Chapter 28

TWENTY-EIGHT

COLLINS

“I think it’s the vines that make her heavy.”

Bash gave me a withering look as he held Cleo in his arms. I fluttered my wings, keeping as close to him as possible as we raced to get to the portal. My nerves were completely on edge. I kept looking over my shoulder for Tephine to be following us at any moment. It was both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. My wings fluttered on my shoulders even faster. I thought it would be exhausting like running, but it wasn’t, it was effortless in a way that was completely free. The portal was just up ahead. We were almost there. The world zoomed by in a blur. I sucked in a deep, icy breath. Bash hovered lower to the ground and signaled me to stop. I landed next to him, and his wings disappeared from his back.

“How . . . how do I?” I spun in a circle, looking back at my wings like a dog chasing its tail.

Bash placed his hand on my arm, stopping me. He made the motion for me to suck in a deep breath, then let it out. I followed each of his deep breaths in and out, and my body calmed. I felt the magic of my wings seep back into me. When I glanced over my shoulder, they were gone and Bash was smiling down at me.

He hiked Cleo up higher on his shoulder, then turned toward the portal. The portal looked exactly the same as when I came here, but it was strange to see the door just sitting on this snowy mountain. Bash placed his hand in the middle of the door, and it flashed a bright white light. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into the light of the portal.

As the light faded, I looked up and sucked in a sharp breath. I leapt backward and crashed into Bash, then I jumped to the side. “Um, Araqiel. H-hi.”

He stood there with his arms crossed over his chest in that perfectly pristine white suit. When I looked up at him, the lights above reflected off of his bald head, shining with an ironic halo effect. He raised both his eyebrows at us and pointed to Cleo who was still wrapped up like a mummy in my green vines.

Just then the portal at the end of the hall opened and Zuriel strolled out. He held a brown paper bag in his hand with oil stains on the outside of it. He handed it to Araqiel, then turned to face us. He glared at Cleo. “No.”

“You’re late.” Araqiel opened the bag and pulled a brown paper-wrapped taco out.

“There was a line.” Zuriel didn’t take his eyes off Cleo. Again, he shook his head at us. “No.”

“What the hell did you put in this?” Araqiel examined the carefully folded tortilla.

“It’s called a quesadilla.” Zuriel motioned to it. “And vegetables. Lots of vegetables.”

“Why in the hell would I have a pressed taco full of veggies. It’s like you don’t even know me.” He took a bite and licked his lips. “I asked for a taco!”

“You need variety. Not everything is meat and cheese.” Zuriel motioned for Bash to lay Cleo on the floor. “Drop that there.”

Bash laid her at Zuriel’s feet and then looked to me with wide eyes.

I cleared my throat. “We kind of need that to get his voice back.”

Araqiel took another bite. “There is variety in a taco. You got all the food groups: dairy, protein, veggies, carbs, fats. I hit all of them. Pyramid, style.”

Zuriel sighed and rolled his eyes. “She can’t go.”

“But we have to get into Second Realm to get his voice back and the only way we can do that is to take her there. We have to find the mage Stone Keeper who took her stone.”

Araqiel chuckled and shook his head.

Even Zuriel nearly smiled . . . maybe.

Araqiel narrowed his eyes at Bash. “You did not make a good first impression with Stellan and Ellie, if you recall.”

Bash’s face was impassive as he shrugged. I needed this. I needed to hear his voice and be able to communicate with him.

“Then we have to get to Megelle Island so I can talk to Phil.” I gnawed on my bottom lip. “He’s another Nephilim. He must have a way to get a message to the mage Nephilim in Second Realm, right?”

Zuriel pointed toward Cleo. “Not with that.”

Araqiel chuckled. “Yeah. No.”

“You’ve got one hour,” Zuriel growled. “Leave that right here and go. Don’t be late.”

“Thank you.” I swallowed around my nerves. I didn’t know if I could take bad news right now, but I had to know. “Um, Zuriel, my mom . . . I saw you?—”

“Sandra is unconscious in the infirmary.” He looked at his watch. “Better hurry.”

Bash grabbed my hand and dragged me down the hall toward a set of doors. We turned down a long hall and up a flight of stairs. This place was a maze, and it made me wonder how many times he’d been here before that he could navigate it so easily. Before I knew it, we were out on the streets of New York. The sun was setting in the sky, barely peeking between the buildings. In front of us was Columbus Circle, where traffic came from five different directions to mingle into one circle before dispersing once more.

