Vindicate

by Jamie Magee

  “You got this ,” he said quietly as he pulled me to him and hugged me as tightly as he could. I could hear his pounding heart. Feel his rage. Und erstood that his intent was set. He was going to stand at my side and bring back his baby brother one way or another. He had no choice ; not only did he love us, but he knew that without us the fate of his an d Felicity’s daughter, Allie, was undermined , that her path , whatever it may be , would be tragic , that she would face the battles we faced to reach peace.

  “Who was she ?” I mumbled into his chest.

  He let his arms fall fr om me and sighed. “I don’t know. I’m more interest ed in figuring out that sound. Where it came from. Why it was able to bring her pain. Stop her.”

  I tried to clear my mind. To think of the conversations Landen and I had just hours ago. He knew something . He’d grasped something from what I showed him . Those girls Preston had met in the field outside my house. I recognize d that look in his eyes. That uncanny certainty, but he didn’t h ave time to tell me what it was. Right now he was more than likely holding the missing piece to this puzzle in his thoughts.

  “You have to find Austin. Those twins , ” I mumbled as I sat on the edge of the bed. The weight of my body -- the way the bed moved caused both Landen and Drake to flinch. Brady pulled me up. “I don’t think we need to disturb them. Not their bodies.”

  “Where are they?” I asked , as a wave of dizziness came over me .

  “We’ll figure it out , ” h e promised. “Come to the study so we can talk this out as a family.”

  I shook my head no. “Tell them to come in here , ” I said , glancing at the sitting area that th e bedroom had on the other side. There were three couches outlining a massive coffee table that sat in front of the fireplace , even more chairs in front of the window . This room was as large as my entire dow nstairs at my home in Chara. A home I doubted I would ever see again.

  The door opened slowly at that moment. It was Marc. “Are you OK?” he asked , looking between me and Brady and the bodies of Landen and Drake.

  “If they want to talk , tell them to come in here , ” Brady said to Marc. He nodded , then pushed the door open.

  Brady put his hand on the small of my back and le d me to the couch that faced the window. I felt his intent ; h e wanted me to see the weather. He wanted me to see the effect I was having on the world outside this palace. He didn’t sit down by me ; instead , he sat in front of me so I would have no choice but to look into his blue eyes when my emotions fought to take control.

  Rose was the first one that came in. She sat on the arm of the couch beside me and wrapped her arms around me , trying to emanate as much calm as she possibl y could . I needed more than she could give me. I needed Preston.

  “Where are Preston and Libby ?” I said as my eyes moved to Brady.

  “Home , ” h e said calmly. “Do you want them here?”

  “The question is , do they want to be here ? I f they did , they would be , ” I said , quietly taking in calm breaths.

  My father had come in the room and walked to the bed so he could look over Landen and Drake. I tried to ignore him , to pretend they we re just in another part of palace , talking about me. Finding a way to protect me. I felt my father’s astonishment and looked to him before I could stop myself. When he felt my stare , he looked over his shoulder at me ; his eyes were hazel, full of the worry I felt in him. “I don’t know what you did , baby. But it helped. Their lungs are taking in air. Their heart s are beating. Their souls are on fire.”

  “But they’re not here , ” I replied as I stared at my father with pleading eyes. He left Landen’s side and came to mine , studying every part of me , looking for damage.

  “Don ’t be mad at me about before,” my father said steadily . “I wanted to calm you down for your health . We needed to calm you down to save this town from destruction.”

  I stared forward into Brady’s eyes . “I’m calm. I w on’t take anything. I have to figure out where they are.”

  “You might find them with sleep,” I heard Perodine say behind me.

  I turned to see both bedroom doors open and Marc and Ashten , along with a few servants , moving her table in here. The t able that had the scroll on it along random books.

  “No . Tell me what you know first , ” I said firmly.

  Alamos and August came in behind them , both pushing water basins. I assumed it was the water from the observatory. Alamos took his to Drake’s side , and August took his to Landen’s. I watched as the y dipped their fingertips into the water , then traced the brow, nose , and lips of both Landen and Drake.

