Vital

by Jamie Magee

He kissed my forehead and pulled me to him. “Alright, what do we have to do?” he asked.

  “Give me a minute here,” August said. As he turned the pages of the book, Landen and I sat back down on the couch. I smiled at Stella; I could feel how excited she was about helping us.

  “Did Marc say when he’d be back? I think all of this may have delayed him,” I said, feeling sorry for her.

  “He didn’t say. It doesn’t matter, though, because the longer he’s gone, the sweeter the reunion is,” she said, blushing.

  “That’s hard for me to process. I can’t stand the idea of being separated,” I stressed, gripping Landen’s hand.

  I remember how sickening I thought couples like us were when I was in school. I wasn’t like this because I was infatuated; I was like this because I had this fear that when we part, we’re saying goodbye forever. It could be the pain I’ve felt in the past, or the fear of the devil; either way, I was always anxious without Landen near.

  “Everyone’s different; we have to be. Marc was born to be a traveler and a protector. He knows I’m always here. I know it makes him feel safe knowing that,” Stella assured.

  I smiled, feeling envy for their love.

  Landen was watching August carefully as he read the words of the blind. I felt his curiosity rise. “What wish was granted to Tyless for building the looking glass? Did he ask for his sight?” August asked Stella.

  She shook her head no. “My father said that Donalt had assumed that would be his wish, but Tyless told Donalt that he’d be truly blind if his eyes could see the world around him. His wish was for his family to be taken to the other side of the world, far from the view of Delen. Donalt agreed, but on the condition that Tyless and every heir would travel by the full moon to Delen and watch over the looking glass for seven days.”

  “I wonder why he wanted to go so far away, to have to endure such a long journey every few weeks? I mean, back then, by the time he made it home, it would be time for him to leave again,” I pondered.

  Stella smiled. “Looking back, it would be easy to say that the devil played Tyless for a fool because at that time, Atamentous was nothing more than farmland, and it was easy to forget about the power of Donalt there. But once our family moved there, the estate was built. At one time, my family was blamed for bringing Donalt to the town’s doorstep. That blame was forgotten over time; I think I’m the only one who may understand why Tyless chose that spot.”

  I raised my eyebrows, encouraging her to go on. She smiled warmly. “Because he knew I’d find you there, that you’d bring me here - that today this book would be given to you. I told you he saw everything in the path of Guardian – at least until this point,” she said, looking at August, wondering if she’d given light to what lie beyond that day.

  “Wise man,” August said. “It doesn’t seem to go much past this point. It could be that I don’t see that yet or that Tyless was given a gift, that he was able to see how his purpose would weave through time. I know many wouldn’t have the patience to wait so long to be rewarded with that victory.”

  “Do you understand it?” Landen asked, prepared to judge his response. I knew that if August showed any doubt, Landen would shelf this idea. He wasn’t prepared to gamble with anything or anyone.

  “This seems simpler than I thought,” August answered, looking in Landen’s eyes, daring him to doubt his confidence.

  “How?” Landen asked, growing more comfortable with the idea.

  “Basically, the two of you hold your rings in the palm of your hand, then clear your mind and call forth the outcome to any situation you’re facing; it says the rings will call to each other and then spin. It also says that the rings must stay hidden from plain sight, like in a jewelry box. Honestly, from the way this is written, it seems that you could have stumbled on it even if we hadn’t found Stella or the book...quite genius.”

  “Nothing is simple,” Landen replied.

  August ignored him and looked at me. “Do you have a jewelry box that we could lock the rings in?” he asked.

  At that moment, I felt Libby and Preston in the distance. Their emotion was almost placid. It had been like that for a while. I would have to really focus on them to feel a signature of an underlying emotion. I thought, but I wasn’t sure, that I felt relief and excitement. I looked at Landen, and he nodded, agreeing with me.

