by C. J. Valles
As the pieces begin to fall into place, I summon a vision of Alex, his copper hair blazing in the rising sun. I focus on it, and suddenly Ever’s hands lock on the steering wheel. When he turns to face me, there’s no trace of a smile left on his features.
“Wren?”
I swallow.
“I … I was thinking about him,” I whisper.
Ever curses under his breath, and I grip the armrest as the car begins weaving through traffic. Some small part of me remembers that Ever won’t crash, but I still cringe when we slice between a cement truck and a minivan. Seconds later, we pull into the student parking lot, and I see Audra and Chasen standing at the curb waiting for us. The car skids to a stop right in front of them, and I hear the doors open. Almost instantaneously Ever’s two perfect companions appear in the backseat.
“He marked her,” Ever spits.
I feel the blood drain from my face.
“Are you certain?” Audra asks.
Ever touches my hand, and I jump.
“Lift your hair,” he says.
The iciness has returned to his voice. Confused, I do what he says, and Audra gasps. Her shock is so out of character that I turn and stare at her.
“And we’re not going after him?” Chasen snarls.
Dropping my hair, I swivel to face Ever. Staring into his eyes, I open my mind with all my strength and gasp when I see a copper sun etched into the skin on the back of my neck. I reach back and touch the spot. It’s warm.
“No! Ever? How?”
Ever blinks and stares at me like I just slapped him. Then he grabs my hand.
“Wren, you could have hurt yourself.”
“I’m stronger than I look—and you weren’t telling me anything!” I argue.
Audra leans forward.
“Ever, did she just … ?”
He pinches his brow between his thumb and index finger.
“She can get into your head? That’s why they want her!” Audra cries. “You should have told us! If she’s this powerful now, then …”
“All right,” I snap. “You guys can stay here and argue. I’m going to class.”
Opening the car door, I get out and start walking toward the attendance office to drop off my mom’s note. I’ve only taken a few steps when Ever joins me.
“Wren, I’m sorry.”
I exhale.
“That jerk tattooed my neck!”
How or when, I can’t remember—which is probably for the best. Ever opens the door to the main office, and Mrs. Heinz looks up and smiles. I’m surprised she still remembers me from my first day of school. Then again, on my second day, I left school in an ambulance, which I’m guessing makes me a little more memorable than I would have been otherwise. When she looks at Ever, her pupils dilate and her expression changes.
That young man is something else. If I was thirty years younger …
Oh. No. I look down and hurry into the adjoining office.
“Maybe it’s you we should be worried about,” I whisper to Ever. “Mrs. Heinz thinks you’re a tasty snack.”
I give him a wry look as he takes my hand. For a few seconds, I can almost stop worrying enough to enjoy the simple act of walking to class with him. When we reach Mr. Gideon’s room, Ever gestures for me to go ahead of him, and the girl I’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of sitting next to since I got to Springview High School looks up. Her eyes narrow, and she treats me to an extra dose of silent insults the second she sees my hand linked to Ever’s. I smile when I think of how embarrassed she would be if she knew that at least two people in this school could hear her crass insults. Or maybe she just wouldn’t care.
“Wren!” Ashley shouts from behind me.
I turn around, and a second later she practically tackles me.
“How are you feeling?” she asks.
“Better,” I smile, trying to look like I’m recovering from the flu.
She looks me up and down suspiciously.
“Are you sure you didn’t fly down to Southern California and spend a long weekend on the beach? ’Cause I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
I stare blankly at her and start shaking my head.
“I was in bed the whole time. … Why?”
“You kind of look different.” She cocks her head and studies me. “Glowing almost—like you’ve been on vacation or something.”
I force myself to smile.
“I might have had a fever. Does that count? So? Did anything interesting happen while I was out?”
“You could say that,” she laughs.
I raise an eyebrow, but the bell rings before I can get any information out of her. Sitting down next to Ever, I look at my hands. I’m still pale by anyone’s standards, but my skin does have the slightest glow to it. It makes me think of Ever, Audra, Chasen, Alistair, Persephone. Iago-Alex, too.
