be a barrier between them. Dane couldn’t touch Phoenix, but he was no longer forced to stay in one place as I was.
Phoenix let out a laugh. “That was quick. I thought you had at least another minute or two. I asked you a question. What do you want?”
“You need to leave. We don’t need you,” Dane seethed through a locked jaw.
“I keep hearing that. But I was called here. Wasn’t sure why until now. She’s not yours.”
“I’m very aware of that,” Dane said, keeping his pace with the circle Phoenix was making.
“We are just going to wait for those firecrackers in your soul’s mind to finish going off. Then we’ll know what si de you’re on this time around, mate.”
“This time around.” Dane smirked.
“Right. Last time I saw you, I laid you six feet under. Of course, the popular poll at the time was that you were possessed. Not really sure I agreed with that.”
“He was!” I yelled.
Phoenix’s gaze moved to me, even though his stance was completely focused on Dane.
“You were there. You agreed then, too.”
“I was where?”
“Listen here, I’m not really sure how Skylynn pieced all of us together. Clever, I agree, but, I would assume she wanted one of two things: for me to put him back in his grave, or for me to take you to where you belong.”
“I belong right here. Let us go!” I screamed.
The rage in me was strong enough to cause the wind to blow out the window behind the desk and let me step forward, breaking free from the hold of his energy.
“Run!” Dane yelled, telling me to leave him, but I couldn’t. I charged toward him, wanting to pull him free, but my feet left the floor, and before I knew it I was on the ceiling pinned in place, watching Dane and Phoenix throw each other across the room. No matter what I did, what I thought, I had no control. I would have thought all of my insights were impaired if it wasn’t for the raging storm outside. The wind charging in from the broken window caused papers from the desk to swirl. Before long, I couldn’t even see them fighting anymore.
Then out of nowhere, a numbing calm spread across my body and a sigh escaped my lips as the weather ceased its assault on the atmosphere. As the papers fell, my heart leaped. Landen was back.
He was standing at the threshold, peering into the room at both Phoenix and Dane.
I’d never seen that look in his crystal blue eyes before. It was daring, near reckless.
“Brother,” Phoenix said with a sigh.
Landen did not falter his stare. Instead, he gently nodded his head, and my body was pulled across the ceiling to above where he was standing.
Without warning I began to fall, but he caught me before I could bother to fear that. In his arms I felt the blissful, numbing sensation that before this day had never belonged to him. Gently, he set my feet down on the ground, never looking at me, then urged me behind him with one brush of his hand.
“Who pinned her on the ceiling?” Landen asked, as if he were the judge and jury at that moment.
Though both Phoenix and Dane had acted fearless until this point, now they looked terrified.
“I was trying to get her away from him so I could bring her to you,” Phoenix answered, holding Landen’s stare with utter awe.
“To me,” Landen seethed, stepping forward.
“Right. As soon as I saw her energy, that medallion, I knew who she must be, that you had to be close.”
“Dane,” Landen said solemnly, “where are you at now?”
“Weak,” Dane answered.
“Go to The Realm. Clarissa is waiting on you.”
“You’re letting him go? ” Phoenix roared.
“Are you going to stop me?” was Landen’s flat response.
“Brother, listen to me. I don’t know where he’s at. He was raised. That is good and all, but he could fall fast and in the wrong direction. He cannot be left unguarded.”
“He will be well guarded,” Landen stated flatly.
“Wait what’s going on?” I stammered. No one bothered to answer.
“Fine,” Phoenix