Chapter Eleven
Felicity helped me choose a dress for the night. It was a beautiful combination of royal green and blue, fitting for the warm weather. The straps were thin, and it flowed from beneath the chest to just above my thighs. I blushed as Felicity complimented the way it brought out my eyes. I was trying to absorb all the positive energy she was exuding. My nerves were on edge. I was looking forward to seeing Libby and my mom, but I had no idea what to expect from my long lost grandparents or whoever else.
Landen was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a royal blue shirt and brown khaki pants. He politely told Felicity and the others that we wanted to walk and would be there soon. Their understanding was undeniable. We had been alone for less than an hour that day, and it was easy to see that, though we were an admired couple, no one would desire to bear our burden.
We walked in silence for a while, lost in the last few days. With each step we took, I could feel the dread building inside me. When my breathing became measured, Landen hesitated, and then stopped walking. I could feel his concern as he tried to understand why I was so upset.
"I'm fine, just not so good with crowds," I thought, looking around for an escape.
Relief came over him as he heard my simple explanation. "It's not going to be like it was at home. They know what your insight is, and they're going to do whatever it takes to make you comfortable. If it gets to be too much, just tell me. They'll understand," he said as his eyes tried to catch my gaze.
"Landen, I just don't think I can go and smile and have a party. I just lost one of my friends, and I don't know if the rest of them are safe or not. I can't block that out and the emotions of the crowd at the same time," I said, stumbling over my words while trying to hold back tears of grief. I turned away from him so he wouldn't see me struggle. He quickly circled me, not allowing me to hide anything from him.
"Look, there's nothing I can say to take all of that away. No one is asking you to forget them. This 'celebration' is just a way for you to meet your family, a family that you should already know," Landen said, cradling my face.
As I looked in his eyes, I felt a peace come over me, and my body relaxed as the calm took over.
Landen smiled as he felt the tension leave me. "I don't want to go either. I want you all to myself. It feels like we're never alone, awake, anyway," he said as he looked across the field in the direction we were walking. He looked like he was listening to a distant conversation. "I can feel Rose's intent from here. She wants to guide us. Right now we need to be guided if we're going to be strong enough to bring your friends home safely."
I glanced across the field at the distant hill, then back at Landen and nodded. As we began to walk, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. When we reached the top of the hill on the south side of our house, Landen pointed to where my parents' house was. You could only see the rooftop behind the hills around it. Their home was to the left, and his parents' was to the right.
Landen explained that not only had our fathers been close friends, our grandfathers had been as well. For generations, the Haywood and Chambers families had lived side by side, the only two families with generation after generation of travelers. Even the women were fierce explorers. Others came to learn from them—some only trusting them to carry them home to visit the ones that were left in other dimensions.
We walked in the direction of his parents' house. I assumed the party was going to be there, but I wanted desperately to see my mother's home. The next hilltop revealed the home in which Landen had been raised. It became clear to me that porches were a way of life in Chara. The house was large, two stories, and white, outlined with wide porches and long columns. White lights outlined the bottom porch as well as the pathway to the front door. Music was playing, and laughter surrounded the house. There were several cars parked along the road just before the house. This "small group" of friends and family was larger than I'd expected.
A tiny figure ran toward us. It was Libby. My fear dissipated as soon as she fell into my arms. We couldn't even say hello before she began to rush over her day, telling us about everyone she now had as friends, her room, and how much she loved it all here.
"So you didn't miss me at all today? I see how it is," I teased.
"Willow, I was with you, too, you can't see me sometimes, though," she said as she slid down and ran toward the house to announce our arrival.
Glancing up at Landen, I could sense his despair. He wanted nothing more than for me and Libby to be safe, and at that moment he saw that as an impossibility. He grinned at me, then guided me toward the house. I took a deep breath and squeezed his hand as we climbed the front steps.
"Don't be scared," he whispered into my ear, kissing my neck softly. He was putting off a blissful emotion, giving me a blanket to hide behind.
We walked through the front door, and I noticed that his house was so much different from ours. Everything was white and very bright, the walls accented the rooms with a light teal blue, and even the floors were a light wood color. Flowers decorated the banister and the doorways. No one was in the house. They'd all gathered in the back. Landen led me through the living room to the double doorway that opened to the back of the house. As we opened the doors, an eruption of applause began.
