Chapter 43

FORTY-THREE

COLLINS

About an hour or so later—it was hard to tell time in Third Realm—we were standing in front of the locked portal back into First Realm.

When I’d first come out of that little adventure in the avatar state, all of my friends had been covered in their own blood. Tephine had sliced them up with her thorns real good. Their throats were raw and reddish-purple from her strangling them. Ellie had died, which I was going to try and not think about since Weston had revived her in less than a minute. Tephine had apparently broken Jada’s back, but I fixed that up nice and quick.

Tephine was never meant to have those powers. She stole them from me, the Chaos Stone had told me when I returned it to the anchor point. As a thank you for freeing me, I will heal your friends and your people. All you have to do is touch them and the magic in your armband will do the healing.

And that was what I’d been doing since we won. I went around and checked every living creature in the realm: my friends, the villagers, and all of the animals who had found themselves back in their true forms. It felt like that moment at the end of Beauty and the Beast when the furniture turned back into humans. The spell from the evil queen had been broken and they were free.

I always checked on the crystals because no one else heard them like I did.

Home was calling for me. I wanted to run through that portal and tell everyone we’d won. I wanted to celebrate with Megelle Island. I wanted to let Zita, Isolda, and Daniel know they were free. They never had to worry about Tephine again. I had a list of all the villagers who’d once been deported from First Realm that I was going to review with Araqiel to see if any of them could return home. I suspected Zita wasn’t the only one who’d been kidnapped, but that was up to the angels.

Bash, Mom, and Jada had gone around the realm to ensure everyone was set up to live without us. We had every intention of coming back, but they needed to be settled before we left them. I’d gone around and created a bunch of gardens with vegetables and fruits and plants. The water in the rivers was fresh, not salt, so they could drink. With Stellan and Ellie’s help, they had their villages and homes patched up. I promised them we’d redesign the realm, give them better living spaces, but I wanted to let them think about it.

Once all that was done and settled, I led the way back to the portal. It was still locked up tight, though I wasn’t sure why. We were about fifteen feet away when Weston and Stellan could not contain their excitement any longer and sprinted for the portal like giddy, sugar’d up children.

“YO, TACO MAN, LET US IN!” Weston pounded his fists against the door. “WE HUNGRY!”

Stellan cheered and fired his magic into the door. “TACOS FOR EVERYONE!”

“Ya know,” Shylock said with a serious expression as the rest of us caught up, “the man does make a good point. Tacos are delicious.”

Savina sighed. “I could go for a taco.”

“Zuriel will be so proud,” Bash said sarcastically with a smirk.

We all laughed.

“ Oi. Big guy! ” Weston cupped his mouth with his hands and yelled into the solid door. “Let us in!”

“Ding-dong the witch is dead, mate!” Stellan cackled. He pretended to wipe tears from his eyes. “I will cherish that memory for the rest of my life.”

Bash threw his head back and laughed.

“All right, all right, move aside, boys.” I giggled and shoved them out of my way. “If you recall, I told Araqiel to only open this portal for me. Remember? Shoo.”

They groaned. I grinned and pressed my palm to the door with the arm that held a piece of the Chaos Stone on it. Turquoise magic billowed from beneath my palm. It spread like a wildfire until it covered the entire door. The magic sparkled like the Northern Lights for a few seconds—and then it melted away.

Maren stood in the open doorway chewing on her fingernails. She gasped. “SAVINA!” She dove inside Third Realm to tackle her wife with a hug.

Savina sighed with relief and wrapped her arms around her. She squeezed her green eyes shut. “I’m okay. I’m alive. I’m home.”

“ Sandra?” Phil poked his head through the portal and scanned the group until he found the one he was looking for. He swayed into the doorframe of the portal. “ Sandra. ”

Mom pushed through the rest of us and into my stepfather’s arms. Weston started to step through, but Shylock yanked him back and rolled his eyes. Jada chuckled silently and patted Weston’s head.

“Well, Stone Keeper,” Ellie said with a chipper voice. She gestured ahead of us. “After you.”

