Broken Promise (Between Worlds #2) Read online

  “They’re hidden.”

  Sierra raised an eyebrow. “Under your shirt?”

  I laughed. “No, they’re quite big.”

  I could tell she wasn’t going to believe me until I proved it to her. I looked around. There were a couple of people within sight, and I couldn’t risk them seeing me. I motioned for her to stand up. “Follow me.”

  We passed back through all the games and weaved in and out of the crowds as my eyes scanned the carnival for somewhere to go. I spotted a large shed behind the petting zoo and dragged her towards it.

  I peeked inside to see if anyone was there, but it appeared to be abandoned; no tools or equipment at all. I looked around to make sure nobody was watching, and then stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind us. I turned to face Sierra. “Ready?”

  She nodded, staring at me like I’d lost my mind. Quickly, before I could lose my nerve, I dropped my glamour.

  Her eyes widened in shock. She circled around me. I felt her touch my wings, and the usual tingle of sensation filled me. Then she tugged. I guess she wanted to see if they came off and this would all be a joke.

  Although I stayed silent and let her absorb the situation, I really wanted to know how she felt. Would she still want to be my friend? Would she freak out and run away? Or would she go tell Adam?

  After what seemed like a lifetime, she finally she broke the silence. “This is surreal.”

  “Tell me about it.” I was getting a little self-conscious being in my true form, so I glamoured myself again.

  “What did you just do?” Sierra waved her hands around behind by back.

  “I made myself look human again.”

  “How?”

  “Something called glamour.”

  Sierra leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. “So. You’re a faery.”

  “Yes.”

  “And your biological mom gave you away.”

  “Yes.”

  “Because she needed to keep you safe?”

  “Right.”

  “Why?”

  “Apparently my father wanted to trade me for some dark magick.”

  “Nice guy,” Sierra said wryly.

  I examined her, trying to find any sign that she was about to freak out. But she didn’t seem to be nervous or anything. “So...you’re okay with this?” I asked.

  Sierra wrinkled her nose, and then grinned. “It’s a little weird, but yeah.”

  I rejoiced inside, thrilled that she wasn’t freaking out. If I shared everything with her—the kidnapping, my time in captivity, all of it, then I would finally have someone to talk to when things got rough.

  “So what had you so freaked out back there? Something to do with this faery thing, right?”

  “I saw another faery.” I walked to the window and peeked out. There was no sign of Kallan. Detached from the sighting of him, I started to question if I hadn’t imagined him. I was so stressed out lately that it was a possibility.

  “Why does another faery freak you out?”

  “Long story. Basically there’s this faery boy I’m supposed to marry.”

  “What?” Sierra gasped.

  “Yeah. That’s obviously a problem.”

  “And he was here?”

  “Yes, but he’s gone now.”

  Sierra lowered her voice, as if she didn’t really want to ask. “Does Adam know?”

  “NO!” I responded quickly. “Please don’t tell him. Don’t tell anyone.”

  “I doubt anyone would believe me.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “I am, too!” She shook her head. “So, you’re supposed to marry some faery?”

  I nodded.

  “When?”

  “When I’m eighteen. I need to find a way to get out of it.”

  Sierra looked at me, perplexed. “Just say no.”

  “I can’t. I promised, and apparently when a faery promises something it can’t be broken.”

  “But why did you promise to marry someone who isn’t Adam?”

  I sighed, at a loss for words. How could I explain it to Sierra? “The guy in charge threatened my life as well as the lives of everyone I love. So I had to, but now I need to find a way out of it. I love Adam. I can’t marry someone else.”

  “Are you serious? He threatened you? Can’t your dad take care of him?”

  “I wish it were that easy.” I was disgusted to feel tears well up in my eyes. “The faery world is beyond the reach of my dad’s law enforcement.”

  Sierra touched my arm. “What can I do to help?”

  “I have no idea.” I turned my face away so she couldn’t see the tears in my eyes.