Had part of them rubbed off on me? I wonder.
In second period, Mr. Bellarmine performs his usual feat—teaching straight from the textbook. This would be fine, if I already understood what was in the book. Unfortunately, I had been hoping to have a real human being explain the quadratic equation. Instead, I end up staring at the clock for the better part of class. When the nutrition bell rings, I go to my locker and unload the pile of books I’ve been carrying around. Slamming the locker door closed, I jump at the sight of Ever.
Suddenly I know that I will always be a little jumpy. And I will never get over the sensation of someone pulling me into oblivion. This makes me desperate for some normalcy. I look at Ever, and he smiles.
“Go.”
I touch his hand and then hurry toward Ashley’s locker. Turning the corner, I’m thankful that at least one thing hasn’t changed. It’s just the girls hanging around during nutrition. Then I notice a fourth person standing with Ashley, Lindsay, and Taylor. I rock to a stop when I recognize who it is. Audra. With my friends. Just how much had changed in the time I was gone? I walk up a little more cautiously than normal. When Lindsay turns and sees me, she throws an arm around my neck.
“How was quarantine?” she demands.
I smile at her typical abruptness.
“Like I’ve been gone forever.”
I have an overwhelming urge to tell my friends exactly what happened, but I kill the thought as soon as it enters my head, remembering my promise to myself: I can never tell anyone. Audra turns her blinding smile on me.
“We decided while you were gone that you’re going to the dance,” she says with unassailable certainty. “I talked to your mom, and she agreed that you can go to Southern California another time. We’re all going as a group.”
The others nod, and I debate briefly. I can either pitch a fit, or I can just accept that I can’t dance at all—and I’m destined to embarrass myself at some future point—so it might as well be sooner rather than later. Besides, I have to admit that dancing is better than nonexistence. I shrug.
“Sure. I’ll tell Ever.”
“He knows,” Audra says sweetly.
That’s just great. I’m unconscious for a few days, and now there’s a new world order.
3: Beautiful
French is weird. There is no other way to describe it. Every time Mrs. Gilbert says something, I get the creepiest sense of déjà vu. I was just there. In France. If it hadn’t been for the circumstances—getting kidnapped—I would probably want to go back to that little town and walk around the cobblestone streets and touch the ancient walls. If nothing else, I know that I will remember that sunrise for the rest of my life.
My first dawn after thinking I would never see one again.
On my way to Chemistry, someone falls into step with me, and I know instantly that it’s not Ever—the footsteps are too loud, too human.
“What’s up, Exorcist girl?”
I look up at Jeff Summers with his Ken-doll features. I thought he had given up on bothering me since reviving his relationship with his fickle girlfriend.
“The usual. Heading to class,” I mutter.
“You look different.” He raises a hand to his chin. “Hotter almost.”
I blink. Did he actually say that—or did I read his thoughts by mistake? When he grins, I frown. God. He actually said that. Jeff Summers clearly did not grow more charming in my brief absence.
“Gee, thanks. I’m glad I’ve risen in your estimation.”
I don’t feel like dealing with this jerk’s ego any longer, so I speed up until I can escape into Mr. Van Houten’s classroom. I’m relieved for a few seconds to claim my empty lab table. Then I catch the teacher’s eye and groan inwardly. A pop quiz on the Periodic Table is imminent, which is bad, because I’m barely holding onto my A average. Chemistry may not be as bad as Algebra, but there are enough algebraic equations to make it a struggle for my math-impaired brain. Fortunately, the quiz only takes five minutes, and I’ll just have to hope for the best. Mr. Van Houten talks for the rest of the period, allowing me to take notes and space out at the same time. Then, just before the bell rings, three words pop into my head.
You look different.
