Chapter Seventeen
I warily grinned up at Landen then took my place at Clarissa's side as we stepped through after my father. The passage led into a large building. I could smell oil burning, and the room was sweltering. My father led us up a metal staircase encased in rust. Once at the top, he knocked twice quickly, hesitated then knocked again. A moment later, you could hear someone unlocking chains on the other side, then the thick metal door opened.
Standing in front of us was a man. His years were near my father's, yet his brown eyes were older. He was dressed in a long black cloak shambled with dust and holes. He looked down the stairs at the large group my father had brought with him. I could feel his fear as he stared at Landen then me.
"Jason, I do believe that you're premature. The moon is not yet full," the man said.
Ashten and my father gave each other a cautious look then slowly shook their head 'no' to the man. Landen looked crossly at our fathers, then to August for an explanation. The only response he received was smiling eyes and an emotion of pride.
"We're only searching for Livingston. Have you seen him?" my father asked.
"Yes, he was mistaken for another and was assigned duties in the fields. His time is over today. He should, like everyone else, be in the courtyard."
The man's eyes never left mine as he spoke to my father.
"Am I allowed a formal introduction?" the man asked.
"My apologies," my father said.
"This is my daughter, Willow. Willow, this is Patrick, an honored friend of Esterious."
Patrick smiled at me and bowed his head slightly. He then extended his arm, inviting us through the doorway. The room was dark. You could see a simple table, bed, and desk aligned on one wall and a fireplace on another. The floor was made of wood, and there was no color to the walls. At one time, they may have been white, but now they were a dull gray. Patrick pulled the long thick gray curtains shut and lit a row of candles that lined the mantel over the fireplace.
"And who might this young man be?" Patrick asked as he glanced over his shoulder at Dane.
"This is Dane. He and Clarissa are one now," Ashten answered.
"Ah, and he's here because...?" Patrick asked.
"Dane has a gift as well. The string is visible to him," Ashten replied.
Patrick was either unaware of how sensitive my gift was or simply didn't care if he was revealing. He was astonished as his eyes danced across each of us. The uneasy feeling coming from Ashten and my father was making itself known.
Patrick walked by us one by one, looking up and down. As he reached Landen, and me he stopped and stared into my eyes. A smile then came across his aged face, and his eyes seemed to lose a few years.
"Have you brought something to cover the color in your eyes? Especially Willow's? I would dare say even an old man like Donalt could see them in a crowd," Patrick stated humbly.
I took an uneasy breath and leaned back into Landen, too afraid not show my fear. Landen put his hands on my shoulders and kissed my head softly, taking my fears away and filling my soul with calming warmth.
"People here only have brown eyes. We have to wear a film over our eyes to change the color," Landen explained.
"Like a contact lens?" I asked.
"Yeah, just like that. It doesn't hurt."
My father pulled a box out of his pocket and passed out the lens to change our natural color to a stone black. Patrick walked over to a small closet and pulled out a long black scarf.
"You'll want to cover that sovereign gem upon your neck, unless you're seeking attention I'm not aware of," Patrick said to me.
"Should I put it in my pocket? Isn't it hot? I'll stand out in a long coat and scarf."
"No," Landen and the others said in unison. It was easy to feel that they all thought it was protecting me, or at least feared it would be lost as well. August took the scarf from Patrick, walked over to me and explained, "It is always cool here. The sun doesn't shine. The sky, like everything, is gray."
A loud chime could be heard outside Patrick's home. Anxiety filled the room. The only one who still had his peace was August.
"Ah, it is time. Shall we?" Patrick said as he blew out the candles.
Clarissa and I left the home first. I didn't look to see who followed behind us or how closely. I only concentrated on the one that I knew was Landen and walked forward. There was no grass, plants, or trees to be seen, and the birds didn't sing. The silence was screaming at all of us.
I kept my pace shoulder to shoulder with Clarissa. Several others, all dressed in black, were walking in the same direction that we were. From most, I could feel the sorrow they had, and from others a void that was as real as it was when Drake was at my side.
Like in my dreams, the buildings were all the same. On the street level, there were what looked like food and clothing stations, and above them the rest of the buildings were tall with gray, perfectly spaced windows. As a river would flow, the people streamed toward the palace. My eyes were held straight, not touching anyone but Clarissa.
To my right, I saw Ashten and my father flank off, and to my left, Brady and Marc did the same, leaving Dane, Landen, and August behind us. At the end of the alley, a large wall could be seen. Men dressed in black cloaks lined the top of it, facing a much higher structure.
This structure was indeed the palace. It was over a mile wide, eight stories high, and solid gray. Windows were sporadic, and wide diamond-shaped balconies were on every level.
