Forgotten (34 page)

Bree saw right through me; I was
nervous and felt out of place, but mainly she knew I hated wearing
lots of make-up and having my hair off my shoulders. We settled on
flat-ironing, so it lay flat over of my shoulders, hiding the low
back cut of the dress, but Bree went crazy with the eye-liner. She
said she wanted to make my eyes look electric.

Primping for my first official date
was bad enough. However, I truly wanted to die as Martha grabbed
the camera to take my picture when Jace and Ryker showed up at the
front door. The four of us smiled for the camera; Elsie even got
enough courage to peek around Martha’s leg to see what all the fuss
was about.

“
Is this like the girl’s
date you told me about?” Elsie asked.

“
You’ll have to see for
yourself, but o
nly
if you get your grades up one letter grade before midterm,”
Martha replied.

Elsie bolted. Distantly I heard her
ask John if he could check her math homework before school on
Monday.

“
Is that still okay with
you, Winnie?” Martha asked when Elsie was out of
earshot.

“
Just as long as you’re
paying,” I said with a smile.

She agreed and insisted on one more
“good picture” before freeing us. When she was finally satisfied
with a good shot, she reminded us to buckle-up; to have a good
time, but not to stay out too late. Curfew was midnight. She handed
me Stella, and shut the door.

I began to unfold my walking stick;
Jace promptly took it from me, re-opened then front door, and then
stuck it in the coat closet for safe keeping.

“
At least you have proof
now that someone willingly dated you, Winnie. Martha holds the
evidence,” Ryker whispered before Jace returned.

Ryker left for Jace’s car, with Bree
at his side, while I tried to think of some witty remark. I had
nothing.

“
Don’t waste your breath,
Gwyneth. He’s interested in you, but doesn’t know how to show it,”
he said, offering his hand. A sliver of protectiveness mixed with
spite, flowed through his comment.

I burst out laughing. “In what world,
would Ryker be –”

“
In what world wouldn’t he?
You look like a goddess standing in that midnight blue dress. Your
skin shimmers, even though you hide it under those white gloves.
Stars twinkle in the sky, like the heavens are trying to capture
your radiance,” Jace said, brushing my hair back behind my ear.
“Your hair shines like golden strands were woven throughout it.
Your eyes light up when you smile, threatening to stop my beating
heart.”

I.Couldn’t.Utter.A.Single.Syllable. I
couldn’t form one, comprehensive word, after a poetic speech like
that. My non-response must have been the reaction he was seeking,
because a tingling sensation enwrapped me – his adoration trickling
onto my soul.

“
And for the life of me, I
can’t take my eyes off your lips.”

I licked them without thinking. The
tingling sensation amplified to the point where it was painfully
pleasurable. When I finally found my words, all that would come out
was that he was laying it on a little thick.

“
I’ve been trained to
assess my competition years before we met,” he said, leading me to
the car. “I’d have to be blind not to see Ryker’s true intentions.
Or the effect he has on you. But if you’d wish I call you an ugly,
old hag, using Ryker’s method, let me know.”

Effect on me? I couldn’t
stand Ryker!

I bit my tongue instead of debating my
relationship with Ryker to Jace. It was entirely too unbelievable.
It’d be like saying that a booger was actually a delicacy. I
dismissed the thought and slipped into the front seat. Jace shut
the door behind me.

Backing down the driveway, he rolled
the windows down. The cool air hit my cheeks. I couldn’t bother to
stifle my smile, knowing that he remembered I liked the feel of
wind on my face. The engine roared as we sped away. I stuck my hand
out the window and closed my eyes, enjoying the
sensation.

Waves crashed into the
shore. The man engulfed in flames refused to look at me. I could
feel his desire tickle my skin while it burned his
flesh.

“
I fought for you,
Chronicler.”

“
I need a healer, not a
gladiator. I need someone who can heal my mortal wounds now that I
am no longer ageless.” I wished he’d forgive himself of whatever
past he refused to see. I was tempted to reach for the scar on his
thumb and see his past memories for myself.

