Never (The Ever Series Book 2)

by C. J. Valles

  “If you thought branding me was going to do you any favors, then I’m guessing you haven’t had much experience with girls,” I say icily.

  “It is a token of my devotion,” he says.

  He’s suddenly right in front of me, and I have to force myself not to flinch or step back.

  “Right,” I laugh without a shred of humor.

  “You aren’t afraid of me?”

  “I’m done being afraid. You’re going to kill me, or you’re not going to kill me. Right?”

  “It was never my intention to harm you.”

  “It wasn’t? What about handing me over for something to use as a meat puppet?” After all, according to Ever, that’s what this guy does. He finds and offers up people like me as vessels for someone or something to cross over into this world. I shudder at the thought. “If that’s your plan, I’d rather you kill me.”

  “Are you not afraid of death?”

  I stare back at him as he studies me.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “What an interesting creature you are,” he says.

  He reaches out to touch my face, but I recoil before he can make contact.

  “Interesting is not the word I would use to describe you.”

  He frowns.

  “I’m afraid I have Ever to thank for your first impression of me.”

  I snort at his lack of self-reflection.

  “Um, no. Threats and kidnapping were enough.”

  “Wren, when you have nothing to lose, you will go to any length to achieve the ends you desire.”

  “Speak for yourself.”

  “Fair enough, but would you humor me for a few moments?”

  When he offers his hand, I hesitate.

  “Under one condition.”

  He raises an eyebrow.

  “And what would that be?” he laughs.

  “My necklace. I want it back.”

  This wipes the superior smile from his face, but when I hold out my hand, he drops the chain into my upturned palm. With a wave of relief, I close my hand around the infinity pendant, the gift from Ever that also connects us. It was a stretch of the imagination to think that Ever’s enemy would have kept it, but he did, and now I have it again. Knowing I can’t fasten it myself without time and a mirror to see what I’m doing, I reach up and put it in the pocket on the sleeve of my sweatshirt. Then I reach out and take Alex’s hand, feeling a shock of electricity surge through me. He clasps me to his chest, and before I have a chance to protest, everything bends and shimmers and then goes dark.

  I open my eyes, but all I can see is green. I blink and cough. Aware that there’s an arm wrapped around me, propping me up, I jerk away and stumble back a few steps, trying not to throw up. As soon as my equilibrium begins to return, I look around in dismay. We’re nowhere near the park! What made me think I could trust him for one second? Before I can freak out, he raises his hand.

  “I’ll return you, but I wanted to show you something first.”

  He motions for me to follow him, and I see we’re at the edge of a small wooden platform. A crashing sound gets louder as I follow him, and at the railing of the outlook, my breath hitches at the sight of cascading water. This must be Multnomah Falls. It’s beautiful—and nowhere near my house, I’m sure.

  “Outstanding, isn’t it?” Alex says from behind me.

  I nod and step back.

  “Yeah, awesome. Thanks for the tour. Now tell me what you want.”

  “I would like you to give me a chance …”

  He trails off, and I stare at him.

  “A chance,” I repeat.

  “To prove myself to you,” he says.

  Before I can snatch it away, he reaches out and takes my hand again. Almost instantly his intentions click into place, and I stare incredulously at him.

  “You can’t be serious. You, me, Ever—this is not a triangle! There isn’t even a straight line between the two of us! You’re completely insane!”

  He begins laughing.

  “I can see now why Ever is not so quick to part from you. You are fascinating for a human.”

  “Ever is not so quick to part from me because he loves me, and I love him. It’s called a relationship—reciprocal. Get a dictionary and look it up! You and me? We’re nothing. We never will be.”

  His expression turns serious again.

  “Never is a long time. And all I ask is that you give me an opportunity to be near you, to win your friendship, your favor.” I sniff derisively at this possibility. “Only until your summer solstice.”

  I do the math. A week would be okay, but the longest day of the year always lands a few days after school ends.

  “That’s through the end of the school year!”

  “Is it such a high price to pay?” he asks.

  I hesitate, my eyes narrowing.

  “And at midnight on the solstice, you’ll just disappear from my life forever?”

  “If you wish it, yes.”

  I exhale. This does, in part, give me what I wanted—a reprieve. Time and space to think things over. I raise my hand in warning.

  “I have more conditions. And if you go back on them, this deal is over.”

  He smiles and nods.

  “I expected as much.”

  “You will not use any of my friends or family as chess pieces. This is my problem, and they are strictly off limits—or I might as well jump over the falls now.”

  “I would not have hurt your young friend,” he says easily.

  I shiver when I think of Ashley sitting in the darkened restaurant, her expression vacant.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “In any case, you have a deal. No chess. Next?”

  “I’m human, and I need privacy. You can’t just pop in on me while I’m in the shower, or whatever freaky thing you think is okay.”

  He smiles, which makes me want to slug him.

  “Done.”

  “And you and Ever will call a truce. You stay, he stays.”

  I laugh when Alex’s features cloud over.

  “You didn’t think I was going to tell him to take a hike, did you?”

  “Any other conditions?” he asks dryly.