  “We’ll figure it out.” Sierra took a step towards me and then stopped. “Can I still hug you?”

  “Duh. I’m still the same Rylie.”

  “Just with wings,” Sierra said with a laugh and wrapped her arms around me. “Hey. Why are you crying?”

  I spoke into her hair. “Happy that you’re still my friend.”

  “Of course I’m still your friend. Don’t be ridiculous.” She squeezed me tight before letting go. She gave me a sympathetic smile.

  For the first time since my life was completely inverted, I put to words a fear that had haunted me. “Do you think Adam will still love me?”

  “He’d be an idiot not to. Like you said, you’re still you.”

  I grinned at my best friend and counted myself lucky to have her support. She hadn’t run screaming or judged me. As she always had, Sierra accepted me for me.

  The problem was, I didn’t really feel like me anymore.

  As soon as I walked through the door at school, I could tell something major was going on. Excitement lingered in the air. Everyone was huddled in corners whispering. I gripped Adam’s hand and looked around curiously, wondering what could be so important. There’d probably been a school fight or something.

  Sierra strolled up, her backpack slung over her shoulder. She didn’t look quite as tired; maybe her nephew slept better last night.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “Apparently, the hottest boy ever just enrolled in our school, and cat fights are already starting. Five of the most popular girls have called dibs.”

  “All this over a boy? That’s so stupid,” I said with a laugh.

  “That’s not all. Rumor has it that he’s excellent at sports—especially baseball.” She looked pointedly at Adam.

  “Is that so?” Adam looked around as if seeking out his competition.

  “I doubt he’s better than Adam.” I squeezed his hand. Adam was very athletic; he’d already been accepted to a number of colleges on scholarship.

  Adam let go of me to crack his knuckles. “I’ll have to find this clown.”

  “You don’t know he’s a clown. He could be perfectly nice,” I reprimanded and pulled Adam along to my locker. Guys were so competitive.

  I had Adam, so I had no interest in the new guy. Let the other girls fight over him. Though I was slightly curious to see what all the fuss was about.

  The whispers continued all morning, but I still hadn’t gotten a glimpse of the new kid. I was starting to wonder if he actually existed until I walked into science and came face-to-face with the boy everyone was talking about.

  Dressed in black like always, he fixed his familiar teal eyes on mine. I stopped in my tracks. Someone banged into the back of me, crushing my wings and propelling me forward a couple of steps, causing me to drop my books. The stack of folders, notebooks, and textbook hit the floor with a heavy thud.

  Heart hammering in my chest, I took two shaky steps forward to pick up my books, but he was quicker. Kallan unfolded himself from the desk and stood with a fluid, graceful movement that made my heart skip a beat. I was unable to tear my eyes away from his beautiful face. His inky black hair was slightly longer than the last time I saw him, and his chest seemed wider. I could clearly see the muscles beneath his snug shirt. And his wings took my breath away.


  Kallan picked up my books and offered them to me. His lip twitched slightly as if he was forcing himself not to smile. “You dropped these.”

  On autopilot, I took the books, our fingers brushing. This could not be happening. Kallan was the new boy everyone was talking about?

  Without another word, Kallan turned away and sat back down.

  I lowered myself into my seat and turned my head slightly in his direction. His eyes were now fixed on the chalkboard. I clasped my hands together in my lap to keep them from shaking.

  Mr. Edwards walked in and nodded his head in Kallan’s direction. “We have a new student. Please make sure he feels welcome.”

  All eyes turned to Kallan, and he smiled, completely at ease with himself and his surroundings. As Mr. Edwards started the lecture, Kallan lowered his head and flipped open his notebook with his long, slender fingers. I watched as he started to sketch. Although he didn’t turn in my direction the rest of the class, I couldn’t peel my gaze from him no matter how hard I tried. It seemed I wasn’t the only one. Girls kept glancing back and smiling at him. He seemed oblivious to everyone in the room, including me.

  I needed to get him alone to find out what he was doing there.

