They ran for the only remaining open tunnel as water sprayed up behind them and wind whipped at their faces. They reached the tunnel and a sound louder than thunder boomed throughout the cavern. Turning, Scarlet watched as the cave ceiling broke apart and fell into the whirlpool below. Raven, still lapping at the water like the addict she was, was swept up in the wild waters and sucked down into the narrow darkness of the whirlpool.
A hand snatched Scarlet’s wrist and yanked her deeper into the tunnel.
“Run, Scar!” Tristan carried Gabriel’s body as they raced ahead. The glowing blue walls grew darker as they ran, as if the cave itself was dying, and pieces of the floor broke underneath their feet.
Water spit into the tunnel, backsplash from the collapsing cave, and chased after them as they ran. The cave grew darker and darker until the pulsing blue was almost completely gone.
The angry water began to rise and push at their ankles, a giant wave building up behind them. Just when Scarlet was sure they’d drown in the massive torrent, she spotted a bright light ahead.
As they neared the light, Scarlet saw it was a narrow opening leading out to the forest. They clambered over crumbling rocks, wicked licks of water and broken earth to reach the light, then climbed out of the cave one by one, bursting into the Avalon forest.
They’d just started running through the trees when a loud groaning came from the caves behind them.
Scarlet could hear the roar of water as the wave that had chased them down the tunnel crashed into the hole they’d just climbed out of. Looking over her shoulder, she watched the great caves explode. Like a glorious geyser, water sprayed up from the hole and shot high into the sky.
Tristan hurriedly set Gabriel’s body on the forest floor. Scarlet handed him the canteen and, with shaking hands, he carefully tipped the spout to Gabriel’s mouth. “Come on, Gabe.” He said quietly.
No response.
Heather was crying as she bit her nails beside Scarlet.
Tristan tried again, lifting Gabriel’s head to ensure the water would go down. “Come on. Come on.”
Droplets of blue pattered on their heads as they waited with anxious hearts.
Gabriel coughed and his wounds began to heal.
Obvious relief ran through Tristan as he rubbed a hand down his face and guided the water back to Gabriel’s mouth.
Gabriel took a deep gulp and sat up. “Wha—what happened?”
Tristan grasped his shoulder then slapped his arm around Gabriel in a hug. “Doesn’t matter. You’re alive.”
Now that they were out of the cave, Tristan’s emotions were swarming back into Scarlet.
Relief. Loyalty. Joy. Love.
Heather reached for the canteen and started to bring it to her mouth—
Scarlet snatched it away. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know,” she said as she chewed on her lip. “I just really, really want some. And I can’t control my hands and I feel super crazy right now.”
Scarlet nodded to the fruit in her hand. “Eat that and you’ll feel better.”
Heather took a bite, juice spilling down her chin as she began to devour the Avalon fruit with her eyes closed. “Ah. This is delicious.”
Scarlet handed the canteen to Tristan.
He inhaled deeply and took a drink.
Instantly, Scarlet’s body began to feel different. As the water undid all the immortality inside his heart, the immortal blood inside her heart vanished as well, cleaning away the curse that had stained them for centuries. Her body became more and more mortal until she no longer had Tristan in her veins.
His battle wounds began to heal as he pulled the canteen from his lips and looked at her. “Did it work?”
She smiled and nodded her head. “We’re cured.”
CHAPTER 43
Scarlet, Tristan, Gabriel and Heather stood in the park at the center of all the Kissing Festival madness. Happy music played from the gazebo and paper stars were strung up everywhere for people to kiss beneath.
The past few months had been bittersweet. The curse was no more, but Nate’s death had been heartbreaking. It still didn’t feel real, living in this world without him, but Scarlet was no longer confused by his motivations for sacrificing himself.
His life—his heart—had ended with Molly, but he had found purpose in bringing the opportunity for love to Gabriel, Tristan, and Scarlet.
And he had done just that by giving his life.
Scarlet hoped his soul was somewhere beyond, entwined once again and now forever with Molly’s.
She looked at Tristan and found his green eyes smiling at her. He squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead.
For no reason. Just because he could.
Scarlet smiled.
“Ooh! They have a love train this year!” Heather looked at Gabriel with true excitement in her eyes. “Let’s do it!”
Gabriel stared at her. “I’m not riding something called a love train.”
“Oh, come on. It’s adorable and has all these cute little train cars shaped like hearts.” She batted her lashes.