I squeezed Bash’s hand and pulled him with me through the portal. The relief of being back in First Realm was so overwhelming that it took me a moment to realize there were others standing in the hallway with us. When I spotted them, I squealed and charged for them. Vic and Peggy had about a two second warning before I gave them the most aggressive group hug known to man, especially since I’d dragged Bash with me. They giggled and hugged me back.

“Nickel!” Ellie screamed.

Bash and I spun around and gasped. There, sitting in a wheelchair with her head propped against the wall, was Nickel. She looked sick as hell, like in no way should she have been out of an infirmary bed.

Her eyes were barely even open. But she smiled and whispered, “ Ellie. ”

Ellie dropped down and wrapped her arms around Nickel. There were a lot of tears. Bash and I went over and gave her a hug. We were just stepping back, and I was about to ask how she was doing, when Weston came barreling through the portal.

“WOOO— NICKEL ?! Weston stumbled like he’d been shot. His face fell. “What happened to you?”

Shylock’s eyes widened. He spun to face Maren, who’d just stepped back into First with Savina and Jada. He pointed to Savina’s wife. “Maren, is this what I think it is?”

Maren shuddered. “Yes. It happened right before they went back in. How are you doing, Nickel? You shouldn’t be out of bed?—”

“Yes, that’s what her mother keeps telling her.” Peggy laughed. She gave Savina, Maren, and Jada a hug, then pulled back. “Hecca allowed her to sit in the chair, but her allotted time is about up. So, come on, Nickel. Let’s get you back to my house.”

She nodded her head slightly.

All of the mages practically swarmed Nickel at once. I couldn’t even tell if they lifted the wheelchair and carried it or pushed her through. One second they were all there in front of us, the next they vanished through the First Realm portal headed for Megelle Island.

Peggy chuckled. “Welcome home. Congratulations. We are so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Peggy.”

“Now I really am in the market?—”

“No, you are not,” Peggy hissed playfully. “The role of mother was filled. Thank you very much. Now, get your ass home so I can make you a proper welcome home meal.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Bash was grinning so wide it dimpled his cheeks. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him beam like that. It made me happy.

Peggy winked. “Come, Jada. Let’s see what we can do about your voice.” She took Jada’s elbow, then they hopped through the portal.

“So, I hear you finally met your father.”

We all froze at the sound of Zuriel’s voice.

Bash flinched. With a grimace, he turned toward the angel. “Thanks for the warning?”

I turned in time to watch the sideways grin spread across Zuriel’s face. “Should we be worried about that?”

Araqiel appeared behind Zuriel with Lexington Prescott. “Welcome back! Very nicely done.” Araqiel said with a wide grin.

“Thank you.” My face flushed. “Nice to see you on your feet, Lexington. Feeling okay?”

He rocked back on his heels and nodded. “I am, thank you. Turns out that flower didn’t get to sink its fangs into me enough to damage. They take Nickel back?”

We nodded.

“Good. She’s a nice kid,” Lex said softly. He tapped Zuriel on the shoulder. “I better get to the office. If they’re back?—”

Zuriel chuckled. “You may be too late already.”

Lex cursed and dove through the First Realm portal.

“No tacos?”

I frowned up at Bash, then turned back to Araqiel who, for the first time ever, did not have a taco in his hand. “That’s weird. That makes me nervous. What’s wrong?—”

Araqiel pulled his white blazer open to reveal two tacos sticking out of the top of the inside pocket. He wagged his eyebrows at us. “I’ve always got a taco for emergency situations.”

Bash hung his head and laughed.

But Zuriel hadn’t answered my question, so I looked back to him. “So . . . Thaddeus?”

Araqiel groaned and grabbed those tacos. “Look at that, an emergency situation.”

A cold chill slid down my spine. Beside me, Bash’s aura went ice-cold. “What?”

Zuriel just shook his head. “Thaddeus . . . is not your concern just yet.”

“He’s my father.”

Zuriel shrugged one shoulder. “Thaddeus is not your concern just yet,” he repeated.