Along the rooftop, a line of men stood, staring out into the crowd with daring composure. We halted just past the gate. As we stared forward, I couldn't imagine how we'd find Livingston in this crowd of solid black. I could feel my father and Ashten widening their path further away from us, and Brady and Marc mirrored them.
The air filled with the chime of a large bell that rang three times, and the crowd grew still. On the fourth balcony, the doors opened. From the darkness emerged two figures. One was undeniably Drake; he was dressed in a black suit. It was easy to feel that the females in the crowd were attracted to him. He smiled, and I heard a few breaths let loose from the women. I wondered if they even cared how dark he was. He brought new meaning to fatal attraction.
Beside him, a much older man stood. I was sure it was Donalt. He was smaller than Drake and had long white hair. His face held no expression; neither of them held any emotion that I could feel. The bells chimed again as they stepped closer to the edge. I had expected the crowd to roar at their approach, but the silence rained on. It was then that I felt someone staring at me. They were in the palace, and my eyes searched from window to window, balcony-to-balcony.
In the window above the fourth balcony, I saw a small figure. Squinting my eyes, I saw him smile at me. He was the little boy with blue eyes in my nightmare, the one that only needed to be loved. He smiled and waved his little hand. Air wheezed through my lips as the dream came rushing back to me. My emotion didn't go unnoticed.
"What is it, Willow?"
"I've seen that boy before. He's called me, and I helped him."
"What boy?"
"The one on the fifth floor."
As I thought the words, the boy stepped back into the darkness, not to be seen again. Donalt had been speaking the entire time, and for the first time As Donalt's speech ended, the crowed turned, and the faces before me all seemed familiar.
Dream by dream, my eyes landed on person after person. My mouth fell open, and every part of my body froze as each and every nightmare came back to me. The fear within me was uncontrollable, so strong that even Clarissa could sense it. She hooked her shoulder behind me and urged me to turn. Wide-eyed and in a trance, my body was led by Clarissa out of the courtyard. Keeping a fast pace, we reached Patrick's house, where she went to lead me in. Before I took the step off the street, I hesitated, looking for Landen's emotion behind me.
"I'm here."
Taking my last step in the door, Clarissa briskly opened the metal door that led to the passage. Still in an absent trance, Clarissa grabbed my hand and pulled me down the stairs. At the bottom, I felt my feet leave the ground as Landen picked me up and carried me through the passages. The only ones that I knew were safe were Landen and Clarissa.
As Landen all but ran to our home, the string's passages flew past me. As the green fields came into view, I found my clarity.
"Is everyone here?" I thought.
"What's wrong with Willow?" Marc asked.
"We're all here."
"I'm fine," I said aloud, defusing the concern I felt coming from everyone.
I looked behind me and saw Livingston pass through the passage; he frantically looked at us one by one, anger engulfing him. "Why did you do that?" he yelled. "You should have never brought them there! Do you have any idea what could have happened?" He halted when his eyes found August.
"You shouldn't have stayed that long not with all that's going on!" yelled Marc.
"That's exactly why I needed to be there because of what's going on!"
"Let's just calm down," Chrispin said, stepping in to squash his father and brother's feud.
"Let's go. I'm done," Landen thought as he pulled my hand toward him.
We walked away from them, still feeling their frustration and hearing their arguments. I don't think our absence was noticed until we'd already reached our house. Once inside, Landen pulled the drapes and pushed a chair against the door that had no locks. He then led me back into the den and fell into one of the large chairs, pulling me with him.
Landen held me tightly, frustrated and angry. Not forcing thoughts or words from me as I laid with him, I listened to his heartbeat rising and falling with his chest. Time passed and the sun that had glowed behind the drapes faded into night.
As my eyes grew heavy, I thought, "Can we go to our place?" Landen stood with me in his arms and carried me to our bed. Lying side by side with him, I stared into his eyes, losing myself somewhere inside him. He kissed me just as softly as he had the first time, only now warmth accompanied the love that rushed from him. This was the only place where what I was made sense, and it was easy to feel that my feelings weren't alone.
Now the rush that had become so addictive was called again, and we were immersed with a feeling of love that was incomparable to anything on earth. We'd both missed our place, the place where we'd met each night in our dreams throughout our childhood; it was even more beautiful than the world where Landen was raised. Everything was bright, full of life. The only element it needed was sound. Though we could see the birds, their song was absent to our ears, and the water that flowed through the gentle stream did so in silence.
We glided hand in hand as we'd done since we were children. I watched Landen's eyes search each new horizon that came into view. We both felt safe there but had our bodies on high alert as they lay in our bed.
"Do you know where this is?" I thought, wanting to assure myself that now that he stood there again, he'd only been there with me.
"I'm surer now than I've ever been," Landen thought, pulling me to him and kissing me tenderly.
Our path had led us to a place we'd always loved to go: a small waterfall. Beneath the fall was an indentation that wasn't affected by the light mist that surrounded it. Inside, as we nestled, we looked through the water at the soft warm sun.
