Free Forever by Kamery Solomon Page B

expression was hard and
decided.
    “Emilee, you don't have to do this, not
for me,” I pleaded.
    “It's not for you, it's for me. I want
to stay here.”
    The Mother looked at us carefully,
studying us. Suddenly, she reached out and jabbed me hard in the chest. I felt
a stinging and my breath was knocked away as I fell to one knee.
    “What did you do to him?” Emilee
shrieked, falling to the ground beside me.
    “I have taken away his ability to travel
into the mortal realm.” Neither myself nor Emilee were able to speak for a
moment. I prayed I heard her wrong. Nothing was happening the way it was
supposed to this night—surely I had heard her wrong.
    “What?” I whispered, when I found my
voice.
    “Without an enchantment she can tell
others what she has seen and where we are. You have been in trouble countless
times before due to your antics in the human world. You have exposed us all. I
will not reward you by letting you keep her here forever, no matter how
convenient it might be for me. You know there is no way to make her forget the
things you have told her or what she has seen tonight! Not without calling upon
a witch for aide, and I am not willing to pay the price she will ask!
    “I have tried many times to excuse your
actions, blaming them on your youth and high spirit, but this I can't excuse.”
    “I didn’t think that I’d done anything
wrong, Mother! I’ve never done anything that would hurt us—the other things
were just pranks!”
    “Exactly, Raith. You did not think.
Maybe if I start punishing you more severely, you will abide by our laws in the
future.”
    I cried out in desperation, tears
beginning to trail down my cheeks.
    “I love her! Please, please, don't do
this to me, I can't . . . I can't live without her.” I had
gathered Emilee into my arms, both of us now crying and on our knees, begging
as one.
    “Please,” Emilee whispered through her
tears. “Please.”
    I could hardly see. All I could feel was
panic and pain—and Emilee, crying in my arms. Her tears were falling onto my
arms and I clutched her tighter.
    The Mother looked down at us, harshly. I
blinked through my tears, trying to read the expression on her face. Was it
sorrow? Or loathing? I couldn’t tell.
    “I suggest you enjoy your night
together,” she said. “It will be your last.”
    “I won’t let her go!” I spat out
vehemently. “I’ll do anything I can—I’ll fight every second you try to keep me
from her!”
    When the Mother looked at me again,
sorrow was plainly displayed on her face.
    “I’m sorry, Raith. But you’ve done this
to yourself.”
     
    I took Emilee to my house, knowing we
wouldn't be missed and we didn't have much time left.
    “I'm so sorry . . . I
didn't know . . . I can't . . .” I sobbed as I
gathered her into my arms, holding her firmly against me.
    “Raith.” She sobbed my name—her broken
voice muffled in my shirt as she held onto me.
    We cried until there were no more tears
left. I felt numb. I thought I would have years left with her, that I would be
with her every Midsummer’s Eve. My life as I knew it was over.
    I wished that it was over for real. I
had nothing left to live for without Emilee.
    I loved her so much. I wanted to take
care of her and give her everything she’d ever wanted. I wanted to go with her
and never return to The Glen. I wanted so many things, and every single one of
them had been taken away in a mere moment. I needed a distraction from the pain
and I settled on Emilee.
    I ran my fingers through her hair over
and over again, while we stood in each other’s arms, our breath still hitching.
I knew that we only had a few hours left together, but I didn't even know how
to say what I wanted to tell her; I didn't know how to convey my feelings in a
way that she would never forget.
    So I kissed her, like I'd never kissed
her before.
    I started out slow, kissing the top of
her head and moving my hands to her arms. Gently, I stroked her