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  Drake nodded once, still holding his expression of anger. Landen put his arm around my shoulder and led me into the next room. It was the servants’ quarters where we’d slept a few nights ago. The memory of the presence – the rattling door – sent a shock of terror through me.

  “Nothing’s here; not now,” he whispered.

  We sat on the edge of the bed, and I leaned forward on my knees, burying my hands in my face.

  “Tell me what happened,” he murmured, rubbing my back, fighting a mix of emotions that ranged from jealousy to rage.

  “I lost my temper. I was talking to Drake, and he was asking why I looked weak. I told him when I got home I’d be fine, then he leaned his forehead to mine and told me...that he envied you.” My voice trembled. “Then Dane walked up the stairs and made some sly comment like he’d caught me doing something wrong – and I just lost it.”

  I looked up at him and took in a deep breath. “I didn’t even have to think about it to see the energy, to tell it where to go. I barely nodded my head...can I be that dangerous?” I asked in a shaky voice.

  “You need to be,” he assured me as his jaw tightened and the shade of his eyes shifted to a deep blue.

  “Something else happened,” he said quietly, looking over me, clearly believing that I was hiding something from him. My father’s warning that we had to stop this silent act of pushing down emotions was echoing in my thoughts, but I didn’t want to tell him about Dane; not here, not with the emotions I felt coursing through him.

  “I don’t want to talk about it right now. I don’t understand it, and the one person who might isn’t speaking to me.”

  “Fine,” he said under his breath.

  “The word of the day,” I mumbled.

  I watched as a hungry desire consumed his frustrated expression. There was only one way to make either of us feel better right then.

  He leaned closer to me, then let his lips touch mine. I felt his energy send a swarming tingle through my body. I kissed him back, greedy to feel a deeper escape, hungry for his essence. I was too aggressive, though, and I managed to push him back on the bed. He rolled me over to my back and slowly ended that breathless embrace, then his lips glided across my jaw as warm chills spread across my skin. As his lips found the skin beneath my ear, he whispered,“That’s different,” in an alluring tone that made everything inside me melt at once.

  I blushed and turned my head. He reached to pull my lips back to him, stealing one more deep kiss.

  “Close your eyes,” he whispered, “think of a moment when I made you strong, a moment when we were one.”

  I did as he said and called back the last time I felt that way. A smile came to the corners of my lips, and I instantly felt stronger. Not as strong as I’d feel if it were really happening, but it was close - close enough that I found my second wind.

  Better, he thought quietly as his fingertips traced the base of my eye.

  I opened my eyes and smiled. “Better – but I could use some fresh memories,” I whispered as my eyes craved every part of him.

  “Agreed,” he whispered seductively, blushing slightly. “Listen, we just broke through the barricade, and the rings are standing. Let’s let Stella do her thing, then we’ll go home.”

  My eyes questioned him, knowing we weren’t supposed to talk about what we did with our rings there.

  “August told Alamos that he wanted to see the rubble, that he’d rebuild it with or without his help.” Landen stated, locking stares with me.

  “But you’re not gonna look,” I confirmed as if someone were listening to us.

  “No. Never,” he answered, holding my gaze and pulling me up.

  We walked back to the hallway to see Drake pacing and the others still froze. Drake’s eyes grew darker when he saw me. “Much better?” he said with a tone laced in envy as he glanced at Landen, who was sizing up what I’d done to Dane.

  I walked to the doorway and looked down the hall at Dane. I was still furious with him. I had to figure out how to get him out of this dimension.

  “I don’t want you to heal him...well, if it’s fatal, heal him – but if not, tell him he has to come home for you to do it; maybe the pain will knock some sense into him.”

  Landen looked over me curiously, trying to understand what had caused such a cold response from me.

  “Let it go, Drake,” Landen said firmly.

  Time began to move, and Dane screamed in agony.

  My father looked down the hallway at Dane and shook his head. “Make that six,” he said quietly, walking to Dane, unable to hold back the doctor he was anymore.

  Perodine walked to my side and carefully looked me over. “What happened?” she asked, reaching to touch my arm.

  “A reflex,” I mumbled.

  “I like it – a lot,” Drake said, laughing under his breath.

  Perodine looked up at him. “Do you want to be next? Don’t push her,” she said protectively. She then looked to my side at Landen. “You weren’t here a second ago...one of you froze time, didn’t you?”

  “I did,” Drake admitted flatly.

  Perodine’s eyes filled with concern. “Did Alamos tell you what he thought about the perception of time now?” she asked him.

  He nodded. “Yet I don’t regret a single moment I froze,” he said firmly.

  Dane had stopped screaming and was focusing on me with Landen and Drake at my side. I felt him trying to pull his strength together to defend himself; if he needed to.

  “Jason, do you need me?” Landen asked.

  “Four broken ribs and two fresh fractures,” my father said, looking back at me.

  I felt pride coming from him. I took in a deep breath, fearing my insights for the first time; I wasn’t even trying, and I thrust a boy three times my size across the room...what would happen if I ever really lost control?

  “Fresh?” Drake repeated, looking down at me.

