Olivia’s tiny finger pushed a force of energy at Madison, knocking her into the wall next to me.
“You would rather invoke hell on earth than have a piece of cake with Drake? Are you that scared to feel something for him - for anyone that is not platonic?”
All of a sudden, Olivia’s eyes became darker. I knew that look. She was seeing, but it was obvious she wasn’t trying to. It just happened. A second later, the tension left her and her eyes seemed less dark.
“He’s a jerk. He deserves that Anna girl and every girl like her. It’s not fair to blame Drake for that - to sacrifice your heart and the lives of billions because of that boy’s nourishment issues.”
Olivia wasn’t saying anything I hadn’t said, but the fact that she saw it made both Madison’s and my eyes expand.
“Did you just see?” I asked, knowing that she did, wanting her to understand that she did.
Her eyes grew wide, then moved from side to side. “Did I?” she asked. After a second or two she said, “You were really hurt, seconds from death - internal bleeding.” She said it so quietly I thought she was talking to herself. It was clear she was recounting what had happened just a few moments ago.
I shrugged.
“Energy was pouring off you,” she said as her eyes met mine.
“And...?” Madison sarcastically asked.
“And I don’t know.” She raised her hands to the side of her head. “How do you turn it off?”
“Stop asking questions, for starters,” Madison answered with a pleased grin. “Sucks, don’t it? Seeing how people lie so easily that they don’t even know they’re doing it. Seeing how blind we are to all the opportunities around us. Seeing how self-centered one can be. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll hear the call of the damned and then get a history lesson on how cruel humanity really was.”
Olivia’s hands fell from her head. A stern expression consumed her face. “Are you forgetting that I can now see you? I know this sarcasm is an act you use when you’re afraid.”
“I guess I did. Dessert anyone? I’m ready to go home,” Madison said, opening the door.
Draven, Chrispin, and the older man that was the advisor were standing there, waiting on us.
“Brother,” Madison said, bowing mockingly at Draven.
He didn’t find that very funny. He was looking over every inch of me for any kind of damage.
“I’m fine,” I mouthed, walking to his outstretched hand. “Aden?”
“In Chara by now,” he assured me.
I sighed, glad this night was almost over.
Madison and I walked side by side in front of Draven to the ballroom. At the entryway we stopped and allowed Draven to stand between us, and the others to flank off to the side.
Most of the people were on the dance floor. For the first time ever I was glad Nana had forced us to take ballroom dancing just before Kara’s wedding. Granted, it had been years, but I thought I could pull it off if I had to.
The crowd parted as Drake crossed the floor. He stopped just before us and bowed slightly.
“May I?”
Draven responded by extending Madison’s hand to his. I was almost excited for her to walk away with him. Even though she was obviously terrified, to anyone watching it was a genuine display of a deep attraction.
Chrispin followed a few steps behind them, along with another member from Chara. I understood this was custom. Chrispin would not go out on the balcony, but he would be close enough to guard her if needed. Two men in black cloaks mirrored Drake. I suppose they were the guards for him.
Once they’d ascended the stairs and stepped out onto the balcony, I heard an eruption of applause. It wasn’t coming from the ballroom. It was coming from outside. I guess that dessert was not as private as we thought it was going to be. It sounded like thousands were in the courtyard, watching the elegant candlelit table.
Draven took my hand and led me to the floor as others parted and clapped softly at our approach. I may have messed up on the first few steps, but then I fell into the music and moved with him across the floor. When we would catch each other’s eye, we would show each other what had happened when we were apart.
He pulled me tightly against him. “I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you,” he whispered to me. His warm breath slid down my neck, causing my core to clench as heat flushed through my cheeks.
“I swear I’m fine.”
His hand gently massaged the spot on my back that had been hurt, sending his warm humming energy into my body. I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment as I breathed in his touch.
“I’m worried about Cashton. He was going after him,” I whispered.
“Have I told you how much I like your brother?” His tone was almost sinful.
I turned crimson. “Did you guys get a chance to talk?”
His hands moved up my back as his lips teased my neck. “I want to be as close to you as possible…I’m sorry I put a wall up.”
Nervously I said, “My soul has told me from day one that you are half of me, that you are designed this way for a reason.”
His eyes fell into mine. “I don’t care how I’m designed as long as being half your soul is a part of the deal,” he said as a ghostly smile echoed on the corners of his alluring lips.
“Are we clear on the fact that you are half of me and not half of Aden - so you shouldn’t join or whatever to kill that man?”
I had managed to kill the moment. The playful seductiveness in his eyes vanished as his trademark anger surfaced.
“I knew that,” he said under his breath. “I just want you safe. I think that if Aden was there so long ago, he was there to help me get you that way. I just want you to have peace.”
“I think we need some jeans and guitars. We have to step outside of this if we are going to understand it.”
He grinned boyishly. “I kinda have a surprise for you.”
“Do you?”
He glanced away, hiding his eyes from me. “I do. Brady is going to guide us to it when this is over. We need to be alone.”
“Can it be over now?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
Those words made him laugh as his eyes returned to mine.
“Cashton said he was going to be there for a hot second. He wants to show me how to let my soul rise.”
I took in a sharp breath and turned crimson all at once.
“That scare you?” he whispered with the music.
I moved my head slowly from side to side.
“Good,” he said under his breath as he pulled me to him then spun me around.