  “Yes. You will answer my questions. I’m sick of being lied to or protected from the truth. I want the facts, or at least your version of them.”

  “Of course.”

  I walk back to the edge of the platform and look down at the powerful surge of water falling toward the oblivion of mist below.

  “Now take me back.”

  “As you wish,” he says.

  I smirk as he steps forward and wraps his arms around me.

  “Oh, yeah. And one more thing—we travel by car after this.”

  4: Price of Love

  I gasp for breath and will myself not to throw up. When I see a pair of arms is still wrapped around me, I look up at Alex and glare. We’re in my bedroom.

  “If you don’t want me to be sick all over you, I’d suggest you leave.”

  Alex lifts me onto the edge of my bed. Then he leans down slowly and kisses my forehead. A strong burst of electricity courses through me, and when he pulls back, I don’t know which one of us looks more shocked at the power of it. A second later he’s gone. I fall back onto the bed and reach for my pillow, gripping it to my chest as tears roll down my cheeks.

  I just signed my life away to Ever’s worst enemy. Not one of my brighter moments, I guess. On top of that, I rejected Ever’s offer. Of what, though? Immortality? Could that really be what he meant? After a few more moments, I finally sit up. My stomach still heaving, I get up slowly and walk downstairs where I take out the sugar and dump two teaspoons into a glass before filling it with water from a pitcher in the refrigerator. I add a little bit of salt and stir it briefly before chugging the awful mixture. I need electrolytes, and we don’t have any sports drinks in the house. Eventually my muscles stop twitching and I don’t feel as sick. Peeling a banana, I walk back to my room and collect s
ome fresh clothes.

  In the bathroom, I turn on the water and step into the shower, allowing the hot needles to beat down on me for longer than necessary, loving the sensation of the liquid heat rushing over my skin. By the time I turn off the water, I feel almost human again. I dry my hair and get dressed. Then, looking in the mirror, I stare at this new version of me. My olive green eyes, which get mistaken for brown more often than not, are nearly as bright green as Ever’s, but this is mostly an after effect from crying. I return to my room and take a few deep breaths. After hesitating only a second, I say his name and reach out with my thoughts.

  “Ever.”

  His arms wrap around me almost instantly, crushing me to him. I look up at him and start crying again.

  “What did he do to you?”

  His question comes out as a growl, and I shake my head into his chest.

  “Nothing,” I whisper. “I made a deal with him.”

  Ever stiffens and stares down at me like I just ran him through with a blade.

  “A deal?” he asks without emotion.

  “He said he wants to be …” I trail off, because there’s no good way of putting this. “He said he wants to prove himself.”

  Ever laughs indignantly.

  “It’s only until the beginning of summer, though,” I explain quickly. “Then he swore he would leave me alone. So? He hangs around here for a few months. After that, he’s gone. See? It’s fine.”

  “And I expect he insisted that I leave so that he could insinuate himself into your life?”

  I shake my head.

  “Give me a little more credit than that. I told him that you stay, or we have no deal.”

  Ever raises an eyebrow.

  “And he agreed?”

  I straighten up.

  “He agreed to all of my conditions.”

  “Whether he keeps to them is another thing,” Ever says, his eyebrow arched.

  “I told him the deal is over if he goes back on his word. I also told him that the two of you were to keep a truce until then.”

  Ever laughs again, his bitterness evident.

  “You haven’t known him as long as I have. He won’t keep his end of the bargain. He is shrewd and manipulative.”

  “And I’m not an idiot,” I remind him.

  He smiles.

  “Beautiful and brilliant.”

  Ever’s exaggeration only reminds me of my precarious math grade.

  “Not quite,” I groan. “And I have homework and other mortal things to take care of, like dinner.”

  Ever nods. Then he reaches out and unzips the pocket on my sleeve, retrieving the pendant I took back. I turn away from him, shivering as his fingers touch my neck to fasten the chain.

  “I can nullify his mark,” Ever says quietly, almost like he regrets mentioning it. “It will remain, but it will not hold as much power over you.”

  My eyes widen as I turn to face him.

  “Well! What are you waiting for, then? Do it!”

  He searches my face.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course!”

  “Wren, listen to me. I will have to mark you myself to offset his. Do you understand?”

  I frown. Another tattoo.

  “Will his ever come off?” I ask nervously.

  Ever nods.

  “When he releases you.”

  “Good. Because two tattoos before I turn seventeen is a little much.”

  Ever smiles, but just barely.

  “After I do this, neither one of us will be able to find you as easily, unless you want us to. And if you’re with one of us, the other will be blind to you, so forgive me if I seem overly protective for the foreseeable future.”

  I nod, but this is actually kind of a relief to me. I wouldn’t want Alex watching me with Ever, or vice versa. Just the idea gives me the creeps.

  “Are you certain you want this?” he asks.

  I shrink back a little bit.

  “Will it hurt?”

  In sudden and vivid detail, I remember the pain of getting my ears pierced as a little kid. I thought I was going to die, and my mom still has a tiny crescent-shaped mark on her left hand where I squeezed too tightly and dug into her skin with my fingernail. To this day, she points to it and calls my tolerance for pain nonexistent at best.

