Forever Breathing (Just Breathe #3) (10 page)

She stirs and looks up into my eyes. Her smile spreads. I could get lost right now.

“Are we there yet?”

I nod. “How did you get here?  Actually,
why
are you here? I thought we agreeoug="+d I would meet you underwater.”

“I wanted to make sure you are coming. I was afraid you would change your mind.”

“And you thought just by being here, you could change my mind if I did have different ideas?”

She smirks, “Did it work?”

Oh boy would it have if I wasn’t already decided.

I answer her by lowering my lips to hers. She meets me half way and opens her mouth slightly deepening our kiss. 
Man, am I toast.

The doors to the car open, so I break our connection.

I look down into her eyes, “Sara, I have to go to my grandmother’s. I didn’t exactly tell her where I’m going, so you can’t come up there with me.”

She nods, “I know, I’ll meet you.”

I get up and reach my hand out to her. She grabs it getting up. I notice her pink mini-dress that barely covers her thighs. As if her legs weren’t long before. I have to peel my eyes away from her body before
my body
betrays me.

We exit the train and head in opposite directions agreeing to meet later that night. It’s going to be a long afternoon.

***

I take a bus uptown to my Gam-aw’s apartment. She greets me when I knock on the front door.

“Hi James, did you travel here like a normal person?”

I laugh, “Actually Gam-aw I did.”

I gently hug her and follow her into the living room. Smells waft through the air making my stomach grumble.

“I thought I’d feed you before you go.”

I smirk, “Thanks Gam-aw, I’m so hungry.”

“How does chicken and potatoes sound?”

“Wonderful.”

“It won’t be done just yet, let’s talk first.”

“Okay, before you start, let me first tell you that I know what’s going on in the sea.”

She sits down next to me and it seems as though the couch swallows her up.

“Good, that was my main concern that you didn’t know about the other cities coming. If you do know, then why are you going?”

This is the hard part. I rehearsed this but a lie is never good especially since she has been telling them for me. I owe her big.

“I’m going to spend a little time to help them plan. I don’t want to be there when it actually happens but I want to help in any other way I can.”

She seems satisfied with my answer. I’m relieved, not sure how many more lies I have in me for the people I love. It seems like such a betrayal. Well, exactly what I am going to do.

***

I wait for her to fall asleep a fat>

She whispers, “James, before we go, will you kiss me like you mean it, like it’s our last kiss?”

I turn to her, gather her in my arms and devour those lips like it’s the last kiss I will ever have. This girl could very well be the death of me and I will be fine if it comes to that.

Chapter 15

Ever

Renewed by my grandmother’s confidence in me, I feel the need to get back to Jack. I have to get this over with. I know it’s going to be bad but not sure how bad.

I travel back to Amber’s dwelling with my heart in my throat. I have to calm down or I’ll lose it before I even utter a word. Unfortunately, he’s not here. It’s late at night so I’m surprised that he’s missing. Great, this will be even harder at the Erebus caves. I reluctantly swim out toward the front door. Before I reach it, Amber meets me in the main room.

“Ever, we need to talk.”

Ugh, I am tired of talking. The one person I want to talk to is not here.

“Amber, I really don’t want to go another round with you. My mind is made up. I know you can’t see it. Maybe if you loved someone from the land, you would have a better understanding…”

I trail off not knowing what else to say. She pretty much disowned me in our last conversation so I’m just done.

Her face grows soft.

“Ever, you’re right, I don’t exactly understand. Maybe I can’t but I worry for my brother. I worry that when you leave, he’ll be lost to us all, for good.”

She tries to lift my spirits, which must be transparent on my face. Then takes a moment to pause and smile before adding, “I worry that Jack will pull an ‘Ever’.”

I relent trying to shake this feeling of doom rising in me, “You mean a freak out?”

She nods grinning but still looking sad.

“He’s waiting for you at the coral beds.”

I look at her wondering if she told him. I don’t even want to go there. I turn to leave but she grabs my arm before I can go any further.

“I still think of you as the sister I never had. Take care of yourself okay?”

I turn and hug her fiercely letting a tiny tear roll down my cheek.

***

I find Jack sitting amongst the coral. I can see the muscles in his back stretched taut. He is far from relaxed, I can tell. I look around us. The water seems cloudier than normal as if it can sense the turmoil I’m about to deliver.

I approach him hesitantly and place my hand on his ar fat>he turmm so as not to startle him. He barely moves at my touch. I keep my hand there but settle in front of him. He is looking down toward the sand settled at the bottom of the sea. So he’s basically looking at nothing. I reach out with my other hand and place it under his chin guiding his eyes to meet mine. Cloudy green covers those beautiful almond eyes. I hurt just looking at the sadness already there.