  They both took in a breath . One that was deep and powerful. All at once they balled their hands into a fist as if they had found a new source of energy to fight whatever they were facing.

  Once Ashten had se t the table beside the couches , he walked slowly to edge of the bed. He hadn’t said a word the en tire time Landen had been gone. He didn’t scream in agony. He didn’t argue or de mand that we all hide in Chara. Not one wor d. His grief had silenced him. His grief was echoing in my soul. As I felt that emotion start to take control , I looked back to Brady’s waiting eyes and found an undeserved calm.

  Perodine stood at end of the couches as Alamos an d August came to her side. “Now. I need each of you to tell us what happened. What you saw . Heard . What was said to them .”

  I held Brady’s stare , too afraid to remember. I not only needed his calm , but I needed his voice.

  Chapter Two

  Brady held my stare as I felt his emotions roam through those few moments. The catastrophic moments that forevermore changed our life.

  “I knew something was wrong before we eve n stepped one foot in that room.” Brady began. “I could feel the evil in the a ir. The anger on Willow’s face, Landen’s , told me I was right , ” Brady bit out in a forced calm tone.

  “What did you see?” Perodine asked calmly.

  Brady held my stare and edge d closer to me in his seat , prepared to grasp my hands if I lost control. “A girl.”

  “A demon , ” I corrected.

  The room grew tense as they prepared for some kind of reaction in the weather outside , but one did not come. I t did not come because I was determined to prove them wrong. I was not weak. I would not fail.

  “Tell me about the girl , ” Perodine said calmly .

  I looked to my side at my dad. “It was her. The one that was with Dane. I should have killed her then.”

  My father looked down at his folded hands. I felt his regret , too. He felt guilty for not seeing more into that moment that had happened just a few days ago.

  “Dane?” August questioned.

  I nodded. “A seductive whore. I found her in an alley with him a few days ago. She was the one in his head. Controlling him.”

  “Are we sure that w as even Dane?” Rose asked bleakly as she pulled me closer to her. I just turned my head from side to side.

  Ashten didn’t say a word ; he left the roo m with the intent to find Dane. He was going to Infante. I wanted to ask how he knew Dane was there , but it was taking everything I had to hold one thought in front of the other.

  “Willow…” Perodine said as she sat down on the table in front of me. Brady moved slightly to the side , assuring himself that he could still see my eyes. “Did you feel her?”

  My eyes grew docile as I tried to find th e words to explain what I felt. How I felt it. I didn’t feel that girl whe n she was with Dane that night, so I ha d no idea what I was feeling. How I felt the one emotion I would die to forget.

  “Not before . Maybe not even then, but I felt the seduction. The lust.”

  Perodine’s eyes moved to Alamos as dread came to her. Brady captured my stare. “She had Drake under some kind of spell. His back was to the wall , and she was wrapped around him. His eyes were barely open. Only open enough for me to see that he was gone. Lost inside himself , ” Brady said steadily .

  “Broken h eart,” I mumbled , staring
at him.

  He nodded , then answered the questioning eyes of the room. “She has a birthmark on the back of her neck . I t mocks a broken heart . Her eyes were blue . A color that could easily mock innocents , but they were full of deceit at that moment.”

  “What did you say to her?” August asked , looking between me and Brady.

  “Willow told her to step back. The girl closed Drake’s eyes as he fell to the floor , then she focused on Landen. I t was like me and Willow weren ’t there.”

  “What did Landen do?” August pressed .

  I shook my head. “Nothing. There wasn’t time. We threw our wall of energy between her and us. She blew a kiss at him.” I shuttered . “Then he fell.” I held my breath after those last words; trying everything in my power to find control as the haunting memories of the strong man I loved falling to the ground troubled my mind . I felt an ache in my core as I thrust those emotions down. Outwardly no one could tell I was falling apart. Well, maybe Rose could, but she was letting me do what I had to do with the emotions that were now my enemy.

