Chapter 56
CHRISTOPHER
I should be at the airport.
Gripping the steering wheel tightly, I listen to the purr of my engine. Feel the vibration beneath my legs as I watch the figure move stealthily through the thick patch of trees.
The streak of blonde hair that never fails to catch my eye.
Blood stains cling to her every curve, the tatters of her red dress forgone in exchange for tight spandex shorts and a loose tank top.
She’s a picture in the making, and after all we’ve been through, I can’t believe she thought I would leave without saying goodbye.
My boots hit the ground as I step out of the driver’s seat, the steady beat of my heart skipping a fucking beat the moment this woman looks at me.
“Don’t you have someplace to be?”
It’s too early to be considered morning, too late to be considered evening. Lost somewhere in the space between dusk and dawn, it feels like another sliver we’ve managed to steal from father time.
“Probably.” Clearing my throat, I try and fail to look away, “But I thought maybe there was something you'd want to see before I go.”
A beat passes and the air seems to still around us.
“You found them?”
“Jasper did. I texted him the names last night.”
“Where.”
“Considering you left me alone in a sewer last night, I’m not taking any chances.” Lifting a brow, I tilt my head, “Come for a ride and I’ll show you.”
Her lips twitch, “I left you in a dusty railroad.”
“A filthy underground tunnel with nothing but millions of dollars for company. That does something to a man.”
A snort escapes, a quiet laugh that sounds a lot like the breath I’ve been holding.
“Alright, Devil. One last ride.”
Ignoring the pang in my chest, I watch this woman walk over to my car and slide into the passenger seat. Her blonde curls are stiff and matted after a long evening, but the only thing I notice is how gorgeous they look against my dark leather.
How perfect she looks sitting there, waiting for me.
I clamber back inside, feeling my heart start to break. The laughing faces of my crew dangle from my rearview mirror, Horace’s cheeky grin swinging along my dash as I buckle myself in.
“We, uh, need to make one stop on the way.”
Gravel clouds my voice, scraping the shit out of my vocal cords as I force myself to release the brake.
“We?”
“He means me.”
The shadow shifts in my backseat, drawing Calista’s eyes to the kid who hasn’t said a word since handing over Maddox’s top hat.
“Hey, Evie. Glad to see you made it out alive.”
Silence stretches out, so long and thick I don’t think he’s going to respond.
“Thanks.”
It’s not much, but it’s a start.
Dawn cracks and spills across the sky as we drive along gravel roads, the start of something beautiful creeping around every turn. Birds whistle and deer bound through overgrown grass as the treacherous forest recedes and wildflowers take its place.
“Turn off here.”
Colourful petals and arching stems brush the side of my car as we pull to a stop. A meadow sits peacefully before us, the gentle trickle of a nearby stream drifting through Calista’s open window.
You’re safe now.
I glance at her, watching her soak in the paradise around us.
The stream that winds its way through wildflowers and unspoiled land. The kind of tranquility you hope lies on the other side.
The kind of parting gift you hope a victim receives.
“You alright, darling?”
She nods, not saying a word as she looks at the sliver of heaven she gifted so many women.
“He’s here.”
Evie blows out a quiet breath, cobalt irises pinned to a figure moving in the distance.
Blue streaks along the sky as the sun starts to rise, beams of sunlight dancing across a purple beanie covering frizzy strands of blonde hair. Child-like joy radiates through the soft folds of the boy’s face, a batch of mismatched flowers clutched tightly in his hand.
“Do you want me to...”
My backseat is empty before I have the chance to finish my sentence.
“You are a kind soul, Christopher Deville.”
Wonder and sadness mingle together as we watch Evie walk towards a drop of sunshine. Shoulders hunched, hands tucked deep in his pockets, the White prodigy stops just beyond the field of wildflowers and looks at his brighter half.
“Just returning a favour.”
“No.” A wistful smile touches her lips, “You’re making a wish come true.”
The fuzzy tuffs of dandelions collapse and get swept away in a breeze, swirling around the lost boy who found himself in someone else.
“Evie?”
Pure, unfiltered joy breaks clear across Dorian’s face.
“Evie!”
Vibrant petals and wayward stems get flattened and crushed as the youngest Hoffmann brother goes running towards him. Crashes into the dark silhouette and nearly sends them both toppling into the ground.
“Evie, where have you been? I’ve missed you.”
Big, brown eyes blink up at him, the wide stretch of his smile faltering as hurt shuffles through his expression.
“I thought you forgot about me.”
Instead of responding, the Witch of Wolf Hollow leans forward and kisses him. Winds trembling fingers beneath the base of Dorian’s beanie, clutching the boy tightly to his chest as Evie sews their lips together.
Molding, reshaping their future into something beautiful.
Something hopeful.
“That’s four.” Spluttering and gasping, Dorian looks at his partner with stars in his eyes, “Four kisses, Evie.”
“Do you want another one?”
There’s a pause as Dorian tilts his head, lips pursed together as he thinks it over.
“I think I want more than one.”
Laughter breaks free from a tortured soul, a struggling boy who may have found a reason to live after all.
“I missed you too.”
Foreheads pressed together, we leave Everett White and Dorian Hoffmann in a field of wildflowers. Lost in the weeds of an old love, tangled up in the roots of a rekindled one.
Dorian takes Evie’s hand and leads him to a batch of bluebells. Points out his favourite flora and chatters until his voice blends with the birds singing overhead. Beams with the rays of the sun as he basks in the presence of someone he loves.
Evie limps along, each step impaired by the tragedy of their love story. An injury that matches the bullet rattling around my cup holder, the tale of a boy who fell down a wishing well.
And the drop of sunshine that saved him.