The group of family and friends was close to two hundred people. Heat filled my cheeks and my ears. The spotlight couldn't be more uncomfortable. My mother and father stood in the front of the crowd, smiling up at us. My mother was glowing in a silver dress, her long hair was curled and her happiness unmistakable. Ashten, Aubrey, my father and mother proudly walked up to the porch where we were standing, which had been transformed into a stage.
Ashten began a heartwarming speech. "Aubrey and I, along with Jason and Grace, are pleased to introduce each of you to Landen and Willow, the newest and youngest couple of Chara."
Applause erupted again, then Ashten continued, "We have faced many trials and triumphs over the years. The time that Jason was lost will haunt me for a lifetime, just as the time that I found him will be celebrated for all of time." Ashten raised his glass to my father while tears streamed down Aubrey's face. It was easy to see that she'd helped Ashten carry the burden when my father was missing.
"Today, we celebrate Jason and Grace. They have been returned to us at last. We also celebrate that my only daughter, Clarissa, has found her soul mate, Dane."
I noticed Clarissa and Dane standing beside Landen and me. I didn't know if they'd been there the whole time. They were locked in each other's gaze, not appearing to notice the world around them.
"We also celebrate that life is not predictable. We are not all the same. Uniformity doesn't apply to any dimension, not even ours. Landen has proven this to us all as he stands here joined at last with Willow."
The applause erupted again, and I felt an overwhelming joy beaming from the crowd. An older woman handed Landen and me a glass of champagne. Ashten then raised his glass, and the crowd toasted. Landen turned into me and kissed me softly. I could hear the applause begin again as my head spun with his touch.
My father put his hand around the older woman who had handed me the glass and said, "Willow, this is Rose, your grandmother."
My eyes widened—she was not what I expected. Rose looked so young. The only sign of age she had was her solid white hair, which fell just to her shoulders. Her eyes were a beautiful green, and beside her was an older man whose hair was short and dark with silver running through it. He looked like my father, only much older. "And this is your grandfather, Karsten," my father said, tilting his head in the direction of Karsten.
Rose hugged me tightly. "Oh, I've been on edge all day, wanting to meet you. Your father said you needed your rest. Do you feel better now?" Rose asked, looking at me then smiling over my shoulder to Landen.
I nodded, not knowing what to say. Karsten stepped forward and hugged me. "You are just as beautiful as your mother," he said, grinning at me, then at my father.
The band began to play, and we were flooded with welcomes from the crowd. Everywhere we looked, there were smiling faces, handshakes, and hugs from everyone that was introduced to me, but the names escaped me as soon as they were said. You could see the resemblance in some of them, and it was clear that they were from Landen's family. Others, I wasn't so sure.
Rose stepped in front of Landen and me. "All right then, give her some room. I'm sure crowds are difficult for her," she said. Everyone stepped back a little.
"No, no, I'm fine. These emotions are the ones that I like," I said, a little embarrassed. Out of all of them, I couldn't help noticing that Rose seemed to have an even greater understanding of my gift than my father did.
"You may want to hide her on the dance floor," Rose said, grinning at Landen. He nodded his head and winked at her. It was easy to see the favor he had with her.
The dance floor was full. All the couples seemed so immersed in each other; it was hard to imagine that Landen and I were the only ones who didn't need to use words. They all seemed locked in a world of their own. Even my parents seemed lost in themselves. The grief and danger that had been hovering over me took a back seat as I took my place in Landen's arms on the dance floor. With each new song, I was passed on to an eager partner: first my father, then Ashten, Brady, Livingston, my grandfather, and finally Dane.
"You look so happy," I said to Dane as he took my hand.
"Just as happy as you," he answered, glancing at Landen and Clarissa dancing.
I sighed, feeling the guilt come over me. It didn't seem right to be this happy, knowing that our friends were in danger. Dane felt my body tense up and looked down at me. "It's going to be fine, Willow. We'll find them and make it all right," he said, sounding sure of himself.
"We can't make what happened to Monica right," I said under my breath, holding back tears. I felt grief inside Dane. He may have teased her growing up, but he still cared about her.
"No, but her memory will always be with us, and we can learn to never take anyone or anything for granted. You know if she were here, she'd be furious with you for not enjoying yourself. Monica lived in the moment, and that's where we need to live. We can't change the past, and the details of the future have yet to be seen."
