Rule (Roam Series, Book Five) (4 page)

“I don’t want to leave
now!
My friends… Emma, Liam…,” I lowered my eyes to the beige couch, shaking my head. “Chris! And Logan, Vi, and Wynn are coming in for Thanksgiving, and…,”

“I’ll make certain that you have time for good-byes,” Will assured me.

“Oh, that’s so
good
of you,” I mocked, gripping the back of the couch to keep from punching him in the face.

“None of us expected this so soon,” Roam wiped at her tears, and I cringed at my mother’s overly-emotional response.

“Mom, calm down. I’m fine- I’m sorry I’m freaking.”

“You have a choice.” Will locked his eyes with mine. “I swore to your parents, and to your grandfather, that the decision would be yours. I am asking you to make that choice now.”

His authoritative tone reminded me of my father’s. I stiffened, raising my eyebrows haughtily.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared him down.

“Okay. My answer is no.”

Still holding my gaze, Will did not balk.

After a moment of silence, he turned, nodding and rising to his feet. “Admittedly, I’d expected you to be a version of your mother. Courageous.” I pursed my lips, heartily offended. “I will not pretend to not be… disillusioned. Farewell, then, Eva.”

When neither of my parents rushed to defend me, I burst to my feet. “So that’s it, I’m a coward because I don’t want to live out the rest of my immortal existence in a burning, backwards world?”

He raised his eyes to mine once more, and I blinked at the involuntary enchantment of his sky-blue gaze.

“You are not immortal in my world, Eva. That is why your parents fear for you.”

Stunned, I swayed on my feet, turning to my mother. “Is that true? I’m not immortal there?”

“No. But you won’t age.” My mother’s broken words chilled the flesh on my arms and neck.

“Your appearance will remain the same until the day you die, because you come from this world. Our life span is similar to Earth’s.”

“I’ll be an eighty-year-old woman… in a seventeen-year-old’s body?”

“Eva,” my father stood, walking to me and gathering me into his arms. “I know how much you want to be mortal. Please try to push that aside while you make your decision.”

“She has already made her decision,” Will nodded, turning to my mother. “I must ask for this last escort home.”

“Of course,” she responded. “Let me speak to my son, and then we’ll go.”

“Escort home…?” I looked between them, confused.

“Only you can pass
through the door, Eva, from here to there.”

“Thank you for all that you’ve done,” Will said softly, and my mother held his hands in hers, the apology clear in her eyes.

“So where is this door?” I growled, irritated beyond recovery.

“All have been sealed by magic but the one in Johnstown,” Will explained. “For the safety of my people.”

“Johnstown…?”

“Pennsylvania.”

“
Tonight?
” I widened my eyes, staring at my father.

“The morning. The inclined plane must be functioning.”

“He has to return as quickly as possible,” West explained, pointing to the stairs. “Get what you need together and get some rest; I’ll book a flight.”

I began the strangest evening of my existence falling to my death, only to be packing to escort a king back to his world hours later. Having known about the prophecy all of my life did not prepare me for the oddity of every passing moment.

My father showed Will to the guest room next to mine, which was unofficially dubbed ‘the library.’ Books lined the walls, and a sliding ladder attached to a track for easy access to even the highest shelves. I usually had the entire second floor of the beach house to myself.

“Aren’t you afraid of him attacking me and ravaging me in the night?” I fired at my dad, immaturely delighting in Will’s abhorred reaction.

“You have a lock on your door and a gun by your bed. Besides, you’re a ‘freaking assassin,’ remember?” My dad remarked drily, obviously still irritated with me.

Will turned to me, and I caught the first indication of anger in his look.  “I do not ‘ravage’ children,” he fired, nodding politely at my dad before closing the bedroom door behind him.

I clenched my fists at my sides, wishing my nostrils would remain still when I fumed.

“You’ve disappointed me in many ways tonight, Eva.” He sighed, lowering his lips to my forehead. “I love you. Go to bed.”

As I watched my father descend the stairs, I longed to run after him and plead with him to understand me. Instead, I turned back to my bedroom and retrieved my phone.

Two texts.

Got caught I guess… miss you

Emma
.

The next text was from
Christopher’s phone.

Are you okay?

I sighed, answering Chris’s text quickly and ignoring Emma’s.

Yeah. I’ll tell you more tomorrow.

I tossed my phone to the bed.

Clack, clack.

What is that
noise?
Irritated, I turned to the window, watching the fire escape ladder blow against the railing.
Oh, yeah.

Out on the balcony, I began reeling in the ladder. Keeping my eye on the library door, I worked as quickly as possible.
What are the chances that he’d come out here?

“
Quite a view.”

“Oh my
God!
” I jumped and screamed, dropping the ladder to the stone below.

“I am s
orry… I did not mean to startle you.” Will sat in a chair, shadowed by the slight partition between rooms.

“I’m fine,” I pressed my hand over my chest, willing my thudding heart to settle. “
Um… goodnight,” I managed awkwardly.

His smooth voice stopped me as I started for the door.

“May I ask you a question, before you go?”

My fingers stilled on the door handle. “Sure.”

“Did your mother ever tell you about her time in the castle?”

I turned to him, shifting a string of curls from my eyes. “Yes, and she was the queen. How
exciting
.”

