“Maybe,” I said, qualifying her praise. “Maybe I figured it out.”
“There’s no ‘maybe’ about it. She nailed it! The ‘spear of light’ is a lightning bolt. And the location of the ritual is most likely one of these five hot spots for lightning on Earth,” she explained, pulling up screenshots of my research.
“Well done, Miss Smarty Pants,” Quinn noted, kissing me on the cheek.
“Totally!” Dylan agreed. “And I can’t think of a better time to celebrate a job well done than on your birthday, can you, K.C.?”
Ugh, Peter died on my birthday. The fleeting thought was enough to dampen my spirits.
“What say you?” Dylan asked in a terrible British accent.
I looked at Quinn, who was anxiously awaiting my answer, and remembered what Minerva had said earlier about how much effort he’d put into this day. I pushed all the sadness and loss to the back of my mind once more and focused on the positives: I had Quinn; I was fortunate to have great friends, who were willing to risk their own safety to protect Quinn’s and mine; and, I was pretty sure I’d figured out a key part of the conversion ritual and the possible locations where the ritual would be performed—and that was huge.
“I say let’s celebrate!” I took Quinn by the hand, and kissed him on the cheek. “I can’t wait to see my surprise,” I whispered in his ear.
“You won’t be disappointed.” He flashed me his million-dollar smile and his eyes lit up with excitement.
“So let’s go!” I exclaimed in anticipation.
Quinn looked at his watch and then Dylan. “Hmm, I don’t know. What do you think, Dylan? Another five minutes?”
Dylan looked at his watch. “Maybe ten.”
“C’mon, quit stalling!” I planted a sweet little kiss on his lips. “If you make me beg now,” I whispered in his ear, “I’m going to make you beg later.”
“Promise,” Quinn whispered back as he pulled me into him. The second our bodies met, it was like sparks collided and the glow around our auras intensified. I took a deep breath to still the desire stirring in my belly, but all I managed to do was stoke the flames.
“You two need a moment alone?” Dylan teased.
“We should get going,” Quinn suggested in a hoarse voice, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Yeah,” I replied breathlessly.
He pulled a duffle bag out from under his bed and took out a thick winter parka, hat, scarf, and gloves. I looked him over and suddenly realized he was already wearing ski pants and boots.
“It’s ninety degrees outside,” I pointed out.
“Not where we’re going.” Quinn grinned mischievously.
*
We arrived in a portal, which could only be described as a fairytale winter wonderland. The night sky was lit up by streaks of green, blue, and violet, and millions of stars were suspended in the air like radiant confetti. The colorful hues from the Aurora Borealis cast their soft reflection on the thick white blanket of frozen powder covering every inch of ground for miles. Groups of pine trees were nestled about, their branches weighed down by snow that sparkled like diamonds under the illuminated night sky.
“This is unbelievable,” I whispered, looking up at the sky.
“I knew you’d like it,” Quinn acknowledged. “The snow reminds me a little of the first day I spoke to you.”
“You mean when you braved below freezing temperatures and followed me from psych class to my bio lab?” I teased.
“Hey, you bolted out of class so quickly I didn’t know how else to ask you out.”
“Well, I’m glad you did.”
“Me too.” Despite being bundled up, Quinn was already beginning to shiver. “C’mon, I want to show you something on the other side of the ridge.”
“Which ridge?”
“The one right behind us.”
I turned around and gasped. There was a snow-trodden path beginning from where we were standing and ending at the top of a gentle slope fifty feet away. The path was lined on both sides with snow lanterns—lit candles enclosed in small pinecone-shaped towers made entirely of snowballs.
“Are you sure? You must be freezing,” I said, concerned.
“Just blow some of your heat waves over my way, and I’ll be good to go.”
I focused on warming up my hands and then placed them on Quinn’s arms, heating him up in the process.
“Ahh, much better. Thanks.” He grinned. “C’mon.”
