Vital: Web of Hearts and Souls #6 (Insight series Book 4)

By Jamie Magee

Willow’s journey continues in VITAL, the fourth book in the INSIGHT series. A crumbling family life, a circle of suddenly inconsiderate friends, guilt, and shock each threatened to destroy Willow long before her true enemy surfaces.
Special note to the reader: This Novel is part of the “Web of Hearts and Souls,” a massive story where more than one series connect. The series can be read separately or together.

COMBINED WEB OF HEARTS AND SOULS READING ORDER: Insight, Embody, Image, Whispers of the Damned, Witness, Vital, Vindicate, Synergy, Enflame, Redefined, Rivulet, Imperial, Blakeshire, Derive, Emanate, Exaltation, Disavow, The Witches, Revolt, Scorched Souls.
*If you are a fan of Adult Paranormal Edge (Season 1&2) can be read with the Web of Hearts, before of after Exaltation--the stories share the same characters. Season 3 can be read after Scorched Souls

INSIGHT READING ORDER: Insight, Embody, Image, Vital, Vindicate, Enflame, Rivulet, Imperial, Blakeshire (Drake's Story), Emanate, Exaltation, Disavow.

SEE READING ORDER: Whispers of the Damned, Witness of a Broken Heart, Synergy of Souls, Redefined Love Affair, Derive (Aden's Beginning), A Lovers Revolt, Scorched Souls.

EDGE SERIES READING ORDER Alphas Rise, Dark Lure, Sacred Betrayal, Risen Lovers, Fall of Kings, Queens Rise, Stolen Son, Disloyal Souls, Aftermath.

We all fell hard for Twilight. We lost ourselves in the teen angst of Vampire Diaries, Fallen, and Hush, Hush. We found courage in the pages of Hunger Games, Divergent, and the Maze Runner. Our imagination was on fire inside of Mortal Instruments, Throne of Glass, and The Red Queen. We fell back into our childhoods with the likes of Cinder. And now we have the compelling, enigmatic, character driven thrill ride of the long reaching contemporary fantasy series INSIGHT.

Fans of contemporary and paranormal fantasy you cannot go wrong! Looking for ghosts? Angels? Demons & Devils? Witches? Gods? How about action and adventure wrapped around the romance of soul mates? Do you like to dive into the mystics? Science Fiction elements found in our own realm? Past lives or the zodiac? Ancient and modern civilizations? Spirituality? A setting that is contemporary, urban, and otherworldly? How do you feel about psychics? What about gothic elements? All of this and so much more is wrapped in this long reaching teen series. Insight is the foundation for not only its self titled series but also as a thread in the Web of Hearts and Souls Series, where several series intertwine to offer a mind-bending experience for the reader. If you're looking for originality and one hell of a deal this series is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jamie Magee
• Release date: Jan 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301828180

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Copyright © 20o9 Jamie Magee

All Rights Reserved

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.

Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book. This purchase allows you one legal copy for your own personal reading enjoyment on your personal computer or device. You do not have the right to resell, distribute, print or transfer this book, in whole or in part, to anyone, in any format, via methods either currently known or yet to be invented, or upload this book to a file sharing program. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

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EDGE SERIES READING ORDER

Alphas Rise

Dark Lure

Sacred Betrayal 

Risen Lovers

Fall of Kings

Queens Rise

COMBINED WEB OF HEARTS AND SOULS READING ORDER:

Insight

Embody

Image

Whispers of the Damned

Witness

Vital

Vindicate

Synergy

Enflame

Redefined

Rivulet

Imperial

Blakeshire

Derive

Emanate

Exaltation*

Disavow

The Witches

Revolt

Scorched Souls

*If you are a fan of Adult Paranormal Edge can be read with the Web of Hearts, before of after Exaltation--the stories share the same characters.

