I wake up, gasping for air and blinking against the sunlight. Birds chirp from the trees and the breeze is crisp across my naked body. My naked body that’s lying on top of Jules.

Somehow, after the fierce love we made, we must have fallen asleep in the middle of the woods.

“Jules, wake up.” I give him a gentle shake as I sit up, straddling his waist. My eyes burn with old tears. More than likely, I’d been sobbing in my sleep.

He murmurs incoherently as his eyes roll open. When his gaze finds mine, his blue eyes immediately flame to violet.

“Hey.” He moves to kiss me, and I let him. But only for a moment, a quick taste, before I break the news to him.

“I have to tell you something,” I whisper against his lips.

Sensing my worry, he pulls back. “What’s wrong?”

The words rush out of me, every gory detail, from how I forgot my mom to how I watched her get eaten alive. I also tell him about the violet crown on the man’s head.

Jules swallows, his fingers digging into my waist. “My father killed your mother.”

“Actually, the wolves did.”

“But he commanded the order.”

“I know.” Tears veil my vision as I press my head against his cheek, clawing at his back as a wave of sadness and pain crashes over me. “I wish I could forget … seeing her like that.”

“I’m so sorry.” He kisses my head repeatedly as he trails his fingers along my spine. “Tell me what to do. Tell me how to take away your pain.”

I listen to his heart race inside his chest, a heart that still belongs to me no matter what his father did. “We need to find Star and see how many nature energy creatures she’s found. Even if it means tracking down a witch to get us into the Sun Moon Realm. I can’t wait any longer. Not when I know she’s the one who put me in the Common Realm.”

“We’ll start searching as soon as we get back to the house,” he promises me. “I’ll track down every witch I can if I have to.”

I press closer to him, tears rolling down my cheeks. “She was just a girl.”

“Who?”

“Star. When she helped me escape, she was the same age as me. Which means she was just a girl when she told your father about the vines … How could she possibly have the knowledge no other creature seemed to have at such a young age?”

“I’m not sure, but she’s probably very powerful.” He grows quiet, his chest rising and crashing against my cheek.

Wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand, I lean back to look at him, then startle at the tears watering his eyes.

“I’m so sorry my father did this to you, Lake.” He sucks back his tears, struggling to breathe. “I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. That is, if you even want to be with me anymore.”

“You think I’d stop loving you because of who your father is?” I shake my head when he doesn’t answer. “I still feel exactly how I did last night.” To prove my point, I let my eyes flood with violet light.

“I just want you to be happy and safe,” he whispers, his own eyes reflecting mine.

“Then stop thinking I’m going to leave you.” I manage to crack the smallest smile. “Whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me now.”

“I’m perfectly fine with that.” He kisses me, letting his love for me flow through our lips.

I kiss him back, allowing every drop of violet shine from me, letting him know nothing has changed.

“We should get dressed.” His lips brush against mine as he speaks. “So we can get started on our witch hunt. Plus, the glamour has worn off.”

“Okay.” I resist a sigh as we stand, wishing we lived in a realm where we could stay in the trees and make love all day on top of a bed of rose petals.

Unfortunately, as I’m reminded moments after we put our clothes back on, this realm is too polluted and broken for such peace to exist.