Chapter 29

29

M y experience with summer vacation while I was still in that horrible nightmare house my parents owned was that they lasted far too long. Three months seemed endless, and all I wanted was to return to school so I could at least be ignored for part of the day.

The same couldn't be said of my final three months in Hell. It felt like I blinked, and then it was gone.

Days at Era, sometimes with just Stefan, sometimes with a crowd of friends and family. Nights watching fireworks, sometimes from Gabe's balcony and sometimes from Stefan's. Mornings at the underground forest beneath the Denny's parking lot, with the sun streaming down onto the rest of us while Stefan carefully stood far enough away so it wouldn't touch him. Baking lessons with Stefan while Gabe tried to sneak tastes of what we were working on. One afternoon spent having a picnic on a beach, followed by running for my life while being chased by an enormous sandworm. Evenings on a couch while I devoured every book I could get my hands on.

My first kiss, given and received while the sky above us exploded in a million colors, reflecting off the castle before us.

They were days spent with warmth, security, and love. I knew I'd remember those three months for the rest of my life and the rest of my unceasing existence afterward. We laughed, we took photos, we played games.

And, in the midst of all that, I was pretty sure at least one of us had fallen in love and that leaving was going to hurt far worse than being left black and blue on the kitchen floor. That didn't change my mind, though. I didn't want to leave the living world with regrets.

Things continued to move forward in the living world, too. The house was clean, and most of the cosmetic issues were taken care of. My room had been appropriately wallpapered and painted, with new furnishings Abby and I had assembled.

We'd had meetings with Rose, first to let us know our horrible paternal grandparents had been all too happy to give Beelzebub full custody of Abby while they intended to take John and David. They were out of our lives for good, and we were grateful for that. There was no public funeral for my parents, as news of their disgusting pastimes finally hit the media, and we weren't invited to any private service. We were officially shunned.

"Kind of a shame," Abby had said. "I would have asked to borrow Tempest to take with us to the funeral."

Later, Rose had also informed us that our parents' perverse partners-in-crime had been rounded up, including David, so it seemed he'd be going to jail and not to my former grandparents. There had been an overwhelming amount of evidence found, and it was unlikely that Abby or I would have to go to court to testify about what we'd found behind the office's locked door. That was a relief, honestly. I would have done it if necessary, but karmic justice had been served, and I was satisfied with the results. For me, at least, it was time to move forward with only occasional glimpses back so I'd never forget where I'd been when I was helping others with similar troubles.

To that end, Rose was thrilled to hear me say what I wanted to do with the rest of my natural life and immediately talked the nonprofit she worked for into letting her take me on as a volunteer assistant. Once summer was over, I'd be helping with her paperwork while I took a semester-long break from schooling to get things settled.

Maybe it would help keep my mind off of Stefan.

Time waits for no one, no matter the gender or species, though, and the three months I'd been promised came to a close. The day before I was to be escorted out of Hell, I ended up in Stefan's intensely green kitchen one more time.

"What do you want to make today?" he asked me. He was trying to be cheerful and only half-succeeding if that.

"A Watergate cake," I said immediately. Everything had started with that particular cake, after all.

So, much as we had that night five years ago when I'd unknowingly astral projected into a vampire's kitchen, I stood side-by-side with Stefan in his bright pink polka-dotted apron, handing him things when he asked. When we put the cake in the oven, we opted to stay there, sitting at the small table and holding hands as we talked and waited for the buzzer.

When the cake had cooled and we'd slathered on the topping, I stared at the pan and squeezed Stefan's hand. He grinned at me, though it was kind of half-hearted. "What do you think?" he asked, gesturing at the cake we'd just finished frosting.

I had to clear my throat to get the lump out so I could speak. "I think I'm in love with you."

Stefan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, I could see the tears building. "That's not fair," he whispered. "You can't tell me that when you're about to leave."

"Sorry," I whispered back.

He laughed, though it was weak, and sniffled. "Don't apologize," he said. "Just...tell me that again when you come back. If you still feel that way. I'll give you my answer then."

I nodded. "Okay."

The cake tasted a little salty that evening, but that might have been because of the tears that wouldn't stop sliding down my face.

The following day found a crowd in the gym in the basement of Hell's HQ. Yahweh, Jesus, and Gabriel were there, along with my family and Stefan. "Yahweh and I are here partially so we can confirm to the old gods that you've left," Gabriel said. "But mostly just because we'll miss you."

"And don't forget, God is watching," Yahweh added with a grin.

"Don't listen to the weirdos who wear jewelry shaped like the torture device I was nailed to," Jesus told me. "And if you go to church, just remember, I am not listening because I'm just some guy." He grinned when he got a laugh from me. "Don't be afraid to try to make the world a better place. Just pray they don't turn your life story into a religion when you do."

