Lastly, a towering evergreen stood proud. A beautiful, yet simple, metallic gold star placed on its thick base.
I didn’t know what to make of it. It was the most wondrous thing in nature I’d ever seen. Each tree was so unique, and the carvings felt utterly magical.
Springing up unseen—the little Cherub had me flinching back. He’d reappeared, patting his palm against rosebud lips, blowing me a kiss.
What a sweet thing.My heart melted like a stick of butter.
He spun around to the cherry blossom, staring. It was as if he’d seen a ghost—momentarily lost to a haunted thought. Hethen darted to the oak, holding up a tiny palm, and was gone with a flash.
Maybe I really was losing my marbles. Or maybe I really had died.
Wait, holy crap. Had I? Oh no. No, no, no . . .
David’s voice interrupted my spiral.
“Don’t worry, you’ll see him again. He’s quite fond of you!”
“What exactlyishe?” I asked, unsure if I heard it right the first time.
“He’s a Cherub.” David halted, as if deciding how to answer. “A guardian of Loveland. My homeland.” He pressed his lips together, hesitating. “It’s within the Ferie Realm—a parallel world from the Human Realm.” He blew out a breath. “Six lands are within Ferie: Loveland, Luckland, Eostre Land, Vinterland, Hallow Land, and at its center, Soul Isle. Each land has a grove of trees, just like this one.” He gestured to the area around us. “They’re portals.”
Okayyyyy. This was beyond insane. Yeahhhh, I really was most likely dead . . .
I spun around to look at the markings on the trees again.
“Another world based onholidays?!”
David’s eyes crinkled mischievously. “Oh, my dear. Our realm is far older than the Human World could ever comprehend. Yourholidays,as you call them, originated from stories aboutourrealm. Every so often, a curious soul from Ferie would sneak into the Human World, share stories or reveal a little magic. Over time, humans took what they heard or saw and evolved it into their own cultural traditions. Intoholidays.”
The palms of my hands rubbed into my eyes until I started to see stars.
“This is crazy . . . ”
Aside from his unnaturally blue eyes, he looks so ordinary . . . so human.
David knelt beside me.
“I’m sorry—it’s a lot to take in right now. I should have come for you sooner. Your mother—” He paused, directing his eyes away. “Your mother was my greatest friend. She passed after you were born and I made a promise to keep you safe, so we hid you in the Human World. It wasn’t safe for you in Ferie, but now, it’s no longer safe for you here either.”He searched around as if hoping to find the words, fighting internally.
Mother?Mymother?
Never in my life did I actually think that I had a mother who cared. Who didn’t cruelly abandon me.
I shook my head.
“And . . . my father?” I asked.
He sighed, immediately dragging a hand through his hair uncomfortably.
“Tonight’s been grave. Right now, we need to get you somewhere safe. After you’ve recovered, I’ll answer everything. Deal?”
It felt as though I’d taken headphones off that had been too loud. Everything was now numb, muted. I was thankful for that numbness. It kept me from falling apart. For now.
“Deal,” I agreed.
13
CARWYNN