Across the street was the entrance to Central Park. The trees were an array of fall colors showing hues of yellow, red, and brown to the world. Bikes with little carts attached to them were parked in a line at the curb as people waited to take a ride through the park. Food carts parked just outside the entrance filled the air with the smell of warm pretzels and hot dogs. People hurried in all different directions, none of them seeming to stop or say hello to each other, and yet there was a rhythm to their movements, like the way they swerved and moved was coordinated. Vegas had the bright shine of lights and wildness, but New York really was a concrete jungle with epic buildings that were all about the architecture.

Bash tugged me across the street and toward the park. It was amazing to find such a huge patch of green surrounded by skyscrapers. He ducked onto a path and we kept on walking until the crowds of people thinned and trees began to cover us. When we appeared to be alone, he stopped and let his wings pop from his back. He pointed toward my chest and I shrugged my shoulders, forcing my own wings out.

He pulled the paper from his pocket. Stay close. We’re moving fast so no one can see us.

I gave him a nod and he gave my hand a squeeze. Holding it tightly, he fluttered his wings and shot straight into the air. I tried to keep up with him, but even now I felt him pulling and guiding me out of the city and toward Megelle Island. The tall, silvery buildings of New York faded into the distance like a beautiful outline giving way to the open sea. The water was rough and dark with rocking waves that would drive anyone to be seasick. The air changed from thick with the smell of crowds and food to thin, clean, and fresh. The chill reminded me of Third Realm as the wind whipped all around us.

Bash tugged me closer to his side and that connection sizzled between us. I felt it in the palm of my hand and the warmth of his skin. My eyes were drawn to the hard plains of his body and his pale, shimmering skin. He was beautiful, and when he could finally speak to me, we would explore this connection between us.

He moved so quickly it was hard to tell how far or for how long we’d been traveling, but Megelle Island soon came into view and my heart raced. How am I going to tell them I lost Tallulah and Mom was gravely injured? How am I going to explain Bash’s presence and what it meant for us? But most of all, how am I going to convince the mages to let us bring Cleo there?

All of these questions faded away as he soared over the Vauntero Castle, with its terracotta roof and beige walls that blended in with the Island so well. On the street, people stopped as they gazed up at us and pointed. The Pemberley was just across from the castle, and people all stuck their heads out of the windows to watch Prince Bash fly me into the Island.

“We have to get to Peggy Bow’s house. My family is there, and we can talk to Phil?—”

Bash shook his head and then we lowered. I glanced down and found we were headed for a massive park that was full of people . . . people who were all staring up at us with their jaws slack and eyes wide.

We landed on a field of green grass. In the distance, all of the trees were shades of red and yellow as autumn was in full swing. The air was cool but comfortable enough, nothing like Third Realm. Nothing requiring the fur trench coats Bash and I were wearing. I glanced around and found at least a hundred pairs of eyes locked on us.

It was a bright, sunny day without a cloud in the sky . . . and it appeared all of Megelle Island had gone out to the park. To my left, there had to be three dozen wolves of varying colors and sizes basking in the sunlight, some of them belly-up. Two of the small wolves jumped up and then turned into humans before scurrying over to an older guy sitting under a tree. Off in the distance, there seemed to be a lake of some sort and those were definitely mermaids lounging in the water. Neon-colored tails flapped and splashed around.

Light flashed in my peripheral vision. When I turned toward it, I found a dozen kids with wands in their hands shooting colorful smoke at each other and giggling. A woman pushing a stroller stopped in my line of sight and pulled out a wand. She pointed it at the ground and a full picnic setup appeared on the grass.

There were gasps and whispers all around us. I spun in a circle to try and hear what they were saying but was distracted by all the wings. There were fae everywhere. Lying on the grass, sitting in trees, walking down the sidewalk. Everywhere. Wings of all colors were fluttering in the breeze.

And then I heard the voices.

My ears zeroed in on them.

“ How’d they fly here?”

“You can’t fly here! How is this possible?”

“How’d they break the flying barrier?”

“Why do their wings look like THAT?”

I glanced left and right yet found only fear and confusion in their eyes. My stomach dropped. I reached out and grabbed at Bash’s hand. I forced my gaze away from the people and up to him. “What’s going on? What are they talking about?”

He grimaced. Well ? —

“COLLINS!”

I gasped. “Philip!” I spun in a half circle, searching the crowd for his face without letting go of Bash’s hand. In the back of my mind, I registered just how comfortable holding his hand was and how quickly it calmed me . . . and just how much that scared me. Focus, Collins.