I glanced around to my group, but Mom and Phil refused to make eye contact with the angel, and I knew it was because of my brothers. Vic took Mom’s other hand and squeezed as she smiled at Zuriel. Bash’s eyes were now distant and haunted.

“Okee dokee.” I licked my lips and nodded. “Now, what about the barrier around Megelle Island?—"

“Leaving it up.” Zuriel nodded once.

Araqiel swallowed the bite of taco and held one finger up to get our attention. “Tephine caused a lot of exposure to violence with Megelle Island and our First Realmers. Seeing as we have a zero-tolerance policy on violence, I’m going to . . . subdue their memories of the last couple weeks.”

My eyes widened. “ What? I’m sorry, what? ”

“What he means is that everyone will remember what happened, but we’ve removed the traumatic PTSD effects. We aim to reduce the chances of violence now that they’ve gotten a taste for it.”

My jaw dropped. I shut it and shook my head. “That hurts my head.”

“Already you did this?”

“No, tonight while everyone sleeps.” Zuriel shrugged. “We’re not monsters. Let everyone celebrate today. Tomorrow they’ll wake and it was all a distant memory. They’ll carry on with their lives and not linger here.”

“Just for the holiday season.” Araqiel laughed. “Sorry, that was a key part of that. We’re just going to do this temporarily. Most likely. We’ll see.”

Zuriel rolled his eyes. “That’s all. You may go now.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but they were gone. I sighed. “Weird. Okay.”

Bash walked over to the portal and held his hand out. “Let’s enjoy our victory for the night. Decode their cryptic shit tomorrow.”

I took Bash’s hand and stepped through the portal. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so light, so free. The moment we stepped onto the streets of Megelle Island, cheers erupted around us. It was midday and the entire island was already out and about celebrating in the park. Zuriel’s warning that Lex was probably already late suddenly made more sense. Music blared from somewhere—everywhere—and the residents of Megelle Island danced in the street and all over the wide-open spaces of the park. I smiled and dragged Bash out into the field with me. He smirked and pulled me close so my back was to his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and swayed to the music.

We turned around and Jimbo and Sal suddenly appeared in the center of the party. Sal spun in a circle, holding his hands out to his sides. He wore a yellow and red Hawaiian shirt with big leaves on it, a pair of khaki shorts, and flip flops, even though it was freezing outside. Jimbo stood beside him with white sunscreen all over his nose, an oversized floppy red beach hat, white linen pants, and a matching shirt. Sal pulled a cigar from his pocket and handed it to Jimbo, then pulled a second out for himself. Jimbo felt around his pockets and then pulled a lighter.

They took their time igniting the cigars, puffing their cheeks until smoke came out. Sal looked up at me, then winked. He placed a pair of thick black sunglasses over half his face. Then pointed up to the sky. Smoke billowed from the top of the buildings surrounding the park. It turned the midday blue sky almost as black as night.

“Welcome home!” Jimbo shouted.

A loud explosion echoed around the park and everyone fell silent. Golden fireworks shot up into the air and exploded against the black smoke. It rained down in perfect showers of twinkling light. One after the other they shot off more fireworks, and just as I was settling in to snuggle with Bash and watch the show, one huge firework shot into the middle of them all. At first it looked like a ball of burning electricity, then small rings of fire flew out from it. Just as it seemed to curl and twist on itself, growing bigger, Sal and Jimbo opened beach chairs and plopped down into them.

The firework grew brighter and brighter until nothing else was visible. It was like looking into the sun. There was a solar explosion type of thing and then heat licked at my face and I squeezed my eyes shut. Wind blew my hair back from my face and I curled into one of Bash’s arms. Then, suddenly, it was dead silent. There was a long pause, then everyone erupted into loud cheers at the crazy fireworks display. When I looked back to Jimbo and Sal, they somehow had coconuts with umbrellas in their hands and clinked them together.

“Cheers!” they yelled at the same time.

Bash’s deep chuckled rumbled in my ear. I giggled and shook my head. Jimbo and Sal were a riot. For as much trouble as I was sure they caused, I suspected everyone enjoyed their shenanigans too. I turned to look at the other people around and my eyes locked on Isolda and Daniel standing there, out in the open, with wide smiles on their faces as they laughed. The years of worry were over for them now, and I was proud that we did that for them and the rest of the Island.