Ashley said it. Then Jeff Summers of all people said it. My pulse begins to hammer. As soon as the bell rings, I shove my binder into my bag and jump up, practically running toward the bathrooms. When I get there, I go to the mirror and stare at my reflection. I touch my face. It’s me, but after looking closely, I notice that I do look different. My skin is clearer, radiant, almost polished. I’m nowhere near as perfect as Ever or the others, but I’m almost … beautiful. Not that I thought I was unattractive before, but beautiful is not a word I would have used to describe myself.
It’s like someone airbrushed away my flaws. When I leave the bathroom and walk out into the hall, Ever is waiting for me. I don’t know what to say. He takes my hand as we begin walking toward the cafeteria.
“They’re seeing you as you truly are,” he says quietly. Then he pauses. “You are as well.”
I shake my head.
“As you truly are?” I demand. “What are you talking about? I look more like you!”
Before Ever can say a word, I feel a spike of heat across the back of my neck and reach up to touch the spot. Ever’s features descend into a cold rage when I look over at him. I’m sure my last thought didn’t register with him. Furious, I begin walking faster until we reach the cafeteria doors. Stepping across the threshold, I see him—all the way across the room, in the very back. It’s impossible to miss him since he’s brighter than the rest of the room, his blue eyes glowing, his copper hair on fire. Then, with a wave of nausea, I realize that’s just how I’m seeing him.
What the hell did he do to me?
Audra and Chasen, who had been sitting at the other end of the cafeteria—with my friends—have risen and are prowling toward his table like a pair of wolves zeroing in on the kill. With a head start, Ever and I reach his table just before they do.
“It’s so nice to have everyone together again,” Alex says as though he’s addressing lowly courtiers from his throne. “Won’t you take a seat?”
Chasen grunts and steps forward.
“And what’s to stop me from—”
“Careful. Whatever punishment you had in mind for me will hurt her much worse,” Alex says. “And none of us wants that.”
“Alex? Is that what you’re calling yourself now? Iago, the turncoat, suited you much better,” Audra purrs malevolently.
“I would not have resorted to these measures if Ever had merely allowed me to finish my offer to Wren.”
I’m already shaking my head.
“Offer? I don’t want anything from you.”
“Then grant me a small favor,” he says.
“Why should I?”
“Because I shall give you something in return.”
“And what’s that?”
“I will leave you alone; I swear it.”
I nod.
“Okay,” I say carefully.
“Wren, don’t,” Ever says.
“Good,” Alex says triumphantly, ignoring him. “I’ll see you this afternoon at four o’clock.”
“Where?”
“Take a walk. … I’ll find you.”
Smiling, he rises slowly and begins to walk across the cafeteria with the four of us staring after him. Shaking off my regret, I walk over to the line and pick up the first thing that looks edible. Ever adds a few items to my tray and then pays for both of us without asking. The look on his face is enough for me to leave it alone. I glance at Audra and Chasen, who both have trays as well, even though none of them will touch any food. Walking back toward my friends’ table, I can almost feel the tension vibrating off of Ever. I squeeze his hand.
“I can’t let you go with him,” he says dully.
“I’ll be okay.”
I hope.
“What was that?” Marcus asks as we join them. “A beautiful people summit?”
“Not possible—you weren’t there,” I tease him.
He grins widely.
“You know it.”
“Who was the new guy?” Josh asks.
“An old friend.” Audra smiles without a hint of deception. “We grew up together.”
“Is he starting school here, too?” Lindsay asks.
“Let’s hope not. I think that would be a little too much pretty for the rest of us to handle,” Josh says with a smirk.
I glare at him.
“What? I was including you!” he shoots back in exasperation.
Unwrapping the cellophane on my sandwich, I stare at the mayonnaise. Yuck. I don’t know what I was thinking. I eat a few bites and then return the sandwich to the tray before picking up the shiny, red apple. Unfortunately, it doesn’t taste as good as it looked on first sight. Across the table from me, Audra pulls an enormous magazine out of her oversized, expensive-looking bag and starts pointing out prom dresses to Lindsay. Looking up at me, she smiles.
