“Retrieve them,” Perodine said. She nodded to the doorway. “Say your goodbyes.”
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Monroe standing in the threshold with Austin. I rushed to her side. In the hall, I saw Olivia and Chrispin, her brothers, and others I assumed were travelers.
“Are you OK?” I asked her. She nodded. “They’re going to take you to Chara. It’s safe there.” She smiled slightly. “You agree?” She reached for my
hand, and when she did, I saw The Realm again.
I heard the song we’d created that was helping focus Landen and Drake. It was slightly different...at first I thought it was because it was so faint, but I knew that song too well.
In that vision, I looked down at my hands and saw them glowing slightly, felt them humming. I reached for one of the flawless men in black that was attacking me and held my hands on either side of his head; as I did, I heard the song grow louder and saw a ray of light reach from my hands to this man. He fell to his knees as black smoke escaped every part of him. I felt an empowering energy course through me, and my soul ignited with purpose. The shock of that emotion pulled me from the vision.
I glanced down at my hands, then to Monroe. “That’s definitely le
ss gross than pulling it out. Change the song. W
e have to change it?” I asked, wanting to clarify that it was a different sound that I’d faintly heard.
She nodded. I pulled her to me and hugged her tightly. I nodded once at Grayson, then urged her to go to him.
August was at my side. “I’ll get her there safely and find the books I was sp
eaking about.
We’ll understand why we’re all together soon, the synergy that you’ve created.” He glanced over his shoulder at Aden, then to me. “I’m interested in diving into your past lives. I have no doubt we can help you remember them, that you hold more answers than you could imagine.”
I nodded, not really caring about what had happened; what was happening now was more of an issue for me.
I watched them all go, leaving me alone with Aden and Perodine. I glanced over my shoulder to see her at the fireplace; she was on her knees, and she reached in and gathered some ash, then placed it the chalice she had before standing and pulling a small knife out of her pocket.
“Should I care that we’re alone with you?” I asked as I swallowed nervously.
“Sit, please,” she said calmly as she made her way to the table that she was sitting on before. Aden reached for my hand and guided me toward her. I knew if he had seen something bad in this woman, we’d be gone by now; he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me.
We sat down on the couch and looked at her with wide eyes. Perodine was trying to hide the concern I could see in her eyes with a weak smile. “I don’t have time to slowly explain to you what I know or think, so I’m going to be blunt. My daughter has paved a path for this day and the ones that are to come. She had a life of illumination, one that I’m sure you met her in when you walked with the undead. My only problem is that I do not know what she knew then. The person Willow is today is deeply attached to her family, her soul mate. She does not see a greater outlook, and she will not let anyone step into a dangerous path. The fact that I saw a witness coming now, that an undead witness was mentioned, means that this war we fight is not here; it is on a larger scale.”
“How did you see me coming?” I asked weakly.
“The skies paint an obscure scene, and the scroll adds to it what I see. My instinct tells me the most.”
“What is your instinct about us?”
I pushed.
“That you know more than you think you do. A
Living
Witness is a warrior of light, a cause to an effect. For you to be created, there must have been a catalyst, and that catalyst could have been anything. The fact that you fell into the dimension of Infante would tell me that it had nothing to do with my late husband Donalt, but now you’re here with a child of his from that world. I need to understand if he’s the head of the snake or just a part of it, and I need to be able to prepare my daughter for whatever heartbreak is coming her way. If she breaks, Mother Nature will punish us all with her tears.”
My head was spinning.
Was
this woman a Queen? Did she rule this world with Donalt? I couldn't ask the questions fast enough; I was too focused on that knife in her hand, that chalice.
“Listen,” I said, squeezing Aden’s hand. “I was cr
eated because of a prayer to a G
oddess. I was young, in love, and stupid. I had no idea what I was doing, and neither did the boy w
ith me. Willow enlightened me
years ago, then I fell and was born again, and now I have no idea what’s going on. So, if I’m your last hope - or any hope at all - then you need to find a new one.”
“Will you show me?” she asked.
“Can you see?”
“Not in the way you perceive...I need your blood.”
“How much?”
“Charlie!” Aden said, reaching to pull me closer, completely appalled.
“Just a drop. Your essence is all I need. I’ll be able to see the catalyst, see who among us will become like you.”
“It’s OK”, I said, leaning away from Aden. I wanted to understand this, and if all this woman needed was a drop of blood, I was going to give it to her. I
reached
my hand toward her, and she took it gently.
“Stop!” Aden said.
“We need to understand this. She can help us with Draven. I know she can.”
He shook his head. “I don’t care about the blood. She just can’t hurt your fingers; we may have to change and play that song Monroe showed you.”
“Just a prick. I wont hurt them,” Perodine said as the knife in her other hand pierced my fingertip. I couldn't even feel it; the calluses from where I played were too thick. As my blood dripped into the chalice, smoke climbed out.
I sat back, not understanding what was in there beyond my blood and ash. I could smell sage and something
else that had a deep musk odor
to it.
Perodine’s eyes moved across the smoke at a rapid speed, then all at once the smoke was gone.
“Well...?” I asked.
She sat the chalice down beside her, then looked down as she searched her thoughts. “He’s not the head of the snake.”
“Donalt?”
She nodded. “And, child, you were not a foolish girl in love. You have fallen more than once.”
“What?!”