  I shrugged my shoulders and nervously glanced at Landen, wanting to go home as soon as possible; I wanted to end this day.

  “I tell you what, Dane,” Landen said, glaring down at him, “I’m gonna tell the others goodbye, then go home. You know where I live; it’s on the way to your house.”

  Dane moved his head from side to side, knowing I’d told Landen to say that.

  “Sounds fair to me,” I said shortly, turning to find my way to the looking glass. I thought it was on that floor, but I wasn’t sure.

  Landen looped his fingers through mine, and I felt Perodine following us. I looked back to see where Drake was; he was right behind me at her side.

  The unbearable tension of standing in the presence of both Drake and Landen dominated my every thought.

  Chapter Seven

  I could feel concern and pride coming from Perodine. I assumed the concern was coming from the comment she’d made about Drake suspending time.

  “What did Alamos say about time?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder.

  Her emerald green eyes angled in Drake’s direction. I slowed my pace so they could walk next to us. Drake showed no concern in his magnetic dark gaze. “It’s altered the perception of time for this dimension. I kept it frozen for over twelve hours when I was looking for you inside of Evelyn. That time, the little moments here and there when we moved the wall, they’ve multiplied - and now the people here think we’re weeks ahead of where we are. They’re preparing for the winter solstice; that’s the reason for the mass number of underground meetings: they feel like they’re running out of time, and they’re trying to prepare. It’s normal, considering the circumstances,” Drake explained as he dared to meet Landen’s mistrusting eyes.

  “What circumstances are those?” Landen asked, pulling me closer to his side.

  Drake’s jaw tightened as the tension around us built. “Only a few are aware about the shift in power, that my time to rule is approaching, and those who know are determined to ensure that all aspects are in place, that the world won’t be altered as the power shifts.” />
  “All aspects in place,” Landen repeated as his body tensed next to mine. “And are you planning to aid them, to attempt to alter a course that Willow has already decided?”

  Drake stopped abruptly. So did Landen, and they stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. “Do you want to rule my kingdom? Is that the fate Willow has altered with her blind heart?” Drake seethed.

  Landen released my hand and stepped closer to Drake, his eyes turning cold as they prepared to counter any move Drake made. “I’m not ruling any kingdom,” Landen fumed, “and if you are, if you plan to stand in my way as I set these people free – then tell me now, and this alliance will end immediately.”

  Drake smiled slightly, holding the confidence of a king in his calm expression. “As long as she breathes, we’re forced into this alliance. This kingdom will be redeemed, as I promised her, but it will take time; you can’t undo millions of years of darkness in the blink of eye. If you’re too small minded to see that, then leave Willow here, and we’ll end this like we planned to long before this life.”

  On instinct, Landen pushed his energy forward at the same time Drake did; the force knocked me back a few feet. My heart was beating out of control, and I couldn’t breathe. Before I could think to separate them, to stand between them, Perodine raised her hand, and their bodies were flung against opposite walls, causing paintings to crash to the floor. Rage was coursing through Landen as he and Drake stayed locked in a glare.

  “Enough!” Perodine said in a tone that reflected the Queen that she was, the power she had. “The only progress we’ve made in helping the citizens of this world has been when the two of you worked together.” She held them in place against opposite walls as she slowly walked between them. “You overcame what was meant to kill you by showing maturity, by acting like the kings you are in your soul – and I will not stand here and watch the two of you torment Willow with your cruel words or your childish tug of war.” She looked at Landen. “He’s right: it will take time, and he has to play his role, his every move, carefully.” She turned her attention to Drake. “He’s right: he will set this dimension free as he vowed to do four million years ago – and like it or not, he holds her heart. You have pushed every button he has for the past three months - and if you push it one more time, he will kill you without a thought; that rage is just under the surface. I don’t care where he was raised or what philosophy August pushed into his mind over and over again; he is a man, and you are threatening the one thing he can’t live without - literally.”

  All she seemed to do was infuriate Drake more, which continued to antagonize Landen.

  “We have one goal: to redeem this world. To redeem it, the three of you must survive every trial. Both of you made a promise to her,” she said as her eyes moved between them. “At one point in time, you had the goal to free these people, so decide right now if you’re going to break her heart and not honor your promise. Decide if you’re too much of a coward to face the adversity that’s necessary for the course of change.”

  As I felt them both turn their attention to me, I held back the exhausted tears that wanted to fall. “I need the both of you right now. I’m sorry; it hurts me just as much as it hurts you - maybe more.”

  My honest emotion of grief and regret caused Landen to loosen his glare. He nodded once at Perodine, and she released him. He then pulled me to his chest and held me tightly. I’ll never break a promise to you, he thought.

  Perodine released Drake, and he walked to our side. After a moment, he held out his hand. Landen took it, and the promise of peace, to form an alliance, was in place again.

  Perodine circled the three of us. “It would take me a year to tell you what I think what may or may not happen in this trial and every trial beyond it, but I will tell you this: there is no way out of this without an alliance.” She then locked eyes with Landen.

  He loosened his grip on me. She wants to talk to me and Drake alone, he thought.