  “How did you make her leave? How did you get their bodies away?” Perodine questioned .

  Brady’s jaw tightened. “We didn’t , ” he said firmly. “Someone else did.”

  “Who ?” Perodine said , mystified.

  Brady furrowed his brow. “I don’t know who was playing the music, but it was clear that it was poison to that girl.”

  “Music , ” Alamos muttered as his worried eyes caught Perodine’s .

  “Loud guitars . Drums. The music was powerful , commanding , ” Brady said. “Nothing like what has ev er been heard in this dimension. I t was something you would hear in Infante.”

  “Did you feel anyone else in the room with you?” Perodine asked .

  I slowly moved my head from side to side.

  She looked at Alamos , who shook his he ad no. “There is nothing left. I f anyone was there , they perished.”

  My angry , confused eyes peered into him. “There was no one else there. That soun d – that sound was in the air. Yes , there was emotion behind it. Yes , it was real, but the soul that created it wasn ’t there. I would have felt someone that powerful.”

  “More than one created it , ” Brady clarified , looking at me. “Music is my insight . I can hear every part of a song. There was more than one creator of that sound . There was more than one soul that brought it to life.”

  “How was that sound there , though?” Marc asked . “How did it know at what moment to play ? Why didn’t it play before?”

  “Find Austin. Find that Charlie girl . That musician with her , ” I demanded .

  “We ’re already looking, I promise , ” Brady said slowly and clearly to me , as if he wanted me to hear the truth in his words.

  Silence took over for a moment or two , then Alamos cleared his throat. “I think it’s safe to say that this trial does not lie in this dimension . Or any other. I t’s in a different realm.”

  “What do you mean? How do I get there?” I asked .

  Alamos turned his head from side to side , telling me he had no idea.

  “It’s in their mind right now , ” Perodine said calmly. “Mars has begun , and just as we feared, it is the worst tr ia l yet.”

  “You didn’t predict he would be taken – both of them , ” I said as rage blushed through my skin. As Brady leaned forward , Perodine shifted out of his way. He locked eyes with me , bringing calm back. To ensure that I held it , he reached for my hands and gripped them with all of his strength. I felt the tension in the room release as they felt gratitude that Brady had mana ged to fall into Landen’s role. He had managed to reach me in the depths of my despair. He deserved the respect they were giving him. I felt shame, though. I shouldn’t need someone to keep me calm or watch over me. I should be stronger than that.

  “We predicted war. Seduction , ” Alamos confirmed .

  I was really starting to hate that word. I swear if that girl laid her hands on Landen against his will I would rip her apart piece by piece. “No one bothered to tell me that , ” I fumed as my eyes left Brady’s for his.

  “We didn’t have a chance , ” Alamos said quietly. “We tried to tell them,” he said , looking over his shoulder at Landen and Drake’s bodies , “b ut they couldn ’t see past t he moment they were in. They had already conceived the idea that they were gone. That their death would come the night of the winter sol stice .”

  “Which was the wrong night , ” I said shortly. “So when is it going to happen this time ? When does this end ?” I needed a plan. Right now.

  “We don’t know , ” Alamos said.

  “How can you not k now?! Look at your scrolls. Your precious freaking scrolls!” Seriously? No plan? How could they not know?

  Sympathy filled his face. “I have . I can tell you what war you will fight, but not the time. That luxury expired when Drake and Landen froze time over and over again.”

  I broke free from Brady’s grip and stood , raging with grief as thunder exploded in the sky. “Don’t you dare m ake this out to be their fault. My fault ! We make the decisio ns we have to when we have to. We ’re human and have no choice but to listen to our emotions!”

  Brady had stood and pulled me to him , squeezing me as tightly as he could. “We have a deal , Willow , ” h e whispered into my ear.

