Synergy (37 page)

“Freaking A.” Aden bit out.

“
This is tragic
.
” I mumbled
, gently movi
ng Landen’s
face from side to side. He looked so innocent, but at the same time he looked like a fearless warrior. The sight of him brought Silas to mind. I could see how they’d formed a friendship thousands of years ago; their energy was the same.

I heard a crash, then Aden said, “They’re here.”

I looked up to see Willow, Brady, Olivia, and Draven. Willow began to rush toward us, but Brady held her back.
“Take off your hoodies,” he demanded
.

I thought he was insane. This room was freezing, and it was growing colder by the second. Madison locked eyes with me, and that’s when it hit me: they were making sure we weren’t an illusion, and the tattoo was our
only
defense at this moment.

With shaking hands, I pulled my hoodie off, which left me wearing only a black tank top. Chill bumps covered every inch of me. I glanced at Aden, wondering how he was going to prove he was real. That was when I saw him and Draven locked in a stare, no doubt sharing what they’d been through. Pain, anger, and confusion were in Draven’s eyes.
Not good. Aden could have waited a minute or two. Considering all hell was about to break loose. Landen’s death would not be received well.
I didn’t even know the guy and I felt sick to my stomach.

Willow and Olivia took off their hoodies, too, showing their tattoos. Even if this were working now, showing them that we were all real, I doubted it would work again if we didn’t hurry up and get out of there. Bianca would manifest the tattoo on her image the next chance she got.

A marker appeared in Willow’s hand. She wrote
one
word ‘love’ under her ankh, then handed the marker to Olivia, who did the same. It was a brilliant idea. Escorts like Bianca couldn’t say
or be near
that word; it was poison to them. Olivia threw the marker at us, and both Madison and I wrote the word on our skin. I glanced at Madison. “Let’s make this the last image that comes to
life,” I said under my breath.
She had sketched this moment, too. I kept telling myself that the lifeless girl had already happened, but a sick feeling in my stomach told me I was lying to myself.

Brady and Draven carried Drake
’s body to where Landen’s was.
As soon as Willow knew we weren’t an illusion, she was on her knees next to Landen. She kissed his lips, getting no response; I could literally feel the frustration coming off her.
Greif. An emotion I prayed I would never live to feel.

“Why can’t I wake him?!” she yelled.

I couldn’t say it. None of us could. Dra
ven must have known Willow would not stop fighting. Not yet. “Britain said they were here,
but your victory was where yo
ur existence began,” Draven offered weakly
.

My eyes grew wide. If they’d faced
Britain
and were still standing, th
at could only mean Britain was either dead or in some
serious
pain right now.

“Britain?” Madison said with an echo of
agony,
as she stared at
Willow.

“I didn’t hurt him.
I keep my promises,” Willow replied still to distracted to think rationally
.

“So do I,” Madison said as her eyes fell to Drake’s
unresponsive
body.

“The observatory,” Olivia said. “That’s where my dream was.”

Olivia and Madison were both remorsefully staring at each other.
I knew they both agreed that their nightmare was about to begin.

“Create it,” Aden ordered
, knowing we couldn't.

Instantly, the broken room disappeared and we were on a stone floor. The room had an open ceiling, and a massive pool of water was in the center of it.

Willow rushed to the water and dipped her hands in it, then took the water to Landen. The second it reached his
skin
he took in a gasping
breathe
.
Holy crap. I guess she did know what she was doing. He wasn’t out of the woods yet. Not by a long shot.
How were we ever going to find the rest of his soul?

Madison and I followed her lead and man
aged to get a few handfuls of water
on Drake before we heard Olivia scream out in agony. I turned to see that the pool of water had frozen with Olivia’s hands still inside of it.

I don’t know how Willow did it, but she focused her eyes on the water, and a beaming ray of sun came through the ceiling, melting the ice around Olivia’s hands, releasing her. I r
an to her to see how damaged her hand
was, but before I could get to her, hundreds of images of us appeared in the room. Everywhere I looked, I saw Willow and Madison and Olivia’s image. Mine wasn’t multiplied as much, but it was still eerie to see yourself, to know that an image of you was now programmed to kill you.

I heard Willow yell out, “If any of you are real - say
the word. Whisper it, yell it,
but you better say something; otherwise, I can’t
promise that
you will not be hurt!”

I felt my stomach tying itself in knots. This was it: live or die, fight or run. I chose to live, to fight. I knew an easy target would be myself; I knew I wouldn't hurt anyone that way. I found the images of me and pushed the light, the music at them. Black smoke didn’t come from them; instead, they flashed a few times, then faded. I was starting to believe that I’d never really fought Bianca, only an illusion.

I was running out of images of me, and even though I could hear Bianca taunting Willow, I could
n
’t understand them clearly. The whispers had begun, and they were telling me to run. They were saying my name and Draven’s name over and over.

W
ater rushed over my feet. There had been eruptions of thunder and flashes of lightning, and now the sun had not only melted the water in this massive pool, it was causing it to boil over. I knew that those bodies were on the floor, and if this water got any deeper, if the others weren’t near them they would drown because there was no one to wake them.

I kept my focus on the images. I had a feeling that this shield thing that Clarissa had taught Aden was second nature to this family, that more than likely Willow was behind one. I started to look for the glow, and if an image didn’t have on
e, I sent light and music at it, hoping against all hope that it wasn’t Madison or Olivia.

