Carve My Pumpkin (The Night Realm: Halloween Marked #3)

Chapter 23

TWENTY-THREE

COLETTE

You’ve always wanted to travel. This is no big deal. None at all. I tried to tell myself that this was totally okay, and it’d be a cool experience, except for the fact that anyone and everyone avoided being deported like the plague. I’d avoided it. Hell, there were times when I wanted to just belt someone across the face. Even Mateo made me want to slap him on occasion. But I didn’t, because the fear of being deported to this realm was enough to scare me and everyone else straight. So, hell yeah I wanted to travel, but not to Third Realm.

We were in The Emerald Hotel, standing in a long hallway with a bank of what looked like elevator doors. Black marble shined bright on the floor and up the walls. Each of the doors had an emblem above them, each representing one of the realms. I tried to force my nerves down, but it was almost impossible. This was the building where Araqiel ruled everything and where Lexington ran one of the biggest companies in the world, and where I could work from . . . sometimes . . . if I finally succeeded in finding Mateo’s damn soulmate.

Pull it together, Colette. It’ll be totally fine.

Mateo stood next to me, gazing down at me. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” I snapped a little too quickly.

Bash placed his hand on the door in front of him. “Don’t worry. You won’t die now. It’s much better.”

“That’s . . . comforting?” I swallowed as a bright light flashed and the doors slid open.

“Now a reminder, Collins is the crystal whisperer, as Riven calls her. She can communicate with them in ways literally no one else can. So if what we’re about to do doesn’t work, then we’ll come back once Collins returns. I just figured this was worth a shot since I’m not sure when Collins will be back.”

“That makes perfect sense, Bash.”

“Yes, and we’re grateful you’re going to try today.” Mateo gestured for the now open doorway. “Lead the way, Your Majesty?”

“Meh, we haven’t really changed my title. At least not yet. I don’t think I’m ready to be called King Bash. But yeah, let’s go.” Bash walked into the realm so casually, like he’d done it a thousand times before and he probably had. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt. Just a little cold air.”

Mateo glanced down at me. “You ready for this?”

No. Absolutely not . “Yeah, I’m ready.”

I stepped through the doors and my breath left me in a rush. The ground around me was glowing. Bright pinks, blues, and greens all danced around my feet. I took a few steps, watching as the dirt under me glowed a different color with each movement. I spun in a little circle. “Mateo, are you seeing this?”

“Are you seeing this ?” He tucked his finger under my chin and gently lifted my gaze. I sucked in a sharp breath. It was absolutely breathtaking. The sky was a bright brilliant purple. Warmth shined down on me from the glistening rays of sunlight.

“Oh wow.” My words didn’t seem like enough.

“It has improved.” Bash glanced around. “My mother would roll over in her grave . . . if she had one. I like to fantasize about that sometimes.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. The only thing I could come up with was a light placation. “I bet.”

There were crystal mountains in the distance with tiny snowcaps and steep crystal rock faces. Bash pointed toward the mountains. “Crystal Henge is up there. I will take you.”

Before I could get words out, Bash’s wings sprang from his back. He grabbed me and Mateo by our arms and lifted us up like we weighed nothing. He took off flying toward the mountains. The world sped by so quickly it was difficult to take it all in. My stomach twisted. Colors and lights flashed by in a blur.

We landed at what Bash referred to as Crystal Henge. As we got closer, I could see colors dancing over the purple sky. They were so bright and vibrant it was almost hard to believe that they came from crystals. As we moved closer, I saw why it was aptly named Crystal Henge. It was almost a perfect representation of Stonehenge but made of crystals. The crystals themselves glowed at different times, and there was a light melody in the air.

“This place is amazing.”

Bash nodded. “If the man I thought was my father has a daughter, the stones will know and they’ll help us.”

He stood in the middle of the circle, and we joined him. He held his hands out to his sides and blue flames danced from the palms of his hands up to his shoulders. He closed his eyes and wiggled his fingers. The stones all started to respond, and Bash spoke slowly. “Show me the fae I seek.”

The crystals all began to glow at once in a rainbow of color. The wind picked up and swirled around us. I found myself stepping closer to Mateo and grabbing ahold of his arm. I’d seen magic in my everyday life but nothing like this. The melody grew slightly louder, and the colors were even brighter. Magic swirled around the stones until they too looked like a blur. My hair whipped around my face, and I reached out and held on to his arm. When his hand landed on my back to steady me, I sucked in a reassuring breath. The lights all flashed together, and a picture began to form in front of us.