“I’
ll need more time, more blood to see that far back. What I do know is that you saw this day coming. More than likely, you’ve been blind to most of it. Someone - maybe even you - has put a wall up. You forgot on purpose, but that didn’t halt your path. You followed a sea of coincidences that led you to Silas, to my daughter, then your last fall...and now here.”
I hesitated as I took in her words. In the last twenty-four hours, my life had been completely flipped upside down, and I didn’t have time to understand any of it; I didn’t know if I wanted to. “I may be blind to what was, but not to what
I need now. I need to conquer The R
ealm. It calls Draven and a host of others. I need to protect whatever power Monroe has from falling into the wro
ng hands. C
an you help with any of that?” I asked.
“No,” she said quietly. “But you can.”
“How?”
“
Your soul is older than mine. T
he answers are inside of you.”
“How is that possible?”
“Love, I suppose,” she said as her eyes cascaded over Aden.
“Love for Draven, his brother, right?” I asked, noticing her stare, not understanding why they kept looking at him like that.
She didn’t answer me; instead, she reached for the book beside her. “We don’t have time to teach Willow to see or to prepare her for what’s occurring at this moment, but I think I can open
a door for her to step into The R
ealm.”
“What’s occurring?” Aden asked.
“Silas. He’s fulf
illing
one of many promises he made to Landen; the only problem is that Landen will not understand them now,” Perodine answered.
I knew what Silas was doing. I knew he was watching people die, people that were intended to become like him. “Landen knows the people that are dyi-”...I couldn't say it.
Perodine nodded. “He does, but I fear that is the least of his problem
s. Landen was pulled into The R
ealm for a reason. He’s there with Drake, and I would fathom that this was not seen by Willow when you met her before. This is a ploy by Donalt; he’s seeking a host and will stop at nothing to gain it.”
“How would them being there create a host?”
Aden squeezed my hand. “They’re switching places, aren’t they?” he said.
“I hope not,” Perodine answered. “If that happens and Willow shows love for Drake inside of Landen’s body, Donalt will have a way in - and if he has a way in, all of his power will be in human form. It would take
more than a few undead Witness
to stop him, and when they did, the host would perish, Willow would perish, and all that was done to prepa
re for this day will be over.
I’m afraid that means you’ll be over as well; we’ll lose this battle before we ever figure out what we’re fighting or what our roles are.”
“Then we have to stop it now,” I said, standing. “They’re already switching; Aden saw them call each other by different names.”
She stood with us. “We cannot undo what has happened; you just have to make sure they wake there, that there they know who they are. A part of Drake is now in Landen, and a part of Landen is in Drake.”
“If we can’t reverse it, then what are we stopping?” I asked.
She smiled weakly. “It seems my daughter’s one-track mind had a divine purpo
se. You’ve brought Madison here. Y
ou’ve brought doubt. Even if she and Drake aren’t meant to be together now or at any point in their existence, Willow has unknowingly established doubt with her obsession. Landen will believe that Madison is the missing soul mate, and Drake will question his dreams, at least for a moment. A break, no matter how small it is, will not allow Donalt to take control of the host. Drake must have no doubt that he loves Willow in this life, and she must also have no doubt. If you pull them out now, doubt will be in place.”
“And how does this help my brother, or Monroe?
We’re going to do this anyway.
I’m just curious,” Aden asked.
“I’m sure Monroe will help all of us more than we’ll help her, and as far as your brother, if there’s anyone that can help him fight the darkness that’s seeking him, it’s my daughter
...
and
Drake.”
“Long lost family
,” Aden mumbled.
Before Perodine could confirm that theory, Brady stepped into the study.
“Draven was looking for you guys.”
“Um...how’s Madison?” I asked.
Brady’s eyes grew sad. “I tried to stop her from going in there, but she went anyway. I don’t know what’s going on now, but we need a plan. You have to teach me how to see.”
“We don’t have time,” Aden said, glancing at Perodine.
“We need to make it,” Brady said.
“I can help,” Perodine said, stepping closer to Brady.
We followed them to the door, prepared to end this now.
“How?” Brady asked.
“I’m going to combine your energy and open a door. I think all of you need to divide and conquer. One group will seek Drake, and the other Landen.”
“Fine,” Brady said, eager to do anything. “I’ll go with Draven and Willow; we’ll get Landen. The rest of you find Drake.”
“That doesn’t seem very even. Three people who know their way
around The R
ealm looking for Drake, and only one looking for Landen?” I said, wanting to make this as fair as possible, doubting Madison could help me save him, not moments after figuring out he’s real.
Brady sighed slightly. “Correct me if I’m wrong,
but Draven seems to know this R
ealm better than all of you. I wanted to be fair to Drake.”
“He’s right,” Aden said. “Draven is the best, a
nd you can’t be near him in The R
ealm. We don’t need Silas on top of everything else.”
“Who?” Brady asked.
“Never mind,” I said, glancing at Perodine. “Are you sure you even want Willow in there?”
Perodine smirked. “Trust me. Even if I told her death was certain, she’d still go. Olivia will go with you as well; she’s her shield.”
I didn’t understand the reference to a shield, but I already k
new that Olivia would be in The R
ealm; Madison’s dream had predicted that.
“I’ll get what I need,” Perodine said, turning to leave through a door on the other side of the room.
“We have to change the song,” Aden said to me.
“We could manifest them there.
I heard it clear enough.”
“I don’t want to take any chances. Playing it makes it ours,” he said as his pupils expanded.