"How many did you see today?" Landen thought, drawing me against him.
I called the memories forward. "It was like they all were there."
His eyes closed as he pushed his rage down.
"Landen, something is...something is off about that little boy."
"What do you mean?"
"When I helped him, he was dirty, and he was in the town like the others. How do you think he got to be in the palace?"
"Are you sure it was the same one?"
"He looked right at me and smiled, like he knew me. Why were there children in there?"
"Donalt has a court: his blood line, the women he spends his time with, the priests and their families live in the walls."
"I just feel like I've been set up. I really thought that that boy was neglected."
"Neglected?"
"Yeah. He was dirty and sitting alone outside as his parents argued inside the building."
"You were set up. Did you not notice how the people didn't speak?"
"Yeah" I thought, baffled.
"They aren't allowed to speak above a whisper. If a couple were screaming at each other, they'd have been put to death, and the child wouldn't have been outside alone."
"So what did Drake do? Stage it all for me?"
"Maybe he was testing your sensitivities. Were they all children that called you?" Landen asked.
"No, they were all ages, in all different places."
Landen leaned back on his arms, judging his words before he thought them. "How crazy do you think it would be to go through that passage you made inside the palace?" I felt his anxiety and regret for saying the words.
"I've been waiting for you to bring it up. I thought you might be angry with me for making such a dangerous suggestion," I thought, reassuring him that no matter how dangerous it was, we had to save the girls.
"It is dangerous, but I can't think of a faster way to prevent Hannah and Jessica from dying."
"I can't lose anyone else," I thought in a heavy tone.
Landen took in my words and held me tightly. We slept on until late in the next day, hiding from it all.
Through the kitchen window, we could see Felicity, Olivia, and Libby picking the flowers. Their sorrow was very sobering. Walking to them, it was easy to see that the once full field of flowers was growing more and more barren.
Libby smiled when she saw us coming. She then set her basket down and ran into Landen's arms, giggling as he lifted her over his head. Olivia smiled at me; the sight of her had never been more beautiful to me. I'd known her for so many years, and yet to see her happy, at peace, all of her grief gone—she was a new person.
"Landen?" Felicity said in a solemn voice. "Brady wanted me to ask you to come and see him. He's at Marc's."
"Where's Livingston?" Landen asked already knowing the answer.
"He went back to Esterious. Marc stayed at our house last night; he left early this morning. Brady thought he was going to go to Esterious and followed him. Brady called just before we came out here and said that they were at Marc's and to tell you if you came out."
Landen passed a wary look to me. "What about Jason and Dad?"
"They went back to Esterious. No one has really said much since yesterday. They're waiting for you to tell them what to do."
Landen closed his eyes, wishing this burden away, just as any noble leader would want to do when lives were at stake.
"Landen, go. I'm going to go see the girls and check on my mom."
"Is that safe?" Olivia asked.
"Marc's is only a half mile away, we just can't let the string separate us," Landen explained. He then kissed me and hugged me tightly before he left. Even though it didn't hurt as I watched him walk over the hill, the longing to have him close made me uneasy.
"Should I help you pick? I saw some closer to my house," I asked Felicity.
"We have to be careful. They only work when they're alive, so we only pick what we need. I think we have enough for now," Felicity answered.
Walking toward my mother's house, I could feel her. Her excitement was gone, her emotions were full of dread.
We went up to Hannah and Jessica's room. The room was full of a beautiful floral scent. The flowers on their chests had wilted, and one by one we pulled them off and replaced them with new ones. They lay still, not moving; their beauty was remarkable. They deserved more than this. I wanted them to have the same joy Olivia had.
Feeling Olivia's guilt, I placed my hands on her shoulders, smiling and showing her how happy she was. As I pushed the power of love through her, her face lit up as she slowly looked at me.
"Thanks, Willow."
Felicity was watching our exchange, and her excitement filled the room.
"It's coming easier to you now."
"A little bit. I think I'm going to try and help my mom now. I've never seen her like this before."
Felicity's smile lessened a little. "Willow, imagine how you'd feel if you knew that your child had been chosen to fight a battle that they didn't start, and it didn't matter what sacrifices you made, you couldn't prevent it from coming to pass," she said, caressing her stomach and choking on her tears.
I hugged her tightly, showing her how happy she'd made me the first time I'd met her and how much life she'd brought to this family. The baby kicked, and I felt it through her skin. Felicity laughed, and her bliss was back.
"Looks like she already loves her Aunt Willow."
"She?" I questioned.
"Women's intuition," she said, smiling. "I'll take Libby to my house and let you spend some time with your mother."