INSIGHT READING ORDER:

Insight

Embody

Image

Vital

Vindicate

Enflame

Rivulet

Imperial

Blakeshire (Drake's Story)

Emanate

Exaltation

Disavow

SEE READING ORDER:

Whispers of the Damned 

Witness of a Broken Heart

Synergy of Souls

Redefined Love Affair 

Derive (Aden's Beginning)

A Lovers Revolt 

Scorched Souls

CONTEMPORARY NOVELS

Deploy

Disengaged

Impulsion

Friction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

In a controversy, the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for truth and have begun striving for ourselves. ~ Abraham J. Heschel

For my soul mate, Lem, who taught me that love is every emotion wrapped in one…

Chapter One

We’re gonna beat this...come on, nice and easy...

His dark hair was hiding his gently closed eyes. I winced when I saw his jawline tense.

Damn

My gaze moved across his bare chest, settling on where I could watch his breaths, feel his heart thump louder, faster. His body tensed in raged defense a beat before he exploded from his dream world.

Landen’s haunted blue eyes took inventory of where he was, what had happened already, and the devils waiting to strike us again. He glanced to his side at me, then let his legs fall to the side of the bed and leaned forward on his knees. I pulled myself up and crawled to him, carefully laying my face against his back as I wrapped my arms around his lean waist.

I was almost sure you wouldn’t wake like that this time, I whispered.

He reached for my hands and held them tight as he let out slow, deliberate breaths.

Tell me what happens, I said just before planting a tender kiss on his warm skin.

Nothing, he answered as his eyes blankly stared forward.

When he said things like this I was positive my insights were failing me. I didn’t believe him even though his one word screamed the truth when my insight judged its value.

Breaking my hold on him, he stood and walked to the balcony doorway. He opened it to let the cool early morning air in, then reached his arms to the top of the frame and tilted his head slightly forward, as he tried to wake up and focus.

If you don’t see anything, if it’s not a nightmare, then how come you wake up like that? I asked as I moved my legs to the side of the bed.

It’s…it’s just a feeling, he said absently. He was lost in this feeling, my voice was only a echo he was answering to keep my worries at bay.

I know how it feels, Landen…I feel every dark emotion from grief to agony just as you wake…those feelings don’t come without a reason, I said quietly as I caught myself gazing at how perfect the morning sun was reflecting in his eyes.

I don’t know, baby. One minute we’re dreaming together…then…then when we decide to wake up, there’s this void, something stopping me from waking up. I feel dark, misguided…heartbroken, and I have no idea why. Then it feels cold, dense, and when I decide to push through that feeling, tell myself I have no reason to feel that way, a thousand fears flash before my eyes—then I wake.

What fears? I asked, swearing I felt him push the emotion of envy down.

That’s not mine, he said, glancing at me. I don’t feel envy, at least not that deeply. I don’t know where those emotions are coming from.

I swallowed nervously as my heart began to beat faster. I don’t ever want you to feel that way. Nothing is ever going to tear us apart.

I know, he said as he smiled slightly and his dimples dared to show themselves. I knew this expression; it was the one he gave me when he wanted to calm my unbalanced emotions, the look he gave me when he didn’t know what to do or say next. It’s stress or something. Don’t worry about it, OK? he said as stood up straighter and walked to me. You look tired, too. Maybe we should stay here today.

If there is even one we need to be there, I said as I analyzed every emotion he had.

In the past seven days, Drake has pushed close to three thousand souls into the string—into the safety of my arms. Last night when he met Landen and me in the string, he told us not to expect many today. In the eyes of his people, he had executed thousands for simply believing that I was real. He thought this act was causing my followers to grow silent—to move underground.

Do you think you’re having this nightmare thing because we have to find a new way to save them?

No. We’ll find a way. I’m fine, he said as he leaned down, his lips glided across mine, teasing me before he framed my bottom lip with his. I reached up and pushed my hands through his dark hair as I opened my mouth and invited him in, our kiss deepened as he leaned me back across the bed. I cradled him with my body. I was ready to be lost in this moment until I sensed his dark emotions ricocheting in his soul. I didn’t hear truth in his last words.

