Synergy (30 page)

I saw him step into that room. I saw the bodies of Landen and Drake lying side by side in a large bed. I watched as Aden looked into them; they were deep. They weren’t asleep inside of a nightmare; they were asleep inside of a nightmare’s nightmare. They were growing weaker, but Draven seemed to know how to pull them out. He asked everyone to leave the room so he could talk to Willow alone. I asked “Why?” in my mind, then I saw what Draven had shown Aden before he left the room.

Apparently, even though Willow’s soul loved Landen, the three of them had shared energy with each other. Draven knew that if Willow gave them energy, it would pull them closer to us, at least out of one layer. I didn’t understand how that worked, or how the rest of this family seemed oblivious to fact that the three of them shared that bond.

From my perspective, it looked like they just touched each other. There had to be more to it, though; something I couldn't see or feel that they went through. I was intrigued by this ‘energy and aura’ thing this family had. It was like they had supernatural powers, but at the same time they were completely natural, almost like they were more awake or aware than us - which made me believe that w
e could teach them how to see an
d that they could teach us how they did what they did.

It seemed like Draven had whatever was going on down the hall under control. Aden and Brady had stopped in the room our stuff was in, had a few words with Winston, then Aden found his way here.

I nodded to Aden, telling him I understood where we were, then I showed him what had happened to me so far, where I was with my current conversation.

He looked at Madison to ensure that she’d seen what he knew about Perodine now. Aden had looked deep into the great witch. She was just as old as everyone had implied, and she seemed well versed in astrology and the history of this world. I didn’t see her as a threat - well, as least not as big of one. She was seeking Madison for Willow, simply to fill
a
void she had, to show Willow that there was someone that looked like her, that had shared lives with them before.

But that Great Witch - or whatever she was - knew just like we did that you can’t force fate, put two people in a room and expect them to fall in love based on an outward image. The only reason I’d see this Perodine woman as a threat now was that Willow was her daughter and she’d do anything for her; I was certain she had the power to stop anyone from really hurting her.

“Why was she looking for me then? You still have blind spots,” Madison said.

“Ask her,” Aden said, coming to sit at my side.

“No, thank you,” Madison said, moving to the edge of the couch, allowing Aden to sit between us.

August and Olivia had watched our instant communication with utter awe. August looked between me and Aden. “Do you two speak without words? Does your love - the bond of soul mates create that?”

Aden and I both blushed, and the dimples that set him apart from Draven showed themselves for an instant. “I’m Aden. Charlie is Draven’s girl; always has been,” he said, glancing at me. “We’re twins. We don’t hear each
other’s thoughts; we see them. W
ell, kind of; we see what we allow each other to.”

“Twin Taurus, with the gift
of music, I assume,” August mused
, then glanced at Madison, “yet you’re here as well.”

“Excuse me?” Madison said bleakly.

Olivia reached to squeeze August’s leg as if to warn him to exercise caution, but I doubted he needed that warning. August was taking all of this in too easily, like he already knew more about us than we’d explained.

“I’m sorry. Sometimes my wandering thoughts slip out. You see, we have this scroll.
Willow and Landen left it with us
in
a previous life, and it maps out what is to occur now, at least in part. The trials are never really clear.”

“Trials?” Aden asked as he gazed at August to find the answers he was seeking.

August nodded once. “We’ve all returned to our beginning, but the darkness we fight will not make the change we seek easy. Willow holds a power in her heart, and it was believed her heart would be tested at least ten times, ten trials based upon the influences of the planets above, but it’s becoming more and more clear that the test of her heart i
sn’t what today is all about. T
his is a power struggle; the ghost of Donalt is looking for power, for a host, and he wants nothing more than for Drake to be that host.”

My eyes angled at Madison, who was leaning forward on her legs, her face buried in her hands, refusing to even try to understand any of this.

“I know this is a lot,” Olivia said to us.

I’m sure it would be a lot to anyone who had no warning of this day, but the woman Willow was in Egypt when I first met her knew it was coming. She was assembling a family of souls, and it made perfect sense to me that Taurus twins and a Libra would be on that scroll. What didn’t make sense was how they didn’t know for sure that Madison existed, or about Monroe, that they didn’t see her coming.

“Well versed in the family of souls,” Aden muttered, reaching for my hand.

“What is that again? You’ve mentioned it twice,” Olivia asked.

“I’m interested,” I heard another voice say. I glanced over my shoulder to see the older woman, Perodine. Her hair was silver and pulled into a low ponytail, and her eyes reminded me of Willow and Madison’s, they were so green. She didn’t look four million years old; sixty at best, and even at that age she looked good.

Madison stood abruptly, and we followed her. Perodine smiled at her, but Madison didn’t lose her tense composure as she stared deep into Perodine. “Why?” Madison whispered.

Perodine moved closer to her. “I knew you would be here, with or without my warning; I just wanted to prepare you. I didn’t want you to fear coming here.”

“Well, you failed,” Madison said, swallowing. “I’m not her.”

“Only you would know that,” Perodine said calmly. “Truth be told, I was seeking Charlie, and I found you next to her. It was a gift, something I should have seen coming.”

“Did you see me walk out this door, down that hall to end this, then go home? Because that’s what’s happening now,” Madison said as she walked past her to the doorway.

I rushed to follow her, but Perodine stood in
front of me. “Let her see it.
I need you to tell me about the family of souls, about your undead Witness,” she said quietly.