Suddenly he gets up, grasps my cheeks gently with both hands and lowers his lips to mine. I open eagerly letting him taste my mouth mixing with the salt of the sea. We kiss as if our lives depend on it. His hand moves behind my head guiding me. I raise my hands and run them through his hair. I can feel every bit of hurt I’m about to inflict on him and I haven’t uttered a word. Surely I’m going to lose it. I knew this would be hard just not like this. I lose myself in that kiss. I remember our first, he kissed my forehead and barely glanced my lips the day he met my parents. I remember the day he brought me to him in the ocean that first visit and I thought I could die right there because nothing could be better. And I remember the day we found each other again. The day when a huge battle was ahead of us but nothing meant more to me than to know that Jack still loved me. The day when he carefully kissed me, assuring us both that we are meant to be forever. This kiss will be stored in my mind forever. When life gets tough, I will conjure the sweet memory to the surface, and whatever I am facing will become a little easier to handle.

I fall into this kiss with the knowledge that he already knows I’m going. Whether Amber told him or not, this is his truce. He is letting me go. That realization slams into me with such ferocity that I stifle my sobs with this kiss adoring him more than my very own life.

Chapter 16

James

Traveling to an unknown place always makes me uneasy. fat> width="3eSara makes the feeling dissipate a small bit. She assures me that my presence in this city won’t cause alarm. I’m not sure I believe her. I am after all a relative of Jaspen, the only Erebus to ever overrun a Lior city. I sigh realizing that I have no clue what I’m getting myself into.  I glance over at her as we swim south toward the city. She seems so happy. Remembering her dark time as I refer to it, when she went crazy on Ever, I wonder if this other Sara will make an appearance if things get too hard to handle. There’s no telling. More than anything I have to keep my head clear on the task at hand.

She glances over at me, smiles and grabs my hand as we swim. I definitely have to keep my wits about me or she will be the death of me. I turn to look forward and small shapes appear off in the distance. They stretch for miles to the east and west. I remember the first time I came to Seamus’ city. It was an unbelievable sight. I thought the size was incredible. Now that I am staring at this immense expanse of civilization in front of us, my stomach turns realizing what Jaspen is up against. This city is twice the size. Disbelief settles within me. There is no way… it is going to be impossible.

Sara squeezes my hand as we swim. I look over and meet her gaze. I smile pretending like I don’t have a care in the world except to be with her. Realization that I won’t be able to accomplish this by myself hits me. I have to find Alex as soon as possible.

***

Sara was wrong after all. We were met with animosity and serious questions as we entered the city. Guards led us directly to the castle which makes Jaspen’s castle look like a hut. It is covered in white lights. The same luminescence commonly used under the water. The steeples reaching for the surface of the water jut out in all angles. I am more amazed than anything else at the resemblance the building has to a church on land. Windows dotting the steeples are covered with stained glass. If I didn’t know any better, I would imagine they went and took a church from the land and plopped it down here. I must have halted my swimming because I feel a tug on my arm in the direction of the castle. I look at my arm and spot Sara’s eyes pleading with me.  I look over at the guards and they both nod impatiently for me to go. The spears they each hold are threatening so I follow Sara’s lead. We enter through curved, double doors mirroring the windows above. I get a closer look and realize the glass depicts scenes with mer-people.  The doors show a scene that hits too close to home for me. It resembles a battle similar to the one we just finished back north so many
miles away. Even worse, these people are proud enough of this violence to forever cement it in a doorway. If I were doing an ‘Ever’, I would vomit right here. I push the thought of my sister away and follow the guards and Sara down hallway after hallway. The walls are lined with red coral, creating more natural looking rock structures than actual walls.

As we enter a room, I notice other sets of eyes taking us in. One set is familiar and I’m glad that the odds might possibly be in my favor at the moment. Alex nods as I glance his way.

I scan the other faces, and my eyes meet the gaze of Metea. The disgust on her face speaks volumes about how she feels at my appearance. Sara squeezes my hand but I don’t look over. I continue staring at Metea. Yes, childish, a stare down is definitely not appropriate here but she needs to know I mean business. The silence spreads for minutes but is finally broken when someone enters behind me and clears his throat. When he speaks her eyes immediately avert to him dismissio hrance. Sarng me as if I’m inconsequential.

His deep booming voice announces, “I’m told we have unexpected visitors.”

I turn not wanting any kind of threat behind me where I can’t see it. I’m shocked at the resemblance this guy has to Jaspen. He is taller and bulkier but there is a very good chance they are related. I’m wondering now if this plot is about to grow even thicker.

He speaks clearly, “I heard Jaspen’s grandson had the audacity to come into my city. I had to see this with my own two eyes.”

I feel Sara’s hand squeezing mine as if her life depends on it. My blood starts to boil just a little at the threatening tone of this guy.  Obviously, I am not welcome here. Before I can answer, I feel a hand on my shoulder and Alex’s voice. This is a good thing because I was planning to tell him off.

“Roman, I’m so glad you could join us. This is James. Yes, he is Jaspen’s grandson and your nephew. He has come to help us, not harm us.”