Ignoring my sarcasm, he leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees.

“And she was kept there, against her will, and raped repeatedly by my father?”

Pins and needles prickled over my shoulders and down my arms, and I shivered, my stomach turning. “What?”

“She and your father came to my world to rescue Violet’s mother. They planned to leave together. At the last moment, they realized that you were in the castle… only an infant, several days old. Any means of leaving my world, using weaponry and force, were lost; you’d surely have been killed. Your mother agreed to stay, as long as your father could take you home and protect you.” He focused on the ground, his words pained. “My father hurt her… in many ways.”

My fingers covered my lips, nausea growing with every horrific, imaginative thought. “How long was she a prisoner?”

“Almost four months… two years here.”

“Why wouldn’t she have told me this?” I cried, clenching my fists at my sides. “You’re lying to convince me to go!”

“I’m telling you the truth, since you’ve chosen to stay. I see the lack of respect you hold for your parents, and I was hoping the truth would change that.”

“You don’t know me! You don’t know what my life is
like!
”

“No, but I remember what your mother’s life was like… in my castle.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, smirking arrogantly. “So now you need a queen, is that it?” I held my arms out at my sides, gesturing to my body. Silently thanking the powers that be for early development, I allowed him full view of my swelling chest from above my tank top. “Have to come all the way to another world to find yourself a wife?”

He rose from the chair slowly, his towering height intimidating as he narrowed his eyes. “You think much of yourself, young Eva. However, I’ve come to think very
little
of you after this evening.”

Riled beyond control, I took a step toward him. “You
don’t know me,
” I repeated, my eyes blazing. “You don’t know what I can do to you.”

“Spoiled child.” He shook his head disgustedly.

“I am not a child!”

“If I didn’t have so much respect for your parents, I’d drag you to my world and teach you how to behave.”

“So, you’re a lot like your father, then?”

I expected him to put his hands on me. I
begged
for the opportunity to toss him to the ground.

Instead, the cold fury in his eyes backed me to the sliding glass door, and the heat emanating from his hands steamed the window as he slapped his flat palm against the glass, next to my face.

I flinched, and then cursed myself.

“
I am nothing like my father.
”

My
chest rose and fell as I struggled to even my breathing. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, guilt heating my cheeks. “I’m sorry, Will, but I’m not afraid of you.”

His eyes seemed to steal all of my energy, and I shivered again, uncomfortable with his stare.

Finally, he took a calming breath, backing away. “Your grandfather was right. You are something else entirely.”

“My grandfather?” I followed him as he walked back toward the library door. “Wait… what did he say?”

He turned to me, his hand on the door. “He referred to you as a ‘challenge.’”

I smiled fondly a
t the memory of the dreams of my dad’s father, with his long, white beard and crooked smile.

“Well, I’m sorry for all the animosity. I really do hope that everything works out in your world.”

Will regarded me with a sideways glance. “Keep your brother safe.”

He slid the door open, and I stiffened at his words.
Keep my brother safe?

“Wait,” I watched him loosen the buttons on his shirt collar. “What are you talking about?”

“There are insurgents who do not agree with my compassion.”

“Insurgents… they’d come after my brother?”

His shirt hung unbuttoned from his shoulders, revealing a light sprinkling of dark hair over an inconceivably muscled chest. I lowered my eyes to the hardwood floor, kicking at the braided rug.
Holy hot.

“Only you and your brother will stop the sun from burning our world.”

“They want to abduct Christopher?”

“No, Eva.” He took a step closer, and I lifted my eyes to his. “They want to kill him.”

“Why?” I nearly crumbled, wanting to reach into his brain and yank his words out faster. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

“Your deaths will stop the sun and return our lands to normal. Keeping you in our world is only… a way to avoid your deaths.”

“What about Chris, though? If he’s not there, what about the second sun?”

“It will burn until his death.”

“Will,” I felt my eyes water, blinking back burning tears. “Your people want him dead?”

“Some do.”

“No…,” I lifted my eyes to his, and finally recognized a hint of sympathy in his gaze. “How are you punishing them?”

I could tell my question caught him off guard. “Punishing them?”

“Are you executing them? Locking them up? What are you doing to protect him?” I demanded, nearly shouting.

“They are free to think what they choose. Until they act, I cannot ‘punish’ them-…,”

“Is it a fucking democracy, or a
monarchy?
You are the
king!
”

“And I will earn my people’s respect, not their fear.”

My mind turned. I paced, staring at the floor. “And if I go there, I will stop the sun from burning.”

“That is what your grandfather has told me. You will slow the burn, or stop it all together.”

“But just… one sun?”

He took a step to me, stopping me in my pacing path. “Just one sun.”

I lifted my eyes. “Will, they will come after Christopher.”

His hands slid over my arms, and his eyes turned dark. “That much is inevitable.”

“
No…,
” I locked my eyes with his.
You have to protect Chris. He can’t fight like you… he can’t protect himself.

Losing him would destroy my
parents.

“I’ll come with you… on one con
dition,” I bit my lip, holding my breath.

“Yes?” He urged, his fingers tightening on my forearms.

“You have to make me the queen.”

Exhaling slowly, he released my arms. “Eva.”

“I will only go if I can rule.”