Chapter Thirteen

My heart started to beat wildly. I wanted to chase Madison, but at the same time I knew she needed to see what was down the hall. I knew that when she saw it, she
might
crumble, but only for an instant. She would find a way to help us all through this. These people were blind to what they were fighting; they were doting on Willow and missing the big picture. Madison could set Willow straight faster than I could.

“She’s not ready for this,” I said, swallowing my fear.

“I know,” Perodine said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “And the faster she faces this, the better. It’s starting to distract her, and we need her to focus; all of you, too.”

“How do you know that? Can you see?” I asked.

“No, but I’m a woman, one that has tried more than once to hide my heart away.”

I nodded once and looked back at Aden. He seemed content to let Madison walk down that hall. We both knew Draven was in there, that he could help her if she really fell apart.

“Sit,” Perodine said, gesturing for us to take our place on the couch again. She went to the bookcase on the back wall and retrieved a chalice and an old book, then took a seat on the table before us.

“Are you sure you aren’t a Witch?” I asked, looking at the ancient chalice she set by her side. It was silver and had several inscriptions on it, ones that I couldn't read.

“Not a witch. I just read a lot,” Perodine promised. She glanced at Olivia. “Travelers are gathering to take the child to Chara. Would you go to her, tell her about Chara, prepare her so she isn’t afraid?”

“You don’t have to prepare Monroe for anything,” I promised. Perodine looked right at me, and when I saw her, I saw Silas. I knew she was trying to get Olivia out of the room for a reason that I couldn’t comprehend.

“But I’m sure she would rather talk to you than her brothers,” I said, trying to correct myself.

Olivia furrowed her eyebrows as she stood, then nodded at August and left.

“There are more of us?” Aden asked, looking at August. “You have met people who can help the damned in your life?”

“I have,” August said, smiling slightly. He seemed just as confused as Olivia as to why Perodine had asked her to leave.

“You’re very rare today, descendants of a very wise generation.”

“Where is that generation now?” Aden asked, mystified.

“Around, but they do not see now. The later generations had less i
nterest in how we all connect. L
ittle interest in immortality.”

Immortality? What?
“What would that have to do with seeing?” I asked.

August looked at Perodine, then to us. “I gather that each of you are blunt and don’t need a drawn out explanation, so I’ll be frank. Karma is law. When you give, you receive. People who see the way you do and choose to help, to counsel, they give their energy, and that energy, which is the core of life, is returned to them abundantly. They live on and on, holding the youthful image they choose. Your ancestors grew to believe that they were blurring the generations,
crossing natural boundaries. T
hey felt that by not dying, they were hindering the illumination that they’d receive across several lives. They chose a select group to continue to help, and the others stopped - and with that, instant age came. Over time, the select few grieved for the family that had passed on, and sooner or later less an
d less seers chose that path.
I assure you that you’re rare; most people who come by your grifts naturally abandon them out of fear.”

Aden and I looked at each other with eyes full of wonder and confusion. Aden broke my stare and locked eyes with August. “Are you saying we can’t die because we helped?”

“Of natural causes, yes, but a weapon can end you. I want to assure you that we can teach you how to protect yourself. Jason, Willow’s father, is a gifted doctor, and you may or may not know this, but Landen is a healer; he’s healed many fatal wounds. Your youth will remain as long as you charge this fate, and we will protect you in any way we can.”

“You believe we’re the ancestors of the people you’re speaking about?” I asked.

August nodded. “Old souls find their way back. For all I know, you’re some of the originals
reborn. W
hat intrigues me is that you all fell.”

Aden looked at me like he was missing something.

“I fell, and Draven fell; I know that with certainty. Madison was told that she fell. I don’t know if Aden or the others fell or not.”

“How do you know for certain?” Perodine asked,
slanting
her head as she looked between me and Aden.

I looked confidently
in her eyes. “Willow told me. A
t least sh
e told me that if I wasn’t Julia
, when we met again
,
that meant I’d fallen.”

“How does one fall?” Perodine asked in a tone that told me she already knew.

“Love,” I whispered as Draven instantly came to mind.

August and Perodine’s eyes were looking between me and Aden like they were trying to see some kind of bond or something. Aden must have noticed it, too, because he said, “I’m Aden, not Draven; she’s not talking about me. As far as I know, I never fell - or whatever you guys are talking about.”

Perodine raised one eyebrow. “I w
ouldn't be so sure about that.
I have a feeling the two of you have known each other for a while.”

“Yeah, like our entire life,” Aden said as he instantly became defensive. He moved closer to me in an effort to block their confusing words.

“Existence,” Perodine corrected.

“What are you saying?” I asked as I glanced from Aden to them. It was like they could see or knew something that we were oblivious to.

“More than I have time to explain now,” Perodine answered quietly.

As his eyes grew more curious, August said, “Undead Witnesses can love. They’re known for how fierce that emotion is within them. Some even say that if they didn’t love that they would perish; it gives them the power they have. I’m intrigued simply because to fall once would be an expression of massive power; more than once...well, that would be a display that has never been openly recorded.”

I felt my face flush. Did he just tell me that if Silas didn’t love me that he would die? He would be powerless? Who fell more than once? What were they talking about?

My fearful reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Aden, who looked at me, then to August.

“What happens when they figure out they’re no longer loved?”

August looked between me and Aden. “Well, I don’t know, or I don’t remember clearly enough to tell you with certainty. I have books on your kind at my home.”