Fearkeeper: Book 2 (Keeper Trilogy)

19

"Roman, where are you going?" Roman ran down the hall to his room with determination in his eyes. "Roman. Seriously, what's the rush?"

"He said the next one was waiting." Remus froze up as Roman kept going.

"What? Who did?" Roman stopped with a sigh as he looked back to see the confusion in his brother's eyes. "You met the person doing this?"

"Not really. I met someone who's helping them and even then I don't know who it is. They appear as someone new every time." Remus frowned as his eyes darted around.

"But... The only one that can do that is Colt and he's too mentally broken to even think about it." Roman frowned as he shrugged. "Unless you count Logan but I don't think it's him either."

"What do you mean?"Remus smiled as his eyes went to Logan's door. 

"Well, the timekeeper has complete control over time and space... teleporting and time travel but also... He can alter the space and time he's in or peering into. Say he goes back to the dark realm he can alter the space around him to make a coat. So it stands to assume he can change how he would appear to others." Roman's eyes went wide as he bit his lip.

"Logan did say Patton didn't look like himself during the carol either. And at that time Patton was the one in control of all that." Roman frowned as he tried to figure things out. "Maybe it's a Logan from the future... no that doesn't make any sense. He's older than us and you definitely didn't..." Roman clammed up peeking over at Remus and shook himself out of his thoughts. Now was not the time for this. The sooner he finishes his tasks the sooner he can focus on what really matters right now. His family... "Remus, why don't you go decorate the rest of the house?"

"What?" Roman smiled seeing how his brother's eyes shined. "But... I thought you said..."

"Go ahead. We can't have a Christmas without decorations." Remus's eyes went wide as the smile he got lit up the room. "Our mystery person took care of the living room. You do the rest."

"THANK YOU!" Roman watched as Remus ran away summoning garland and tinsel all over the place with happy giggles.

"Ok... let's go." Roman walked into his room spotting the tiny box on his bed and frowned. The box this time wasn't white. It was black and held no bow. In fact, the box wasn't a 'box', not in a gift sense. Roman's eyes narrowed as he walked over and picked it up with a heavy heart. It was box from a jewelry store. A box that often held... 

A ring.

Roman literally dropped the box back onto the bed as tears fell from his eyes like waterfalls. He braced himself against the bed as his body wracked with sobs, his eyes never leaving the silver ring with rubies and diamonds all around it. His hand fumbled for the envelope and his heart stopped as he spotted another letter and read it.

"My love, There is so much I wish I could say to you. There is so much I want to say but... I just can't put them on paper. I've never been very creative. This alone was a feat but... There is still more I never got the chance to show you. Like how much you TRULY mean to me. So... I thought this might give you a hint. I got that around Valentine's day. I had wanted to give it to you then but things just... happened. I don't blame you. I know you didn't mean it. Love, I know you better then you think. I know you never mean what you say. And I know how much it hurts you when you do those things. I know... " Roman's voice shook as he continued on, his hands shaking so bad the paper was literally rattling. "I love you, Roman. More than anything I hope you know that. So... I want you to take that ring and I want you to hold it close. Read the card and do what you have to do. A small hint to get you started?" Roman paused as he reached out and picked up the ring. "Do you still have that key I gave you the first day? I told you to hold onto it that it's very important... well, now is when you can use it. That key will open something very special, love. I want you to find what it opens. Virgil." Roman's hand twitched slightly as he took the card and felt his lungs literally collapse on him.

"You always said you'd be the one to ask and I had always believed you. But as the years have gone and past my mind had changed too. As you fell I watched with tears Unable to tell you all my fears... I learned from the pain that filled us both that I can't lose you. So here's my oath... from this moment on I'll never have to. There's just one thing you must do... Find me." Roman fell to his knees as he struggled to get air into him. Find him... Find him. Virgil's de... Roman pushed himself up and shuffled through his desk till he found the key he was looking for.

He didn't know why he was here. He didn't know what spurred his movements or why his whole body ached to push through that door, but certain things just didn't make sense. Like how Deceits door was fine when Roman's key to Virgil's didn't work anymore. Or how Virgils glass figurine that Roman had in Virgil's room was now on the tree. It didn't make sense. He still found himself standing there though. His whole being ached to go inside, that patchwork door the only thing standing in his way. He gripped the ring in his hand tightly as he shoved the key into the lock and frowned hearing the lock click. "The lock wasn't... It wasn't working not because of Virgil but... because the lock was changed?" Roman pushed the door open and froze seeing a person standing there facing the window.

"That was faster then I thought." Roman literally felt his heart stop the moment that voice hit him. The person turned around letting his hood fall with a big smile on his face. "Of course, your instincts were always on point." Roman stumbled in the room as his tears fell even harder, if that was even possible. "Are you ok, Roman? You're not saying anything. I actually expected you to start screaming at me. I have been gone for a while." Roman inched closer and closer to the man. "It's been so long and it wasn't exactly the best way to part. I know you're mad at me. I'm sorry. Really I am. I..." Roman reached out letting his fingers brush against the man's cheek bringing him to tears as Roman smiled.

"You're... really here?" They nodded and Roman laughed with pure relief and shock. "How?"

"I never left, Love." Virgil smiled as he leaned into Roman's touch before holding out a card and holding it up while beaming. Roman's eyes went wide as Virgil laughed. On the card held only one sentence. One last task for Roman to do. Answer the question. "Marry Me?"