I'd never heard him speak so deeply. I guess love changes everyone.
After my dance with Dane, he returned me to Landen and took possession of Clarissa. I made a conscious effort to be friendly to her. "I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday. Dane can tell you that I'm saner than that."
Clarissa put her hand on my shoulder. "You held yourself together more than I would have been able to," she said, smiling back at Dane.
Libby demanded that Landen dance with her. I stood back and watched as he picked her up and swayed her to the lullaby of a song that was playing, smiling at me over her tiny shoulder. I made my way to one of the tables, so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice that my grandmother, Rose, had taken the seat next to me.
"He's such a good man. We couldn't have dreamed of another so perfect for you," she said as she watched with me. Libby laid her head on Landen's shoulder, fighting heavy eyelids.
"I still have a hard time thinking that he's real. For so long, he was lost in my dreams."
Rose folded her hands under her chin and stared at me. Her green eyes were outlined in silver, reminding me of what the string did to the eyes of its passengers.
"I can remember the first time Ashten told me about Landen's dreams," she said. "He was so worried about him. I knew then that Landen was going to stand out from the rest."
"I didn't realize how close our families are until today," I confessed, remembering the story Landen had told me on the way to the celebration.
"It seems that we always have been, at least since before my great grandmother's time, anyway."
She began surveying the crowd around us. Her eyes settled on Livingston and Marc, who were lingering by the side of the dance floor. Marc was talking to Livingston, but it was clear that Livingston wasn't listening.
"Do you find it odd that, in the midst of this celebration, you feel a deep sorrow?" she asked. I looked at her quickly, then in the direction of Livingston and Marc. "Is your insight strong enough to tell me whom it is coming from?" she continued, glancing back at me.
"Livingston," I whispered. Rose nodded. "Do you have the same insight?" I asked.
Rose smiled to answer my question.
For the first time, I felt normal. Others having a gift was not the same as knowing someone who knew exactly how it worked. My peace started to fade when I realized that this was the first time I'd heard of anyone being like me, let alone my grandmother. Why did my father not tell me when he knew what mine was, even when he told me who we were?
"He doesn't know," Rose answered the unasked question. "Your feeling of betrayal isn't called for. You, August, and Karsten are the only ones alive that know."
"Why? Is it a bad thing? Is that why you keep it a secret?" I asked as the feeling of being a fluke came back over me.
"No...it's a beautiful gift," Rose said, reaching for my shoulder. "My father believed that for me to truly understand my gift, I should keep it to myself," Rose said, smiling.
"I don't understand," I said, leaning closer, hanging on her every word.
"If people guard themselves around me, I can't help them. The beauty of the gift of emotion is that you truly walk in another's footsteps for a moment."
I watched Livingston walk over to my father and Ashten. They glanced nervously in my direction, and I could feel a building anxiety coming from the three of them. I looked back at Rose. "What is my father not telling me?" I asked.
Rose caught my father's gaze, and I could feel his emotion through her. She sighed and looked in my direction. "That you are the one who will bring color to Esterious, its one of many things predicted about you," she said quietly, beaming with pride.
"What?" I asked, bewildered.
"You have a power inside you that will move both of our dimensions," Rose said.
My mother walked over to Rose and me and took a seat, ending our conversation.
"Are you two getting acquainted?" my mother asked, putting her arm around me and smiling at Rose.
I looked anxiously for Landen. I found him across the floor, handing Libby's sleeping body to my father. He caught my gaze, almost as if he could sense that I needed him.
"Are you okay?" he thought as he began to walk toward me.
"I just have no idea what she just told me, but it doesn't sound good."
"What did she say?"
"That I would bring color to Esterious."
I could feel confusion and fear come over Landen. Reaching me, he took a seat next to me and stared at Rose, who nodded in his direction.
"Well, it looks like it's time for me to go," my mother said, noticing that Libby had fallen asleep.
"You're going home?" I asked.
"I'm going to take Libby home and lay her down."
"Are you okay, Mom?" I asked, realizing this had to be a lot for her to take in as well. She nodded and tried to smile.
"I'm sorry about the house," I said, my voice echoing the guilt that I felt.
