Nevermore, the Complete Series (57 page)

He also explained how the journal worked. Bahamet held Ezra as he lay dying after the ‘Howlers’ attacked, and told him that he had managed to retain some of his abilities. The Shaman could no longer heal, but he did have the ability to charm objects. Ezra requested that Bahamet enchant the journal so that only a fellow hunter could access the knowledge he had gathered over the years – they would have to have the blood of a hunter to release the hidden information. Bahamet fled from the scene with the journal in hand as the two men heard what turned out to be Eleanor approaching, and that was when his life of torment began.

The rest of the trip was a blur. I struggled to keep myself busy with anything I could to keep my mind off what had happened back in the cave. I must have asked Ezra a thousand or more questions along the way. I also did my best to try to explain to him some of the technological advancements since his time. He was taking things far better than I expected, although he still couldn’t understand much of it. My cell phone was near unbelievable to him, and I didn’t even want to try to show him the laptop yet.

We ended up stopping another dozen times on the way to Colorado, mostly for restroom breaks, leg stretching, and gas. At each stop Hannah would disappear for the length of the visit then return with her eyes colored that familiar red. It didn’t bother me as much as it used to, now that I had experienced it first hand as well.

After waking from one final nap inside the confines of the car, I wiped the sleep from my eyes and grinned excitedly as I realized the surroundings were now all too familiar. We had come to Willowshire at last after a grueling thirty or more hours of riding. I was ecstatic to finally be home, just in time for my birthday. The loss of Paul weighed heavily on me as we passed by his auto shop, and knowing that he wouldn’t be present at my birthday nor my wedding broke my heart. Hannah drove us to the cemetery and exited the car, saying that she was going to pay a visit to Raziel’s unmarked grave as it was nearing the year mark of his official death. I was more than a little alarmed by this but I did not question her for now, she was already in a poor mood since Salem and I had used the spring waters. I took the wheel and drove us to the Banner house to celebrate being back home. I couldn’t wait to see my friends again…the last of my friends.

Jason pulled me into a tight embrace as soon as I knocked on the familiar red door, followed by a similar hug from his younger brother. My eyes welled up in unexpected tears as I held onto my closest friends, and I half-expected to spot Karen sitting on the faux leather couch waiting to tell me she had a surprise party planned for me…but I knew that would never be. Instead, there was another girl sitting there. Eila sat in the living room staring awkwardly at us. I let go of Mitchell and approached Eila with my arms out and inviting.

She awkwardly stood from the couch and wrapped her arms around me in a loose hug.

“I’m so happy for you and Jason! I hope you two can work it out with you in Denver though,” I said, hoping it seemed as sincere as I meant it and not sarcasm.

She smiled warmly and released me. “Thanks, but I decided that I’d stay here for now. Jason is going to look into a job in Denver that pays the same if not better than Howard’s in the meantime. He deserves better than that dumb place anyway. Do you know he had to work the last TEN days in a row?”

“Wow…and yeah, I agree. That’s great that you two are working out living in Denver, though,” I replied with false enthusiasm and looked back at Jason. Was he going to leave me here in Willowshire? I felt sick to my stomach thinking about it. I really was happy they were together, but I didn’t want to lose yet another friend…though I suppose he wouldn’t be that far away.

Jason intervened and dragged me out to the front of the house, leaving everyone else indoors, including Salem. I eyed him curiously as he glanced at the windows to ensure they were completely shut and no one would be capable of seeing us through them.

“What’s going on, Jace?” I asked suspiciously.

He grinned. “Look…Alex, I know you’re going to seriously hate me after this and probably hit me or something…but, I just want to try something one last time before it is too late.”

“…I’m not sure I want to know what it is,” I replied and moved to step away but he grabbed my arm and pulled me closer – I wasn’t used to the lack of strength I once possessed and I couldn’t get away.

With one arm wrapped around my waist, he stared deeply into my eyes and smiled widely at me. “We only live once, Alexis…or, in your case, twice? But, when an opportunity comes up, we should take it, before it’s gone.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Jason,” I muttered, trying to step away again but still transfixed by the look in his eyes.

“I was so stupid not to do or say anything before…before he came,” he said and his eyes changed from excited to saddened and he swallowed. “It was right before me for years, but I was always afraid to take that chance, afraid of rejection, and thought that maybe it would be better if I kept it to myself…”

I shook my head with confusion. “What are you saying?”

“You, and Salem…you’re perfect together,” he said with a frown. “I wish that you and I could have been perfect together. I…I know we could have. I know we still can.”