“As if this place wasn’t magical enough already,” I said, completely awestruck by the scene before me. “You did all of this?” I looked at Quinn.
“With a little help from my friends.”
“Don’t even try to pass off any of the credit,” Dylan piped in. “You planned it all. M and I just helped with the logistics.”
“It’s amazing—perfect, actually. Thank you.”
“There’s more,” Quinn stated.
“More?” I asked in disbelief.
“C’mon, put these on.” He pointed to a pair of snowshoes.
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously!” He chuckled. “We’re going to hike to the top of that slope the old-fashioned way, and unless you want to sink two feet deep into the snow, I suggest you use those.”
“Where’s all that steam coming from?” I asked after strapping on my snowshoes.
“You’ll see.” I couldn’t help but notice Quinn was grinning.
When we reached the top, my breath was taken away again as I stared down into a large natural hot spring.
“Last one in is a rotten egg!” Dylan cried out as he quickly hopped down the other side of the snowy ridge to the edge the spring. He disrobed completely and plunged into the hot water. “Woo-hoo!” he shouted when he resurfaced. “Nice and toasty!”
“Let’s go!” Quinn urged as he followed suit. A few minutes later he, too, was naked in the water. “C’mon, the water feels awesome!”
I looked at Minerva, who just shrugged her shoulders at me. She phased out of view and reappeared in the water also sans clothing.
“Here goes nothing,” I said aloud to myself. Feeling a little modest about being naked in front of anyone but Quinn, I followed Minerva’s method of entering the water. I sidled up to Quinn, who was no longer shivering. Still, I couldn’t help but notice the tiny icicles forming in his wet hair.
We all stayed in the water, admiring the view of the northern lights, laughing, and talking about anything and everything except Shepherds, Servants, strategies, the next full moon, or Quinn’s safety. Dylan, Minerva, and Quinn actually sang Happy Birthday to me. It felt good to let go of it all for a while. I felt unburdened, relaxed, and content. It was just what I needed.
At one point, Dylan jumped out of the water and rolled in the snow buck naked. “Whew!” he shouted when he jumped back into the water. “Now that’s how to wake yourself up! C’mon, College Boy, I dare you!”
“Not gonna happen,” Quinn replied.
“Chicken?” Dylan taunted.
“No, I just want to prevent a certain part of my anatomy from freezing and falling off.” Quinn eyed me and winked. “This one promised begging would be involved tonight.”
“I can’t believe you just said that.” I could feel the heat surge to my cheeks, and I shook my head in embarrassment. Dylan, Quinn, and Minerva cracked up laughing, and I couldn’t help but join in.
“Speaking of freezing,” I said when the laughter subsided. “I think it’s about time we head back, don’t you?” I asked Quinn. It’d been almost forty minutes since we arrived, and I couldn’t tell if Quinn’s lips were reflecting the colors of the northern lights or if they were actually blue. I kissed him and his lips were ice cold. I kissed him again, warming him up with my hands.
“Better?”
“Yes.” He kissed me again much more passionately.
“Yeah, looks like it’s time for the second half of your surprise, K.C.,” Dylan observed.
I quickly pulled away from Quinn. “There’s more?” I as
ked excitedly, grinning from ear to ear.
Quinn smiled. “Sky’s the limit for you.”
“Laying it on a bit thick there, don’t you think?” Dylan joked.
“It’s called being romantic.” Minerva smacked him on the chest.
“Ouch! You want romantic, woman? I’ll give you romantic!” He smiled devilishly, scooped Minerva up in his arms, and kissed her as he submerged them both under the water.
*
The second half of my birthday surprise was at La Casa. We all teleported back to the portal and said our goodbyes to Dylan and Minerva, who planned to return just before dawn so we could all go back to the Harrisons’ the next morning.
“So,” I said, turning to Quinn once we were all alone in the living room.