She heard it and tried to make me feel better. "Those are just things. You, Landen, and Libby are safe and sound," she said, smiling first at me, then at Landen. "That's all I could ask for."
Landen and I hugged her goodbye, then my father waved goodbye in our direction as my mother approached him. Landen looked slowly back at Rose, who smiled.
"Would the two of you care to follow me to the living room for a more private conversation?" she asked, sliding her chair back.
Landen and I followed her without hesitation. As we passed by Livingston and Ashten, I felt their anxiety rise. Once inside the house, Landen closed the door behind him. We were both nervous. We watched as Rose walked to the center of the room, then wavered before turning around Slowly, she reached her hand into her pocket and pulled out a silver chain.
"I wanted to wait until August came home to give you this," Rose said as she looked at the necklace in her hand, "but I think it may help you bring your friends home."
I walked slowly to her, feeling my heart rise in my chest. She reached for my hand and placed the chain in it, and I felt a warm tingle as it touched my skin. I looked down and noticed a medallion attached to the silver necklace. It was shaped like a sun with wavy, detailed rays, and in the center of the sun was what looked like black glass with a crescent moon carved into the surface. As I studied the details, I had a sudden, sickening sense of déjà vu. Landen leaned in to look closer as my hands began to shake.
"I think I've seen this before," Landen thought.
"Me, too," I thought, looking up at him.
"It should look familiar to you," Rose said.
She smiled and reached for the necklace in my hand. She then opened the clasp and reached for my neck. I leaned in slowly to help her. She leaned back and looked at my neck, then gazed into my eyes and smiled.
"Where did this come from?" I asked as I moved my hand to the charm, feeling all the details of its surface.
"From you," Rose said, tilting her head. Landen and I both looked at her with wide eyes.
"When I was a child, you and Landen approached me and August one day. You told me to give this to you the day you returned home to Chara."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, looking from her to Landen.
"Rose, you're scaring her," Landen said, putting his arm around me. "Now is not the time for myths."
"What myths?" I asked, looking back and forth from Rose to Landen.
"Some people in Chara believe that travelers have led past lives. They think that's why we can see more passages than them. Myth, our lore," Landen said.
"Myth or not, there's not a doubt in my mind that this is not the first time you've walked this earth," Rose said, looking at me, then up at Landen. "You need to know that you're missing a part of the medallion." Rose reached for the medallion and turned it for me to see. On the back of it was a ridge, and there were five holes spread around the inside edge.
"The star was lost," Rose said quietly.
I heard the back door open, and I could feel the anxiety of Livingston and Ashten pouring into the room. I also felt the curiosity of Brady and Marc. Ashten and Livingston walked cautiously to Rose's side. Landen looked back and forth between them. Marc walked to Livingston's side, and Brady came to my side. I felt his confusion as he saw the medallion I was tracing with my fingertips.
"Where was it lost? Does it matter that it is?" Landen asked.
"It was lost in Esterious," Rose said.
"Where?" Landen asked quickly.
"In the Blakeshire Palace," Rose answered. "You knew it would be lost," she continued, looking in my eyes. "You told me, 'Do not fear when the supremacy was taken, it is but one of many battles.'"
"Are you saying this medallion has power?" Landen asked in disbelief.
"I am," Rose said.
From the shock that ran through Landen, I could tell Rose was telling the truth.
"Was Drake able to hurt her because he has that star?" Landen asked in a low tone as anger began to come over him.
"He hasn't hurt her," Livingston said defensively.
Everyone in the room looked at Livingston. I felt heat rise in my cheeks as anger coursed through me. I stepped forward and peered up at Livingston with a dominant stare.
"He hasn't, has he?" I said sarcastically. "So what would you call a suffocating weight on your chest that makes breathing painful? How about being stripped of your senses and forced to feel a trembling fear of innocent people—not to mention that he's taken someone I love deeply away from me?" I said, poking my finger in Livingston's chest as angry tears came to the corners of my eyes. As Marc stepped between his dad and me I felt Landen's hands on my shoulders pulling me back..
"Why are you defending him?" Brady asked Livingston.
"I just...I just...I didn't realize she suffered when she met Drake," Livingston said quietly. The deep sorrow I sensed coming from him told me he truly believed that.
"I want to know what you're hiding from me." Land said in a harsh tone.
