Rise (Roam Series, Book Three) (15 page)

Colors, sounds, warm lights; I stirred as cold hands touched my left arm.

Blinking, I saw West’s face, and watched a tear slip down his cheek as he pleaded with someone. “Don’t let her die.
Father
, change this, please…
don’t let her die.
”

“The magic is old… the consequences are unchangeable… if I do this
once, there is no going back, my son.”

Asher
. I tried to turn my face, but West’s lips pressed to mine. Too weak to return his kiss, I simply stared, the world slowing around me.

“
They will all forget. You will remember. Do you wish for this?” Asher rested his palm over West’s shoulder.

“She’ll forget me?
And… everything here?”

“Another chance,” Asher’s old voice quivered, the elder wizard still gripping my arm.
“You cannot
-
ever- touch her again. If you do, time will reverse here, as well, and she will remember
everything
.”

His words linked slowly together.

“This magic requires sacrifice.” Asher’s voice shook with age.

Another
spell… a codicil to the prophecy.

“
No
,” I managed, scalding tears clearing my vision. West clung to me, rocking me in his arms as tears slipped down his face.

“Her heart is failing,” Will’s voice
, his fingers at the artery in my neck. “Do something,” he begged quietly.

“
Immortality is a gift, given only from the father. West, you must sacrifice your immortality to save her mortal life.”

“Yes,” West agree
d severely.

Without question.

“Then you, William, shall rule this kingdom, if you agree not to harm the child.”

“I’ll find another way to stop the sun. I won’t hurt the baby.” Will promised.

“Both worlds shall exist apart from one another. My son,” Asher’s voice shook with emotion. “You shall go back to the beginning.”

West brushed at his face with the back of his hand, and blood smeared across his cheeks.
My blood?
He met my eyes. “Roam Eva Camden,
I will love you forever.
”

“
West
,” I closed my eyes, serene thoughts overcoming the horror of the world around me. My breaths came easier; the pain subsided, and I disappeared into West’s blue eyes.

“
August twenty-seventh
,” he whispered, clasping my hand in his. “2012.”

Asher’s resigned sigh filled the room. “
It is done.
”

June 8, 2013

“
Hold on- your tassel is stuck in a pin,” Logan reached for my hair, and I dropped the visor in his Camry, searching for the mirror.

“I just can’t get this cap on right- it doesn’t fit.”

“That’s ‘cause your brain is too big, Socrates,” Morgan teased from the back seat, wrapping her arms around the headrest to help me. “Valedictorians need extra-large.”

“Ha ha,” I grinned,
letting her adjust the cap. The parking lot of Madison High School was overflowing with cars, graduates, and families talking and hugging excitedly. The warm, spring sunshine made for the perfect weather for the outdoor commencement.

We climbed out of the Camry, and Morgan adjusted her skirt. “Do I look okay?
Hotty McHistory is still introducing you, right?”

I rolled my eyes at her,
smiling as Logan hugged me from behind. “Morgan, please don’t embarrass me. Mr. Perry is still my teacher for another couple of hours,” I clasped my hand in his. Logan’s graduation gown was blue, and mine white, representing Madison colors.

“Yes, and once that diploma
is in your hand and you’re on your way to Princeton, I’m asking him out.”

“
Whatever, but control yourself for the rest of the day, please.” Logan waved at one of his friends from the baseball team, jogging over to his car to meet him.

“
I’ll try. After our wedding, I’m totally telling him that you used to dream about him every night,” she teased, jabbing me with her elbow.

“Morgan.” I elbowed her back. “Stop it. Logan doesn’t know that.”

“Right- sorry. I’m going to go save a seat for Dad.”

I thought back to the first day of school when the dreams began. At first, Mr. Perry had simply been an onlooker, like a customer at the grocery store or a spectator in the stands during one of my swim meets. By December, I went to sleep at night and found myself looking for him. My entire night was spent in a frantic search for Mr. Perry, and in February I woke up in a flush as I dreamt of kissing him.

When Mr. Perry began coaching Logan’s baseball team, I ran into him at every practice and game. Seeing him outside the classroom only added details to my dream, making them more and more realistic to the point where I could feel his touch when I woke up in the morning.

In class, I had no problem paying attention. Mr. Perry was a wonderful teacher, describing events in history as if he’d actually been there. He provided me with the perfect recommendation letter for my college applications, and when my acceptance letter for Princeton arrived in the mail, I had been waiting for him at his desk before first period
the next morning.

He walked into the classroom, stopping short in the doorway. “Miss Camden?”

I could barely contain my excitement, holding the envelope in my hands. “Mr. Perry, I wanted to personally thank you- I was accepted to Princeton,” my voice shook with exhilaration, and my ear-to-ear smile was uncontainable.

His slow grin turned his eyes to the brightest blue I’d ever seen. “Congratulations, Roam. I had nothing to do with it,” he shrugged, gesturing in my general direction. “You’ve earned that
acceptance letter.”

“Well,
your
letter was a fantastic addition to my applications. Now, I’ve decided on the history of science major, which encompasses physics and psychoanalysis, and-…,”

He slid his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants.
“Miss Camden, I’m very proud of you. Please let me know if you need anything else at all.”

My mouth closed quickly at his
polite dismissal.
Stop being offended. He needs to get ready for class.
“Well, thank you,” I repeated, extending my hand to shake his respectfully.

He nodded once, his hands locked in his pockets.

Awkwardly, I dropped my hand, flushing. “Okay, I’ll see you soon. I just have to run to my locker.”