  My hands clawed at his back , trying to find a way to channel my emotions . Trying to find control. I pushed the emotions down again. Felt the agonizing pain of that act. I didn’t want to feel anything if I could not feel it freely. After telling my soul and body to get over their temper tantrum over and over again I fo und control. When my grip released , Brady knew I had grasped it once again. His hands moved to my shoulders , and he pushed my stiff body to sit down again as he sat in front of me.

  After a few seconds Alamos spoke up. “I’m just saying that we have no ide a what day it really is anymore. Chrispin told me that the calendar in Infante said that it was day nine in the eleven th month.”

  I started to twirl my ring on my finger. I figured it was not an overly noticeable nervous tick. Hopefully, it was one that I could use when I felt my emotions boiling to the surface. “How is that possible ? That was weeks ago , ” I said as I remembered my birthday on the nineteenth of November. The day I took my own life.

  Success. No thunder. No reaction from the atmosphere. I twirled the ring faster , so fast that it almost burned. I would take the burn over broadcasting how I felt to the world any day. I was not weak. I refused to be weak.

  Perodine nodded. “We know. We told him to make sure when he went back, but if Landen or Drake ever stopped time in that dimension , they are off , too.”

  “He did . Once .” I said as I thought of that one time in New York w h e n Drake and I battled a war of wits on the frozen streets.

  “More than once , ” Alamos corrected.

  “What?” I asked , looking at him.

  Alamos looked over his shoulder at Drake ’s body , then back to me. “It was stop ped while he saved your friends. Olivia. Those boys. He kept time frozen for hours as he searched the depths of the sea for your friend Monica. He did every thing in his power to find her. Save her, but failed.”

  My eyes glassed over , but I kept my control. I may not a finger when this is all over. But I was keeping my control with each spin of my ring. “I’ll have to thank him for that , ” I said as I looked to Drake’s body.

  “Time has been frozen here countless times . He has stopped it and weighed every decision he could. I’m more than sure that Landen has done the same in Chara.” Alamos added.

  Brady nodded once. “He has . He admitted it to me . He told me if he could figure out how to keep all of the innocent people in motion and stop the rest of the world from calling the devil into battle , he would. I t w as only a minute here and there. Barely noticeable.”

  I breathed in as Landen’s reasoning came to me. He never once took an y of his insights for granted. He always thought they
had a deeper meaning than he could perceive. He was always looking for a way for us to live in peace.

  “It would only take a sec ond to throw the calendar off. To move our perception as a whole , ” Alamos said.

  “What are you saying ? That we have to face Venus again ? That we aren ’t as far as we thought ? That what we’ve been thr ough was for nothing?!” My nail stabbed the skin under my ring as I felt a sharp pain in my core. Those emotions wanted out. They wanted vengeance. That wasn’t going to happen. I control this body. Along with any annoying insights that may accompany it.

  Alamos glanced at Perodine , then went to the table and started studying the scrolls.

  Perodine looked down as she spoke. “No , child . Those victories are yours. What he meant w as that now we have no calendar. We can just interpret what will happen, what tools you will need.”

  “I don’t understand . I thought all o f this had to do with planets. What the sky said ?”

  “It does,” Perodine promised as her eyes rose to mine. “But. Now we have fallen deeper into the devil ’s web. What w e fight now is our perception. Our realm of reality, and unfortunately , that realm is now different from the rest the world.”

  “Realm? Dimension? What’s the difference ?” I could not be the only one that was not grasping this illogical play on words.

  “There is a big one , ” s he said to me as she glanced at my side to Rose. “A dimension is a place . A realm is what ’s in that place.”

  “That makes no sense.” I scoffed. Really?

  Perodine tried to smile , but she couldn ’t find the strength to. “Everyone you ask will give you a different perspective of the word ‘realm ,’ and all of them have solid reason behind them . The only way I can explain this to you is that right now , all o f us are in each other’s world. We all have the same goal. And though our energy may be on different levels , we share this realm. The re st of the world is in their own. Though they are subject to your victories and defeats , they are indeed in their own realm. Facing their own wars , whether they be small or large.”