The circle of wolves parted and then I spotted him. My stepfather, Philip. He was full-on sprinting across the park. His red hair perfectly matched the oak tree leaves he ran under. There was no mistaking the fear and urgency in his gait. This wasn’t a happy reunion run. This was panic. Behind him, my three little brothers followed surprisingly close behind with Tallulah’s mom, Victoria, at the back. The boys were giggling like this was a game, but Vic’s expression matched her son’s.

They knew something was wrong.

Bash took a deep breath and squeezed my hand. His palms got a little sweaty. Is he nervous? I stole a glance up at his face and found his jaw flexing and unflexing. He was definitely nervous. I squeezed his hand and didn’t ease up.

All around us, people were still gasping and talking, their voices no longer whispered but full volume. I tried to force them out of my ears, but I couldn’t tune out their fear. I didn’t understand why they were so bothered. They all seemed overwhelmingly concerned with the fact that we flew here, which I didn’t understand at all.

“COLLINS!”

I jumped and turned back to face forward just as Philip sprinted up to me. I forced a smile I knew he’d never buy and waved with the hand not gripping Bash. “Wait, did you know they were here?”

Bash nodded.

“How?”

He arched one eyebrow. I felt them, he mouthed.

“Oh—Philly Cheesesteak!” I yelled with fake enthusiasm.

“Collins, heavens.” He pulled me in for a tight hug. As he stepped back, his green eyes shot down to my hand gripping Bash’s. He looked back and forth between us, his scowl deepening. “Is this who I think this is?”

I swallowed the nervous, hot lump in my throat. Philip was my stepfather, but he was the only father I’d ever known, and he’d been that since I was four years old. For all intents and purposes, this man was my father . . . and he knew damn well I was holding hands with?—

“Prince Bastien.”

I gasped and spun around—and my jaw dropped. The three people standing behind us, who definitely had not just been there or anywhere within sight, were all basically identical. They had the exact same shade of sapphire-blue eyes. The guy in the middle had long black hair and a scruffy beard. The guy on his left had short black hair, a Gucci headband, and a fabulous sequin maxi dress. He even had neon-lime green fingernail polish that matched the sunglasses perched low on his nose. The third was quite possibly the prettiest woman I’d ever seen, one who definitely gave Helena a run for that title. She had the same black hair but wore bright-violet lipstick.

“Prince Constantine, Josiah, and Princess Lark,” Philip said in a rush as he pointed them out. He gave a subtle little bow, then looked to me. “Collins, these are three of the Vauntero children.”

“Ah, so you’re the troublemaker from Vegas,” the long haired Vauntero dude said with basically a growl. “With Prince Bastien.”

I blinked up at him. “Oh, you know each other.”

Lark Vauntero grinned. “Everyone on First Realm knows of the Realm Royals, particularly the naughty ones like Bastien, right?”

Behind them, people were huddling up and whispering.

I frowned. “What’s everyone’s problem?”

“They’re just mad they can’t fly here,” Josiah said with a lopsided grin. “There’s a barrier around the island so no one can fly or swim in.”

“Oh, then how did?—”

“Prince Bastien and his family are not bound by that barrier,” Constantine growled. “Yet they’re supposed to observe our laws and customs while here.”

“It was an emergency,” I said in a rush because I didn’t know if Bash’s curse was common knowledge and these Vaunteros looked pissed. Sure, they smiled, but I saw the sharp points of their fangs growing sharper. “And I didn’t know. I’m sorry. We aren’t staying long. We just need to speak with my stepfather for a moment.”

Lark glanced around the park and put on a big friendly smile. “No worries. Just let us know if you need us for anything.”

Constantine narrowed his eyes. “Try to keep things private. No one on this island needs to know the dealings of realm business.”

Bash nodded.

The three siblings nodded, spun around—and cleared the entire park in the blink of an eye. Walking. I shook my head. “Vampires, right?”

“ Collins, ” Philip half-cried, half-whispered.

I spun back around to face him and found Vic there too. My brothers were playing behind them. “Hi, Vic. Philip?—”

“Where’s your mother? Where’s Tallulah?” Philip pointed to Bash. “And why in God’s name are you here with him ? Why are you holding his hand? Talk to me. NOW. ”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. Constantine’s warning replayed in my mind as Bash and Philip stared at each other. Philip was glaring at him with lasers in his eyes. I tugged on Bash’s hand.

He looked down at me and cocked his head to the side.

“We need privacy . . .” I gestured around to the park full of people still watching us.

His eyebrows rose and then he nodded. He held his hand up—the entire park crowd gasped in unison and jumped backward. Most of them scrambled away from us. Bash smirked.

“Are we a big black blob right now?”