I pulled Bash with me as I hurried over to them. “Isolda! Daniel!”

They spun toward us with big smiles. I couldn’t contain my excitement for them, they’d suffered Tephine’s wrath longer than I had, and I tackled them in a hug. When I pulled back, they were both flushed and laughing.

Isolda just shook her head like she couldn’t process any of this. “Is it true? Is she dead? That’s what Jimbo and Sal announced to everyone?—”

Bash snorted. “ Of course they did. ”

I grinned and let out a deep breath. “She’s dead and gone. Forever. You’re free now. Go wherever you want, do whatever you want. No more hiding for you, Isolda.”

Tears brimmed on her eyelashes. “I . . . don’t even know what that future looks like.”

“That’s why we’re taking it one day at a time.” Daniel squeezed her shoulder. His eyes glistened. “We’re going to stay here. The Vaunteros graciously invited us to stay with them for a couple of weeks. They keep telling us about Christmas on the Island, and we think we might like to check that out.”

“I’m just so tired of hiding . . . in all contexts.” Isolda gestured around the park to the magic being used everywhere you looked, from the wolves shifting in and out of animal forms too the sirens chilling in the fountain with their tails collecting snowflakes. “I’d love to live here and just exist as we truly are. Even if we lay low for a while.”

“Laying low is good.” I reached out and squeezed their hands. “Well, I’m going to let you two go back to blending in. If we stay here, they’ll start looking. But please, and I genuinely mean this, if you need anything, the Vauntero and Bow families know how to reach us.”

“Thanks, Collins.” Isolda hugged me again. “When you’re ready to talk immortality, let me know.”

I shivered. “I feel like I wasn’t expecting to get that far, but I will take you up on that.”

Bash shook Daniel’s hand, then stepped back and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “I hope you two find the peace you deserve.”

With that, we turned and walked away from them. But as I scanned the crowd, I realized we’d lost our group. “Where did they go?”

“Your mom, Phil, and Victoria are there.” Bash pointed to them only a few feet over from where we’d been watching the fireworks. “I saw our mages at the edge of the park when we first came through. But when you turned for Isolda, I saw them hurry off with Nickel, so they’re probably back at Peggy’s. Jada was with them too.”

“Let’s grab my parents and go meet up with them. I think I need a minute before I do all of . . .” I gestured to the crowd, “. . . this.”

I let him lead me over to where my parents and Vic were standing beneath a massive oak tree. They were smiling at the celebrations but there was a sadness in their eyes. They were missing my brothers. I knew they were. But they gave us big smiles when we walked up.

“How’s Isolda doing?” Mom asked softly.

“Better. They’re gonna stay here for a while.” I glanced back and forth between the three of them. “Do you want me to ask Araqiel or Zuriel about the boys?—”

“ No, ” Mom and Phil said in a rush.

Vic sighed. “It’s best to not push the issue. They’ll give them back when they want to. We must show restraint.”

I nodded and gnawed on my bottom lip. “Okay, well, let me know if you change your mind.”

“In the grand scheme of things, not much time has passed since they took them.” Phil gave me a sad smile. “It just feels that way to you given everything you’ve been through.”

“Fair.”

“ MOTHER, STOP RUNNING FOR FUCKS’ SAKE! ”

We all turned just in time to see a very pregnant Queen Zenobia Vauntero run-waddling toward us holding a cellphone in her hand. Lark Vauntero, her daughter, raced after her.

“MOTHER, STOP RIGHT NOW OR I’M CALLING CONSTANTINE?—”

The Queen stopped short with a growl. She stomped her foot. “I don’t need him hovering right now. I have things to do.”

Lark hurried over and grabbed her mother by the elbow, then gently urged her over to a bench a few feet away from us. “Just sit. Please. My God. Dad and Constantine are wrangling Jimbo and Sal. I don’t need you falling right now.”

At the same time, we all started toward them.