“
So you simply need my
service?” he asked.

He was a stunning mess of
muscle, but there was more than mere good looks to his soul. He was
honorable and loyal. Above all else, he was persistent, which is
why he was perfect for me. The Prophet said that if chosen, he’d
cause my demise but would serve as a loyal guardian until death
bestowed me.

“
I’ll do your bidding, but
I must know the truth, Chronicler. After all these years, do you
simply seek my service?”

I’d fallen in love with
the sound of his voice years ago, even though I restrained myself
from meddling in his life. I could make him fall for me; change his
destiny forever – but I couldn’t bear to steal his
freedom.

“
I need a healer” I
confessed. My desire hung on my words. “Which is why I sought out
the best, but I want you.”

He towered over me. He
could force me to my knees, demand anything in the world if he
wanted; he was stronger than I, but he bowed his head as if I were
more powerful than he. I stopped him; I’d never wanted a servant –
I yearned for companionship. I took his hand in mine and laced my
fingers around his. I closed my eyes and bathed in his hazy sight.
His blue fiery blaze crawled onto my skin.

“
Consequences will be paid
if we continue this path, Healer. My sister has seen it,” I
said.

I expected hesitation;
however, I wasn’t given any. He immediately pulled me against him
and led me into the ocean. He acted like I was the breathtaking
one, not him. He muttered that even the ocean couldn’t compare to
the beauty in my eyes. I didn’t believe him, but I didn’t
care.

“
Your adoration is worth
centuries of torment,” he promised.

“
They’re using you as
bait?” Bree said in disbelief, jarring me from my fantastic vision
with the man-on-fire.

“
I’m sorry. What did you
ask?” I muttered, rubbing my arms. Jace noticed something was
different about me; I felt it roll over my skin as a pin-prick. It
wasn’t anger and definitely not lust; it felt like,
curiosity.

“
To get Elsie’s grades up,”
Bree said. “Your fosters are using you as bait, bribing her with an
outing – a girl’s date?”

“
I guess so, but I’m
totally cool with it. Elsie’s really taken to me, follows me around
like your puppy-dog-boyfriend here does,” I said, hoping to get the
point to Ryker that his comment about me having proof I was
loveable hadn’t gone unnoticed and that I wasn’t particularly
pleased. “It’s crazy that I’m the prize, though.”

Jace took my hand that had been
resting on the middle counsel. He stroked his thumb over mine. “Not
really, dearest.”

“
So, where are you guys
going on this fake-sister-date?” Ryker asked like the subject was
irritating him on a personal level.

“
Maybe to that spa on the
flyer you found, Bree,” I said, and then glanced over my shoulder.
She was practically in Ryker’s lap.

So much for seat-belts.

“
She’s been talking about a
make-over ever since you brought over the flyer. Manicure,
pedicure, hair, make-up – the works,” I said.

“
It’s risky, but
effective,” Jace muttered.

“
What is?” I asked, unsure
what he was referring to.

“
Using you as bait,” he
whispered, as he contemplated his plan. “Get some sleep tonight;
tomorrow night you’ll need it.”

***

I’d never seen the soft, glowing light
of the sun reflect off the Earth’s atmosphere, but witnessing
twilight had to be unforgettable. I imagined the sunset’s colors
painted across the sky, shimmering in the evening’s light. I closed
my eyes and hugged the pillow. My bed sheets were chilled from the
autumn’s breeze trickling in through the open window.

Time slowed as I relaxed
enough for sleep to take me. My thoughts ran rampant, the deeper I
neared sleep. Visions of my sister’s death plagued my mind; my
imagination played with those images and my memories. Elderly men
growing young, and pictures of half-starved people – Scavengers –
crawling out of the ground faded away when I felt
his
presence. My lucid
imagination gave way to reality.