My mother was on her back porch, staring at a blank canvas. She was still, more still than I'd ever seen her. I put my hands on her shoulders and remembered all the energy she used to put off, how all my friends thought I had the coolest, most vibrant mother. I remembered her inspiring people to follow their dreams, not to be afraid of what they were capable of.
She smiled and turned slowly. "I told so many to follow their dreams, and yet I kept my own daughter hidden from hers."
"Mom, did you know?"
"We never knew for sure. Your father had a fear, an instinct...he never really told me why he wanted to stay there, but I know he had the best intentions."
She looked into my eyes for a few seconds before standing and putting her hands on my shoulders. "Willow, I just need you to promise me that you'll be the daughter I raised you to be and listen to your heart in every battle you face. Don't let anyone tell you your truth. Every story has countless sides to be told."
I smiled, promising her I would.
My father shuffled his feet across the floor; his sorrow was heavy, and when I turned to look at him, his now brown eyes made me sigh deeply.
"Where have you been?" I asked him.
"We went to look for Livingston. We can't find him anywhere."
"He went back to get the star, didn't he?"
"I don't know..."
"Has he told you anything that I need to know, Dad?"
"You know what we know. He kept Landen from going into that world and just wants more than anything to keep the two of you out of anything that has to do with that star, those rings, the whole deal. He thinks it's all his fault, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why."
"Dad, don't worry about it. We'll figure this out."
"I should be the one telling you that. Listen, we're going to have to think of something quick. When we run out of blue and green flowers, we're going to have to act fast. They may need to go home until they grow back or we figure something else out."
"Dad, you just don't know what those things look like, how painful it is."
"Willow, we're going to have to make a choice for them. To live, they're going to have to be in pain."
I closed my eyes, feeling the burden on my shoulders, knowing that regardless of what choice I made, Jessica and Hannah would pay a price.
"I think I'm going to go home. Landen should be back soon."
"Willow, don't do anything foolish. The two of you can't face this on your own."
I smiled warily at my father then walked past him.
Landen was waiting for me on the front porch; when he saw me coming, he walked toward me. The sun was setting, and the sky was a deep orange. Landen's silhouette was breathtaking; his broad shoulders gave way to his long, strong arms. My breath left me as he gathered me in his arms and kissed me. We'd only been apart for a few hours, yet the reunion seemed so much sweeter. I could not get over how the sight of him would make my heart pound.
"Did you bring peace?" I asked.
"Did you?"
"A little. Is Marc okay?"
"He's just mad at Livingston."
"He's not going after him, is he?"
"I made him promise to wait for us, and he said he would."
Landen's eyes were staring past me as he saw someone. Suddenly, I felt Libby's excitement and turned to see her standing on the hill between our homes, waving her little arms, trying wildly to get our attention. We smiled at each other and started walking toward her, sure that she was happy and at peace. Libby danced in place as she waited for us to get closer.
"Willow, hurry! Mom is going to call my name."
"What is it, baby?"
"Willow, you need a page."
"A page?"
"It's on a long table with red flowers."
"Where's the table?"
"You know, Willow."
Landen and I looked at each other quickly then back at Libby.
"Why do I need it?"
"Because it has words to make Hannah and Jessica all better."
"Libby, do we need the star, too?" Landen asked.
"I don't know. My friend said that you only needed the page."
"Who is your friend?" I asked. Libby shrugged her shoulders.
"Where did you see your friend?" Landen asked.
"I see him when I sleep."
"Libby, does he scare you?"
"No. He showed me the flowers. They're so pretty."
The front door to my mother's house opened, and she stepped out. "Libby, it's time to eat say goodnight to Willow." Libby drooped her little shoulders, then shuffled toward us and hugged us.
"Love you, Willow."
"Love you, too."
We walked slowly to our house. Not turning on any lights, we passed into the living room and settled into the couch, watching the last light fall into the horizon.
"Do you think the passage is still there, the one that leads to the altar?" I asked.
We both knew Libby was talking about the room where we'd found the girls, the one that the priests and Drake were in.
"I don't know why it wouldn't be."
"What do you think we should do?"
"I think that place was a temple, which means during the day it will be full of people."
"What about at night?"
"I don't know."
"Should we go?"
"I like the idea of finding a cure without having to get the star back," he muttered.
"Are we going to let him keep it?"
"I didn't say that. I just don't want to play games with Drake while those girls are clinging to life."
"Dad said when we run out of flowers, we have to take them back if we want them to live," my voice cracked as I reached for my chest, remembering the pain of the nightmares.
Landen closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "We should go tonight," he said after a moment.
"Awake or asleep?" I asked.
"Awake. I don't want our souls trapped there."
"We're going alone, aren't we?" I said under my breath.
Landen nodded. Neither of us wanted anyone there with us; we knew we'd be walking into the heart of Donalt's palace. We agreed to wait until the night so no one would know that we'd left.