“Oh, Jason…” I mimicked his sad expression. “You know that I love you and always will-“

“As a friend,” he finished.

“You have Eila, doesn’t that make you happy?”

“Of course. She is great…but, she isn’t you.”

“I’m sorry, Jace…I really am.”

Without another word he suddenly pressed his lips firmly against mine, dipping me downward slowly as his sudden action grew more passionate. I wanted to pull away, wanted to push him off of me and tell him he was making a mistake, but something stopped me. I enjoyed the feeling of being entwined in his arms, the feel of his soft, warm lips against mine and longed for more as he slowly pulled away and looked away in shame.

“Do you hate me now?” he asked as he cautiously stepped backward.

I shook my head, my thoughts a jumbled mess. “No…I could never hate you…”

“Really?”

“Really,” I laughed lightly. “But…you really shouldn’t have done that. And…and I shouldn’t have returned it.”

“Then you enjoyed it?” he asked eagerly.

“Yes, but that’s not the point. I love Salem, and I am getting married to him…this shouldn’t have happened.”

“I’m sorry,” he said and hung his head. “But, I wanted one last chance before you were gone. Before you were his.”

“I have always been his,” I said with a smile. “But I will always be yours, too, Jason…just not in the same way.”

“I know, but I’ll never get over you.”

I shrugged and hugged him. “You don’t know that. There’s a special girl in your house that gave up college for you, and I can tell that she really likes you. In time, she will replace my spot in your heart.”

“I doubt it,” he replied sadly and pulled away.

As I began to open my mouth to speak, the door opened wide and Salem peeked out at us. Jason gulped and his cheeks grew a dark shade of vermilion.

“You two have been out here a while,” Salem commented and eyed Jason suspiciously. “Were you discussing something of secret?”

“Sort of,” Jason replied. “I was…about to give Alex her birthday present, but since you interrupted us, I’ll just give it to her inside.”

Salem looked at the two of us awkwardly, and I felt a deep seed of shame planting itself in the pit of my stomach as I followed him inside. Mitch and Eila were sitting on the loveseat, with Ezra leaning against the back wall in anticipation of our return. Mitchell eyed his brother and shook his head as though he knew what happened. I frowned and averted my eyes as I wandered into the room. There were three gift boxes sitting on the coffee table, and a small cake set to the side.

Torn wrapping paper littered the floor of the living room as I marveled at the presents lying on the ground in front of me. Everyone else was indulging in the strawberry-filled white cake that Eila baked specifically for my birthday. Salem downed two pieces already, much to my surprise – although, I truly shouldn’t have been shocked at all. After hundreds of years without tasting something as delicious as cake, I am sure I would have filled up on it, too. Jason had given me a charm bracelet with a silver letter charm representing the names of everyone I knew and loved – S, J, M, P, E, D, H, K and an A for my own name. I didn’t bother mentioning the lack of an R for my grandfather’s name – someone whom I would have to visit or should at least call soon. Eila gave me a book filled with sheet music to further learn and play. And, from Mitchell, a scrapbook and fancy camera that he insisted we used during the wedding.

Overall, it was better than my last birthday party – excluding the fact that it was missing Karen and my mind was dwelling on Paul’s body lying idly in the body of the cave. I glanced around the room at my closest friends enjoying themselves and everything felt right with the world knowing that they were here with me, and I should be enjoying the moment. I ate the remainder of my cake and then realized there was still one small unopened present lying on the table. Much smaller than the rest, I could have sworn it wasn’t there just moments ago.

“What is this one? Who’s it from?” I asked, picking the light little package up.

With a mouth half-full of cake Jason replied, “That one’s from me too. I just got it today for you, it was kind of spur of the moment and kind of not. Really it isn’t only for you.”

“For Salem and me?” I asked. His face turned a subtle mix of sadness and embarrassment.

“Well, yeah. I guess so. I mean, it is sort of for Eila too.”

“What? For me?” Eila said, perhaps more shocked than I was.

“Can I open it now?”

“It’s your present, why couldn’t you?”

I nodded and slowly began to
unwrap the gift. As the paper fell away from the tiny little box I felt queasy. It looked almost like a small jewelry box, something a ring or necklace would be in. I looked up at Jason with a confused look on my face and couldn’t help but notice Eila and Salem both looking more than a little irritated.

“It’s not what you think,” Jason answered to our unasked questions. “It’s the only box I had around small enough, I didn’t have time to run out and get one…I just wrapped it like five minutes ago.”

Confused more now than I had been previously, I popped the lid from the small white box. The silver gleam inside caught my eyes immediately, but it was not jewelry.

“Is this…?”

“It is.”