I squinted my eyes, trying to make out the picture, but it was difficult. First there was a man with dark-green hair and matching green eyes. He was taller, with sharp features and pointed ears.

Bash growled. “The man who claimed to be my father. I enjoyed his deserved death.”

Then the picture started to change and a woman appeared there before us. She wore a hood over her head, and it cast her face partially in shadows as she cradled a baby in her arms. Strands of her blonde hair fell from the hood over the baby, and the picture turned to her hurrying toward the portal with that tiny bundle. The woman pulled a teeny tiny baby hand out from under her cloak and pressed the little hand to the portal – and it opened instantly.

Bash hissed. “ I knew it. Only a royal can do that. She used her royal child to flee the realm. Brilliant. Bold. Risky as hell. I hope she survived.”

The images changed once more and I found them almost dizzying. The women stood next to a crystal lake somewhere in this realm. She swayed back and forth holding the green-haired baby once more.

“I know this location.” Bash sighed and gave a single nod, then spoke out loud to the stones. “Thank you, friends, for showing us this.”

The images stopped flashing, and I found myself staggering back in awe. “That was incredible.”

“I know where that lake is. If I interpreted the images correctly, she left the realm but then came back. I will take you there to find her.”

Again, before either of us could answer, Bash had us by the arms and we were soaring over the mountains. I wanted to stay, wanted to see this world that I belonged to. Third Realm was meant for fae, like me. And for this very short period of time, I felt drawn to it. My body felt lighter. We dropped down quickly, and Bash let us both go. I lost my footing but Mateo was there in an instant. His fingers wound around my upper arm and steadied me.

A shy smile tugged at my lips. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.” His eyes locked on mine, and for a long moment he didn’t look away.

I had to break the moment between us, so I looked away and my breath caught in my throat. We had landed in an open space that had views that went on forever. In the distance there was a forest where the trunks were made completely of solid crystal, but colorful leaves covered the sprawling branches. Streams flowed over a wide-open field. Each one was filled with colorful crystal coral. Tiny fish leapt from the water and splashed around in the light.

Huge chunks of colorful crystals rose up from the ground in random places as though they’d fallen there. Green moss covered some of them while tiny butterflies fluttered all around. The sound of birds singing filled the air and my eyes widened.

Mateo’s eyes nearly glowed here among the nature and crystals. “If she’s here, I could see why she wouldn’t leave.”

Bash scoffed. “It wasn’t that long ago that the fae were oppressed by my mother for thousands of years. Even this beauty might feel like a cage. Though, Collins tries to make them happier, and I think she is succeeding.”

Bash beamed with pride every time he spoke about his soulmate. It almost oozed from him, and when Mateo looked at him, I could see the longing in his eyes for his own soulmate. It made my heart hurt for him. What started as a job now felt like my own personal mission too. I wanted to see him happy. Even if it broke my heart in the process.

“Where is Collins? I haven’t seen her much lately.” I tried to keep the conversation light as we walked through the realm, yet I could hardly pay attention to Bash’s words. My eyes bounced from one sight to the other, from the little animals frolicking about to the rainbow prisms the many crystals cast.It was sensory overload except it almost felt . . . energizing. It was like a cold glass of water after being out in the heat all day.

“Well, her best friend, Tallulah, got herself into a lot of trouble and kind of disappeared. She’s trying to find a way to get to her, so she’s away chasing a lead.”

I loved the way Collins was just a pure badass hunting down her bestie. “I love that.”

“I do as well,” Bash agreed.

“What in the hell is that ?” Mateo cringed and pointed to something behind me.

When I turned to look, I found a massive creature made entirely of a green crystal. It almost looked like a bull but not quite. It frolicked through the flowers and seemed to be playing with the butterflies. “Yeah, I second that.”

“That’s Bart.” Bash chuckled. “That is Collins’ pet, he’s a crystal but he’s also an animal. It’s complicated for First Realmers to understand. You’ll see soon enough. He understands English perfectly well, too. Him and Collins have whole conversations, which I only hear half of.”

A fae with dark skin and even darker hair darted from the forest. He didn’t look like other fae I’d ever met. He had a wilder look, and his eyes were wide and sharp. Daggers were placed on his hips and stuck into the top of his boots. His shirt hung open, exposing his chest, and when he got closer, Bash walked out in front of the two of us. Mateo moved to my side and stood a little in front of me in a protective stance. He held his hands loosely at his sides like he would be ready to act at any second.

Bash raised his hand by way of greeting. “Aphid, how goes it?”

“We could use your help.” The man looked out of breath as he motioned for Bash to come with him.