“No. You can ride the love train.”
“But I don’t want to ride the love train alone.”
“Then don’t ride the love train.”
“But I want to ride the love train.”
“For the love of God,” Tristan rolled his eyes at Gabriel. “Just go ride the train with her.”
She batted her eyelashes again.
“Fine.” Gabriel sighed. “I have a feeling this next year is going to be filled with batting eyelashes.”
Heather said, “You mean filled with awesomeness? Uh, yeah. You get to be my New York City tour guide during my first year at college. It’s going to be epic! Now, let’s go ride the train.” She clapped her hands in glee and yanked him toward the red and pink train in the park.
He let her lead him by the hand, a smile on his face, and Scarlet noticed they didn’t stop holding hands even when they got to the train. While Heather bounced excitedly at the train-goers, Gabriel tried to look bored. But he couldn’t stop smiling.
Tristan nodded to Gabriel and Heather. “How do you think that’s going to end?”
Scarlet looked at them with a sigh. “Hopefully without a curse.”
A shudder went through her as she thought about all the tragedy the curse had brought them. At least now the fountain was destroyed and could never again wreak such havoc.
Scarlet looked up at him with a smile. “So, Hunter. What do you want to do? Kissing booths? Kissing relays? Creepy dentist?”
He smiled. “Leave?”
Scarlet laughed. “It’s like you read my mind.”
Still holding her hand, Tristan walked them through the park and into the forest trees beyond.
“I got you something,” he said, pulling a small case from his pocket.
Scarlet opened the case and gasped. It was a brooch just like her mothers, but this one was brand new and the etching on the side was the same design as Tristan’s tattoo.
“It’s a little piece of me and a little piece of you,” he said.
She looked up at him and smiled. “It’s beautiful.”
A loud boom sounded into the night and fireworks lit up the sky. The Kissing Festival finale had begun.
Tristan came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her back up against his chest as they watched the fireworks. The finale came to an end and Scarlet could hear cheers in the distance as Avalon celebrated the end of the Kissing Festival.
The fireworks cleared until only twinkling stars remained.
Tristan leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “Is it okay if I love you forever? Even if forever is only for a lifetime?”
She turned in his arms and smiled up at him. “Only if it’s okay that I love you back.”
He smiled. “Deal.”
And while the town of Avalon was busy kissing beneath paper stars, Scarlet and Tristan kissed beneath the real ones. Just as they had centuries ago. Just
as they would for years to come.
EPILOGUE
The forest was nearly dry, save for a single stream of blue water trapped in the crevasse of a boulder. The heavy wind picked up and, slow and steady, blue water flowed down the rock and cut through a small pile of ash before sinking into the damp dirt beyond.
Up from the dirt rose a single, green sprout with a blue tip.
Check out Chelsea’s first novel, Sophie & Carter, a contemporary romance.
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Acknowledgements
This book, and this series as a whole, would not be possible without the people who believe in me.
My sister, Kiele. Without our late night conversations over bowls of ice cream this story would never have been born. You believed in me even before there was a page one and I love you with my whole heart.
My beautiful mother, who has never failed me. Thank you for making my dreams important to you--even when they seemed impossible. My hero and my husband, Brett. Thanks for keeping our world in one piece. You're my lobster. My beautiful children, Kiana and Caleb. Thanks for thinking my job is "cool" and for understanding when I pick you up from school in my pajamas.
My agent, Suzie Townsend, who makes all things possible. Thank you for your endless patience and expertise. You make me a better writer, but more importantly, you keep me sane. And I really love my sanity.
And my heart and soul, Bobbi. Thank you for always being a part of my dreams. I love your guts.
About the Author
Chelsea Fine grew up (and still lives) in the Phoenix, AZ area where she studied Design at Arizona State University. During college, she also took her first creative writing class, which is how she fell in love with writing. In 2007 while working at a credit union, she found herself staring at a computer screen and bored out of her mind. She promptly opened up a Word document and began writing a story to kill time (she knows she was a terrible employee!). Eight pages and forty-five minutes later, she realized she was having fun. Now, years later (after quitting the credit union, since she wasn’t very good at “being on the clock”), she published her first novel Sophie & Carter. When she isn’t working on her latest novel, she’s an avid reader, a lover of music, a Battlestar Galactica fan, a coffee addict, a chronic texter, an obsessive teeth brusher, and a shameless superhero enthusiast.
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