Toxic Part Two (Celestra Series Book 7.5) (34 page)

“Skyla?” Logan stops to take in the city view in one steady spin—his arms open with wonder. “I don’t think this is Atlantis.” He starts in on a laugh. “This is Paragon.”  

Chapter 98

There’s Someplace like Home

The sky presses down like a rubber tarp over the vicinity, looming and suffocating. Logan and I take in the silent scream from the petrified landscape the haunted mirror has exposed. This skeletal version of Paragon lies before us like the open grave of the future.

“Paragon?” I take in a stale breath of fog and ash at the revelation. “Oh my God.”

“Knew it,” he scoffs. “Soon as we hit that lake, I thought it was strange to have the same thing on the island, in the Transfer, and the ethereal plane as well. You know what that means, right?”

“Um…” Should I know what this means? I should totally be having one of those
aha
moments but the
aha
cupboard is rather bare at the moment. “It means we just have to figure out the layout of what comes next to find the porthole into the last region?”

“Precisely.”

“Really?” I straighten, proud of my accidental discovery.

“The Counts are white-knuckling this entire event and here we are in the heart of a map,” he marvels.

“Weird, though. This is Demetri’s mirror. If it could have given an edge to the Counts, why put it in my possession?”

“Maybe he wants to balance out the scales for killing your father.” He raises his brows slightly at the demented possibility.

“He said he’d give a kingdom in exchange for the love of a lifetime.” I remember Demetri uttering those exact words at Logan’s unbirthday party. “A kingdom—this kingdom,” I whisper.

“Before we go painting him a hero, wasn’t he the one that cost you a region with that faulty disc?”

“That’s right. Plus he’s the ass who has me locked in a dungeon to satiate the junior council.” Wesley runs through my mind—aside from sucking the lifeblood out of me, he doesn’t seem that bad. I swear this would somehow be easier if I could hate them all.

“What could possibly be in downtown Paragon that would be a portal to the next region?” Logan scrutinizes the bony structures that surround us.

“All of the other regions were a blend of hills and flatland, the lake, which we hit twice, in fact.”

“No, the first lake was different.” He jabs his finger in the air lost in the memory. “That’s a small watering hole on the other side of the island by Pike’s Reef. We’ve been moving east to west.” He lifts his head to the sky and looks around. “Ahava is paradise so what would be paradise to you, Skyla?”

“Paradise? Like Hawaii?” I think of Gage and that aching kiss on Hanalei.

“No.” He gives a quick smile. “Here on the island. The butterfly room?” His face creases, perplexed by the idea.

“No, definitely nothing near that Count coven I’m holed up in.” I tap my finger to my chin as we continue past the burnt out bank, the bakery. “Oh!” I take in a quick breath. “That one place, across from the bowling alley. You said you wanted to build a house there. It was beautiful.”

“Our house.” His dimple gives a sideways smile. He presses in a kiss that flames over my lips. “I’m building it for you—for us.”

I nod and wrap my arms around him.

“That will be our Ahava.” My chest heaves as the words vibrate past my lips. The disturbing footage from Demetri’s haunted castle springs through my mind. I can still see it, Gage and me, moving in—his strong arms carrying me over the threshold.

“Let’s get over there.” Logan rushes me past the downtown district and over to the bowling alley. Its burnt-out shell lies like a relic of some ancient monster with pale limestone set in a circular pattern.

“Logan.” I tug for him to stop. “Look at that.” Its startlingly familiar, something we had bore witness to once, long ago.

“Strange.” Logan dips his head in. “It looks like a miniature version of the Coliseum.”

“What do you think it means?” My heart thumps. Adrenaline spikes through my bloodstream as I stare out at the skeletal structure. I half expect an entire herd of lion Fems to sprout up through the middle.

“It means I’d better do this—” He rips a kiss off my lips and pulls me across the street in a slow hypnotic dance.

On the authentic version of Paragon, the ocean would be visible by now. The shore would be battered with large crushing waves. Beautiful hemlocks would bat their long lashes and flirt with the sea.