He grinned and nodded.

“In the middle of a park in daylight?”

He shrugged and mouthed, privacy.

I shook my head and chuckled.

“Collins?” Vic’s voice was softer than I’d ever heard it. Her green eyes were dark and had big bags under them—and we’d only been gone a matter of hours.

“Wait a second. How is it still daylight?”

“Magic.” Philip tugged on his hair. “Please, Collins. Focus.”

I shook myself. “Sorry, sorry. Okay. First, this is Prince Bastien, but you can call him Bash?—”

“The one who kidnapped Tallulah thinking he was you?” Vic glared at him. “The same guy? Tephine’s son?”

Bash grimaced and nodded.

“Phil, Vic . . . a lot has happened today. I need you to listen and to trust me, because we don’t have a lot of time and we need your help. Okay?” I waited for them both to nod, then I cleared my throat. “Bash is on our side. He wants his family dead and gone.”

Vic scoffed. She tucked her red hair behind her ears, revealing that they were pointed. “How am I supposed to believe that? I am fae. I was born in Third Realm long before you were born, Bastien. But I know your mother and all your sisters, and I know your father and where he sent girls like me.”

Bash’s face fell. OH. He frowned, then looked to me with desperation in his eyes.

“We don’t have time to go into the whole story, guys. I know you don’t know him, but you know me, so I need you to trust my judgement. Also, he chopped Helena’s head off in front of me.”

Vic gasped and her eyes went wide.

“Bash is the only reason I’m alive and here right now.” I pushed my hair back and realized it was still pink and purple despite being back in First Realm. FOCUS. “Look, you’re not going to like this, but . . . as soon as Mom and I stepped into Third Realm, this awful venus flytrap looking plant attacked Mom. She killed it, but it took her down too. Jada showed up and threw Mom back through the portal because she was . . . she was dying. Zuriel caught her, and a minute ago we saw Zuriel and he told me she was in the infirmary in The Emerald.”

Philip’s face turned green. He squeezed his eyes shut and shuddered.

“We’ll go to her, Son.” Vic wrapped her arm around her son’s shoulders as he hung his head. She nodded to me. “Go on.”

“Bash can’t speak. Cleo took his voice sixty years ago. He took Tallulah because he was trying to get me before his sisters did, but when he got back to Third Realm, he realized she wasn’t me. He tried to get Tallulah back through one of Tephine’s secret portals but . . .” I sighed and gave a humorless chuckle, “she fell into a portal. One that’s been locked for centuries. He doesn’t know how she managed to fall through.”

Philip’s head snapped up, his eyes wide and wild. Vic looked like she was going to be sick.

“What? What do you know?”

Phil shook his head. “Don’t worry about Tallulah. You need to focus on your task. Mom and I . . . we’ll find my sister. Okay? You can’t worry about her right now. Got that?”

I nodded and my stomach tightened into knots. “So, it turns out that the Jada who I met was actually Tephine in disguise. Bash found the real Jada tied up in the palace but didn’t get a chance to save her.”

Phil’s eyes bugged out of his head.

“What do you need from us, Collins?” Vic’s voice was soft. “Why are you here?”

“We need to get to Second Realm.”

“ What? ” Phil shrieked. “Why?”

“Because I need to learn how to use my magic. All of it. Enough so I can beat his family and find the Stone. But Mom is down. Bash can help me with all of this, but he needs his voice back first.” I glanced up to him. “The mage Stone Keeper stole Cleo’s stone and we need that to get his voice back, so I need you to send a message to the mage-Nephilim and ask them to let us in.”

Phil stared at us for a long moment, then light flashed and his big, green-tipped golden wings popped out. Bash’s hand tightened on mine and his eyes widened. Clearly, he didn’t know Philip was Nephilim. Phil reached up with his right hand and grabbed one of his feathers just over his left shoulder. It flashed and popped, then came free between his fingers.

“How are you?—”

He brought the tip of his golden feather down to his left forearm like it was a quill. Just below the black letters of his soulmate mark, he wrote on his skin in metallic, golden ink. The words were written in an elegant scroll that didn’t look like English. I tried to read them, but they vanished as fast as he wrote them. It took him a second, but then he stopped and just stared at his arm.

It felt like an hour before gold writing flashed onto his arm. Whoever was answering him wrote back in that same language. Phil watched intently while my brothers ran circles around his legs. Vic closed her eyes and nodded. My stomach was in knots.

“Okay, you’re in business.” Philip sighed and held up his arm to show fading golden writing. “Nickel said to meet her at the portal in The Emerald.”