Chapter 2
Reaching the Bogs was a lot easier now that I could just hold on to the guys and pop right across the boundary.
Ringo seemed the most fazed by the journey, clinging to my shoulder with his tail wrapped around my neck.
He had as much of a free pass to the other realms as Sebastian did, but only because I’d realized that as long as he was close to me, my magic was enough to carry him even beyond boundaries where goblins weren’t normally allowed.
Once he was over the boundary, he was so small that he was usually good.
It was kind of like a bird passing through.
Birds went wherever the hells they pleased.
The little stone cottage we arrived at was in the middle of nowhere, deep in the Bogs and far from prying eyes.
Now that my great grandfather had attacked the Citadel, it wasn’t somewhere to be hanging around.
Only those gathered presently knew about the cottage, and I trusted each of them with my life.
It helped that the golden cords between us now often let me sense their emotions, and right now everyone was a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
I was pretty sure the eager anticipation came from Sebastian.
He was more than ready to murder my great grandfather.
We just had to lure him to the city first, because according to Marcie, he wouldn’t risk attacking us directly beyond any of the magical barriers.
Oh, he would blow stuff up and have no conscience about innocent lives being lost, but he wouldn’t stay around long enough for us to face him.
He knew I was a conduit, and that the guys were all bound to me, and he hadn’t lived so very long by taking unnecessary risks.
It meant we were strong enough to face him—if we could catch him.
The glowing orb that was the vortex rested on a bronze stand.
Leave it to an ancient high goblin to have the proper stand for a magical orb.
The vortex was about the size of a bowling ball, glowing with swirling green light.
It had been a lot smaller when Varian attacked us with it, but after the Bogs ate it, a great deal of wild magic was absorbed.
It was the perfect weapon to use against my grandfather—if we could figure out how to actually use it.
I watched as Mistral positioned himself in front of the orb.
The rest of us stood in a semi circle on the other side of the table, the confines of the small cottage keeping us closer to the vortex than I liked.
Varian had used the vortex to absorb my mother’s magic with the intent of using that power to create a new pathway home.
Now we were promising him exactly what he wanted, but we still didn’t trust him enough to ask for vortex lessons.
All I could hope was that once that crazy fairy made it home, he would stay there.
My breath caught as Mistral lifted the green orb in his bare hands.
It was lighter than it looked, and seemed to float slightly above his palms. The green light, far brighter than the scant sunlight creeping in through curtained windows, reflected off his long white hair and pale gray shirt.
Ringo hopped down from my shoulder and crept a little closer, his eyes as round as the orb.
“Crispin was right,” Mistral explained. “It’s not terribly different from goblin magic, which is just compressed energy.
We simply compress energy into a tight enough space that it becomes magic.
I believe it was through this process that Varian created the original vortex.
Although it must have taken him months to gather enough energy for such a thing in this realm, even within the Crystal Vale. ”
He lifted the orb a little higher, the green swirls reflecting in his gray eyes. “And just like any magic, it performs based on intent.”
“But does it not absorb magic on its own?” Crispin stroked his chin. He had walked closer to the table, though I knew he was cautious about touching the vortex.
“It does, but only because energy is naturally drawn to such a force. With the intent of a strong wielder, however, such an effect can be either greatly amplified, or mitigated entirely.”
“So you use it to drain my great grandfather’s magic, then shut it off and we blow him up?” I asked.
Mistral lowered his chin, still cradling the orb in his hands. If I wasn’t mistaken, he had extended it a bit toward me. “No, Eva. You use it to drain your great grandfather’s magic. None of us are strong enough to control it on our own. We need the connection you provide to pool our resources.”
Crispin nodded along with Mistral’s words. “If she pulls on all of our power, it should be enough.”
Gabriel hadn’t yet spoken a word, and stood brooding off to my left. A lock of his black hair had fallen free from its leather clasp, blocking my view of his eyes, though somehow I knew he saw me looking. My throat was tight as I asked, “And what do you think about all of this?”
His focus remained on Mistral as he answered, “Whatever plan you choose, I will follow.”
Judging by his tone, he had hoped for a plan to keep me out of danger, and Mistral had told him it wasn’t possible. It was my great grandfather and my mother we were talking about. I had always known it had to be me, and I just regretted bringing the rest of them into it.
Well, everyone but Sebastian. If he hadn’t joined up with me, surely he would have gotten into something worse.
“Marcie should be here soon,” Sebastian interrupted. “If we are to prepare a demonstration, we should do so now.” He looked at me.
When Marcie asked for a demonstration, he had given her the location of the cottage, but she wouldn’t be able to stay long.
She was a full-blooded celestial, and my great grandfather could track her just as easily as he was currently tracking my mother.
Although now that he had my mother’s trail, he was unlikely to give it up to spy on Marcie.
Everyone was watching me, and I realized I was now expected to pick up the creepy orb.
And maybe the guys were right. Maybe with all of them connected to me, I was powerful enough to use it. The Bogs had given it to me and not any of the guys, after all.
I was temporarily saved by a knock on the cabin door. Sebastian moved to open it, admitting Marcie.
She entered cautiously, glancing around, her thick brown hair shielding one side of her face. She wore a cream colored blazer over a simple but expensive looking navy dress. She looked like she belonged at a garden party, not in a rustic, dusty, goblin cottage.