“I don’t get it,” Logan says, landing us in a barren space of lavender clouds mixed with fog. “There’s literally nothing here.” He raises his hand and the air ripples. It radiates out with a powerful light.

“It’s another plane. It must be.”

“How do we get in?” He slashes through the air and it spins like a circle of mirrors reflecting the sun—blinding us momentarily.

“How do we get anywhere?” I nod.

Logan and I ditch across the street. We hold hands and run as fast as our bodies can carry us, crashing through the curtain of fog and light in one spectacular blaze of glory.

***

We land hard with our backs nailed to the ground as a phosphorescent plume explodes overhead like a rocket. Beneath us, blue grass carpets the soft flowing hills. It comforts us, begs us to stay awhile and sleep under its hypnotic spell. We know this place, this familiar setting. Elysian Fields—Ahava.

“Skyla,” Logan shouts victoriously. He lands a kiss over my cheek and holds me while tumbling us down the hillside. He kisses my lips, my nose, my eyelids. “We’re here. We made it.” He jumps to his feet and pulls me up.

The hush of quiet waters fills the expanse with its gentle purr.

“The falls,” I say, pulling him toward the peaceful sound.

A broad lake sparkles to our left, sharp as shards.

“Oh no.” I pant, deathly afraid my mother and her homies are going to spring up over the water and tell me we’ve done something terribly wrong, but they don’t.

Logan walks us to the south side, toward the back where a red glow emanates from inside the divot behind the lower fall.

“That’s it.” Logan rubs my shoulders. “That’s where the sword is.”

We push in close to the rugged granite, directly behind the wall of water. The roar from the falls is deafening.

This is it
, I say.
You think there’s a sword here?

Doubtful—a replica maybe
. He pauses just shy of the final turn where a bright orange glow illuminates him from behind.

Knowing Demetri, it’ll throw the last two regions in his favor
.

Logan presses into me with all of the skill and mastery his seduction can afford and wraps his arms around my waist.

We’ll get the real sword
. He lifts a finger and the rush of the water reduces as if he had just turned down the volume.

“How’d you do that?”

“I believed,” he says, pulling me past the falls and toward the water. Before I realize it, we’re walking over the lake as if it were made of a solid sheet of sapphire.

“Logan?”

“I don’t think right now is a good time to doubt.” He says it calm, full of patience with my display of exuberance. “Skyla…” He bears into me with those hazel stones and his features soften. “I know you’re with Gage, but in my heart,” he whispers, raising my hand over his chest, “I never let you go. Our love has grown inside me.” His eyes glint with moisture. “I’m going to ask you something—I don’t want you to answer. This is a question for another time in our lives, but I would be remiss to be standing in the most beautiful spot in the universe with the only girl I will ever love and not do this.” Logan drops to his knee, never taking his gaze off me. “Skyla, would you do me the honor of spending your life with me? Gracing me with your presence for as long as I have breath in my body? Every day on Earth would be paradise a thousand times richer than this with you by my side. Be my wife—marry me.”

I take Logan in as all of the splendor of Ahava glitters around us in a parade of unspeakable joy. The landscape lights up with jubilation at the prospect of our union.

“Logan.” I take up both his hands and smile wide. “I—”

The sky blackens. It expels a thunderous clap—flattens like a lead blanket over a house of cards.

I already know my answer.

And when the time is right, I’ll give it.

Chapter 99

Tunnel of Love

A black mist takes over.

The horrific sound of people screaming fills the air. This place, this stench, it’s all too recognizable—the Tenebrous Woods. 

I try to run and smack into Logan.

“I’ve got you.” He pushes a quick kiss over the top of my head.

Ahava spins through my mind. It was so beautiful, so serene. Everything was perfect with the two of us, then it was lights out. I can’t help think it might be some big analogy for our relationship—my mother’s way of warning me of the doom and gloom to come.

A dull grey light warbles in this direction and illuminates the purple tree trunks with gnarled roots that dangle from the upper branches like dreadlocks.

“Before he gets here—” I whisper, with my chin tucked.

“No.” Logan wipes his finger over the outline of my lips. “Don’t. It was stupid. I should never have put you in that position. Promise me you won’t answer.”
A broken heart just might push me over the edge.