  The bell signaled the end of class and Kallan stood up. He glanced back at me, a smirk on his face, and then went out the door. I gathered my books as fast as I could and followed after him.

  When I burst into the hallway, I saw Kallan’s head bobbing above a sea of students. I hurried after him, but as I got close, I noticed that Sarah, the head cheerleader, had her arm wrapped through his.

  As much as I hated to admit it, jealousy coursed through me at the sight of another girl touching him. I wanted to tear her away from him and scream at her—completely disregarding the fact that I had a perfectly wonderful boyfriend and I wasn’t supposed to even know Kallan.

  My blood boiled. How dare he come disrupt my life without so much as an explanation?

  “Rylie?”

  I looked up, startled. Adam was standing in front of me, and the hall had almost cleared out. Another glance in Kallan’s direction proved he’d disappeared from sight—him and Sarah.

  “What are you doing? You’re going to be late for class.” Adam offered me his hand.

  “Sorry. I guess I was daydreaming,” I said absently.

  Adam walked me to my class and gave me a puzzled look and a kiss before he headed off in the direction of his own. I was going to get the third degree later.

  My mind raced. What in the world was going on? I scanned the classroom, but Kallan wasn’t in this one, which was either a blessing or a curse. I wondered where he was and when he would talk to me. It was so hard to sit through the boring lecture. The teacher had to call my name three times before I realized she’d asked a question. One I didn’t know the answer to, of course.

  When the class was finally over, I walked to the lunchroom with Adam, Sierra, and Ian. Kallan sat at a table surrounded by girls, his hair so dark it looked like a starless night. Our eyes met; his gaze reminded me of the sea. Our wings both fluttered involuntarily at the same time.

  “Rylie?” Adam tugged on my hand. “C’mon.”

  I sat down at our usual table and tried not to look at Kallan sitting only feet away. Sierra watched me curiously.

  “Can you get me a sandwich?” I asked Adam.

  “Sure. Be right back.”

  Ian stood up with Adam. “Burger and fries?” he asked Sierra.

  She nodded. “Don’t forget the brownies.”

  Once they were out of earshot, Sierra turned to face me. “So you like the new boy, too?” When I didn’t answer, she continued, “He is hot, but you should try to be a little more discreet around Adam. “

  “What? No. That’s...him.” I kept my voice low.

  “Him? Him who?”

  I raised my eyebrows at her. “The faery.”

  “Get out of here. The one you’re supposed to marry?” she hissed.

  I nodded.

  “What is he doing here?” She looked him over again. “And why didn’t you tell me he was so gorgeous?”

  I rolled my eyes and ignored her question. “I need to find a way to talk to him alone.”

  “Good luck with that. Every time I see him, he’s flanked by girls.”

  “I’ve noticed,” I mumbled under my breath.

  Sierra cackled. “Rylie McCallister, are you jealous?”

  I crossed my arms across my chest.

  “Oh, boy.” Sierra shook her head. “This is going to get messy, isn’t it?”

  I met her eyes. “I hope not. I love Adam. I can’t hurt him.”

  Sierra’s smile disappeared, and she leaned forward, her voice lowering. “I can see the way you’re looking at this guy. There are feelings there, too.”

  I sat back and sighed. She was right. I did have feelings for Kallan—feelings I’d been trying to forget since the moment I left him and returned home. I didn’t know what to do, but I did know I didn’t want to be forced to marry anyone when I turned eighteen.

  Later that day, I was at my locker switching out textbooks when I noticed a flash of black and teal. I jerked my head up in time to see Kallan disappear through the swinging door into the boys’ room.

  This was it. I slammed my locker door and leaned against the metal, watching as the warning bell rang and the halls began to empty. I didn’t care that I would be late any more than Kallan appeared to. The second the last student jumped into their class, I made a beeline for the restroom.

  I paused outside the door, my hand on the wood as I had a last-minute worry that Kallan wouldn’t be alone in there. Screw it, I thought, slamming my palm against the door.

