Unforgiven by Lauren Kate Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lauren Kate
were closer than they were. “I should get home,” she said. “I’m grounded.”
“In that case, you should stay out as long as you can.” Cam tilted his head, looking at her the way guys in movies looked at girls they were about to kiss. He stayed like that for a moment; then he picked up her guitar.
“Hey!” Lilith said as a chord filled the air. Her guitar was her most prized possession. No one touched it but Lilith. But as Cam’s fingers strummed her strings and he began to hum, she watched him, mesmerized. His song was beautiful—and familiar. She didn’t know where she’d heard it before.
“Did you write that?” she couldn’t help asking.
“Maybe.” He stopped playing. “It needs a female vocalist.”
“I’m sure Chloe King’s available,” Lilith said.
“Speaking of which,” Cam said, “how about that prom theme? Battle of the Bands?” He tossed his head. “Could be cool.”
“Cool is the very last thing it could ever be,” Lilith said.
“I’ll sign up if you sign up.”
Lilith burst out laughing. “That’s supposed to entice me? Has anyone ever told you you’re a little bit conceited?”
“Not in the past five minutes,” Cam said. “Just think about it. We’ve got two weeks to throw a decent band together. We could do it.” He paused. “You could do it. And you know what they say about Revenge.”
“What?” she said, waiting to hear what he’d say next to piss her off.
He gazed into the distance, at something that seemed to make him sad. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “It’s sweet
.
”
Fourteen Days
T he next morning, as the sun broke over the hills, Cam peeled himself off the roof of the Trumbull gym, where he’d slept the night before. His neck was stiff, and he needed a hot shower to loosen it. He glanced around, making sure the coast was clear, then swooped down until he was level with the high windows of the gym. He found an unlocked pane and slipped inside.
It was quiet in the boys’ locker room, and Cam paused for a moment to stare at his reflection in the mirror. His face looked…older—his features more angular, his eyes more recessed. Over the millennia he had changed his appearance many times to blend in to his surroundings, letting the sun bronze his pale skin or adding muscle to his naturally slim frame, but he was always the one to make those changes. They didn’t just
happen.
Never before had he been startled by his own reflection.
What was going on?
The question nagged at him as he showered, stole a clean white T-shirt from some kid’s locker, slipped into his jeans and motorcycle jacket, and headed outside to wait for Lilith’s bus.
Near the cul-de-sac where the buses pulled in, Cam leaned against a glass-encased bulletin board promoting the school’s various extracurricular activities. There was a German club meeting at three o’clock. LEARN HOW TO ASK YOUR DATE TO PROM IN GERMAN!, the flyer boasted. Another held details for cross-country tryouts. GET IN SHAPE AND LOOK GREAT IN YOUR PROM DRESS!, it promised. In the center was a glittery flyer promoting a gig for Chloe King’s band, the Perceived Slights, the following week. They were opening for a local band called Ho Hum. BE ABLE TO SAY YOU SAW THEM BEFORE THEY WON THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS AT PROM!
Cam had only been in Crossroads one full day and already he was feeling the school’s prom-mania. He had been to a prom before, once, decades ago, with a cool girl from Miami who’d had a crush on him. Even though they’d disabled the fire alarm and spent most of the night up on the roof watching shooting stars, they’d also danced to a few fast songs, and Cam had enjoyed himself. Of course, he’d had to fly before anything got too serious.
He wondered what Lilith thought of prom, whether she had any desire to go. It dawned on him that he would need to ask her to be his date. The idea was thrillingly old-fashioned. He would have to make it special. He’d have to do
“In that case, you should stay out as long as you can.” Cam tilted his head, looking at her the way guys in movies looked at girls they were about to kiss. He stayed like that for a moment; then he picked up her guitar.
“Hey!” Lilith said as a chord filled the air. Her guitar was her most prized possession. No one touched it but Lilith. But as Cam’s fingers strummed her strings and he began to hum, she watched him, mesmerized. His song was beautiful—and familiar. She didn’t know where she’d heard it before.
“Did you write that?” she couldn’t help asking.
“Maybe.” He stopped playing. “It needs a female vocalist.”
“I’m sure Chloe King’s available,” Lilith said.
“Speaking of which,” Cam said, “how about that prom theme? Battle of the Bands?” He tossed his head. “Could be cool.”
“Cool is the very last thing it could ever be,” Lilith said.
“I’ll sign up if you sign up.”
Lilith burst out laughing. “That’s supposed to entice me? Has anyone ever told you you’re a little bit conceited?”
“Not in the past five minutes,” Cam said. “Just think about it. We’ve got two weeks to throw a decent band together. We could do it.” He paused. “You could do it. And you know what they say about Revenge.”
“What?” she said, waiting to hear what he’d say next to piss her off.
He gazed into the distance, at something that seemed to make him sad. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “It’s sweet
.
”
Fourteen Days
T he next morning, as the sun broke over the hills, Cam peeled himself off the roof of the Trumbull gym, where he’d slept the night before. His neck was stiff, and he needed a hot shower to loosen it. He glanced around, making sure the coast was clear, then swooped down until he was level with the high windows of the gym. He found an unlocked pane and slipped inside.
It was quiet in the boys’ locker room, and Cam paused for a moment to stare at his reflection in the mirror. His face looked…older—his features more angular, his eyes more recessed. Over the millennia he had changed his appearance many times to blend in to his surroundings, letting the sun bronze his pale skin or adding muscle to his naturally slim frame, but he was always the one to make those changes. They didn’t just
happen.
Never before had he been startled by his own reflection.
What was going on?
The question nagged at him as he showered, stole a clean white T-shirt from some kid’s locker, slipped into his jeans and motorcycle jacket, and headed outside to wait for Lilith’s bus.
Near the cul-de-sac where the buses pulled in, Cam leaned against a glass-encased bulletin board promoting the school’s various extracurricular activities. There was a German club meeting at three o’clock. LEARN HOW TO ASK YOUR DATE TO PROM IN GERMAN!, the flyer boasted. Another held details for cross-country tryouts. GET IN SHAPE AND LOOK GREAT IN YOUR PROM DRESS!, it promised. In the center was a glittery flyer promoting a gig for Chloe King’s band, the Perceived Slights, the following week. They were opening for a local band called Ho Hum. BE ABLE TO SAY YOU SAW THEM BEFORE THEY WON THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS AT PROM!
Cam had only been in Crossroads one full day and already he was feeling the school’s prom-mania. He had been to a prom before, once, decades ago, with a cool girl from Miami who’d had a crush on him. Even though they’d disabled the fire alarm and spent most of the night up on the roof watching shooting stars, they’d also danced to a few fast songs, and Cam had enjoyed himself. Of course, he’d had to fly before anything got too serious.
He wondered what Lilith thought of prom, whether she had any desire to go. It dawned on him that he would need to ask her to be his date. The idea was thrillingly old-fashioned. He would have to make it special. He’d have to do