“It wasn’t stupid,” I whisper. “It was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me. I love you, Logan.” I’ll never forget that moment, the water shimmering beneath us, the sky above like one long crystallized diamond, and Logan declaring his love for me right there in Paradise. Every one of those feelings I had from the beginning flooded back. Not even Gage and his wondrous affection could dam up their efforts. “Who said you’d end up with a broken heart?” I touch my fingers to his cheek and feel his skin sizzle against mine.

“Come.” Ingram appears and funnels us through a maze as though he were directing the flow of traffic. Of course, this would be the most horrific detour ever.

What Ezrina ever saw in him I will never know
, I say.

Logan squeezes my hand.
From what I gather, they were sort of forced together. According to her, she only had eyes for Heathcliff.

Ironic how my mother plants three handsome prospects before me, and here Ezrina only wanted the one, and that never panned out for her.

It’s panning out for her now.
Logan rubs my palm with his thumb.
In bits and pieces
.

Oops, sorry
, I pull his hand close to my chest.
I don’t mean to lump you in a group because you’re not. You’re special. I know this—I can feel it.

His brows rise and fall.
Maybe when we get back, your mother can fill you in on the rest of the story
.

The rest of what story?

The rest of our story.
Logan stops shy of the internment Ingram has procured for us.
She spoke with me again. I think it’s important you hear the rest from her.

I knew it. My mother has been withholding vital information this entire time. She’s vindictive that way.

Ingram hands Logan a long leather strap to secure me with.

“I won’t fight,” I say it with a touch of pride.

“Suit yourself.” Ingram backs up, taking the leather menace with him. “We’ve a new consumer waiting to partake.”

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!

What if it’s some old geezer or a totally crazed lunatic that accidentally gnaws my head off? This is so going to get ugly fast I can feel it.

“She’s ready,” Ingram calls. “Elysian, step two paces to the left.”

God—Logan is going to go ape shit if this creature even makes me whimper, and of course, that will land Logan in the Elysian Fields permanently, and well, probably me, too.

A thin framed boy with familiar sandy blond hair steps forward.

“Ellis?” Logan and I say it in unison.

“Hey, guys.” He strides over sheepishly.

Ellis is here to rescue me! This is fantastic. It’s the total F. U. to his father, who by the way is a total perv, and I would have gone down fighting if he were the vampire in question coming in for a quick sip of some of my Celestra reserve.

Ellis steps forward and dusts the hair off my shoulders.

I keep eyeing Logan so he can give me some kind of signal and I’ll know when to kick Ingram in the balls on my way out of this maze. He so deserves it.

“So how do I do this?” Ellis rasps. His breath actually holds the scent of mouthwash, not pot central at all.

“I don’t know,” I whisper, trying be covert with our efforts. “How do you think we should do this?”

Ellis leans in and licks at my neck.

“Eww!” I bat him away.

“Tie her up,” Ingram commands.

“What are you doing?” Logan knifes the words while jamming his fist into his hand—I presume instead of Ellis’s face.

“I’m here to get some blood. My dad thinks it’s a good idea to start getting into this shit, so of course I’m going to request Skyla. Dude”—Ellis shoves Logan back a good foot—“it’s not like I’m going to kill her.”

“Since a struggle has ensued, I’m afraid this is mandatory.” Ingram shoves the leash into Logan.

Logan straps my arms and legs with the long leather snake. My limbs spread wide, leaving me vulnerable to Ellis’s every desire. I pull my head back, trying my hardest not to do something stupid to Ellis, like reach down and bite his ear off.

Ellis grazes my neck with his lips. He starts by giving me a hickey then quickly acclimates to the process. I can feel his teeth sink in and I draw a sharp breath as the lifeblood begins to drain from me.

Freaking Ellis.

His mind starts to wander from the memory of a cheeseburger to far more fictitious memories that involve lots of female anatomy and his partially clothed yet fully attentive body. Ellis starts in on a porno reel that makes my entire person blush head to toe from the offensive. The worst part is, I happen to be starring in said impure mental infraction along with Chloe, Brielle, and, of course, the guest of honor, Ellis himself.