Stan gave me a bone-cracking hug. "I'll see you in a few weeks," he said, having won the impromptu poker competition to see who'd have the first family night in my dreams. "Keep yourself out of trouble."

"Only if you promise to keep Gabe out of trouble," I told him with a shaky smile.

"I'll do my best," he said, eyes watery. "I make no promises, though. You've seen what he's like."

I nodded. "And stay away from the flaming geese."

Stan laughed as he wiped his eyes and stepped out of the way so my grandmother could get a good look at me. She narrowed her eyes, staring at my face. "You're sure?" she asked one final time.

"I'm sure," I answered. I hurt so bad I had no words to describe it, but I was sure.

She nodded, then folded her arms around me. "I'm so incredibly proud of you," she whispered. "I'll see you next month, okay?"

She'd nearly beheaded Stan when he'd beaten her for first in line but eventually came to terms with the fact that she'd be second. Besides, since she was married to him, she'd have the first crack at getting updates on me from Beelzebub.

Gabe was next. "Don't worry," he told me softly. "Dev and Alec are waiting at Stefan's apartment, and Stan and I will be staying next door until we're sure he's on an even keel, emotionally speaking."

I nodded as I buried a hand in Tempest's mane, earning a look of ecstasy from the hellhound as I gave him scritches. "Thank you," I told my brother.

"Well, I mean, he is my other best friend," Gabe pointed out as he hugged me. "I'll see you in a week when I drag Stefan into your dream," he promised. "And don't forget, your older brother loves you so fucking much."

And with that, it was time to say my last goodbye. Stefan's eyes were already puffy, and I wasn't sure if that was because we'd opted to stay awake all night so we didn't lose what little time we had left together to sleep or because he'd been crying when I wasn't looking. Maybe both. "I have something for you," I told him, reaching into my backpack.

He watched, curious, as I dug around. Finally, my hand found what I'd been seeking, and I made a triumphant noise, pulling out the plush demon I'd won months ago at the carnival. "Here," I said, holding it out.

He took it, though he looked at me with confusion.

"It's the first thing in my life I ever won," I told him. "Hold onto it for me, will you? You can give it to me when I come back."

He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again as tears began to drip down his cheeks.

"I'll see you in a week," I reminded him, desperately trying to keep myself together.

He nodded, gave me a watery smile, and walked quickly to the door. In a way, I was kind of glad he hadn't opted for a hug; otherwise, I would have lost the last bit of composure I'd been holding onto.

"He'll be okay," Gabe promised me as we watched Stefan leave. "He just doesn't want to lose it and make you feel bad."

"Yeah," I said, my voice thick. "I know."

"Come on, kid," my grandfather said gently as the circle on the wall started to glow. "It's time to leave."

"Yeah," I said as I looked around at everyone there. "I'll see you all soon," I promised.

Then I stepped through the portal, emerging in the hall closet of the old Victorian. The door was open, and Abby was waiting. I stepped away from the portal to give my grandfather room to come through.

"Welcome home," Abby said, a complicated expression on her face. On one hand, she was glad to have me there. On the other hand, she knew what I had just left behind.

"Thanks," I said. And then I sank to the floor with a sob.

To say I was a wreck for the first couple of days was an understatement. I hid in my bed, but not even my dreams gave me the solace they usually did.

On the third day, Abby ripped the blankets off my bed. "Get up," she ordered. She'd been out with our grandfather to get groceries and had stomped directly to my room when they'd arrived. Apparently, she'd had enough of my moping. Before I knew it, she was shoving me into the bathroom and telling me to shower, or she'd hose me down. She also threatened to burn the clothes I hadn't changed out of in days if I tried to put them back on. "I'll leave fresh clothes outside the door," she said. "We're going out when you're done."

I sighed. "Abby, I don't want?—"

She pointed a threatening finger in my face. "We are going out when you're done," she said fiercely. "Gramps and I passed something on the way home that you need to see. If you fight me on this, I swear to god I'll draw mustaches on all your photos of Stefan."

Her ridiculous threat made me laugh a little for the first time since I'd left Hell, and it loosened something inside me. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried in the shower, but I felt a weight off of me when I finally emerged.

"Well, you certainly smell better," Abby said when I joined her in the living room. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the door. "Gramps is waiting in the car, let's go."

I was practically tossed into the back seat before I could summon a protest as Abby rode shotgun, and when we were on the road, I finally managed to ask, "What is this all about?"

"You'll see," Beelzebub said, then promptly cranked the radio, probably so I couldn't ask any more questions.