His lips were on my neck at that moment, a sensation that would have ignited me beyond reason, but I was still and he noticed. Slowly he raised his eyes so they met mine.

I felt the lie in those words.

His head fell to my chest. We’ll find a way, he promised.

Not in that part. In the ‘I’m fine’ part. I said as my hands swayed across his back.

You heard a lie because I don’t know what fine is anymore. We’re together, he said as he glanced to the scar on my chest, alive and well, so…I’m fine.

Before I could say anything, including apologizing again for pushing that blade of diamonds in my chest in front of him, he cleared his throat and said, I’m going to take a quick shower.

I pulled the covers over my shoulder and rolled to my side to stare out at the balcony. Through the doorway a white butterfly drifted into my room along the path of the sun. I watched as it danced above me. I gently reached my hand up, and without hesitation it landed on my warm skin. I pulled my hand gently to me and studied the details of this beautiful creature.

I could hear the water in the bathroom beating down on Landen’s body, and I could feel his emotions as they weighed the day before us. We would have to find a new way save the people on the dark side of Esterious, and we still had no idea what our next trial may hold. Not to mention we hadn’t seen Dane or Clarissa since before we moved the wall. We never talked about it, but I knew we both thought that we’d burned a bridge within our family. It was something that’s never happened before, and it reflected our deepest fear: that our family would become our ultimate sacrifice.

Today, after Drake’s mock execution, we were all to meet in Perodine’s study to discuss the coming trial of Mars. The one trial everyone feared the most. They fear it for what it’s known for influencing: war. I’m sure it would be wise for me to fear it too, but honestly, I’m just tired.

Very tired.

The closer we worked with Drake, the more I drifted inside myself. If it wasn’t for my addiction to Landen’s vim, I’m sure I would’ve destroyed us by now. My little timeouts with him held us together.

If I was distant when we were in Esterious then it made it harder for Drake to amplify the magnetism in his vim. Vim I vividly remembered moving through me. The boy could turn his allure up and down at will. Friend zone one second, making a move on his ‘buddies’ girl the next.

Drake was a mystery I was determined to solve.

I didn’t know if he was getting through to me, or if somehow there was enough truth to what he was saying to make me feel guilty as hell. After Evelyn, I was sure I knew what felt right and wrong. How Drake was a drug that would never last and Landen was the pulse of my soul. Venus changed my perspective again. Drake was more than a drug. He meant something to me. I’d let so few people into my inner circle. Wanting to let him in promised me my soul knew something I didn’t. I was too big of a chicken to understand what that was.

I was still hung up on this doppelganger theory. If I wasn’t the one Drake remembered from past lives then the obvious conclusion was we were missing someone.

I don’t think I’m obsessive person. At the same time, I only like to deal with drama once. I have enough reoccurring issues to battle day in and out. I wanted to prove I was right. I wanted to find this girl who shared the same dark fate I had. I wanted her to balance us all.

The bathroom door opened, and I turned to watch Landen dress for the day. He glanced at me as he pulled his black T-shirt over his head.

You have a new friend, he teased, noticing the butterfly that was still resting on my hand.

I smiled and moved my hand to the bedside table, urging the butterfly to find a new resting place. Grudgingly I threw my covers back and edged to the side of the bed. I could sense the intent of Rose and my father to come to our house for breakfast. They were both worried about us. They thought that our bodies would soon succumb to the stress we were under. The way Landen had woken up over the last week gave me reason to think they may be right. We hadn't told them about it though. Our new battle plan was to keep our secrets to ourselves.

I’m going to call Brady and see if they need help loading the Jeeps, Landen said before he kissed my forehead and left the room.

Supplies were growing slim in Delen. The land was producing at a rate like never before, but winter was just around the corner and the crops hadn’t had time to develop. Each day, travelers have taken loads of food and supplies to the ever-growing city.