He
had nearly moved to the back of the classroom as I passed him to reach the door.

My ego was utterly confused by his behavior, and I decided to ignore it. That night, I found Mr. Perry immediately in my dreams, making love with him on an ocean shore smothered in moonlight.

And I’v
e never even made love… or been to the ocean.

Every night thereafter, I dreamt of
making love with Mr. Perry, interrupted only by my alarm. First I’d register my disappointment, and then my utter sluttiness.

Logan respected my boundaries, but as the dreams became more frequent, I let my defenses down more and more when Logan would kiss me. I was sure that I wanted to make love to him before he left for boot camp, but Morgan chided me during our private, marathon conversations.

“You’ve waited this long… don’t rush into anything because he’s leaving.”

At the prom, I was relieved to find that Mr
. Perry was not a chaperone. I danced with Logan all night, laughing with Ally-May as she paraded her crown after the coronation ceremony. Logan slow danced with me, his mouth at my ear. “You should have been queen,” he admonished, dipping me backwards exaggeratingly.

I smiled, looping my
arms around his neck. “I have absolutely no desire to be queen.”

That
evening could have easily become a clichéd episode of prom night extraordinaire, with Logan clumsily taking my virginity while his parents were conveniently out of town. However, after an hour of making out on his couch, he pulled away, staring blankly at the muted television.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.” He pulled me into his arms, twirling his finger around one of my carefully crafted, chocolate curls. “I had this weird dream that you had blond, curly hair last night. Did you tell me you were curling your hair for prom?”

“No, I don’t think so,” I nudged him playfully. “You sure it was me?”

He chuckled. “Who else could it have been?”

“Abby?”

He groaned, throwing his head backwards dramatically. “Oh. My.
God
. Roam, would you let it
go
?”

“What? I don’t have blonde hair.
Just drawing logical conclusions.”

“It was white
-blonde. And it had to be you.”

“I think… I’ll head home.”

“Stop it.”

“What? It’s late.”

We set the foundation for the way that we argued that night; a passive-aggressive remark from me, sarcasm from him, indignant comment from me followed by irritated dismissal from him. Within three days, we’d move on, but we regressed right back to amateur make-out sessions.

“Roam
,” our principal, Mr. Kingston, ushered me toward the stage that was set up on the football field. “Good morning dear! Do you have your speech prepared?”

“Yes I do,” I nodded, waving at Ally-May as she ushered her brother, Jason, and her parents to the stands. “
It’s about eight minutes long.”

“Perfect. Now, I’ll address the audience and welcome everyone as you all file in to your chairs. Then, you’re up.”

“Thank you,” I nodded, spying my father in the crowd. Hurrying to him, I folded into his arms.

“Ah, sweetheart, I’m so proud of you. Mom is too.”

“Thanks Dad,” I held my cap as it slid on my hair again, reaching for the pins. The wind picked up, tossing my hair and now-free cap against the bleacher seats. I climbed a row of bleachers, looking helplessly at the audience seated there as my cap landed at their feet.

A little girl, no more than two
or three, reached down at the floor of the stands, her red curls almost covering her face. When she retrieved the cap and sat up, I smiled, reaching.

My hand stilled in the air as her eyes touched mine.
Her eyes… it’s like looking in a mirror.

“Eva,”
Mr. Perry’s voice drew my attention, and I looked to her side. “Hi, Roam.”

“Hi,” I accepted m
y cap, keeping my smile. “Thank you. Is this your daughter?” I asked. Mr. Perry talked about his daughter often, but rarely spoke of his wife. Given that Morgan had pointed out his ringless finger numerous times, I assumed that he was divorced.

He nodded, pulling the child into his lap. “Yes, Eva, want to say hello to Miss Camden?”

“Hi,” she said softly, looking up at her father. My face fell as she appeared washed in confusion; I slid the cap on my head, attempting to blindly pin it to my hair.

“Hi Eva.
You know, your name is my
middle
name? It’s very pretty.”

“Her nanny was supposed to sit with her, but she got sick this morning, so… I’m trying to see if one of the other teachers will sit with her…,”

“Well, my sister Morgan
loves
to pretend she’s a cheerleader… she could use some help,” I offered, gesturing two rows down. Morgan’s head was already turned in our direction, and I watched her shoot to her feet as we all looked at her. She climbed the bleachers, appearing at my side in seconds.

“Hi…
West, right?” She reached for his hand, and he shook it graciously as I explained that Eva needed someone to sit with during the ceremony.

Before Morgan could invite Eva to her side, I watched as the child climbed on her seat, holding her arms out for Morgan. Morgan reached for her naturally, and Eva clung to her.

“Well, I guess she’s not shy?” Morgan laughed, gripping the child tightly. I stood back and watched as Mr. Perry brushed his hand over Eva’s hair, a far-away look in his eyes.

“Thanks, Morgan,” he said softly, his eyes fixed on me. I watched them, smug, continuing to fuss with my cap.

“
You’re welcome,
” I murmured to Morgan, under my breath, and she winked at me.

“Well, I’ve got a valedictorian to introduce, so I’ll see you down there. Eva, okay?” He asked, and Eva nodded, still concreted to Morgan’s arms.

“I think we’re already best friends,” Morgan assured him.

I turned toward the aisle of stairs, moving behind the bleachers to join my classmates while the band warmed up for Pomp and Circumstance. While everyone took their seats, I joined Mr. Kingston, the vice principal, the superintendant, and Mr. Perry on the stage.