I stared out the window, given no way to continue hounding them about our destination. I watched restaurants go by, noting which ones I recognized from the food court. It amazed me how many chains I recognized had locations in Hell, but I supposed I shouldn't be surprised. Gabe had once told me with a grin that I should look to see if there was a Waffle House location number 666 in the living world and then remarked I should ask myself why when I found the answer. For the record, I hadn't been able to find one.

Another thought popped into my head, and I tapped my grandfather on the shoulder. He turned down the radio, and I asked, "Can we go by the Equitable building?"

I heard him give a low chuckle. "Sure, kid. Maybe not today, but we can do that. Fair warning, though, we ain't stopping there. Parking is a fucking nightmare, and the version of the building here..." He hesitated as if trying to find words. "Let's just say it hasn't been taken care of nearly as well as Hell HQ."

"Can we go to Disneyland?"

"Oh, yes, please," Abby agreed.

"We can do that too," Beelzebub agreed. "Though you may find it disappointing."

"Why on earth would he be disappointed by Disneyland ?" Abby asked, bewildered.

Hopefully our grandfather had just figured out no one had told her about Era. "Well, grandma's version of it when she talks about it is full of things they don't have anymore," I lied. Well, sort of. Maybe it wasn't a lie, technically, but still. It was not the whole truth.

Beelzebub hummed in agreement, and I let out a silent, relieved sigh. "You might not care for what it's like now compared to what you've heard it used to be," he said. "But sure, we can go."

"Good, I want to send some souvenirs to everyone."

There was an awkward pause before our grandfather asked, "How do you plan to do that?"

"Oh." I grinned sheepishly, though he probably wasn't looking in the rearview mirror. "I forgot to tell you. Yahweh said I'm allowed to send packages with you to Hell. I'm just not allowed to get anything back. Not even a tiny Post-It note, I believe was how he put it. But you can carry verbal messages. You might want to get the whole story from him."

"I'll do that," he grumbled before turning into a parking lot. "We're here."

"And where exactly is...here...?" I looked toward where he pointed and gasped. "Oh my god."

I was greeted by a red and white archway with the words "Welcome, Traveler" painted on it.

I saw my grandfather grin at me in the rearview mirror. "Are we forgiven for dragging you out of bed?"

"I can't believe they're here," I murmured.

"Notice he didn't forgive us," Abby said to Beelzebub.

"I would have been more surprised if they hadn't shown up," Beelzebub told me. "They tend to pop up at the most coincidental of times, from what I've heard."

"Let's go," I said impatiently as I freed myself from my seatbelt and threw open the door.

"I should be glad you waited until I'd finished parking," Beelzebub said with a snort. "It's nice to see you excited about something, though."

"Hurry up," I urged them, practically bouncing in place as I waited. Thankfully, they decided not to tease me by strolling as slowly as possible but instead let me practically shove them to the ticket booth. The moment we were through the turnstile, I took off like a shot, with Abby yelling at me to wait for them and our grandfather assuring her he knew where I was headed.

I passed all the tents I'd seen during my prior visit, noting a couple of new ones along the way, and finally reached the rear of the carnival, where a small purple tent stood as the scent of caramel corn hung thick in the air. I wasn't the least bit surprised to see a familiar woman and her gauzy skirt waiting for me at the entrance.

"Well, well," Madame Persephone said with a smile. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Oh please," I said with a snort. "You probably had it down to the second. You don't fool me."

"Come now, I've been waiting for at least five minutes," she told me, her laugh lines showing as her smile grew. "Despite what your brother says, I do not, in fact, know everything."

"He'd tell you you're full of shit," I noted with a grin.

She laughed. "So, how was it? Meeting your brother, I mean."

"I always saw family as an abhorrent thing," I admitted. "Something to cause pain and suffering." I looked over my shoulder and saw my grandfather and my sister making their way toward us. "I was happy to be proven wrong."

Madame Persephone smiled at my grandfather. "It's good to see you again, Beelzebub. Though it's rather different to see you in this guise."

Beelzebub grunted, and I frowned. "I thought you didn't know who my maternal grandfather was."

"At the time, I didn't," she assured me. "Not for certain. Imagine my surprise when he showed up at the carnival with Gabe a couple of months later."

My eyes widened. With that timeframe, it would have had to have happened in Hell. What was the carnival doing there? "You all are human, right?" I asked hesitantly.

Madame Persephone gave me a smile full of secrets. "Hmm, I wonder," she said before turning toward her tent. "Come in, all of you. I want to do a reading for Zeke." She looked over her shoulder and eyed my sister. "Maybe a palm reading for you, too."

