Page 79 of The Book Reader
Know that you are my whole world.
I love you always and forever.
Gaelan.
Tears run down my cheeks, and a sigh escapes when I read the last line of the letter; the pain of his words I can feel so deeply within my heart. Deeper than I want, deeper than I should think for someone just reading these letters. But I’m not just reading this letter; I’ve lived this life with Gaelan, and he lost me.
I lift the beautiful green ring and can’t help but wonder what happened to me back then, to Maddie. The stones in it are still shiny, as if they’ve hardly been worn. I lower the ring onto my finger, my eyes flutter closed, and a massive swell of love flows through my body.
He loves her so much.
He lovesmeso much.
There have been moments these last few days when we’ve been in bed or watching a movie, and I’ve caught him just staring at me. I can see the love shining brightly in his eyes, but still, he hasn’t said it yet.
I place the letter to one side, reaching back into the box and picking up a brown leather binder tied shut with some kind of white lace. I pull it open and read the first page. “Summer Jay.” She has the same last name as.Did each of my past lives have the same last name?I flip through the pages to the middle and read:
Dear diary,
I met a man today in the market square; I do not know his name. He had the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen and a charming smile, with even dimples. He said hello to me, and I stupidly didn’t say anything back., I hope I see him again tomorrow.
Dear diary,
Gaelan came to my house today to ask Father for my hand in marriage. My father said yes, and I swear that all my dreams have come true. I’m eager to plan our wedding.
Dear diary,
Macy spoiled my wedding day; the Princess of Hell crashed my wedding. Gaelan managed to get us away before she could hurt me, but now we are in hiding. Gaelan is so worried that she will get to me again, that she will kill me again.
Dear diary,
This might be my last entry; I hope it isn't, but I've found my book - it was where I always hide it, in a safe place. Now that I have it, I’m going after them—Tate and his daughter and this Blood Bringer. My powers are unmatched, but I have not yet fully mastered them. We’ve run out of time, and now, I must fight.
Gaelan wants me to sit this one out; he says that I can fight another day.
But I can’t let any more innocent people die.
I turn to the following few pages, and they’re all blank; this is the first reference to my magic book. She found it in the place I always hide it? The safe place? Frowning, “I don’t have a place like that,” I say out loud. Rex growls and bumps his head into my side. I look down at him and rub over his ears. “Do I?” He looks up at me, and half of me is expecting him to answer me.How can a dog look like he’s thinking?
Placing the diary down, I pick up another one and flip through more pages. There’s no mention of where Summer found the book, but this one talks a lot about the “Blood Bringer.”
Dear diary,
Today was the second day I’ve seen the Blood Bringer. I thought I was going to have to fighther, but Tate took her away before I had a chance to. They have been making their way through the underworld; his daughter, Macy, has been helping them this time.
I pause and reread the last line;Macy is Tate’s daughter? A Princess of Hell.
Great, so the evilest leader of the underworld has a daughter, and she wants to kill me? No wonder I lose every time. How am I meant to fight her? It’s impossible.
Why didn’t Gaelan tell me this?I know he’s always trying to keep me safe, but I’m going tohaveto fight. And now I understand why she kicked my ass each time. I lift the diary up and read again.
Gaelan says that I need to learn the spells from the book, that they are no match for me when I am at my full power, but I feel so helpless right now.
I need to go home, back to where it began.
Dear diary,
The Blood Bringer came to Gaelan’s village today. I wanted to fight her; I tried to make her pay for all the hurt and death she had caused. She warned me to stay away, to stay out of the fight. I cannot do that, not when I’m the key, not when she is helping Tate to take over the underworld.