  We’d debated on why they’d recently lost their childlike enthusiasm. We thought maybe it was because though their bodies were still small, their minds had reached a level of maturity beyond any of us.

  “I’m sorry; I don’t,” I said to answer August. I then went to the door to open it for Libby and Preston. I was sure they’d reached my yard by now.

  August looked at Stella. “Can you go to my house and ask Nyla to give you her grandmother’s jewelry box? Ask her to clear all the jewelry out.”

  Stella nodded and followed me to the door. Once I opened it, there stood Libby and Preston. In Libby’s hands was a small, dark, wooden box. The hinges were silver and extended along the sides. In the center of the front was what looked a like a lock, but there was no place for a key. My mouth flew open, and my eyes widened as I looked from them to the box.

  “Nyla’s jewelry box,” Libby said, smiling slightly.

  “You did ask for it – right?” Preston said.

  “Oh wow,” Stella said, beaming with an anxious excitement “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to all of your insights.”

  Libby handed the box to Stella. “August asked you to bring it to him, so here you go,” she said, encouraging Stella to leave them alone with me.

  Stella gently took the jewelry box from Libby’s small hands and looked warily at me as she walked back to the living room. I closed the door behind me, then walked to the front steps and took a seat. Libby came to my right, and Preston to my left. As each of them took my hand, their touch was so calming; it was like finding yourself in the middle of a perfect dream. They didn’t say anything at first; we just watched the butterflies dancing with the wind.

  “I assume if you brought the jewelry box, you have no fear of the rings,” I finally said to them.

  Preston smiled up at me with the most innocent, courageous blues eyes. “We have no fear of anything, for fear belongs to the darkness.”

  “You’d tell me if this was wrong, wouldn’t you?” I asked, looking back and forth between them.

  Libby threaded her small fingers through mine. “The only person that could hurt you is yourself, Willow; we can’t protect you from that.”

  “Libby, please, I don’t understand...you’re starting to act like everyone else. Give me a straight answer.”

  She looked at me, then slowly pointed to my head. “What you fight now is here.”

  “Are you telling me that I’m not resting? Did you overhear Dad and Mom talking about me? Are you saying I need to dream?”

  “Yes, no, and yes,” she answered, smiling at me.

  I looked away from her and out at the flowing green hills in front of me. “Dreams scare me. I tried to sleep already today, and it was painful - to say the least.”

  Preston squeezed my hand, calling my attention to him. “This battle will find you; don’t look for it when you close your eyes. You will find clarity if you listen.”

  I wrapped my arm around him and pulled his tiny body closer to me. I reached my other arm around Libby, pulling her to me as well. “I know it’s weak, but I don’t want to be alone - and when I dream, that’s what happens. I have to face every fear, every wondering thought on my own, and that’s...well, that can be hard.”

  Preston looked up at me, studying my face. I was sure he was reading every part of me. His innocent smile came to life. “If you don’t want to be alone, then you won’t be. I’ll help you,” he promised innocently.

  I doubted his every word, but I smiled anyway, “I’d like that very much. I’m very lucky to have found you.”

  Landen opened the front door. I looked over my shoulder and smi
led at him.

  “Am I interrupting?” he asked sincerely.

  “No. Libby was telling me that I needed rest, and Preston was promising to be brave and protect me,” I answered.

  Landen smiled at them, then reached his arms out for Libby to come to him. She crawled out of my embrace and skipped into his arms. He picked her up and swirled her around, causing her laughter to erupt. Feeling her break out of her placid emotion, Landen’s hope grew. He wanted her to be a child, to not have to see what lies in our path.

  I knew that emotion was still there, he thought as he sat her down. “I’m glad you told Willow to sleep. She’ll listen to you,” he said, winking at her.

  I rolled my eyes and squeezed Preston, then let him go and stood to climb the steps.

  “Dreams will come to her,” Libby promised. I could feel the truth in her words, and I hoped that because Landen felt it, too, he would stop worrying about me.