"Where is the star? Does Donalt have it?" Brady asked, pulling his shoulders back. "If it belonged to Willow, they can use it in their magic. It might be why and how they got in her dreams in the first place."
"You're not going to get it," Landen said, looking at Brady.
"If it's hurting either of you, yes, I am," Brady said shortly.
"I'm going, too," Marc said, looking at Brady.
"I'm going alone," Landen said.
I stared up at him with panic in my eyes. He wasn't going without me.
Livingston's face turned red. "You're not going anywhere near Esterious. I told you they'll kill you," he said, stepping closer to Landen.
Landen pulled his shoulders back. "I know you believe what you say is true, now tell me how you know that," he said, staring into Livingston's eyes. "Tell me what you know. Tell me what you're shielding me from!" Landen demanded.
Livingston didn't answer him.
"Now is not the time to be silent," Brady said, pushing Livingston to answer Landen.
"Dad," Marc said, putting his hand on Livingston's shoulder. Livingston looked down, avoiding all of our eyes.
I looked at Rose for some kind of help, and even though she held no expression on her face, I could still feel her confidence and pride in me. Landen's eyes moved to Ashten, only to find him staring at the floor.
"Rose, will you please tell my mother that Willow and I said goodnight," Landen said as he let his hand fall into mine and led me to the door.
"I'll drive you," Brady said, following us. "I'm coming, too," Marc said as he followed us outside. Landen opened the back door of the Jeep for me to slide in. He then slid in beside me and wrapped his arm around me. Marc climbed in the front seat as Brady started to drive away.
"What's going on around here?" Brady asked.
"Marc, has your dad said anything to you?" Landen asked.
Marc turned in his seat. "He's been acting strange for the past week or so. I don't understand what's gotten into him," he said, first looking at me, then to Landen.
"Right now, I don't care. I'm going to bring Willow's friends home and put all of this behind us," Landen said, glancing at me.
Hearing his words, I exhaled, hoping it would be that simple. Brady pulled in front of our house, and Landen and I climbed out of the back seat. "Just get some rest tonight. We'll go back and talk to them, and maybe they'll tell us something," Marc said as he looked out the window at us.
Landen nodded and waved. We then turned to climb the steps, and as Landen reached for the doorknob, he hesitated and looked at me.
"Can you still feel their emotions?" he thought. I nodded, feeling the distant anguish and dread.
"Come on," he said, taking my hand and leading me off the porch.
"Where are we going?" I asked as we stepped off the porch and began to walk through the dark field.
"A different part of Chara. We won't be able to rest if we try to untangle their emotions or intent through the night," Landen said, looking down at me, he squeezed my hand. "I want to be alone with you."
I wrapped my arm around his waist as he led us into the string. Within the white light, we both felt a peace come over us, and the swarm of mixed emotions I felt was replaced by an overpowering love that I felt from him. We turned to the left and walked ten short feet, and there I could see a light yellow passage. I closed my eyes as we stepped through the haze, taking in the tingle. The sky was just as dark as it was at our home, and the half moon showed the way. I could hear waves breaking and smell the salt in the air. A small beach house was just a few feet away from us.
"Now we're alone," he said, smiling down at me.
I grinned and took off in a sprint to the dark beach house. Once I arrived, I climbed the short steps that led to the porch and pushed open the front door. Landen caught me in his arms, laughing, and I turned and looked up at him. He quelled that laugh with a deep kiss as he reached down and clasped my thighs before wrapping them around him and pressing us against the door.
"This dress has been the death of me all night," he thought as his body pinned me in place and his hands glided over me.
"You don't like it," I whispered as my eyes fluttered closed.
He rocked against me; at the same time his lips had eased down my throat and were passing my collarbone. "Love this dress..."
He gripped me in his arms and carried me to the table that was a few feet away. I fought with his clothes, searching for the smooth feel of his skin against mine.
We went wild in that embrace, the danger, the threat, and the dark emotions had built up throughout the day, we were both trying to heal the other, to wash those emotions away and replace them with unbridled passion. It took us forever to reach the bedroom, each step of the way we left a trail of clothes behind.
One second I was giggling, the next I was gasping for breath, then I would find a way to return every touch he gave me.
As we held each other that tingling sensation swarmed within me, his presence was embracing my soul. Filling in all the cracks of my heart, elevating me to a level of exaltation that I didn't know existed.