“So,” he repeated, flashing me his heart-stopping smile. I unwrapped the blanket Quinn was bundled up in and leaned up against his bare chest. He was still freezing, so I warmed him up with my own body. “Mm, that feels good.” He wrapped the blanket around me so we were both snug inside it.
“So.” I paused to kiss his chest. “When do I get to see whatever you have planned next?”
“So impatient.” He chuckled slightly and then sighed. “Give me five minutes.” He brushed the tip of my nose with his index finger before readjusting the blanket around himself and walking down the hall towards our bedroom.
The next five minutes seemed to take forever. I tried not to think about what he was doing because I didn’t want to accidentally guess what he had planned or, even worse, let my expectations run wild, miss the mark completely, and then secretly be disappointed. Still, thoughts of the culinary experience Quinn surprised me with last summer popped into my head, as did memories of the surprise music playlist he’d made me, his out of the blue wedding proposal, his spontaneous idea to exchange vows, the unexpected candlelit reunion in the Falls’ cave when I returned to him nearly two months ago, the unbelievable arctic excursion he’d just given me … What else could he possibly do?
Bring it down a notch, I counseled myself. I took a deep breath and told myself that after the wonderful night he’d already planned, the rest of the “surprise” was likely nothing more than an excuse to make time for just the two of us—which, honestly, was perfectly fine with me. He probably just wanted a few minutes to jump into a hot shower and warm up. I listened for the sound of running water but heard nothing. In fact, it was so quiet I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d decided to lie down for a minute and fell asleep. I crept down the hall.
“Quinn?” I called out. “Are you awake?” A strong floral scent was emanating from our room. I rapped on the door softly. “Quinn? Are you in there?” When there was no response, I opened the door slowly and smiled in awe at the scene before me, which seemed like it was right out of a movie—but unlike any movie I’d ever seen. There were white flowers everywhere—lilies, roses, orchids, dahlias, peonies, mums, hydrangeas, and many others I didn’t recognize—except for on the bed, which was covered in red rose petals, in the center of which was a little blue box.
I walked over to the bed and picked up the box. “Quinn?” I called out again. Again, no response. I noticed a trail of red rose petals that led out of the French doors in our room and onto the veranda. The doors were open and a soft breeze made the gauzy white curtains billow gently.
“Quinn?” I called more loudly.
“Out here,” he replied.
Anticipation swelled inside of me. I had to take a deep breath to calm myself so I could take everything in as I walked slowly across the room. I drew the curtains aside to discover the entire veranda had been blanketed in a thick layer of white flower petals. It looked like the entire backyard had been covered in snow right up to the edge of the pool. And as if that weren’t enough, floating in the water were ribbons of green leaves, blue and violet flowers petals, and lit votive candles, mimicking the northern lights and the stars of the portal we’d just visited. It was absolutely stunning.
I looked at Quinn in complete awe. “How? … When?”
Standing across the pool from me, Quinn was showered and dressed in jeans with the cuffs rolled up and an untucked white linen shirt—the same thing he’d been wearing at the Falls the night we exchanged vows. He smiled, but in an oddly humble, almost insecure way as he slowly made his way around the pool towards me. “I didn’t know how long I’d be able to stand the cold, and I didn’t want to be the one responsible for cheating you out of the view.”
“This is so much more incredible than the portal.”
“You don’t have to say that.”
“Yes, I do. I mean it. The portal was awesome, but this—” I looked around me. “You went through all the trouble to make this happen.” Tears sprung to my eyes just thinking about the effort Quinn had put into my birthday—just knowing he was capable of imagining something on this grand of a scale. “There are no words—” And there weren’t any words meaningful enough to tell him how happy and loved I felt at that moment, so I simply ran over to him and jumped into his arms. “Thank you,” I choked out.
He set me down and looked into my tear-filled eyes. “If I’d known tossing around a few flower petals would be your Achilles’ heel, I would’ve done this a long time ago.” He grinned.
I shook my head slightly and chuckled. “Oh, just hush up and kiss me.”
