“Stop fighting me, Seth. Either you do what needs to be done, or you end up in oblivion. I’m sure you don’t want to spend eternity with Angelica watching over you.”
I scowled. Oblivion I could probably handle. Angelica for eternity was a different story.
“What do I have to do?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“Grace’s days are numbered.” Michael stared at me, his eyes more serious than I’d ever seen them.
“I thought we’d established that she can’t die, not easily, at least,” I said.
The smile I hated so much crept onto Michael’s face. “I told you, the Council has changed the rules.”
“First, you tell me I’ll be free once she gives me her heart. Now, and correct me if I’m wrong, you’re saying to send her home, I have to kill her? It’s Charlotte all over again.”
Michael shook his head. “You don’t need to kill anyone. This time, Grace is the one who needs to make the sacrifice.”
“I won’t let her die for me.”
Michael’s orbs began to spin from his feet up. They circled around him until all I could see was his face. “Who said she needs to die for you?”
“But she needs to die for someone?” I may as well have been asking the trees.
Once Michael was gone, the silence of the forest filtered into the clearing. My shoulders heaved with a heavy sigh. The darkness inside the split in my tree stared at me, and for a moment I wanted it to swallow me whole. Michael was right when he’d said the rules had changed.
Grace could die.
She wasn’t indestructible anymore, and because of a deal I’d made with Michael ten years before, it was my fault.
In the past I’d always had eternity stretching out before me, with all the time in the world to try and make things right. Now, time was running out.
Grace could die.
I ran through the forest towards the shed and the clearing. The sound of Grace’s laughter travelled on the breeze, and I stopped at the edge of the shadows, watching. Laughing was something she didn’t do much anymore, and I wanted to savour the sound.
Abby stood, arms folded and a smile on her face, watching Grace twist and turn through the air. She jumped on the trampoline with Archer at her side, both of them moving in perfect unison. She was so graceful. If only I could stop time, we could have forever together, like I’d always wanted.
There was no way I could tell her that she was marked. If Grace knew she could die, I didn’t know what would happen. She wouldn’t want to be treated differently. I’d have to keep her out of trouble.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the clearing, checking my defences were up so Grace couldn’t pick the details out of my head.
“Tell me again why you needed a trampoline?” I asked, chuckling.
Grace came out of a summersault and jumped off onto the grass. She ran to me and threw her arms around my neck. I picked her up and gave her a tight hug before setting her feet back on the ground. I would never get enough of holding her in my arms.
“Because Archer wanted one,” she said. “It’s good for training.”
I tried to keep my expression neutral, but Grace knew me better than anyone. She saw the difference in my eyes, and hers changed to match.
“Don’t worry,” I said before she could ask what was wrong. I gently rubbed her back between her wing scars, and she let it go.
School’s back tomorrow. I continued to rub circles on her back.
We watched in silence as Archer jumped for a while longer. Abby edged closer to us, and I offered her a smile.
A lot had happened over the break. We’d mostly adjusted to Ryan not being around, but Grace had admitted she wasn’t looking forward to no one remembering him. He should be remembered, and I’d try my hardest not to let her forget.
Abby had found everything hard to deal with after Ryan died, but Grace helped her as best she could, and I think they may have found good friends in each other. Grace’s strength amazed me.
I kissed her temple. Are you ready to face everyone?
There was also the issue of walking through the school gates with me at her side. Most of Hopetown Valley High didn’t like me, and they would think it strange I’d decided to come back after apparently dropping out.
Grace stood on her toes and pressed her lips to mine. When she pulled away, her eyes glinted in the winter sunlight, and the corners of her mouth turned up.
As long as I’m with you, I’ll be ready for anything.
The chain around her neck had slipped free of her top, and the diamond on the end sparkled in the sunlight. The sight of her wearing my tear reminded me where our journey began. For a while we’d lost each other, and my heart ached with the memory of giving her up. Finally, I’d found my way back to her, and losing Grace was something I vowed never to do again.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As with every book I’ve written, there are always so many people I need to thank. I’d be crazy to think that I could ever do this on my own. Writing itself is a very solitary exercise, but the journey is filled with people from every aspect of my life.
To my husband and children, thank you for putting up (again) with my zone outs, and all the times I haven’t listened because I’ve been thinking about Grace, Josh, and Seth.
To my mum and dad, thank you for being there for me—all the time.
To my brother, for showing interest in something that you’re really not interested in.
To Kylie, thank you for finally reading the first book, and saying it was okay.
Thank you Katrina—a million times, thank you. There are no words in the English language that can describe how thankful I am to have you in my life. You never complain, even when I asked you to read this story again, and again. I think you’ve read it more times than I have. Your opinion and especially your friendship are highly cherished, and like I said—there are no words.
Cass, thank you for dropping everything to beta read for me. You are always thorough, and I love all your comments that make me laugh out loud. Your willingness to help is greatly appreciated. I’ve found a valued writing friend in you, and I hold our friendship close to my heart.
Thank you, Stacey, for your mad proof reading skills, but mostly for all the times you’ve let me chew your ear off about anything and everything—even the stuff that has nothing to do with books. I’m so glad to have found a friend in you. I hold your opinion and advice in the highest regard.
To Lauren, well, what can I say? Editor extraordinaire, awesome writer, beautiful soul, and cherished friend—you are the most awesome of awesome. Thank you.
Nikki, my OS writing friend, thank you for beta reading—your feedback and opinions are priceless. And thank you for all the wonderful email chats. Hugs.
My Aussie Owned and Read girls—thank you. I’m so grateful for the wonderful community I’ve found with you all, both online and in real life.
To my writer’s group: Stacey, Lauren, Laura, and Selina. I love the support we give each other. Thank you for the chats, discussions, brainstorming, and awesome idea sessions, and, of course, the tea and biscuits. I’m looking forward to many more meetings in the future.
Thank you to my street team, Team Awesome. I treasure everyone who helps support me, my writing, and my books.
And finally, huge thanks to everyone who has read Fall For Me, and loved it enough to continue reading Grace’s story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K. A. Last was born in Subiaco, Western Australia, and moved to Sydney with her parents and older brother when she was eight. Artistic and creative by nature, she studied Graphic Design and graduated with an Advanced Diploma. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she concentrated on her career before settling into family life. Blessed with a vivid imagination, she began writing to let off creative steam, and fell in love with it. K. A. Last is currently studying her Bachelor of Arts at Charles Sturt University, with a major in English, and minors in Children’s Literature, Art Hi
story, and Visual Culture. She resides in a peaceful, leafy suburb north of Sydney with her husband, their two children, a rabbit named Twitch, and a guinea pig called Squeak.
You can connect with K. A. Last by
visiting her website
http://www.kalastbooks.com.au
following her on Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/KALastBooks
or by checking out her Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/KALastBooks
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWENTY-NINE
THIRTY
THIRTY-ONE
THIRTY-TWO
THIRTY-THREE
THIRTY-FOUR
THIRTY-FIVE
THIRTY-SIX
THIRTY-SEVEN
THIRTY-EIGHT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR