by Alyson Noel
With curiosity.
And intensity.
Along with a healthy dose of unmistakable interest.
Though unlike the last time, his usual surplus of confidence was lacking—along with his height, muscles, and overall level of maturity. (But he had ditched the fancy toga for jeans and a sweater, and that definitely worked in his favor.)
“He’s real?” I turned to Messalina, my head swirling with conflicting feelings of surprise and disbelief.
“He is indeed.” Messalina smiled and leaned toward me, about to brush a crumb from my cheek, then thinking better of it, thinking I might think that she was trying to enchant me again, she settled for motioning toward it instead.
“So he wasn’t just some soulless being you whipped into existence in order to keep me occupied?”
“Not even close. He truly was smitten the first moment he saw you. I had nothing to do with it.”
“Was he—was he really a senator’s son in his former life? Is that why he hung around for so long?” I bit down on my lip, wondering when he’d get the courage to cross the room and approach me.
Messalina shrugged. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
I hesitated, not sure I could go through with it. It was a large room that seemed even larger when I remembered how different I must’ve looked from the girl he’d first fallen for—a girl who’d recently transformed from Aurelia Major back to Aurelia Minor.
“Why not try?” she nudged. “You’ll never know until you try it, right?”
I sighed, figuring someone had to make the first move, so it may as well be me. Besides, the party provided the perfect excuse. I was just being a good hostess. Making sure he was having fun. That’s all that it was. It didn’t mean anything more.
I’d just screwed up my courage, just started to leave, when Messalina grabbed hold of my hand and pushed something hard and cool into the center of my palm. Then closing my fingers around it, she said, “I’ll never forget the sacrifice you made on my behalf. You could’ve easily awakened Theocoles yourself, but instead, you gave the moment to me. I hope you’ll decide to keep this small token of my appreciation, and maybe even wear it on occasion, if you like. It’s a replica of the one that I wear.” She lifted her hand, wiggled her finger so that her ring caught the light. “Think of it as a symbol of our friendship. We may not be sisters, but I hope we’ll be friends.”
I slipped the ring onto my finger and held it up beside hers, deciding to keep it, to wear it every day. I liked the way that it looked, sure, but more importantly I liked the idea of having a friend so close we were almost related.
“And Theocoles?” My eyes met hers.
“I’m headed there now.” She smiled. “That is if you can make the veil for me, please?”
I closed my eyes long enough to envision the shimmering golden veil that would lead her to Summerland, the bridge, and the world just beyond where she would join Theocoles.
And once that was done, once I waved her right through, I set off on my own journey—crossing the room to where Dacian stood.
27
The moment I stood before Dacian, the first thing I thought was: Wow, he’s changed even more than I thought!
The second thing was: But he’s still cute. Like, super, bigtime cute—and he looks to be my age as well—what a relief!
So what if he wasn’t as confident?
So what if he wasn’t nearly as noble and old-fashioned as he was when I met him?
I, for one, was glad when instead of taking my hand and bowing to kiss it—he just gave a little wave and said, “Hey.”
But that’s probably because he wasn’t really the son of a Roman senator who hung around the last several centuries unwilling to let go of his old life. That was just a role he’d found himself playing.
Turns out, he was a Soul Catcher like me.
“Seriously?” I could hardly believe it, could hardly contain my excitement. I didn’t know any other Soul Catchers beside Bodhi, and I couldn’t help but be thrilled by the news, knowing it gave us something in common.
He nodded in a way that caused his hair to fall into his eyes, looking more than a little embarrassed to admit it. “Did you really believe I was a bona fide toga wearer?”
I nodded, laughing when I said, “Yeah, or at least at first anyway. Later I decided you were a fake.”
He squinted, unsure what to make of that.
“You know how Messalina manifested all of those party guests? Well, I thought you were one of them. I thought you were soulless. I was sure she whipped you into existence just to keep me occupied.” I shrugged. “Anyway, how long were you stuck?”
He sighed, looked away, shoved his hands deep into his pockets, and said, “A really, really long time. Or at least it feels that way, it’s hard to be sure.”
“And, what was it that unstuck you?” I asked. I hadn’t seen it happen, and I truly was curious.
Had the world been dissolved when Theocoles and Messalina left it—or did it continue? Were other Soul Catchers still roaming around that sad, horrible place, lost in a long-ago past? Now that I’d completed my mission, I may never know.
My thoughts interrupted by the sound of him saying, “You.”
I cocked my head, thinking surely I hadn’t heard him quite right.
But before he had a chance to repeat it, Bodhi joined us and said, “A bunch of us are going for gondola rides, you guys interested?”
I looked at Dacian and he looked at me, the two of us blurting, “Okay!” at the exact same time, in the exact same way, and we couldn’t help but burst out in laughter.
Bodhi glanced between, his eyes containing a glint of something I couldn’t quite read. “Great,” he said. “You guys can share with us, the gondola should easily fit five, including Buttercup.”
And though I was still excited by the idea of a gondola ride, I couldn’t help but stare at him with suspicion.
Bodhi never wanted to spend time with me.
In fact, it was more like the opposite. He was always trying to ditch me so he could be with his girlfriend. And with my birthday party winding down, I had a hard time believing that he really wanted to hang around with me, and Dacian, and my dog, when he could be exploring one of the most romantic cities in the world with Jasmine.
“I just thought it would be fun,” Bodhi said, his hand waving before him, reacting to the skeptical look on my face when he added, “But, maybe not. No worries, we’ll just grab our own.”
He turned, started to leave, when a new thought occurred to me: Maybe Bodhi wasn’t trying to supervise me, spy on me, or keep tabs on me. Maybe he was just trying to be friendly, get to know me, spend a little time outside of Soul Catching to have a little fun, now that I was a teenager and we were closer in age. Maybe I’d gotten so used to not having friends, I didn’t know how to act when I did.
“Wait!” I stepped forward, grabbed ahold of his sleeve. “I’d love to share with you guys—I think it sounds fun.” I nodded, anxious for him to know that I meant what I said.
Turning to Dacian, making sure it was okay with him, a flush of heat rising to my cheeks when he nodded, grasped my hand in his, and laced our fingers loosely together.
A move that was not lost on Bodhi as his eye darted between Dacian and me, his brow quirking, thoughts swirling, as he said, “What do you say we vamanos then, boat’s waiting!”
We left the gorgeous Venetian palace in one long procession—a long stream of ghosts slipping through an old locked door before wandering down a maze of narrow alleyways to the place where those long, curving boats were all docked.
My progress halted when Bodhi turned and grabbed hold of my arm, telling Dacian and Jasmine to continue, that we’d catch up soon enough, then he pulled me into a small boutique as he said, “There’s something I want you to see.”
I stared at him in confusion, having no idea what he was getting at. I mean, yeah, the dresses they sold were all very pretty, but I had no need for shopping when I could just manif
est whatever new clothes I might want. Besides, I liked what I wore, I’d been through so many changes already, I wasn’t really looking for any more.
But when he pushed me before a full-length mirror and said, “Look,” I did.
Taking in a blond ponytail, bright blue eyes, cheekbones that were a little more pronounced than I was used to (which in turn made my nose slightly less semi-stubby!), and yeah, instead of caving like it usually did, the top part of my T-shirt actually jutted out.
Okay, maybe jutted out isn’t exactly accurate—maybe it’s a bit of an exaggeration. But what I can say for sure is that for the first time ever the fabric didn’t cave in. And yeah, seeing that made me feel proud.
But, as it turns out that’s not what Bodhi was referring to. He was pointing to my glow.
“Why’d you get rid of it?” He peered hard at me, wanting to understand why I’d do such a thing when my glow once meant so much to me.
“I wanted to fit in.” I shrugged, my gaze roving my reflection in wonder. “And no one in Messalina’s world had one. But also, to be honest, the way that it dimmed after what happened in Dreamland only reminded me of how bad I screwed up—how far I still had to go.”
“And now?” Bodhi’s voice was quiet and gentle, but nudging as well.
“And now it seems I’m well on my way.” I grinned, taking in my solid green glow, noting how it was much like the color Bodhi’s had been the day we first met—the day he first became my guide—an act that had changed the course of my afterlife.
Thanks to Messalina, I’d gotten a good long glimpse of the future. I’d seen firsthand just what I was capable of. Bodhi had too. And while I had no idea just when that future would unfold, I knew that it would. Of that I was sure.
The only thing that had changed was my hurry to get there. I was no longer sprinting toward it. Instead I decided to enjoy each day as it comes. Like they said in ancient Rome: Carpe diem!
“Are you happy?” Bodhi asked, and when I looked into his eyes, I knew better than to answer flippantly, or worse—shrug it off. It was clear just how very serious his question really was.
I paused, taking a moment to arrange my thoughts. Wavering between saying something deeply profound versus keeping it simple. But before I could get there, Buttercup ran into the store, clamped down on my pant leg, and yanked hard with his teeth.
“Boats are all waiting—you two still coming?” Jasmine glanced between us, her face betraying a small hint of worry.
I nodded, laughing as I allowed Buttercup to haul me outside to where Dacian waited. His hand closing around mine as I glanced over my shoulder, my eyes meeting Bodhi’s when I said, “Yes. The answer to your question is yes. I’ve never been happier.”
Residual Haunting [ri-zi-j -w l] [ho˙n-tin]n e e Thought to be the most common form of haunting where a ghost reenacts a repetitive routine with no awareness of anyone or anything outside of that routine.
also by alyson noël
THE RILEY BLOOM BOOKS
Radiance
Shimmer
Dreamland
THE IMMORTALS SERIES
Evermore
Blue Moon
Shadowland
Dark Flame
Night Star
Everlasting
Faking 19
Art Geeks and Prom Queens
Fly Me to the Moon
Laguna Cove
Kiss & Blog
Saving Zoë
Cruel Summer
author’s note
While the characters and the situations they find themselves in are fictional, the ruins of the Ludus Magnus, thought to be the most important gladiatorial training school of the time, exist to this day. The restaurant that overlooks it is also real. However, I’ve taken significant liberties with the layout of the ludus and its history in order to fit the needs of the story.
acknowledgments
Great, big, glittery thanks are owed to Jean Feiwel, Rose Hilliard, Eileen Lawrence, Mariel Dawson, Bill Contardi, and, of course, Sandy—thanks so much for all your hard work on Riley’s behalf!
Questions for the Author
In what ways are you similar (or different) to Riley Bloom?
Actually, Riley and I share a lot in common. I know what it’s like to be the baby of the family, and though I hate to admit it, I’ve also been known to hog the microphone while playing Rock Band on the Wii!
How do you come up with your characters?
Honestly, I’m not really sure! The story idea usually comes first, and then as I’m busy working on all the ins and outs of the new world I’m creating, the cast just sort of appears.
What was your inspiration for the “Here & Now,” the magical realm where Riley lives?
Back when I first started working on The Immortals series, I did quite a bit of research on metaphysics, quantum physics, ghosts, spirits, and the afterlife, etc., all of which sort of fed into the concept of the “Here & Now.” I guess, in a way, it’s how I hope the afterlife will be.
Do you believe in ghosts?
In a word—yes. I’ve definitely experienced enough unexplainable phenomena to ever rule it out.
Did you grow up with an older sister the way Riley did? How many brothers and sisters do you have?
I have two older sisters, both of whom I completely idolized. There’s a bit of an age gap between us, one is ten years older, and the other five years older, and trust me when I say that I did my best to emulate them. I listened to their music, watched their TV shows, and read their books—all of which was way more appealing than my own, more age-appropriate stuff. And like Riley, I used to try on their clothes and makeup when they were out with their friends, though I suspect that revelation will come as no surprise to them!
Where do you write your books?
I have a home office where I put in very, very long hours seven days a week—but I have the best job in the world, so I’m not complaining!
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Well, first, I wanted to be a mermaid, and then a princess, but ever since sixth grade when I finished reading my first Judy Blume book, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, I decided I’d rather write instead. I’d always been an avid reader, but Judy Blume’s books were some of the first that I could directly relate to, and I knew then that someday I wanted to try to write like that too.
What would you do if you ever stopped writing?
Oh, I shudder to even think about it. I truly can’t imagine a life without writing. Though I suppose I’d probably start traveling more. I’ve traveled a good bit already, both when I was working as a flight attendant and just on my own, but there are still so many places left to explore—oh, and I’d probably enroll in some art classes too—painting, jewelry making—crafty stuff like that.
What would your readers be most surprised to learn about you?
Not long ago, every time I finished writing a book I would celebrate by cleaning my house, which, I have to say, was sorely in need of it by then. But recently, I’ve come to realize just how very sad and pathetic that is, so now I get a pedicure instead (and save the housecleaning for another day)!
A Square Fish Book
An Imprint of Macmillan
WHISPER. Copyright © 2012 by Alyson Noël, LLC. All rights reserved.
by R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company, Harrisonburg,
Virginia. For information, address Square Fish,
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Square Fish logo designed by Filomena Tuosto
Cover design by Elsie Lyons
Cover illustration by Juliana Kolesova
Book design by Susan Walsh
eISBN 9781429958431
First eBook Edition : March 2012
Square Fish and the Square Fish logo are trademarks of Macmillan and are used by St. Martin’s Press under license from Macmillan.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available
ISBN:
978-0-312-64156-6
First Edition: April 2012
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