Vindicate (41 page)

I knew something was wrong. It was dark. T
he sun was not out like it was in the vision. There weren’t nearly enough people on the stre et. That vision felt like morning. T
his felt like late night.

I told myself it hadn’t happened yet. W
e were going to stop i t; we were going to save them.

When I reached Landen, I found hi m in the center of the street. T
he street that was in the vision. There were no cars. N
o people. The coffee shop was closed.

I watched as his breathless body walked to the spot where we had seen their bodies in that vision. I moved my head from side to side as I fought the nausea.
I forc ed myself to look at the ground. T
o look for evide nce that it hadn’t happened yet …
but that’s not the evidence I found…
the street was marked – outlined with X’s. I could swear I could see the stains of blood – where someone had tried to wash it away.

I held my breath, and with all the force I could manage, I shoved my emotions deep down; I could not le t them out, not now, not here. T
here would be nothing left of this town if I did.

Landen was bracing himself on his knees, breathing in and out rapidly.

“We just saw them,” I said breath lessly as I reached his side.
I wanted to give him a calm emotion so he c ould think for the both of us. S
o we could understand, but I coul dn’t because I didn’t have it.
I didn’t know how I was going to tell Dane’s mom he was gone. H
er only son. I didn’t know how I was going to look into Aubrey’s eyes ever again. Why did they just sit there? Why did Monro e – even Preston, not tell us? W
hy did we have to almost beg them to show us?!

Then echoes came into my mind.
I remembered picking up Dane and Clarissa ’s charts from Perodine’s desk. H
er telling me that we must give our bodies back, but we never die.
I remembered Winston’s odd remark that Dane and Clarissa didn ’t know how to ‘rest in peace.’
I rememb ered how odd they were acting. H
ow upset they seemed to be.

All at onc e, a numbing calm came over me. It was near paralyzing. I t was a spiritual level that I had only tapped into a few times in my life. Landen felt it, too, and he stood up, looking at me with terrified eyes, wondering how I had the stre ngth to do that.
I moved my head from side to side telling him it wasn’t me. Then his fierce blue eyes moved behind me.

On an empty street corner, Silas was standing . S
taring at us. A wind picked up, and the newspape r stand next to him flew open. A paper literally flew into Landen’s hands, but Landen refused to break his stare with Silas.

I took the paper from his hands. It wasn’t a normal newspaper; it was one for tourists that come to this city to explore the supernatural. The image on the front was of the bus crash I’d seen. The title was “Black or White Magic – Who Knows.” I skimmed the article.
‘A tragic bus accident that occurred two days ago at 7 AM took the lives of a young couple…
I read on…
the mystery is not only who this couple was, but also where their bodie s went. A t least where most of their bodies went. An inside informant of ours stated that when they went to photograph the couple for identification the following day, all that remained was ash, but not nearly enough ash for a body to remain. Our questions, like always, remain unanswered.’

I heard Charlie in my mind.
I heard her tell me that Silas was undead. That he was not alive, but he was not dead; that he could appear and disappear. T
hat he spent his time in cities just like this.

“They’re undead,” I said as I reached for Landen’s arm. I remembered – I remembered everythin g Perodine said – Charlie said. W
hat I read in the paper that I just let fall to the ground .

Landen’s filled with rage , then he stepped toward Silas, but Silas vanished, taking his peace with him. In its wake, our grief – o u r horror - came back.

Landen screamed his name. Demanded that he show himself. T
hat he explain himself . H
e demanded that he was told where his sister was, but his questions went unanswered. I felt him falling apart. He was so furious . S
o scar ed. He didn’t know what to do. W
hat to say.

I reached for his arm and made him turn and face me. His eyes were so frantic – his body was stiff. I pulled him to me and reached my arms around his shoulders and let the love I had for him flow through me: confidence that we would be fine , t hat they were fine rush though my touch . T
hat though they may not be what we call human…
they were still our family…
we still loved them, and didn’t have to say goodbye, not now.

I felt his hesitance. H
e didn’t want to give in to that emotion. H
e didn’t want to believe that somehow his sister had stepped into a supernatural realm that he could not perceive.

I pulled his face to me. “Look at me.”

His eyes focused on mine. “They’re fine. They’re right here in a house that Austin travels to. Let’s go. You and me. L
et’s go figure this out.”

Landen’s hands moved to my face. “I remember,” he said as his eyes frantically moved across my face and his emotions soared in ev ery direction. “I remember now. I watched this before now. I watched it, Willow. S
he guarded me. S
he guarded me from Bianca. S
he saved me before you ever came.
I didn ’t understand how she was there.
I didn’t understand.”

“What else do you remember?”
I asked, reaching for his face, feeling how his skin was on fire, so hot that there was no denying the hum.
I felt his emot ions racing in every direction. I t was like that medicine my father had given him had opened doors in his mind. O
nes that I was not sure nee ded to be opened this quickly. Not after an emotional shock like this.

“Everything,” he said as he pulled me to him.

In his embrace I felt how intense his body was humming, and I didn’t understand why…
. why he felt so much like Drake.
What had that R
ealm awakened ? O
r worse – merged?

I looked up at him with frantic eyes. As I stepped back slightly, he pulled me back to him and kissed me passionately. I went to pull away when I felt the fire in his lips, but he held me tighter.
He didn’t care to speak about the changes that were clearly going on inside of him.

“
I love you, Willow.
”

With that thought, I closed my eyes and gave him the comfort of my embrace.

We’d figure this out, one way or the other; right now he just needed to know that I was right there, that I was real, and no one was going to divide us ever again.

Acknowledgments ....

I
am still eternally grateful for every soul that encouraged me to write/ publish my debut novel Insight.... thank you once again.

I also want to thank my husband, Lem, for listening to my random thoughts and ideas as each of these stories came to life, he is not only the love of my life but the man who keeps me sane on this insane adventure. I want thank my children who inspire me to become more than I am to d a y with a simple glance, and the echo of laughter and joy that surrounds me constantly.

I want to thank Jan Galloway for being the first Beta, for her valuable input and edits. Christi Alley, Sabrina Poe Wells, and Carrie McGehee for being the
best Betas an author could ask for.

Marek Purzycki has got to be the most patient, talented graphic artist I have every met, thank you for giving my series a face.

Most of all I want to thank every-single reader for sharing this adventure with me! I love you all and I am eternally grateful for your time and support :)!

About the Author

Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.

The fun Bio: I’m an obsessive daydreamer. Lover of loud alternative music. Addicted to Red Bull. I love to laugh until it hurts. Fall is my favorite seaso n. Black is my favorite ‘shade.’
Strong believer in the saying: there is a reason for everything, therefore I search for ‘marked moments’ every moment of everyday...and I find them. Life is beautiful!

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