He smiled and leaned down to kiss me, but he pulled back just before our lips met. “Hey, you still have to open your present.”
I’d been so swept up in the moment, I’d completely forgotten all about it. I looked at the little blue box in my hand and then at him.
“Well, go ahead and open it,” he urged.
I untied the white satin ribbon around the box and removed the lid. I looked up at him in wonderment and then tipped the box to its side, allowing the dark blue suede jewelry box tucked inside to slide into my hand. I glanced at Quinn again, who just smiled at me and nodded his head to encourage me to continue. I flipped open the lid of jewelry box and saw two platinum bands—wedding rings. I gasped.
Quinn took the smaller of the two rings and slid it onto my left ring finger; it was a perfect fit. “I will love you for as long as I have my soul.”
I took the other ring and slid it onto his left ring finger. “And I will love you for as long as I have mine.”
“Happy birthday, Evie.” When his lips touched mine, my entire body began to sing and my soul began to dance—with his.
*
“How in the world did you come up with all of this?” I had to ask. Quinn and I were on a lounge chair by the outdoor fireplace, snuggled up under a blanket.
“The rings were easy,” he said. “I’d wanted to give you one for a while now. The rest was chance. A couple of weeks ago, Dylan mentioned he’d discovered a new portal. He described all the snow, the Northern Lights, and the hot springs, and I had to check it out for myself. When I saw it, I knew it was the perfect place to celebrate your birthday—with one small exception.”
“The below-freezing temperatures?”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “Even with the hot springs, I knew I couldn’t tolerate the cold for too long, so I got the idea to recreate the portal here. But seeing it’s too hot for snow, I decided to go with flower petals.”
I shook my head in wonderment as I surveyed the thousands of petals required to create the scene before me. “How did you get so many flowers?”
“Dylan is very resourceful,” he replied with a grin. “I just told him what I needed and he came through.”
“It’s truly amazing.”
“I could say the same thing about you.”
I rolled onto my side to face Quinn. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“I’m counting on that.” He kissed me.
20. i promise
“This is nice,” I said as we sat in the hot tub the rest of the night and watched the sun rise—twice. I leaned back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me.
“Yes, it is.”
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“It almost makes me forget about all the bad stuff,” I said.
“I know what you mean.”
I turned around to face Quinn. “It wasn’t all that long ago we were up here and you told me you wanted to know all of your options. So are you sure you won’t reconsider them now? I mean, we’re here. We’re safe. We don’t have to go back until the next full moon has passed.”
“You know I can’t do that.”
“Because of Brady?” I fought the tears springing into my eyes and the knot forming in my throat.
“This isn’t only about saving Brady.” Quinn shifted, putting some space between us. “I think we’ve both known it would come to this. Regardless if we stand up to the Servants now or run and hide from them, at some point they will find me.”
“I just don’t understand why you’re rushing into this—why you want to risk leaving me so soon.”
“That’s not what I’m doing. I just want to settle this once and for all. I hate constantly having to look over my shoulder, always being prepared to go into hiding, and forever waking up wondering if today is the day I’m going to die. That’s not the life I want to live, understand?”
I nodded.
“Have you reconsidered my request?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“And?”
“I don’t think I could end your life under any circumstance.”
“Not even to save me from becoming a cold-blooded demon?” He started to get that far away look in his eyes; he was withdrawing emotionally, which was the last thing I wanted him to do tonight.
“Quinn,” I whispered in his ear. “Don’t shut me out.” I looked into his eyes and kissed him, but he barely responded. “Hey, look at me.” I cupped Quinn’s face with both hands and waited for his eyes to meet mine. The next words out of my mouth were the hardest words I’ve ever had to say. “I’ll do it. I promise I’ll do whatever I can to stop you from becoming a Servant.”
“You’re serious?” He sounded relieved.
“Yes,” I barely managed as I choked back my tears.
21. air, water … and fire
“Bye, Mom!” Quinn called out as he grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone.
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