Jace’s smoky figure was shaped
perfectly in my sight even though my eyes were closed. I opened
them. He sat on the windowsill, watching me. My skin immediately
warmed when our gaze met. I loved it, and it scared me all the
same. I wanted to ask him so many questions; I wanted to believe
his answers, but I didn’t know if I was ready to hear the truth.
Lies weren’t always easy to live, but they were tempting to hide
in.

“
Tonight, we go fishing for
Hunters. The others agree that using you as bait is worth the risk,
as long as you’re willing,” he said solemnly. “It’s dangerous, but
I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

I sat up in my bed and walked over to
my closet. I wasn’t going to hang around in my cotton shorts and
t-shirt. I grabbed the first thing my fingers brushed across in my
closet - a sweatshirt. I slipped it on and took a deep breath
before turning around.

“
The dreams were real,
weren’t they?” I asked, unable to deny what was right in front of
me. “Fire truly consumes you, doesn’t it? Analee literally has a
death grip, Zalen manipulates sound waves, and there’s nowhere in
the world Marco can’t shift to.”

Jace weighed my words. He pushed off
the windowsill and walked toward me. The floor boards groaned under
his weight as he passed my dresser. I couldn’t move as he walked up
to me. I so ferociously wanted to see how he truly looked; to see
the shell of the body that made me come alive. Heat seeped from
him. A colorless fire started to ripple around his body. Yet I
couldn’t see any defining lines. I couldn’t gaze into his eyes; I
couldn’t lose myself in the colors of his hair; I couldn’t make out
any feature of his shape any better than I could using my
touch.

“
I never told you that you
were sleeping.”

“
You just let me believe
it.”

“
You were looking for any
excuse to believe it wasn’t real, but you knew always knew the
truth. You simply lied to yourself because you didn’t want to
believe it might have been real. You couldn’t admit that you wanted
me.”

I looked away from his
dangerous splendor.
He was a deity. It
wasn’t a joke. He and the others had abilities.
I couldn’t deny that I had supernatural abilities – the
ability to see the future. I was one of them, but I wasn’t
her.

“
How long have you been
searching for the Chronicler?”

He didn’t move. “It doesn’t
matter.”

I knew myself, and I couldn’t live up
to his expectations. I didn’t remember being her, I didn’t remember
anything. I was destined to disappoint him. “You’re insanely in
love with her?”

“
Yes.”

“
You want me?”

“
Yes.”

“
If you really want to have
me, like in my dreams, forget about her, Jace. She’s not
me.”

“
Admit you want me then,”
he demanded. “Enough games; tell me you want me and we will start
fresh.”

My skin prickled. My pulse jumped from
my wrist. I caught my breath as he wrapped his hand around the
jacket, pulling it from my grasp. I let him. His affection jumped
from his skin onto mine when his hand brushed mine. He took my hand
in both of his and blew warm air into them. Not only did my fingers
warm, my entire body sweltered from his decalescent
touch.

“
I want to
see
you,” I said as I
reached up to his face. “And I want you to see who I really am,
which isn’t her. I’m not Deino.”

I skimmed my finger across his bottom
lip. It was as soft as a flower’s petal. His hand slid behind my
neck and then he spoke softly. “You’re adlibbing. Just admit you
want me.”

He held me with his lips skimming
mine. I knew he’d give me a taste of his kiss if I simply admitted
how badly I wanted him - so why were the words still stuck in my
throat? Oh, yes – because the name of his first love, Deino, was
still fresh in his mind.

“
It’s seriously taking you
too long to close the deal.” Marco’s voice registered from my tree
house. I looked up just as he appeared on my bed, lying on his side
and propped on his elbow.

“
You have horrible timing.”
Jace rested his forehead on mine.

“
Oh, don’t mind me,” Marco
said, picking his nails. “I just have this sort-of-big deal on the
brink of falling apart if we don’t get there on schedule, but
you’re right,
my
timing sucks. Our plan falls into an insignificant category
because my buddy Jace here can’t get his mojo together, and he’s
got this thing about asking for permission.”