We gathered around the table in her dimly lit tent, and she picked up her tarot cards. "I think just a single card will do," she told me, shuffling her cards with all the skill I imagined a poker dealer in Vegas might have. Then she set the deck in front of me. "Cut the deck and select your card."

I glanced up at her, unsure, and she nodded. After another moment's hesitation, I reached out, picked up half the deck to set aside, and took the card from the top, setting it in front of her face-down. She flipped it over and smiled. "As I thought," she said, then lay the card on the table for all to see.

In the middle of the card was a large circle, seemingly divided into eight sections. It was surrounded by an angel and some animals that were probably mythological if the sphinx on top of any indication. I looked up at Madame Persephone, curious.

"The Wheel of Fortune," she explained. "Upright, it's often associated with destiny, luck, and success. It's also a reminder that life is full of change. Cherish the good times, and know the bad ones will end eventually as the wheel turns. If you send out positive energy, you will gain positive energy in return. Allow the universe to guide you." She gave me a knowing look and smiled. "Time does not stand still."

"Yeah, I suppose it doesn't," I murmured as I stared down at the card, feeling a little less hopeless than I had since I'd returned to the living world.

"Also, may I make a suggestion?"

"I already listened to the dead when he talked," I told her, grinning.

She laughed and shook her head as she put her deck to rights again and set it aside. "No, not that one. My suggestion for you is to remember that gifts are meant to be used." She raised an eyebrow at me for a beat, then held out a hand for Abby. "Let me see your palm, dear."

Abby looked at me as if she was about to stick her hand in a lion's mouth, and I gave her an encouraging smile. Madame Persephone took her hand and gave her a gentle smile before peering down at my sister's palm. "You're a dependable person," she said. "Creative, spontaneous, and also an adventure-seeker. You'll pursue many different interests during your lifetime and are a hard worker." She traced a line near the base of my sister's fingers and frowned. "Your heart line, though..."

"Oh, please don't tell me I'm going to have a horrible love life," Abby groaned. "I can finally date without having someone threaten to burn me at a stake."

"You value your independence but are a romantic who easily falls in love." She paused and looked up at my sister. "You will love many, but I don't think you'll have one great love during your lifetime."

Abby gave her a smirk. "And after my lifetime?"

Madame Persephone grinned. "I think you'll be just fine." She patted Abby's hand, let go, and turned her gaze to meet mine. "Go show your sister the carnival," she told me. "Have a fun day. Ride the rides that don't flip you around or spin you like a giant hamster wheel, eat the food, and play the games. Go home when the sun sets, and wake up tomorrow knowing time has moved forward one more day."

I nodded, knowing she was telling me goodbye. I wouldn't see her again that day. "Will I ever see you again?" I asked.

"Eventually," she promised, standing next to me. She opened her arms when I stood, and I gratefully hugged her. "Tell Gabe I said hello and that he should not consider the flesh-eating butterflies."

"Oh dear lord," I sighed. She laughed as I let go. "I'll tell him," I promised. "Thank you for everything you've done for me and him. For all of us, really."

She smiled and patted my cheek. "You're a good kid."

"I never did give you the rest of your money back, along with the bus card," I told her, reaching for the backpack I'd slung over one shoulder.

"Don't," she told me. "Keep it. I know you don't need it now, but you might come across someone who does. Use it for them."

I nodded.

"Good," Madame Persephone told me with a fond smile. "Go on, have some fun."

We did as she bid and spent the day stopping in tents to see the various shows. I was half-afraid Abby really would end up with a mountain lion of her own to bring home, but thankfully, there were no spontaneous animal adoptions like the last time I'd been there. We moved on to the rides, and while I refused to ride the Gravitron, Abby rode it three times in a row. After the third time, she looked at me, announced she wanted to ride it again, and promptly lost her lunch. Her stomach was still all-too-human when it came to the effects of vertigo.

We walked by the haunted house. The voices I'd heard the last time were excited again, and I whispered a greeting to them this time. Then I had to explain to Abby who I'd been talking to, and she wanted to go back to talk to the ghosts some more, especially after Beelzebub confirmed that's what had been whispering to me. We were able to convince her to go back after we'd done everything we wanted to do, which was probably a blessing. Sure, a convenient bench was nearby, but it wasn't shaded, and it was summer in Southern California.

We ate a lot of fried food that would probably congeal our hearts into hockey pucks, wandered the shops, and eventually got to the games.

"Oh, I remember you," the cheerful but exhausted woman at the ring toss game said when I stopped. "You need to play again." She pointed at the plushies, and I noticed where the demons had been last time sat some cartoonish-looking vampires. "They're a matched set with the demons," she said. "Trust me, you want one."