I took a long, quiet shower I shut my mind down. Not a single thought. Once my day started there would be no end to me working through every expected and unexpected issue that would land at my feet. As I went in my room to dress for the day I found that my butterfly now had friends; across my room, I counted eight fluttering around. They made me smile, something that seemed hard to do here lately.

My father and Rose downstairs, they assumed I was avoiding them. Landen sensed this notion, too, and was coming up the stairs to find me. I was putting my shoes on when he came in.

Now you have several friends, he noted, grinning at the room full of butterflies.

Isn’t that weird? I asked. I don’t ever think I’ve seen so many this late in the year. Is that common here?

Landen curiously stared at the light blue one next to him before he began to help me make our bed. I’ve seen them here through every part of the year. I’ve just never seen so many adventure inside at once.

As I threw the last pillow on the bed, Landen came to my side and wrapped his arms around my waist. I meant what I said before. We don’t have to go today, he said as he reached to tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear as his eyes cascaded across my face. We can find a quiet beach, you could sketch, take in the sun, he whispered.

I glanced away from him, not wanting to fight about this. I can’t rest if there are so many suffering. I dared to look into his eyes, my weakness. Tomorrow, maybe the next day—when we finally figure out how to keep saving them we can vanish together.

Landen’s jaw tightened as he tried to smile. All right, he said as his thumb reached to trace the bottom of my eye. But if you wake up tomorrow and look any less rested, we’re taking a break.

You sound like my father, I said, reaching up to brush his dark locks out of his eyes so I could see the blue and feel the peace of his vim.

I take that as a compliment, Landen said, winking at me.

Now that Landen had the power to heal he’d spent a lot of time asking my father about parts of the body. He wanted to know what he should always heal first. He feared and loved his new gift and simply wanted to make sure he used it wisely. Dad took great pride in teaching him; it was as if he’d found someone who understood the human body as well as he did.

Landen let his hand fall into mine and led me down the stairs. Rose had brought breakfast for everyone, and they were waiting patiently for us. I smiled slightly and took a seat next to my father. From the corner of my eyes, I could see him looking me over, looking for a weakness that could bring me harm.

Well, I said, turning to him, how do I look?

Tired, he said, putting his arm around me and glancing at Landen. You both look tired.

I leaned into him, avoiding his eyes. I knew with one look he’d figure out that I was worried about Landen, about both of us. For a moment I pretended I was still his little girl and that he could still scare the monster that I feared away.

I felt him kiss the top of my head. I want you to eat for me. It’ll give you strength, he said, letting his arm fall from around me.

I stared down at the bowl of fruit, then began to push it from side to side, trying to find my appetite. Without warning, my ring slipped from my finger into my bowl. I felt the tension rise in the room.

My hands must be cold, I said, making light of how easily it slipped away.

Landen reached for the ring, then took it to the sink to rinse it off. Rose pushed her bowl to me and took mine away. I’ll get you a muffin, too, she said, clearly alarmed.

I started to eat my fruit as fast as possible. Their worry was exhausting. Landen sat down across from me, drying the ring. The silver had dulled, just as it always had when it left my skin.

Maybe we should get a spacer for this or find a way to resize it, Landen said, looking at the eye that was carved into the inside the band.

A spacer, yes, but cutting it? Rose said. I doubt you’d be able to. They must carry some significance, otherwise you wouldn’t have left them with the medallion.

I reached up and traced my medallion with my fingertips, remembering the images that came from it just a few short days ago. I could see Rose’s point; the rings were bound to hold some part of us from past lives. I always found the way the silver shifted colors a little eerie.

Landen reached for my hand. I placed mine in his. As he caught my gaze, I felt his desire to steal me away to some distant place grow within him. I felt him fight with his intent as he slid the ring on my finger once again. In Chara, you’re taught to see signs in everything, to never believe in such things as coincidences. If Landen were the slightest bit more superstitious, he might have seen the ring falling from my hand as symbolic of me letting our love fall, placing it second. Which is something that no citizen of Chara ever does.