  “August is ready to try this, and honestly, I don’t want to keep anyone waiting on us at the palace,” Landen said, looking at me.

  “Is it gonna be hard?” I asked.

  Preston shook his head no and grabbed my hand, leading me into the house. I looked at Landen as we passed by. I knew he wasn’t completely comfortable with this, but he felt that by me wanting to do this, he had no choice but to follow. I reached my hand out for him. I don’t think this will work the way it’s meant to if you don’t want to do it; we can wait if you want to, I thought.

  He shook his head no. I want to do this now. I can’t argue with how uncanny it is that this book is here, that Tyless saw it come to this point. It just bothers me that we need a second chance; I’d rather think that you and I would be wise enough to find our path.

  I’m sure we are, but we can’t control others.

  He pulled me to him and kissed my temple. I have no idea what I ever did to deserve your heart, but I promise to never give you a reason to take it from me.

  It was never mine, I thought, sending the sensation of love and passion that he gave me through my touch.

  He looked at me as he felt the emotion. You’re getting really good at that, he thought.

  What? I asked as we sat down beside August.

  Showing people why you own an emotion. Just now, I could see every time I made you feel that way.

  Really? That fast? I thought, knowing he had to have seen almost every moment of my life.

  He looked in my eyes alluringly. Every one.

  I felt my breath leave me. His love never overpowered me; rather, it always made me feel whole. Something so perfectly woven together was terrifying and blissful at the same time.

  “OK, are we ready?” August asked.

  I broke my stare with Landen. Stella was on her knees on the opposite side of the table from August. Preston was kneeling at one end of the table, and Libby was next to August on her knees as well. The jewelry box was in the center of the coffee table. Landen went to Libby’s side of the table, and I sat next to Preston.

  “According to this, both of you must hold your rings in the palm of your hand. Your mind must be clear, only holding the emotion you want to feel at the end of every outcome – I would go with peace. The rings should come together,” August instructed as he sat back, allowing me and Landen to lean closer to each other.

  “How will we know that we did it right? How long do we have to hold that emotion?” I asked, not wanting this loophole to have a loophole that the devil could use.

  “According to Tyless, an image of the rings will remain spinning, and the metal will return to your fingers. Tyless expressed that this was crucial, that if the rings were seen missing from your bodies, the devil would know he’s been played. I also have the impression that because you wear the rings, the power will find you when it’s needed.”

  “You still feel like it won’t be needed now? That it’s far away?” Landen asked, looking back at him.

  August nodded. “You may find small moments that you’re given a chance to change. These moments will be used as a form of training; it’s purpose is to teach you to trust the power so that when it’s needed to change a crucial moment, you’ll be able to.”

  “How are they gonna choose the moment?” I asked.

  As Libby and Preston both pointed to their heads, August nodded. “It will be a desire of yours; you may state or think it clearly, or it could be a hidden desire.”

  I let out a breath and looked across the table at Stella. She was so eager to see this, and I couldn’t blame her; she was standing at the end of her bloodline, watching as a prophecy came to be. I imagined for a moment that every member of her family was staring back at me.

  I slowly pulled my ring from my finger and placed it in my palm, then looked into Landen’s eyes as he did the same.

  “Clear your mind,” August said.

  Preston scooted closer to me and leaned his tiny body against my legs. It was as if he knew I needed more help than Landen to find the calm emotion that was needed to move these rings.

  As I looked from Landen’s eyes to the palm of my hand, I just thought of peace. I pushed away what I thought was needed to reach that point, all the elements I thought must fall in place for that to occur.

  At that moment, I trusted the path before me. As I felt the metal begin to warm, the silver grew brighter, emanating beyond any brightness I’d ever seen it have before. It slowly began to rise, as did Landen’s. In mid-air, both rings moved to an upright position, then began to slowly spin. As they drifted closer to each other, the speed with which they were turning intensified. They were moving so fast, it was hard to see what they were; they looked like tiny bright lights. As the fascination of their power came over me, I struggled to hold my calm. I felt the emotion Preston was giving me intensify; it was so strong, I felt numb, like I was powerless to feel anything.