I stopped abruptly. So did everything and everyone else. Someone had altered the illusion. They had to have, because
now all the images were faint.
Like they were background music or something. Silence. Warm. Inviting. Silence.
I was all alone. The others had vanished. Not good.

The stillness broke and something caused me to gaze up. Now, majestically flying through the open ceiling was
a
bird. Massive. Elegant. It was made of flames. Powerful
swaying
flames.

I watched its regal decent with absolute
awe
. I moved through the empty images of us so I could see where it was landing. One step forward and I
saw this imperial phoenix land perfectly on the very solid body of Landen. Angelically it fan
ned
its wings over him. No response came from Landen’s lifeless body. None at all
. I could almost swear that
flaming
phoenix
was grieving for him.

I kept glancing up wondering if one would come for Drake. If maybe this is what happens when royalty dies. If this is how the heavens bring them home.

The phoenix arched its wings above Landen. I could see e
very flaming detail of its majestic body
. Breathtaking.

All at once a wave of electricity rippled through the room, across both Landen and Drake.
Images of them soared past me diving into their bodies. It was their souls. Their souls were rushing back to them. How in
the hell were they doing that?!

The
phoenix fluttered
upwards as if it did not expect that force.
Good to know I was not the only one in shock.

Landen moaned, as did Drake.

The phoenix soared through the air squawking in obvious rejoice. After it cir
cled the room once it aimed its
body at Landen’s and fiercely flew into him. Literally. Flames rippled across Landen. Instantly absorbing into him.

Before I could rush to him to ensure that he was unharmed. Alive. The images around me became solid. It was like someone had hit the play button and the war had resumed.

A war I was going to win. 

I started to look for that glow around Willow. She had to survive this. Something godly had just brought Landen and Drake back from th
e veil of death. I would be damm
ed if they came back only to find her dead.

Finally.
I found Willow in this mass of illusions.

I put my hand on her shoulder, and she turned defensively. I held my arm up for her to see the world ‘love’ with the ankh, then yelled, “Show yourself!”

If we were going to play this game – we were going to play it my way.

I knew the shadows would protect me, that they’d protect Willow; they would do so because we were their salvation. I started to say the words “You are worthy” in Latin and every language I knew. I repeated moments of bliss that I caught glimpses of.

Madison appeared beside Willow and me, and she began to help me reach the shadows. As soon as I had their a
ttention, under my breath I seethed
, “End her...end Bianca.”

The images of us began to flicker, then vanished, revealing Drake and Landen’s bodies on the stone floor. Water was all around them. Olivia was the only one with Drake, and she was trying to give him mouth to mouth; I guess the water had gotten into his airway.

This Realm would not give up – would it? I was
not
going to die here. No one was. I set my intent to hunt Bianca. She was still alive and I could not leave here knowing that.

At that moment, Bianca appeared behind us
. Before I could attempt one more deathblow an epic force
of energy
came from Willow
and knocked
Bianca back
at least fifty feet. T
he shadows I’d called found their target and consumed the image of Bianca instantly. Silence came at that moment.

Coward. She wasn’t dead. I knew that much.

Chapter Seventeen

Brady and Draven were at Landen’s side, trying to wake him. They held his head out of the water and were splashin
g as much water
as they could over him to
help
stir
him. Aden had moved to Olivia. They were trying their best to mak
e sure there was no water in Drake’s
lungs.

Every sense I had was on high alert. I was waiting for my precious shadows to tell me where Bianca had fled. I wasn’t needed here. My purpose was to collect on the debt of misery Bianca had caused. And she was going to pay in
full
.

I could hear the others screaming directions at each other, still trying to get a response out Landen and Drake. I felt Draven’s stare and found his emerald green eyes peering at me from Landen’s side. He was worried about me. He knew I was about to flee and take matters into my own hands.

“Stay.” His perfect mouth shaped that one word. I almost said no but then I noticed how nervous Madison was. She was standing in the presence of Drake’s soul. I knew they would revive him, and she would have to look him in the eyes. Her dreams were coming to life in front of her. I couldn’t leave her, not yet.

Drake said something to Willow. He was coming back around. Which was good and bad. He was pulling from Willow. Taking in her essence. If he didn’t stop it would surely kill her.

Madison stepped forward and put her hand on Willow’s shoulder. “A promise is
a promise. Move. Wake Landen. W
ake the healer.”

Even in the state of chaos, Madison was still calm enough to bring Willow to her senses. I could only hope she
could handle the moment when Drake
did wake, the moment she looked him in the eyes for the first time.

Willow nodded once, then pushed back and turned her attention to Landen. I followed Madison’s lead and fell to my knees next to Drake. Aden locked eyes with me; we had no idea what we were doing. I put my hands around Drake’s wrist and thought of my light, my music, and let it hum against his skin; he furrowed his eyebrows as he felt it. Madison was watching his every move. Slowly, she placed her hands on his chest as her eyes cascaded over his addictive image.

A second later, a beaming light emerged from beneath her hands. It jolted Drake, and his back bowed up and his eyes flew open. He took in a deep, gasping breath, then locked eyes with Madison. At first I was sure he saw Willow in her image, but as his eyes focused, he sat up and I knew he saw Madison for the first time.
I could swear electricity snapped in the air.