I squeezed his hand and thought, "My hands really are cold."

His eyes moved across me, It’s taking everything I have to grab you and run away today.

Good things come to those who wait.

The metal hugged my skin as it hummed. It had somehow made itself smaller. I glanced down curiously to see that the band was bright silver again.

It feels tighter, I said under my breath.

I could spin it comfortably, but there was no way it was going to fall off. I shook my hand to show them.

When Landen noticed how intently Rose and Dad were staring at the ring, their anxieties about it, he said, I’ll mention it to Perodine.

Did she say anything about them before? Dad asked.

No, I answered. She’s only referred to the medallion.

Have they shown you a power yet? Rose asked.

I started into Landen’s waiting eyes. In the beginning, we’d thought that they were our protection, but looking back, knowing what we know now about our energy—vim, it would be hard to say either way.

Not clearly, Landen said, breaking his stare with me and glancing at my father and Rose.

Dad turned to his side so he could see me more clearly. We need to talk about sleep patterns.

I cautiously glanced in his direction. I thought they’d all gotten over the fact that Landen and I left our bodies at night.

All right, I mumbled quietly, expecting a speech.

I have a fear that you’re not sleeping, my father said.

Landen leaned forward, hanging on my father’s every word. What do you mean?

Dad put his arm around my chair. When we sleep, to truly rest we must enter REM, a dream state. I think that you’ve gotten so good at meditating that some nights you don’t allow your body to enter the state of dreams. That may be why you’re so tired.

How would I know the difference? Doesn’t meditation rest the body enough? I argued, thinking he was spending way too much time worrying about my health.

He glanced at Rose for some kind of help, finding none. Meditation rests the body and calms the mind. If you don’t allow your mind to enter the dream state, you’re locking your subconscious in a vault, and all your struggles and hidden thoughts aren’t allowed to break through. Eventually, it will wage a war inside your mind, and you’re going to have to face what you’ve been through.

"Do you think I’m dreaming wrong?"

I could see Landen taking in what my dad was saying, his concern was spiking in the vibe of the room. "Maybe that’s why you don’t wake like I do," he thought.

You’re always waiting on me when we dream and when we wake, he pointed out aloud, letting dad know he was more than likely right.

Even though I felt like I was outnumbered, I was relieved that I had a theory for why Landen had the emotions he had when we woke. They weren’t forecasting a dark future. They were the echoes of what he’d already been through.

That may be why you don’t seem as overwhelmed by everything, Rose replied.

I rolled my eyes, knowing Landen was just as overwhelmed as I was. He hid it better from everyone. For the most part Chara natives gave him space; there was this whole alpha of the pack vibe. With me, the moved in close, basically interrogated me every chance they had. They liked me to think they did this because Landen had been trained to see the universe as it was. I was raised in dimension where my town was my world. The rest would work itself out; it was my issue but those the country had placed in charge.

Rose sensed the aggression inside me This could be dangerous. The lack of REM sleep could cause you to lose your appetite, become easily irritated, see hallucinations, and even affect your long-term memory. It could cause you have a lack in judgment. You cannot afford to have anything impair you with everything that lies in your path. It’s vital that you listen to his advice.

Absent-minded, I slowly moved my head from side to side, not feeling any less outnumbered. Are you talking about the images from my medallion? I questioned, reaching for my necklace. How can we all have the same hallucinations? Those were the only haunting illusions I’d seen.

No, my father assured. It could cause them. I’m just asking that you take the time to allow your mind to process everything it’s seen. I may be wrong. I admit that. I just want to keep you as strong as possible. He looked down, then back up at me. You know your dreams have a way of helping you sort through what is and what will be…some even believe that that’s the one place our spirit guides can speak clearly to us.

Spirit guides? I said with an arched brow.

"Higher self, whatever you want to call it. It’s just a theory in some dimensions, but as a doctor, I can tell you that