  The lights merged and became one. The light from them was so bright that each of us had to shield our eyes. Slowing their spin, the glare from the rings began to diminish. When I focused on the light again, I could see the rings spinning inside of one another; they did look like the looking glass we’d destroyed. The memories of that night came to me. That girl...I wanted to hate her, but Preston had complete control of my emotion at that moment, and I could feel nothing harsh against her.

  Libby stood and opened the jewelry box on the table. She then gently picked it up and held it below the rings, which drifted angelically into it. Libby then gently closed the lid and sat it on the table.

  I looked at Landen, thinking that that couldn’t be it; we didn’t have our rings. But before I could ask anything, I felt a hum on my ring finger and looked down: a light was slowly snaking itself around my skin. I gasped as I watched the glow turn to silver, and in its wake was a ring, my ring. It was identical to the other.

  “Wow,” Stella said as a smile beamed across her face.

  “That’s a good word,” August muttered as his emotion became saturated with excitement.

  Preston nudged away from me giving me control of my emotions; once again, the mask he’d put over the rage I felt for that girl that trapped Landen the night we destroyed the looking glass was gone, and I felt every negative emotion I could for her. Landen reached for my hand.

  That was you; in my mind, it was you. Don’t do this to yourself; she isn’t worth the energy, he thought.

  I tried to smile, but I couldn’t; instead, I looked at August. “How will we know it worked? Will the glass be standing when we go to Esterious?”

  “It will be standing, but it won’t be spinning. We need Stella’s blood for that,” August answered.

  “What?!” Landen and I both said at once.

  August raised his hands to stop our outrage. “Only a drop where the rings meet on the west side. She must place her finger, and a tiny needle will prick it; just a small drop. The rings will then spin, knowing their keeper is close.”

  “Marc is gonna love this,” Landen said sarcastically, running his fingers through his h
air.

  “We’ll find a way to tell him – just not inside of Esterious,” August said.

  “Stella will tell him,” Libby said.

  “He’s not gonna be mad. He may be relieved. He thought that if he’d found me sooner, it would have helped you with Mercury. He wasn’t afraid of my role – he embraced it,” Stella assured us.

  “You must know a different Marc than me,” Landen said, smiling boyishly at Stella.

  She stood. “Behind closed doors, with the ones we love we’re all different in some way,” she said, blushing.

  “Fair enough,” Landen breathed, looking at me. Her words were true; in front of our family, both he and I looked fearless - but alone, we let every vulnerable emotion surface.

  “So I guess we should go and get him, then go back again? I’m sure that’ll make everyone who’s waiting happy,” Landen complained, standing.

  That idea of a beach is sounding better and better, he thought.

  “He’s here,” Preston said.

  “What ?” I asked, knowing I didn’t feel him.

  “He just stepped in the string. Ashten sent him to ask if the two of you were still coming,” Preston answered.

  “Perfect timing,” August said, rising to his feet. “I’ll take Stella to the passage. The two of you hide this box, then meet us there. I don’t want anyone else to know where it is.”

  Preston and Libby both hugged me and Landen before they left. I felt their intent to go to Felicity; I was sure they were only given a short window of time by her. Felicity had proven to be a perfect mother figure to all of the children we were supposed to protect.

  Once everyone had left, I looked at Landen. “Where should we hide it?”

  “Bury it in the yard?” he said impishly.

  “Seriously?” I asked, trying not to laugh.

  “No, maybe we should just use one of the drawers in our closet.”

  “There’s drawers in there?” I asked.

  “We really should spend more time here,” he murmured, trying to hide the obvious foreboding in his eyes. “Come on,” he said, reaching for the box. As he lifted it, he looked at me and said, “Feel this.”