“You’re only young once.”
Ha, ha. Or you’re young forever like she is. How many times has she been prom queen? I watch her pretending to be a normal teenager and wonder whether she’s also pretending not to hate me as much as before. For the rest of lunch, I quietly watch my friends—the same people who accepted me when I came here not knowing anyone—do the same thing with Ever, Audra, and Chasen. It makes me feel pretty lucky. But it also causes me to think: what if I hadn’t lived past my second day at Springview High School? If Ever had followed through with his original intent to kill me, or lobotomize me at the very least? Ever puts an arm around me, and I look up at him, unable to feel guilty for thinking about it. My near-death experiences are forcing me to take stock of all the what if and could have been moments.
In the afternoon when I get home, I find a note from my mom on the refrigerator and a text on my phone. She’s at work … won’t be back until late … don’t bother making dinner for her because she’ll grab something out. I look over at Ever, who’s standing in the doorway to the living room watching me. As serious as he looks right now, he’s still like a work of art, impossibly, perfectly beautiful—unreal. A figure from mythology, not someone who’s supposed to be in my life.
“You don’t have to do this,” he says.
“Yes, I do. It’s the only way out. The rest of you may have forever, but I can’t live like this for the rest of my life.”
Running from psychos, dodging drunk drivers, waiting for things to pop out at me.
For a second, it looks like he’s about to say something and then decides against it. I glance at the clock again. I have exactly twenty-four minutes until I have to meet Alex.
“There’s another way,” Ever says suddenly.
My eyes snap in his direction. I recognize the same desperation in his voice from only days ago.
Don’t do this. Please. I’m begging you.
I close my eyes and shiver at the memory, which seems like it could be from decades ago. Walking over to me very quickly, he takes my face in his hands, the glow of his eyes brighter, almost feverish. His ex
pression frightens me.
“What if there’s a way for you to become more like us?” My eyes widen even more as he rushes on. “I was going to wait to ask you on your eighteenth birthday—give you the chance to decide. … But I can’t risk losing you again. I will not spend forever without you, not if I can help it.”
I stop breathing. I have absolutely no idea what to say or think or do. It had occurred to me that Ever would outlive or out-exist me, but the option of joining him for eternity had never crossed my mind. It hadn’t been a possibility. Now, just when I thought I had gotten a grip on the bizarreness that has become my life, it’s just taken another turn I didn’t expect. What does he mean become more like us? Immortal? And at what price? There has to be a price.
In a daze, I shake my head. The only thing I know right now is that this is not a decision I can make impulsively. Saving Ashley—that was an impulse decision, but someone else’s life was at stake. And it was the right decision. I will never regret saving Ashley, because any other decision would have haunted me forever.
“Say something,” Ever whispers.
My pulse is hammering, and I know that my agitation is making it difficult for him to read my thoughts, which is good.
“Ever, I will love you for as long as I live, but right now I need to be able to make decisions of my own free will, without my life hanging in the balance.”
Reaching up, I touch his cheek and then walk over and pick up my bag. Leaving the kitchen, I hurry upstairs. When I get to my room, I change into a pair of black running Capri pants and a hooded sweatshirt. I lace up my running shoes. By the time I come back downstairs, Ever is gone. I can’t help feeling relieved. Stepping outside, I lock the door behind me and skip down the steps.
I take the path at the end of our street. After jogging about a mile, I reach a small children’s playground. I look at my watch. It’s just before four o’clock. The sky is dark gray, and the wind is picking up. I look toward the trees at the edge of the park, which are swaying in time with the gusts. There isn’t a single other person out. Gasping for breath, I bend over and touch my toes. I’m out of shape, and my lungs are on fire, but when I stand up again, it’s the back of my neck that’s burning. Anger flares in my chest when I think of the brand, and I swing around, searching until my eyes catch on Alex—perched imperiously twenty feet up at the very top of the play structure.