Inside were the keys to the home I had grown up in, the home I was standing in now.

“Jason, Salem and I are going to-”

“Live here,” Jason interrupted, a half-smile on his face. “Eila, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this sooner either but…well I just needed to know something first, and now I do. I want to go to Denver with you now.
As soon as we can.”

“But Jason I already sent the letters to postpone my enrollment…” Eila said.

“And who did you give them to to send off?” Jason pulled out a wrinkled envelope from his back pocket. “I know I shouldn’t have done that, but I couldn’t let you give up everything for me.”

“Oh, Jason!
I love you!” Eila said and ran to hug him. With his head resting on her shoulder he looked at me and smiled, despite the sadness in his eyes. My last friends were leaving me.

“Excuse me for a second,” I muttered, put down my plate and went upstairs to my old bedroom.

I was unsure how I felt. I was glad our search for a house was over, and we could definitely make improvements to this one to make it our own…but this house was filled with memories now spoiled by time. How many times had Karen sat with me in this very room, gossiping and insisting on doing my hair? How many times had my mom came in here at night to wish me sweet dreams? But they were gone now.

Not only them but now Jason would be gone, and although I knew it wasn’t…I felt as though it were my own fault. Everything felt like my fault.

Without knowing why, I slipped my cell phone from my pocket to look through some of the pictures I had loaded onto it from the laptop of Karen and me. When I looked at the screen I noticed it had somehow become unlocked and was on my contacts. There in the middle of my screen was a name I hadn’t thought of in some time – Aunt Kim.

All thought of the house, Jason, my mom, and Karen faded as I realized I needed to call her. I needed to tell her about her brother…about my dad. I twiddled my thumb above the touch screen as I hesitated making such a dreaded call. How was I going to break the news to her? With a gulp, I pressed the small phone icon by her name and waited for the phone to dial. My heart was racing rapidly as my mind fought for ideas of what to say, how to say it, wondering how she would react, and trying to convince myself that it was not my fault.

“Hey Alex! Happy birthday!” my aunt said enthusiastically, “I was going to call you but wasn’t sure if you were back home yet. Honest! Are you back?”

“Yeah…we just got back today, actually. And thanks,” I said quietly. “There’s something I need to tell you, and it’s not going to be easy…and I don’t know where to even begin.”

“You can tell me anything, Alex,” her tone changed from excited to concerned instantly.

“I know that. It’s just a really sensitive subject that might be better told in person.”

“Do you want me to come over?”

“Yeah, if you can…come by my old house, where my friend Jason lives...lived. If you’re lucky, there might still be some cake left over.”

“Lived? Did something happen to your friend?”

“No…well, yes…but that’s not it. Jason is fine. Just come over, okay?”

“Right…I’ll see you soon.”

I burst into tears as I hung up the phone and stared down at my feet. I sat on the edge of Mitch’s bed and put my head in my hands and a wave of déjà vu swept over me as I recalled sitting on Janet’s old bed, in a similar position. I had lost so many people already, I couldn’t bear to lose anyone else…but I had little to no control over that. I tried my hardest to protect the people I loved, but in the end – was I risking their lives rather than saving them? Janet got herself in trouble with Mark, that wasn’t my fault. Destiny’s death couldn’t have been avoided without someone else dying in her place. Karen…young, delicate Karen…I was not involved in her death at all, either…but Paul? Why hadn’t I thought ahead of time about having Salem summon a ladder to ensure we all made it up safely? Did that make it my fault?

My thoughts were lost almost instantly when the floor creaked and I looked up to see Mitchell staring in at me. I tried to wipe my eyes and hide my face so he would not know I was crying.

“You’re missing out on a long, interesting game of Monopoly,” he said with a forced smile as he stepped into the room. “Salem and Ezra are very…weird…about how to play.”

“I can imagine,” I chuckled and wiped my eyes again. “What’re you doing up here?”

“Checking on you, are you okay?”

I shrugged. “No, not really…I’m…I’m just thinking about Paul…and Karen…and mom. And now you two are leaving me, too. I know I should be downstairs enjoying my birthday with everyone else.”

“You’ve been through a lot, that’s for sure…but worse things could have happened. You’re alive, Salem is alive. It’s your birthday, you’re going to get married soon…you have so many things to be happy about! I know it’s hard not to let the sad stuff get you down, but you have to work through it somehow or else you’ll just end up depressed. And Jason is the one leaving you, not me! I have my job at the diner still. I’ll find myself an apartment. Besides, Denver is only – what, four hours away?”

“Six.”

“Right, six hours. That’s nothing. I bet Jason will be up here visiting you every weekend.”