Just as our dance ended I heard quiet applause and looked up to see Drake and Madison, her arm in his, a hue of red around them - the good or bad, I couldn’t tell. I was new to this energy thing. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, they crossed the floor to us.
“Until tomorrow,” Drake said humbly as he kissed Madison’s hand intimately, then turned and left the room.
I wasn’t sure what we should do now - at least not until I saw Perodine in all of her royalty, standing at the entrance to the ballroom. She turned as if she were waiting on our approach. We followed her direction out of the ballroom, up the wide stairs, down a hall, up another set of stairs, down another hall, then up even more stairs. Finally, I realized where I was: the hall we had been in when Landen and Draven were trapped in The Realm. They were leading us to the passageway.
“What do we know about Grayson and Winston?” Madison asked us once she knew we were on a protected hall.
“They are chasing their mom. Grayson was adamant with Aden, telling him to leave them be and keep Monroe safe. I think he is trying to lead whoever is after him as far away from her as he can,” Draven offered solemnly.
“Aden all right?” she pressed.
“Little scattered. He said it’s all flashes. He can’t pin the images down long enough to get a clear vision of all that was unlocked,” Draven said, glancing between Madison and me.
“But you guys are cool?” Madison was not going to let this rest.
“Cool,” Draven said under his breath.
Madison squeezed my arm. “I’m going to stay here for a second. You guys go ahead.”
“Are you crazy? No way,” I argued.
She looked over her shoulder to Chrispin and Olivia. “You guys will stay with me, right? Make sure I get back to Chara.”
They both smiled slightly to say yes.
Once we reached the doorway to where the passage was, Perodine halted and turned, then gazed down at me, breaking out of her role as the Queen.
“Revenge will be yours - all of ours. Rest now... and thank you.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just did the bow I was getting really good at.
Inside the room, I saw Drake waiting, his deep, dark eyes inviting Madison closer. Now I knew why she wanted to stay behind. Go Drake - one point for you, five thousand for Madison.
“How are we going to get back?” I asked, noticing that if Madison had Olivia stay behind, we didn’t have anyone to show us how to navigate the strings - and I wasn’t going to chance it on my own. There was no telling where we’d end up.
“Your guide is waiting,” Drake said as he nodded to the passage.
I raised my brow, doubting him, but Draven pulled me closer, then through the haze. When the gray passed, I saw Brady.
He smiled vaguely and nodded for us to follow him.
Chapter Thirteen
It felt like we weren’t alone in the string. I glanced back and saw two figures in the glow. I thought for sure it was Landen and Willow, but when they made no effort to approach us, I assumed I was wrong. I wanted to thank Landen for saving me and halfway wondered what role they played tonight, but I let those thoughts drift to the back of my mind as the anticipation of wherever we were going built inside my soul.
Brady led us past the passages that I knew led to Landen and Willow’s home, a few feet past that point anyway. He stopped just outside a haze that was a breathtaking yellow.
“The door is unlocked. Your stuff is in there, along with some food. I’ll be back around noon tomorrow so you can get to your concert. You’re still doing that, right?” Brady asked.
Draven nodded once to confirm.
“All right, then. You guys did good tonight. Relax so you will be ready for tomorrow.” He nodded his head for us to move through the passage.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when we stepped through. The sound of waves and the sight of sand caught me off guard.
“Where are we?” I asked apprehensively.
“Still Chara, just a different part,” Draven said as he slowly leaned down.
I took in a sharp breath when I felt his hand on the back of my leg, slowly sliding down. It took me a second to realize that he was only taking my heels off so I could move through the sand more easily. This boy was wreaking havoc on my heart. After all this time as his girlfriend, he still made my head spin with the simplest of gestures.
In the distance stood a small beach house with a wrap-around porch. Like Brady said, the door wasn’t locked. Doubt it needed to be. There wasn’t another sign of human life in any direction.
Inside we found a living room fully furnished, with a small kitchen and bedroom just behind it. From the door I could see our bags on the bed.
“Why don’t we change and take a walk?” Draven said to me as he shed his jacket and smiled when he saw two guitars on their racks in the living room. “Paradise,” he said to himself.
Before we managed to get out of our formal attire and into beach worthy clothes, there was a knock on the door. Then it opened.
“Whatever you’re doing, stop. I built a fire on the beach,” Cashton called into the modest home.
Nervously, I glanced at Draven, who was pulling on one of his T-shirts.
“Class is in session,” he said with a smirk before leaving the room so I could change.
Not trusting Cashton alone with him, at mach speed I shed my dress, then pulled on some cotton shorts, a tank, and a white hoodie.
They were outside on the porch, waiting on me.
“Where did you run off to?” I asked Cashton as I closed the door behind me.
“Trying to see if Xavier would lead me to his first. No luck.”
I wasn’t sure what a ‘first’ was, but I was curious about how he was
selectively
seen tonight.
“So all this time, you have been with your lady friends...?” I asked, raising my brow, telling him I had not forgotten about that.
He sighed. “That dimension has, like, no line between it and the veil, so when they have an event like that a few corporeal ghosts come out and play.”
“Ones that you know,” I pointed out.
“It plays into my emotion, what I have to conquer during my time here.”
“Which is what - lust? Being a player?”
“Not a player,” he said with a degree of disdain. “Memory is still hazy, but you know what it is, all right? Right now I just need to help you, wait for the queen of the veil to rise and get me out for good so I can move on.”