to remain calm , but also to hold my balance.

Draven walked the few steps between me and him and peered down at me. “When you appeared in this room , you had no defense up. Y
our thoughts were wide open. As long as I asked the right questions , I saw y our past. Y
our perception of it, but now you have your defenses up.” He looked at Brady , then to Olivia. “All of you do. Madison saw that moment because Brady was thinking about it. Madison saw his perception.”

“And apparently you saw more , ” Madison said sharply .

Draven ignored her. “With all that you know, with all that you can do with your mind , I don ’
t think that grasping this would be to o hard for you, and if it is , ” he glanced back at Charlie , “
w e’ll go for you.” His voice was nothing less than mesmerizing ; it was deep , and the words he spoke were so smooth and numbing that they brought an undeserved calm to me. I found myself craving to hear more words from him, anything.
It was like he was subduing my caged curse of emotions. Like he was born to do that.

Charlie’s eyes lit up with hope. “Are we leaving?”

Draven looked down at me. “Are we?”

Before I could answer him , I felt others behind me. I turned protectively to see Austin with two people walking up the steps. A young guy, tall but lanky with long jet-black hair , was with him. There was an older woman with her silver hair pulled back. When she reached the top step , she pulled a white robe she had on closed tighter.

“Austin,” Brady said , sighing with relief.

“Where’s Landen?” Austin asked , looking at me , then Brady.

Brady nodded his head , then walked to Austin , urging him to go down the steps again. The lanky boy walked over to Monroe , who was still sitting quietly on the couch , holding her stare. It was as if she w ere showing him everything that had happened over the last few moments.
I felt the boy’
s hope, anger --
the urge to leave with us.
Odd. Very odd people.

The older woman captured my wondering gaze , and I felt a peace wash over me. She reached her arm around Madison. “You and Charlie go say your goodbyes.” She looked at Draven. “Wake your dad.”

Madison bit her bottom lip as she looked at the woman next to her.
The woman offered a soothing smile , but it didn’t seem to help. I stood there as they all left. I glanced past the woman to see Brady talking quietly to Austin in the hallway below the short stone steps.

“And you, Willow,” the older woman said , walking to me. “You are going to take a hot shower while I fix you something to eat.”

I turned my head slowly from side to side in a weak protest. “There isn ’
t time for that. I have to go. Austin will bring them to me.”
I needed to put some space between me and Madison. I couldn’t hurt her, and I knew I could not continue to hold my emotions down. I felt like I was holding my breath.

The woman held my stare as she walked slowly to me. It wa s like she was reading my soul. H
er emotions reflected mine; only they showed hope where mine had faded.
“If any one of the children that call me ‘
Nana ’
appeared at your mother ’
s doorstep , I hope that she wouldn ’
t let them leave her weakly. I hope she would make sure that they were well cared for.”

My eyes glassed over as I thought of not only my mother, but each of the s trong mother figures in my life.
I thought of Rose.

“I’m out of time , ” I whispered , feeling weaker by the moment.

“It’s been at least four days since you ’
ve eaten . Y
our mind is fighting to grasp a direction , and it cannot do that because you ’
re denying the temple your soul is in the nourishment it needs . C
ome , ”
s he said , extending her arm around me. “I’ll get you some of Charlie’s clothes. I want you to take a shower and wash those dried tears away.”

“More might come , ” I muttered as I tried to understand this ‘seeing’ thing t hey all seemed to be capable of. I t made me feel fragile, like I had no secrets I could hide.

“That they may , ”
s he said as she reached for Olivia to come as well , “
b ut let’s hope they are of joy because right now your tears are blinding you.”

When we reached the bottom of the short stone staircase , Brady stood up straighter – almost defensively. This woman who I assumed was called ‘
Nana ’
had her arm around me, and he didn’t like that.

“Austin, take your friend to the kitchen. I’ll fix you something to eat , ” Nana s aid as she guided me to the right .

Brady ignored Nana and followed me. Nana stopped and turned to look at him. “Now,” she said , putting her hand on his chest. “I have no doubt Landen would want you to stay at her side, but I do doubt he wants you to watch her shower. Go on now, to the kitchen ; she’ll be in there soon.”

Brady stared at me with a painful mistrust. Nana patted his chest. “She’s not leaving without you . S
he ’
s going to openly acc ept your protection and guidance.
” Nana looked at me and said in a calm but firm motherly tone. “Isn’t that right, Willow?”

I nodded once , t hen looked down.
I should have told him I was leaving Esterious.

“Stay with her,” Brady said to Olivia. She didn’t have to openly say that she would ; the promise was in her eyes.

As I turned to walk down the hall with her and Nana , I quickly became aware that this wasn ’
t a building. It was a home, a beautiful home that held an eccentric modern style. Nana opened a bedroom door at the end of the hall. There was a double bed in the center of the room with nightstands on each side . A small dresser was by another doorway that led to wh at I assumed was the bathroom.
She led me there and pulled out two large towels and soap and shampoo from beneath the counter.

“I know Charlie has clothes here. I’ll find you something to wear , ” Nana said once she was sure I had everything else I needed.

“She doesn’t live here?” Olivia asked .

Nana smiled weakly. “This is Aden and Draven’s home . T
hey ’
re my only grandchildren, but I ’
ve helped raise both Madison and Charlie. I was there when they were born, when they spoke their first words , and when…
and when they began to see the darkness.”

“You see it?” I asked , leaning against the counter , trying to find balance.

“I do, and the light , ”
s he said as her eyes cascaded over me.

“What happened to Draven?” I asked , knowing there was a tension between him and the others.

She pulled out a brush and some lotions for me.
“He ’
s fighting his demons , just like you…
and Charlie will help him get through that , ”
s he said , looking up at me.

“They love each other , ” I mumbled , almost angry that I hadn ’
t remembered the intensity of that love that I saw before in the image that Preston had showed me. I knew then that Nana was right : I was weak , and my body was blinding my insights.