Page 66 of Evergreen

“Leave?” Teddy demanded, his hazel eyes going wide. “The Dean told us campus was being evacuated, but I hoped you two would still be here. That’s we’d be able to catch you before you went… wherever you’re going to go.”

“My parents have offered us a place to stay,” Cass said, his voice tight. “We can’t go to the grove.”

Nerion’s blue eyes darted between us. “I thought you hated your parents.”

“I do,” Cass huffed. “But apparently they aren’t the assholes I thought they were. But it’s not like we have any other options. We can’t stay here.”

“You have another option,” he said, looking at us both like we were crazy. “Come to Greece. Stay with Teddy and me.”

I blinked, processing what Nerion had just said. Greece. The word felt impossibly far away, like something from a fantasy rather than a real possibility.

“Greece?” Cass repeated, echoing my thoughts. “You’re serious?”

“Completely serious,” Teddy said, stepping forward. His blonde hair was disheveled, and I could see the same exhaustion in his hazel eyes that I felt in my own bones. “We renovated our little cottage. It’s secure, warded, and completely isolated from all of this chaos. We were already planning to go there after graduation before everything went to shit. There’s plenty of room for both of you.”

I felt my chest fill with warmth. This was a way out. A real place to stay. Not just a temporary refuge with Cass’s parents, but an actual escape. A chance to breathe and figure out what came next without the weight of the Purity Front attack hanging over our heads.

“Why would you do that?” I asked, my voice coming out smaller than I intended.

Nerion rolled his eyes, a gesture that was so perfectly him that it almost made me smile despite everything. “You’re my best fucking friend you moron. Who the hell else would I do that for if not you?”

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes, which was ridiculous given everything that had happened. But somehow, in that moment, the weight of Nerion’s words hit me harder than I anticipated. It was good to know that despite everything wrong in the world, this part of it was still right.

“Greece sounds nice,” I heard myself say, my voice thick. “But what about Cass’s parents? They’re expecting us.”

“Then we call them when we get to Greece,” Teddy said pragmatically. “We explain the situation. They seem like reasonable people from what you’ve said. I’m sure they’ll understand that a secure, isolated location is probably safer than anywhere in the country right now.”

Cass was quiet beside me, and I could feel him processing this new development. His hand found mine, squeezing gently.

“Greece,” he said finally, testing the word out like I had. “That’s really far away.”

“It is,” Nerion confirmed. “Far enough that the Purity Front probably won’t think to look for us there. Not that they would anyway. None of us are important enough for that. And it’s far enough that we can breathe for a minute without worrying about another attack.”

“But the grove,” I said, even as hope bloomed in my chest. “I need to maintain my connection to it. Monthly trips, remember? If I don’t go back⁠—”

“You’ll fade,” Nerion finished, nodding. “I know. That’s why Teddy and I have already been thinking about this. Teddy is very capable of teleportation magic. He’s already installed a permanent circle at the cottage. Trips will be easy to make.”

I looked at Cass, seeing the resolve already forming in his eyes. “Okay,” I heard myself say. “Let’s go to Greece then.”

Cass nodded. “Yeah. I like the sound of that.”

“Well?” Nerion scoffed. “What the fuck are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

Teddy and Nerion headed for the exit. But Cass and I didn’t move. Not yet anyway.

“I love you, big guy,” Cass said, looking up at me. “We’re gonna get through this and we’re gonna get your grove back, okay?”

“You don’t have to promise me anything⁠—”

“No,” he retorted. “I fucking mean it. I’m getting your grove back one way or another. I don’t care if I have to bring Jackson Rose back from the dead and kill him again to do it. I will.”

I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. “I love you too, Sparks.”

“Good,” he smiled. “Now let’s get out of here.”

I squeezed his hand, knowing that there was only one thing in this entire world I needed, and it was him. “Okay.”

Epilogue: Cass