  Kallan stood in front of the mirror, washing his hands. His teal eyes glanced up at me, and then back down. A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. “This is the men’s room, you know. Generally, that means no girls allowed.”

  I stalked across the room until we were side-by-side, and growled, “What are you doing?”

  “Aren’t you the one that told me about your wonderful human world?” Kallan asked, his voice quiet over the rush of the faucet. “I wanted to see for myself how ‘awesome’ it really was.”

  I narrowed my eyes at his reflection. “You hate the human world.”

  “My mother was killed here.” He caught my gaze, his lips pressed in a tight line. “So yes, I do hate it.”

  “Then why are you here, Kallan?” There was no longer any heat in my tone of voice, and I saw the way it affected him.

  His entire face smoothed. He shut off the water and took his time drying his hands. When he finally turned to face me, he ran a hand through his hair. I could tell he was struggling with something.

  “I’m here for you,” he said softly. He lifted a hand, his fingers brushing my face as he stepped closer.

  Panic struck me. I stumbled backwards, wide-eyed, and then clutching my backpack I raced out the door. “No. Oh, no.”

  “Don’t run from me,” Kallan said, following close on my heels.

  In the empty, silent hallway, I whipped around and poked him in the chest. “I’m not due to return to you until next year.”

  Kallan opened his mouth to speak, but we were interrupted by a burst of giggling. I yanked my finger from his shirt as a group of girls rounded the corner.

  “There you are!” Brenna called out. She was another cheerleader, with curly chestnut hair and huge brown eyes like a puppy’s. She hooked an arm through Kallan’s and smiled at me. “Hey, Rylie. Where’s Adam?”

  “I was about to go find my boyfriend right now,” I said pointedly, my gaze locked on Kallan’s.

  “We need to talk,” Kallan murmured.

  I stepped back amidst the chatter of the girls around us. They weren’t really paying any attention to us; I wasn’t competition. Adam and I were the couple at school. “Sure looks like you have a lot of girls to choose from,” I told him. “Maybe you could pick another.”

  “Rylie.” He
opened his mouth as if he had more to say, but then clamped it shut.

  Brenna moved in close to Kallan as if she was staking her claim. My heart was somewhere in my stomach as I hurried away, late for class and aching inside for the way life was easy before I was ever given wings.

  The second the last bell of the day rang, I was out of there. I didn’t even go to choir, which I was sure to catch flak for later from Mrs. Lopez.

  I didn’t wait for Adam, either.

  I couldn’t face him. Not with my emotions so up and down, with my thoughts set to All Kallan, All the Time. Instead, I asked Sierra for a ride and then paced the floor until my parents got home.

  Mom hadn’t even put her purse down on the table before she sensed something was off. She eyed me warily. “What’s wrong?”

  No sense beating around the bush, I thought, and blurted, “Kallan was at school today.”

  Dad closed the door and shrugged from his suit jacket, his face thunderous. “He was at your school?”

  “Not just at school, but enrolled.” I resumed pacing. If I didn’t stop, I’d wear a hole in the rug before the night was over.

  “Did he say anything to you?” Mom asked gently.

  “We talked for a minute.” I threw my hands up in the air. “Something’s up. I don’t know what, and I don’t like it.”

  Mom sighed. “I hate to say it, sweetie, but I think it’s time to include Azura.”

  “Mom,” I whined. I really didn’t want to deal with Azura. Even though it had been almost a year, I still hadn’t fully accepted her as my mother.

  “She can help, Rylie.”

  “Fine! Is she still watching me? Do I go to the window and wave her in?” I asked sarcastically, and then contradicted myself by sitting at the table and letting my head fall into my arms.

  “Don’t be silly,” Mom said. “She gave me a cell phone number to call.”

  Dad grunted. “She has a cell?”

  “Yes.” Mom picked up the phone and dialed a number.

  As she talked, Dad took the chair beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, hon. We’re gonna figure this out.”

  I smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”