“I doubt that,” I shrugged, dwelling then at the fact that Mitchell would still be nearby.

“I don’t.”

“Mitch, can I ask you something sort of off subject?”

“Yeah, anything.”

“How did you get through your parents’ divorce?” I wasn’t sure why I was asking him this. A divorce was hard on everyone involved for sure, especially children…but it was not the same as death.

Mitchell shrugged and sat beside me on the edge of his mattress. “I didn’t. It still bothers me every now and then, but I don’t let it get to me anymore. They weren’t happy together, and now they are happy apart…I might not like it, but I’m at least glad they’re happy.”

I smiled warmly and looked him over. “Thank you, Mitchell. This talk may have been the best birthday present I’ve had today.”

“Including the make out session with Jason?” he asked glumly and looked at me seriously.

“That was a mistake…and it wasn’t a make out session!” I averted my eyes in shame. “How did you even know about it?”

“He told me he was planning to. I warned him not to…I even told him I’d give him a slap in the face myself if he did it, but I guess he didn’t listen, huh?”

“He should listen to you more often, you’re way more mature than I ever thought.”

“Hey now, don’t go trying to make out with me too here!” He laughed jokingly and I hit him with a nearby pillow.

After a couple laughs I smiled and hugged him. “Thanks, again.”

“Anytime, Alex.”

A knock sounded on the front door downstairs and the two of us rushed down there. I was not prepared to see my aunt this quickly; she must have already been in town. I thought about just staying up here, in my old room, but I knew it was something I would have to face eventually – and who better to receive the news from than her own niece? I left the room and slowly walked down the stairs, each step feeling harder than the next.

Kim quickly embraced me in a tight hug and apologized for not bringing a present, but offered me a card that I discovered contained a one hundred dollar bill in it. She grabbed a slice of cake – the final piece – and devoured it as if it were the first thing she had eaten in days.

“Man, that is some good cake!” she exclaimed, “Where did you get it?”

“Eila baked it, actually,” Jason said with a proud smile.

“Wow! That’s amazing!”

“Thanks,” Eila replied with a grin. “That reminds me, I was wondering if you had someone in mind to make your wedding cake, Alex.”

Aunt Kim glanced at me and then at Salem and gasped. “Wedding cake?” she began scanning our fingers and spotted the rings and let out another gasp and stood up.
“Congratulations! I can’t believe you two are engaged! So young…yet, you two are perfect for each other, it doesn’t surprise me.”

I laughed awkwardly and wished she could have discovered the exciting news last. “Thanks, Aunt Kim,” I replied and turned toward Eila. “We’d be more than happy if you made the cake. We can talk about it later, or you can just surprise us. Whatever sounds most fun to
you.”

“Great! Do you want any sort of theme for the wedding or anything?”

“I would just like to do the cake topper myself,” Salem replied with a wink. “The rest of it can be up to you ladies.”

Eila didn’t quite understand Salem’s request but nodded anyway.
“Sounds good to me.”

I watched Kim finish the last forkful of cake and set her plate down. Ezra stood quietly in the background, observing us and making no effort for communication. He must have felt awkward amongst all of us strangers, and knowing little to nothing about what we were discussing or who most of us were.

“So this is the big news you had me scrambling over and terrified about? Geez, girl, I thought someone had died by the way you sounded on the phone,” Kim laughed, and the room got very quiet.

“No, it wasn’t about the wedding...it’s…well,” I was struggling to find the words and I could feel everyone’s eyes piercing into me.” Can we go outside and talk? Please?”

“Yeah, of course,” she said as she wiped a napkin across her lips, her expression becoming more grave.

I stared silently at my aunt when we were outside and alone, trying to put words together in my head but nothing sounded right – but somehow, I had to tell her...and it was going to break her heart.

“Have you heard from grandpa in a while?” I asked. Maybe small talk leading into the bigger matter would make it easier.

“He has been calling me daily to see if you were back yet,” she said with a smile. “He’s really fond of you, Alex. You should spend as much time with him as you can before it’s too late…I know I need to as well.”

“I wish I had known there was going to be a party tonight, I would have invited him…”

“Don’t worry, just make sure he’s at the wedding – then he’ll forget all about missing your party, if he hasn’t already.” She smiled and shook her head in disbelief. “My little niece is getting married. It’s so amazing, Alexis. Here I am, in my late thirties, and I don’t even have a boyfriend…but you just turned nineteen and are about to be a wife.”

I felt my cheeks grow warm and I let out a light chuckle. “There’s someone special out there for you, Aunt Kim…trust me.”