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Merrick shrugged. “I wanted to see somewhere different.”
That was one of the perks of being in the Hereafter. You could imagine anything in your mind, and the Hereafter would recreate it.
I bumped him with my shoulder. “It’s lovely here. I like the touch of Fall.”
Merrick sighed when he peered back at the trees. “I do too.”
He picked up a handful of sand and let it fall through his fingers. “I heard about you calling things off with Iston. The elves are furious.”
“How did you find out?” I asked.
He snorted. “Bad news travels fast, Ella.”
It made me wonder what else he knew. “Do you knowwhyI called things off?”
Merrick focused on the ocean, his jaw tense. “It’s obvious. You have feelings for Kai, the son of the man who killed me.”
His words were like a knife to the chest; they hurt and it gutted me. “Do you hate me for that?”
Sighing, Merrick turned to me and draped an arm over my shoulders. “I could never hate you, Ella. But I’m worried about you. How do you know this guy isn’t pretending to want you as some sick game to get close and kill you?”
A laugh escaped my lips even though it wasn’t funny. “That’s exactly what my mother asked. All I can say is that I know that’s not what he’s doing. When I confronted him about Alette, he said he had nothing to do with it.”
Merrick growled. “And you believed him?”
“Yes,” I said, staring right into his chocolate-brown eyes. “Kai didn’t know I was following him, but I watched him with Ridge, his brother. He was furious about what he did. They’re divided now and Kai chose me. I don’t know how to explain it, but I can feel him”—I rubbed a hand over my chest—“in here.”
Merrick’s gaze narrowed. “What about his brothers? Are you going after them?”
The thought of Ridge infuriated me. I wanted to snap his neck and watch the life drain out of his eyes.
“Yes,” I said with determination. “Whatever I feel for Kai isn’t going to change that. His brothers and anyone else will pay for killing Alette.”
Merrick’s concerned gaze pierced into mine. “Just be careful, Ella. You don’t need to do this on your own. Your people want to help. I know Iston’s dying to get his hands on the Shadow fae.”
Sighing, I hung my head. “He’s the last person I want to be involved in this.”
Merrick slid his arm away and stood, holding out his hand to help me up. I took it and he hauled me to my feet.
“If you need me, you know how to find me.”
“One of these days,” I said, squeezing his hand, “you’re going to find someone to share eternity with. I can feel it in my heart.”
His lips pulled back. “I’m going to hold you to that. I’ve been waiting over thirty years.”
I hugged him and stepped away. “Bye, Merrick. I’ll see you soon.”
My magic lit up like a ball of light and I stepped back into the mortal realm, right onto the doorstep of the cabin Kai created for us. Before I could open the door, it flew open. Kai’s eyes widened, and he breathed a sigh of relief. His lip had already healed from where Iston busted it.
“How did it go?”
I stepped inside and there was a fire crackling in the fireplace, illuminating the tiny cabin. On one side of the cabin was a small kitchen with food on the small wooden table, and on the opposite was a large bed that looked exactly like mine in my cottage back home.
“Before I answer that question,” I said, pointing at the food, “where did all of that come from?”
Sighing, Kai glanced over at the table. “You were gone a while, so I made a portal back to my cabin and grabbed some things. I even brought you some clothes.”
“What kind of clothes?” I asked curiously.