Bash turned back toward us. “I must go for a moment, but if you walk in that direction, it’ll take you to the crystal lake and hopefully to the woman you seek.”

He pointed toward the crystal trees, then turned and took off flying away from us, leaving Mateo and me alone.

Mateo chuckled and shook his head. “Okayyy.”

“If he had done that when we first got here, I would’ve been very nervous.”

“And now?” He studied me closely.

“Now I feel safe and kind of excited.” I hesitated. “I know I’m here to do a job, but it’s kind of exciting to see where the fae come from. I feel very oddly alive here.”We started walking into the tree line and I found myself looking up into the branches and being dazzled by the color of the leaves and how the crystal trunks caught the sun. Tiny creatures scurried through the woods, playing and squeaking at each other.

“Well, well, Mr. Vauntero . . . I’ve always wanted to travel, but this certainly was a surprise.”

“For me as well.” His words were low and calm. He looked down at me and smiled. “I’m glad to be experiencing this surprise with you though.”

My face burned bright red. “Me too.”

“Also, how unethical would it be for me to take some pictures or videos?”

I giggled. “Please ask Bash because I a dying to do the same.”

He nodded. “Will do. Prince to prince, I’ll do it.”

“So, have you thought about it?”When his brow furrowed in confusion I pointed ahead of us. “Thought about what you’re going to say to her when you meet her?”

His eyes locked on mine and didn’t waver. “Not really, but I guess something along the lines of . . . finally .”

I chuckled. “That’s it? Finally?”

“What would you recommend? Help me, Colette.” He offered me his hand as we stepped over a downed tree, and I took it.

His touch was warm and comforting and sent a small thrill through my body. I tried to tamp it down, but there was no point. I had it bad. It would hurt. I would remember his touch forever.

I pulled my hand back and the tingling I felt all over my skin stopped. I sucked in a deep breath. “Ah, well, maybe nice to meet you ? Or I’ve been searching for you ?”

“Bit stalkerish, no?” He shook his head. “How about I can’t wait for life to begin .”My jaw dropped for a minute. He gave me a half-smile. “Too much?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Not at all. That’s perfectly romantic.”

I just wish you were saying it to me.

We came to the end of the tree line and there just beyond it was a crystal lake. The water was nearly as purple as the sky, and the sun danced across the rippling surface. A warm breeze swept across the water, and I stood there taking it all in. The warmth, the nature, the beauty . . . it was all so amazing. Mateo pointed toward a small shack just down the shoreline. The roof looked like it was in disrepair and the steps had seen better days.

“Come on.” He motioned for me to follow him.

I tripped over a root but he was there holding my hand. His fingers wound between mine, and he squeezed my hand, then didn’t let it go. He tugged me toward the shack and I let him. When he touched me like this, I liked it too much. I had to get him out of my head, but when he was close, my thoughts turned . . . dangerous.

When we got closer to the tiny shack, it was obvious no one had been here in years. The roof was caved in, the stairs were falling apart, and there was a hole in the side of the building. Mateo’s shoulders sagged. He sucked in a long, sad breath, and instantly my heart hurt for him. How was it possible that I wished him his soulmate while I wanted him at the same time? When he turned toward me with that disappointment on his face, I wanted to comfort him and make him feel like he shouldn’t give up. Before I knew what I was doing, I threw my arms around him and pulled him in closer to me in a tight hug. He hesitated for a moment and then his arms wound around me and held me tighter to his chest.

When I tried to pull back, he held me there looking down at me. “Colette, I . . .”

“What?”

One of his hands drifted up my body to cup my cheek while the other held me in place against his body. He tilted his head and leaned down toward me. My heart hammered in my chest as his lips took mine. Electricity shot through my body, and I leaned into him. His lips were firm yet soft at the same time. His tongue wound with mine and my toes curled in my boots. My fingers curled into his jacket, and I found myself pulling him closer and wanting anything and everything he could give me.

Then I froze. The realization was like being dunked in an ice bath. He had a soulmate and there was nothing he could give to me. He didn’t have anything to give, and once she came along, this would be over. I jerked back and his eyes widened with shock.

“I can’t do this.” I jumped back from him.

“Colette, wait.” He took a step toward me but I couldn't look at him.

Not when he looked at me with those hypnotic sapphire eyes. I took off running into the crystal forest, praying he didn’t follow me because I didn’t have the strength to resist my own heart anymore. He kissed me and I wanted more. I wanted it all. And now I would never be the same.

I would take my chances alone in a forest of Third Realm before I risked any more of my heart with Mateo.