Her eyes hesitated on the vortex in Mistral’s hands, then narrowed back at Sebastian. “Your directions were atrocious.”
Sebastian gave her a sarcastic bow. He had never much cared for Marcie, and she felt the same way about him. “Would it have been easier had I described that tree as your likeness rather than a horse’s ass?”
“Child,” she muttered, tsking and stepping past him.
“You know,” I said, trying not to laugh, “my mom was able to find me in the Bogs with no directions.”
Her eyes were back on the vortex as she said, “Because she’s your mother. That blood bond is much closer. She will always be able to find you, and had you discovered your gifts sooner, you could have found her.” Waving me off, she gestured toward the orb. “Now, what have we learned?”
Mistral explained his findings, and his idea for me to use the vortex.
“Too risky,” Marcie said before he could even finish. “She hardly understands how to control her own magic, let alone such a dangerous tool. I will accept the risk of wielding it.”
“The Bogs chose to give it to Eva,” Mistral countered.
Marcie scoffed. “So? Are we to take all of our orders from wild goblin magic now?”
Sebastian gave Marcie a wide berth as he moved to my other side. “Eva is the conduit here. With the rest of us around her, she is far more powerful than you.” He tilted his eyes in Marcie’s direction.
Marcie looked like she tasted something sour. “She barely knows how to use her own magic. You expect her to control something so powerful?”
“We will help her.” Mistral’s calm tone left no room for argument.
Crispin watched the exchange with obvious amusement. I almost wanted to offer him a bucket of popcorn.
“Fine,’ Marcie snapped, finally looking at me. “Take the vortex. See if you can actually use it.” She whipped one hand toward the glowing green orb still cradled in Mistral’s palms.
Nervous, I looked at Crispin. The amusement had drained from his face, but he gave me a nod. Okay, so we were actually doing this.
I stepped toward the table, facing Mistral. I could feel the other three guys at my back. Marcie had moved to the other side of the table to observe. I held out trembling hands, and Mistral transferred the vortex to my palms.
It was lighter than expected, and didn’t feel like much of anything. I had expected overwhelming power like the first time the guys had all flooded their magic into me. I had screamed, nearly vomited, and passed out.
This was nothing like that. I started to relax. The glowing green light was almost pretty.
Everyone inhaled sharply as the light flared.
I held perfectly still. “What do I—”
Mistral reached out for the vortex, but it flared again, then flattened out before absorbing into my hands.
I stared at my empty palms in disbelief. “What the hells just happened!”
I looked up at Mistral, who winced at my shriek. He stepped around the table, then took my hands into his, examining them. “I’m not sure. I don’t sense it now.” His eyes lifted to mine. “Do you feel any different?”
I didn’t take the time to think about his question. There was only one question on my mind. “Why did that happen to me and not you!”
Crispin moved closer, taking one of my hands from Mistral. He ran his palm over my own, then I yanked both my hands away from them. The green glow was gone, and I didn’t feel much different, but I wasn’t taking any chances. What if I touched one of the guys and the vortex sucked away their magic?
“This is a disaster.“ Marcie groaned.
Still looking at me instead of my aunt, an infuriating smile curled Crispin’s lips. “I wouldn’t jump to such a conclusion. The Bogs gave the vortex to Eva. Perhaps this is what it intended. If she would have lifted it when it first appeared—”
I started to step toward him, then remembering my hands, stopped moving and extended them at my sides. “So we’re blindly trusting in the wild magic—magic that might just as soon kill us as help us?”
“Well it’s been rather helpful as of late.” Crispin winked at me and I blushed.
We had given Marcie the PG version of what had happened in the meadow, and I certainly wasn’t going to explain it in any more detail now. I flexed my hands, still not feeling any different. Maybe it really was okay. “Alright, say the Bogs wanted this to happen. What do we do about it now?”
Marcie was glaring at Mistral, clearly blaming him for the whole debacle. “I need to leave. While I doubt grandfather will take his eyes off Helena, it’s not worth the risk. Especially with our whole plan now shot to hell.”
Before anyone could argue, she flung open the cottage door and marched outside. She was gone before anyone could shut it.
“It will be alright.” Crispin’s hand on my shoulder made me jump.
I wiggled away from him. “Don’t touch me!“
He blinked at me, jaw slightly agape and hand still in the air. “Eva, nothing will happen. Magic is about intent. I’m sure you won’t hurt any of us.“
I held my hands in front of me again, observing my palms. Maybe he was right. Maybe the vortex had actually done us a favor, because now it wasn’t like anyone could steal it from us. But I would also need to test it before we faced my grandfather.
Hesitantly, Crispin placed his hand on my shoulder again, and when I didn’t move away, he gave it a squeeze. “Maybe we can test it on Lucas.“
Gabriel huffed. “I knew having her touch it was a bad idea.“
I was still looking at my hands like I didn’t quite trust them.
Mistral was brave enough to take one of them, lifting my knuckles to his lips. “Dear Eva, time is short. Whether this will work or not, only fate can know.”
“But what if I don’t trust fate?” I asked.
“You must.” He smiled. “It brought you to me.”
I supposed he had a point. Only something as strong as fate could have brought me together with four such different men. Only fate could have led me to answers, and to binding myself with Mistral and the Bogs.
It definitely seemed like we were entirely at fate’s mercy now. Here was hoping she wouldn’t be a cruel mistress.