I really kind of did, especially since I'd left my demon in Hell with Stefan. I was more than slightly amused that he had a demon, and I was going to try to win a vampire.

I slapped my money onto the counter and gave the woman a grin. "Let's see how many tries it takes me, shall we?"

"Eight," she told me with a grin. "So you'll be getting another bill out. Give your last two throws to your sister there, and she'll get something good."

"How did you know she's my sister?" I asked.

"I look just like you, dumbass," Abby reminded me. "It was a logical guess."

I glared at her, and the woman running the booth snorted as she handed over the first five rings.

I did, in fact, fail to win on my first five throws. I also missed the sixth and seventh. Considering everyone in the place seemed to have some weird precognition, I decided to go ahead and have faith that my next throw would land. I tossed the ring.

It landed directly on target. Yeah, the game was rigged somehow, but at least it appeared to be in my favor.

The woman grinned. "I told you so," she said as she handed over the vampire. "Come on, hon. Show your brother how it's done."

Abby gave me a smirk and stepped up as I squeezed the plushie. As I did, I felt a sudden wave of sadness that was not mine. I gasped, startling Abby, but the woman behind the counter merely grinned wider. "I told you," she said. "The demon and the vampire are a matched set." She paused and gave me a knowing look. "They're connected."

My eyes opened wide as my heart started to thunder. "You mean that was?—"

"I don't know what you experienced," she said, looking away with a feigned expression of innocence. "But I've heard that emotions are a thing that connect, as well. Sometimes much better than words. Even words written on a tiny Post-it note."

"You..." I gaped at her, squeezing the plush tighter, feeling a rush of surprise that also wasn't mine. "How?" How had she known? How was the limit on communication that had been placed on me known here , of all places, and why did they have a workaround? Had they known all along? Is that why I'd ended up with the demon plushie in the first place?

She opened her eyes wide and increased her innocent look by at least fifty percent. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She winked at me, then looked at Abby. "If you land a ring on the red bottle, you get the big prize."

While I was busy feeling everything Stefan was at that moment and hoping he could do the same, I completely missed my sister's second throw bouncing right onto the red bottle, winning her a very squishy four-foot tall plush dragon.

That night, after we'd ended up at the house again, completely exhausted, our grandfather had left for Hell with instructions for us to behave ourselves and a promise to me that he'd tell Stefan what happened at the carnival. When I asked him how the carnival could have been prepared like they were, he just shrugged. "Much like Hell, I quit trying to figure out the logic of that place eons ago," he told me. "Don't break your brain over it." He put an affectionate hand on my head and ruffled my hair, then did the same for Abby. She grumbled like she hated it, but I knew better. Honestly, she'd grow up to be a grumpy old marshmallow like our grandfather with all the mischief of our grandmother. It was kind of terrifying.

Again warning us to be good, as if we were going to burn the house down overnight, Beelzebub promised he'd return in the morning and walked through the closet's portal.

"Well, I'm going to bed," Abby yawned. "You?"

"I'll be up for a while," I told her. "I have some things I want to do."

She nodded, yawning again. "Don't stay up too late," she told me, then wandered upstairs.

I went into my room and set my backpack on my bed, opening it to take out the plush vampire. I squeezed it for a moment but didn't feel anything. I'd assumed we had to both be touching them for whatever had happened to work, so I wasn't totally surprised. I left the plushie on my bed and put my backpack away. After changing into the sweatpants and shirt I'd eventually sleep in, I wandered into the conservatory, a small box in one hand. I stopped next to the still-barren fountain and peered into the empty basin before removing the lid from the box. "Gifts are meant to be used, huh?" I asked with a smile as I peered down into the glowing blue sphere. I picked it up, lifted my arm, and threw it as hard as possible at the fountain.

The sphere exploded silently into what seemed like a thousand tiny fireworks, blinding me momentarily. When I could focus again, I saw a glow spreading from the base, slowly creeping up to the top. When the entire fountain was glowing, I heard a burble of water, then saw a small stream burble from the top of the urn, growing until it was nearly a foot high. Water cascaded over the urn's edges, and the lion heads carved on the pillar it stood on began to spit water from their mouths. The basin began to fill, and when the water was nearly halfway up, plants began to unfurl, and I thought I saw darts of movement in the water.

"What on Earth?" I leaned closer, my eyes widening with surprise when I saw small fish making themselves at home. From the coloring, they were goldfish, maybe, or very young koi. Time would tell. "Well, not on Earth, I suppose," I amended with a chuckle. I looked up, taking in the night sky through the now-clear glass ceiling. "Thanks," I whispered, hoping Yahweh would hear me.