  “I will be careful,” Ever says.

  I nod, and a moment later he bends down and touches his lips to mine. My apprehension begins to fade. This wasn’t what I was expecting, and the heat of Ever’s touch is entrancing. I wrap my arms around his neck as his hand slips into my hair and then curls around the nape of my neck, rooting me in place. I feel his lips at my ear.

  “I love you, Wren,” he whispers.

  His lips cover mine again, but this time his touch is more urgent. When he bites my lower lip softly, I tremble at the shock of pleasure. His other hand comes up between us. Very quickly he presses his thumb against my breastbone, and I gasp as the heat sears me. Ever holds me in place until the burning sensation is almost unbearable. Then he releases me and pulls back, searching my face, his own eyes glowing, almost frenzied.

  “Did I hurt you?” he asks apprehensively.

  I shake my head and try to slow my breathing.

  “It burned, but I was a little distracted,” I mumble, my cheeks turning pink.

  “That was the point.”

  The green of Ever’s eyes darkens, and I feel my pulse pick up again. His own breathing is still harsh as he points me toward the mirror on the back of my closet door. I walk over and shift the pendant to the side.

  “Whoa!”

  There’s a small, shining pale-blue infinity symbol at the center of my chest. I reach up and trace it and then look at Ever’s reflection in the mirror.

  “My mom would kill me if she saw this.”

  Ever shakes his head as I turn to face him.

  “She won’t. You are the only human capable of seeing them.”

  I nod.

  “Okay. Good. … Now get out of here. Or I’m going to want to kiss you again, and I’m not going to want to stop.”

  “That’s supposed to be incentive for me to leave?” he asks, a hint of humor returning to his features.

  Something about what he just did has made me a million times more aware of him, and I’m aching to touch him again.

  “No, but my math homework isn’t going to finish itself.”

  He hesitates for a moment before nodding. Then he vanishes. Alone again in my room, I feel a small thrill. Only a few days ago, I was sure my existence was at an end. Now, not only am I alive, but I’ve also taken some power back. My decisions are mine to make, and these freaking immortals can wait for me to make them.

  I look down at my running shoes and smile. Another bright spot. For the first time since cross country season at Pali, I’ve actually gone for a run. It wasn’t very long, and my lungs burned and my muscles protested—but it was great. I feel more alive, and I’m going to take advantage of it. No more cowering at Portland’s rain from now on. I intend to run. I may have a lot of deficits in the coordination department, but I can put one foot in front of the other, and I plan to do just that.

  In the morning, I wake up before my alarm goes off. Normally I wouldn’t be this excited about a school day, or another practice exam for AP U.S. History. It’s the dream that I just awoke from. I would have been happy to stay in it for longer, but I have to admit that kissing Ever for real would be better. I hurry to get ready, elated by the prospect of seeing him first thing in the morning, particularly without the threat of imminent danger. After stepping through the mirror to what I thought was going to be nothingness, normal life seems like a dream.

  As soon as I finish breakfast, I pour a giant cup of coffee and walk upstairs, nudging my mom’s door open with my toe. When I walk to the side of her bed, she rolls over and blinks at me.

  “Wren Sullivan, did you make me coffee?” she smiles sleepily.

  “Extra strong. Nothing but t
he best for my mom.”

  “Remind me to have you sainted.”

  “I will. And you have today circled on the calendar in red pen. It says: 8:30 with Martha—UGH!”

  “I worked the late shift yesterday; they know that!” she cries, sitting up in bed and swiping the cup of coffee from me. “Why they schedule these early morning meetings for the night staff I’ll never know!”

  I kiss her on the cheek.

  “Love you, Mom.”

  “You’re a goddess, honey. … Hey, you look different. Did you do something with your hair?”

  I shrug nervously.

  “I went for a run yesterday. Finally.”

  “That’s great!”

  “Yeah, I feel good.”

  I smile at her and then hurry into the hall and down the stairs, grabbing my coat and my backpack. Stepping outside, I shut the door behind me and lock it. When I spin around, looking for Ever, I do a double take. Then I rush forward, fuming.

  “Seriously?” I huff under my breath. “The feds are probably watching our house.”

  I can’t help staring at the unattended car parked at the curb. It’s redder than red and breathtaking. I look to the front of the hood and see an unmistakable prancing horse. My father talked about Ferraris like they were unicorns, but this car is beyond amazing. The driver’s side door opens suddenly, and I scowl when Alex steps out and leans lazily over the hood.

  “You said we were to travel by car next time,” he says with a broad smile.

  “This isn’t a car!” I hiss. “This is a work of art on wheels. It belongs in a museum or on a racetrack somewhere.”

  “Bella, no?”

  I go through my mental catalog of Ferraris that my dad used to talk about. I remember looking over his shoulder and admiring the clean lines. I had seen pictures of the California, FF, 458. I don’t recognize this one.

  “What model is this?” I ask suspiciously, still gaping as he opens the door.

  His eyebrow arches.

  “You know Ferrari?”