  I glanced at Perodine, feeling the same intent, along with the intent to ensure that we’d all survive. I assumed she thought they would focus more on what she said without me standing with them. I nodded to the both of them and let go of Landen, then walked ahead, letting her have her time to say whatever she needed to; I needed all the help I could get with the two of them.

  I gazed at the artwork along the walls as I moved forward. I felt Landen’s emotions shifting in every direction, dread dominating them all. I glanced over my shoulder to see the three of them four doorways behind me. I couldn’t clearly hear what they were saying, but I made out the word ‘solstice’ a few times. I halted, not wanting to go any further without them; a few moments later, they began to walk, still talking quietly amongst themselves. I felt Landen’s intent to work with Drake; whatever Perodine had said had given him reason to believe that he had to, for my sake. I was curious to know what she could have said in just a few minutes to cause such an obvious change in attitude in the both of them.

  When they reached me, their conversations stopped. “What does a solstice have to do with this?” I asked, looking at Perodine.

  “Well,” Perodine said as her emotions shifted from anywhere to disgust to dread, “it is believed here that a bond created at the moment of the solstice will last an eternity. That was the moment I confessed my love to Alamos; then a year later, on the same day, I was joined with Donalt.”

  “They’re preparing for a bond? Plotting to control the moment?” I concluded, not understanding why she couldn't tell me that in front of Landen and Drake, why she chose to explain it to them alone first. My gut told me that there was more to what she said and that whatever it was, I may not like it.

  Drake nodded. “Nothing to worry about. Even if they plan something, place us together – if we mocked the words, it would not be at the right moment. If anything freezing time has protected you, that’s why I don’t regret it.”

  I felt a pride and gratitude rise in Landen as he looked at Drake. My eyes grew wide with astonishment as I felt that dramatic shift inside of him.

  “We can’t mock anything for the devil,” I said under my breath, judging the three of them with every insight I had.

  Perodine nodded. “So we have to be careful, because if what August and I understand about the order of your trials – if this, Earth, is a precursor for Mars – then the false moment of the solstice will be a challenge because the people here, the ones underground, will cause it to be. But whatever they come up with will not compare with what Mars will bring as it crosses the true soloist.”

  “Would it be easier to tell them they’re wrong? So we only have to go through one thing? Earth isn’t working out too well for me right now,” I said bleakly, feeling my anxiety twist my stomach.

  Landen reached his arm around me to offer some comfort. He managed to give me some calm, but he was just as upset with the day I had as I was – and he didn’t even know all of it.

  “We’re in debate,” Drake said, looking down at me as we began to move forward again. “Alamos is the one who predicts the moment. His staff, the court, has established it for the world, and he has yet to rebut their assumptions because he believes if we let them act out whatever they’re planning, we’ll be able to see the traders, that finding them will keep me alive longer.”

  A sick feeling rose in the back of my throat. I was sure that what Perodine had conveyed to them in private was that one death meant the death of the three of us.

  I don’t know how Drake closed his eyes at night, knowing that at any moment someone could come into his chambers and take his life. I could only hope he knew what he was doing and wasn’t on some suicide mission to prove his devotion. The desire to find the one that could love him grew in me; it was a solid intent to make that my first priority. Landen tightened his arm around me as he felt it; every time I had that idea, he fought with both acceptance and jealousy; acceptance that there very well may be a girl out there that looked like me, that’s lived before and will fight with
us today, and jealousy that my thoughts were on Drake’s heart.

  We’d reached the chamber with the bookcase that led to the looking glass. As I stepped in, flashes of Donalt in his wheelchair challenging Landen came to me. I remembered seeing his body fall to ash, then escape into the fireplace. He seemed so easy to defeat in that state. Now he was a lingering demon; we didn’t do anything but set him free from that body. No one had made a change to this room. It was dark, cold, and held the idea of the once fierce leader. The wheelchair was still sitting in front of the fireplace; it was as if they were too scared to touch anything that was his.

  I looked away and kept my focus on where we were going. The bookcase was pushed open on its hinges, and books were scattered on the floor.

  “Doesn’t look like you had too much trouble with that,” Drake muttered, looking at Landen.

  A smirk came across Landen’s face.

  I stepped carefully around the books and followed Landen down the dark corridor. I could hear the hum of the rings and see a faint light at the end of the hall.

  “Are the storms coming back?” I asked, knowing these rings had made travel impossible at times.

  “It isn’t moving at half the speed it was before,” Landen answered quietly.

  My mind was cruel to me as we walked forward. I saw that girl, the one who trapped Landen, and anger coursed through every part of me.

  I looked at Drake. “That girl...where did you get her from?” I asked, trying to hide the jealousy in my tone.

  “I didn’t. She appeared,” he answered stiffly.

  I glanced at Landen to judge if he felt that Drake was telling the truth, and he nodded once as if to confirm.

  “Did she look like me to you?” I asked, looking back at Drake.

  He stopped, causing us all to halt in the eerie passage. “I didn’t call her here, and I don’t know how Donalt did. I didn’t focus on her; I was distracted – and like I said before, it wouldn’t matter.”