The Queen spotted us and gave us a big wave with a grin. “HEY! Congratulations!”

“Thank you.” I stopped beside the mother and daughter. “What’s going on? We don’t usually see pregnant women booking across town.”

Lark rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. “I have no idea! I was with Kate and saw her go running by, so I chased after her.”

The Queen let out a whine. “The holiday coordinator just quit. QUIT. One week before the parade and the launch of season and she quits on me without warning!”

I blinked and shook my head. “Um, holiday coordinator?”

Lark grimaced. “Christmas on the Island is a month-long extravaganza, starting with the parade the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which is next Saturday.”

“This year’s has to be perfect. It has to be. Tephine and Venus nearly killed us all. People were hurt in that attack. They’re traumatized. They just got one hell of a reality check,” the Queen cried. “One week. Everything starts in one week. Who am I going to find on such short notice that can just step in and make it amazing? Who? I’m too pregnant for this. I’m too old for this. I’m not good at planning, that’s why I hire people.”

Lark sat down on the bench beside her mother, but I saw her texting someone on her phone down by her thigh. “Mom, I am not invalidating your feelings or stress, but running changes nothing.”

“Why did the coordinator quit?”

Zenobia’s face fell. “She’s fae. Everything that’s happened with Third and Tephine, apparently it was too much for her. She was too frazzled and had to quit.”

“ Oof, ” Bash grumbled. “I’m sorry?—”

“Don’t be.” She waved him off. “Tephine is not your fault. You saved us from her so do not apologize.”

Lark glanced around. “So where were you running?”

“To find Gloria?—”

“She’s in Scotland?—”

“WHAT?”

Lark shrugged. “Remember, she went to that Christmas thing they do there?”

The Queen let out a nasty curse. “Now what am I going to do? She’s the only event planner I know-”

“Call Pemberley?—”

“She’s not good at this either, she hires?—”

“Hi, Pem!” Lark said into her phone, having clearly already dialed the number. “Listen, so I’m with Mom and apparently our holiday coordinator quit?—”

Pemberley Prescott gasped. “NO.”

“I KNOW!” Zenobia groaned.

“Okay, okay, hold on. Lexington’s assistant might save us.” We heard the sound of her footsteps on tile floor. “Hi, sweetheart?—”

“Lexington isn’t here?—”

“I know. I was just with him downstairs.” There was the sound of a door shutting, then Pemberley’s voice was easier to hear. “Weren’t you just telling me the other day about some event planner in Manhattan?”

“Yeah! Carter Quinn.” The assistant rustled through papers. “She’s a mage who has an event planning business with her best friend Ria. They are honestly amazing.”

Zenobia sat up, then winced and leaned back. “This Carter Quinn is a mage?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. She’s the single most organized person I have ever met. We bonded over spreadsheets and label makers.” There was a beat of silence. “Okay, I just texted you a picture of her business card so you can contact her. I don’t know what you need her for?—”

“Holiday coordinator.”

“I told Lexington she was going to quit. Okay, yes, you definitely want Carter Quinn then.”

The Queen looked near tears. “Thank you, doll.”

“You’re welcome!”

“Thanks, Pem?—”

“I’m on my way back now, Zen. Come to my place so we can call Carter together?”

“Okay, see you soon.”

Lark hung up the phone. “See, Mother?”

She grumbled. Just then a car pulled up behind us and Nash jumped out. He hurried over but he hadn’t even got in the Queen’s eyesight when she growled. “I am fine, Nashville?—”

“I’m pulling doctor rank here, Mother.” Nash helped her to her feet. “Get in the car.”

“Fine, but you’re taking me to Pemberley’s.”

Nash shook his head as his mother waddled off. He gave us a grin. “Welcome home and damn good job!”

“Thanks!” Bash and I yelled after him.

“I swear we babysit her more than the actual toddlers in the family.” Lark rolled her eyes again, but she laughed. She started to walk away. “Make sure you come by the house before you leave the Island!”

We all nodded.

“House.” Vic snorted and we all laughed.

The Vauntero house was a two-thousand-year-old massive castle.

As I watched the Queen with two of her children, a strange thought struck me. It wasn’t something I’d ever thought about, or at least not since I was like five years old. “Ya know what’s weird? I am surprised my bio parents never appeared.”

Mom flinched. “What?”

Phil scowled and held my mom tighter. “What do you mean?”

I shrugged. “I mean, y’all are my parents and I don’t need to meet my bio parents, but I’m just kinda surprised they never popped up and said, hey by the way we’re your parents .”

Bash rubbed my back. “Maybe they’re dead? I wouldn’t be surprised if my mother sought them out and killed them.”

“So, like funny story . . .” Mom’s face paled. Actually it looked a little green, like she might be sick. She wrung her hands together. “I am your biological mother.”

“ WHAT? ” I screamed.

“Excuse me?” Phil shrieked. His eyes bugged out. “What did you just say?”

Vic covered her mouth and laughed.

Phil spun on her. "Did you know? Mother? Sandra? What the hell?”

I was glad he was asking because my jaw was glued to the floor. I couldn’t speak.

Bash cleared his throat. “Can’t quite leave it there, Sandra.”

Mom groaned. “So . . . okay . . . well . . . I was helping this new deportee get adjusted to Third Realm and . . . things happened.”

“MOM.”

“Then you were born.”

“SANDRA!” Phil’s voice had never been so high.

“MOM.”

Phil put his hands to his head and shook it. “WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”

Vic snorted. “So . . . your baby daddy is in Third? Did you see him?”

Her face fell. “No, he died.”

“WHAT?” I screamed. My heart was in my throat. “MOM.”

“After you were born, we had to get out and into First Realm but Tephine . . . Anyway, he sacrificed himself so that I could get you to safety.” Her eyes glistened.

“ Excuse me, Sandra, ” Phil hissed.

“He didn’t mean anything more to me than a friend?—”

“ Sandra —”

“I couldn’t tell you, Philip.”

“I’m your soulmate. Of course you could!”

“Please.” She scoffed. “You tried to not be with me when we met, remember? Mister my sister is a Stone Keeper and I have to stay focused blah, blah, blah.”

Victoria was just cackling.

I could only stare in shock.

“NO WONDER HE TOOK THE BOYS,” Phil screeched. He bent over and put his hands on his knees. “This whole time she’s been your actual biological daughter?”

I started to laugh. This was too much. “Yeah. Mom, you’re actually my mom?”

“I was pregnant with you and gave birth to you, yes.”

“And you let me think you’d adopted me this whole time.”

She sighed. “I was afraid they’d take you from me.”

Phil scoffed. “YOU THINK, SANDRA? Oh my God.” He started to pace in front of us.

“Phil, I’m sorry.” Mom reached out to him, then stopped. “This was a horrible secret to hang on to. I hated lying to you. But I was just afraid you’d be too afraid to be with me?—”

“Because I would’ve been worried you didn’t take the whole no having babies rule seriously and probably never would’ve touched you.”

Mom grimaced. “In my defense, we went a long time before the boys happened?—”

“ Oh my God. ” And then Phil just burst into laughter. “No wonder they knew about the boys. They knew this whole time with Collins.”

I cleared my throat and held my hand in the air. “Excuse. Me. Hold up. Not to interrupt this whole secret daughter revelation that directly affects me . . . but did you say . . . you said my sister is a Stone Keeper.”

Mom opened her mouth, then shut it. Phil looked at the ground. Victoria just shook her head and laughed.

And then it all clicked. The obvious, blatant truth I’d been ignoring the whole damn time finally crash landed in my brain. “That’s how she fell through the locked portal. Because she’s the Stone Keeper for Fifth Realm. Right?”

Phil’s face fell. He nodded.

I spun around to Bash. “Did you know this?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but I covered his mouth with my hand.

“No, don’t answer that. Ignorance is bliss.” I scrubbed my face with my hands. “That’s why you haven’t . . . because she’s in her own war like I’ve been in.”

“Yes.” Phil cleared his throat. “Tallulah is the Stone Keeper for Fifth Realm.”