Chapter 10
Crispin’s stomach growled loudly. “Why is goblin food so much better than elven food?” he whined as we rode back toward the pathway.
If it was just the five of us, six including Ringo, we could have jumped back to the spot where we’d arrived, but Avery and a small retinue of goblins wanted to bear witness to the pathway being reopened.
If everything went according to plan, the goblins would be able to travel back and forth again, reuniting with loved ones who had been trapped on the other side.
I tangled my fingers in my horse’s white mane, nervous, because it was a pretty big if. I had faith that the six of us could make it back to the waypoint, but healing the old pathway?
I supposed only time would tell. At least for now I had a belly full of what one might call pancakes, only they were more cylindrical in shape and chewy in the best way.
Crispin had eaten five of them, and I might have stuck a few wrapped up in a cloth napkin into one of the packs.
Another breakfast at Avery’s estate would be more than worth another visit.
“Because goblins understand the finer complexities of cooking,” Mistral answered Crispin. He rode a black horse at the front of the line with his uncle, the two goblins looking almost identical from the back, if not for the different lengths of hair.
“Those pancakes were better than Gabriel’s,” Ringo whispered in my ear. “We should come here for breakfast from now on.”
“We’ll see what we can do,” I muttered, trying not to laugh.
Ringo had had a better time than anyone that morning, getting admired by the goblins who’d come to visit the main estate after hearing of the visitors slinking about in the darkness the night before.
Apparently his species was rare even here, and he’d made quite the show of changing his fur to match different ladies’ dresses.
Crispin hurried his horse to ride beside mine, with Gabriel on the side opposite. “Now remember, the old pathway is already there. It’s just been cut. With your mother’s blood running through your veins along with the blade, it shouldn’t be too complicated to patch it up.”
I gripped my saddle as my horse abruptly hopped over a fallen log on the dirt road, then I looked at Crispin. “Do you really believe that?”
He plastered on a fake smile.
“Ye-ah,” I drawled. “Not very encouraging.”
“You’ll be fine,” he soothed. “We’ll all be with you. And there will only be Avery and twelve other goblins to stand witness if you fail.”
My mood sobered instantly. “I can’t fail.
” My contract with my great grandfather might have been skewed in my favor, but I still had to hold up my end of the bargain.
If I didn’t fully heal the pathways, he would kill my mother, which would have the same effect since she had been the one to damage them.
It was by her magic that they remained parted.
But with my blood connection to her, and the power of the Realm Breaker, I could hopefully bypass her will.
Sebastian rode his horse up on Crispin’s other side. “There is no limit on attempts within the contract. If you fail this once, it will not be the end. You need only complete the task before your grandfather grows too impatient, kills your mother, and forfeits his life energy to me.”
I frowned. “Yeah, really not comforting.”
Gabriel’s only addition was a grunt on my other side.
“I think we’re close,” Crispin said, pointing ahead of us. The woods did look familiar, though now we were viewing them in daylight.
The plants weren’t glowing with the sun on them instead of moonlight, and I didn’t see any tendrils of darkness. Avery didn’t seem overly concerned about the prospect.
But something still didn’t feel quite right about it to me. The bulk of the darkness had to be somewhere, and according to my great grandfather, it could destroy entire realms. It was only a matter of time before we found it.
Or before it found us.
I had to heal the pathways for my mother, but I wouldn’t let the darkness destroy my city. There was plenty of darkness there already, but there was also a lot of good, and that was worth protecting.
“Are you ready?” Mistral asked, slowing his mount as he and his uncle looked back at us.
The other goblins muttered excitedly, riding up from behind to gather around us.
I answered his question with a nod, which wasn’t quite a lie. I wasn’t ready, but I also didn’t really have a choice. So here went everything.
We found the exact spot where we’d arrived. There was no carved symbol on this side that we could find, but even I could feel the echo of the smaller pathway we’d created.
This would be the true test. Traveling was one thing, this was quite another. But my mom was depending on me, and beyond that, this could make the Bogs permanently stable—unless the lurking darkness found its way through and destroyed everything.
But one disaster at a time.
Each of the guys gathered around. We weren’t quite sure how this part would go, so I had Ringo bundled up inside my coat rather than on my shoulder. I didn’t want to risk losing him.
We waited while Mistral and Avery said their goodbyes, which they kept short because in theory, they could see each other again soon. It took time for non celestials to travel the pathways, but all goblins would be able to make the journey if they so chose.
As Mistral embraced his uncle, Sebastian leaned over my shoulder to whisper in my ear. “Remember, we’re not just traveling now, so don’t try to jump us back to the Bogs without finishing the task. It will be a proper test before you make the pathway for my sister.”
“Don’t tell me you actually care that she gets what she wants,” I whispered, not wanting to interrupt the goblin goodbyes.
He leaned in closer, his cheek brushing mine. “We must complete the contract before we can kill her.”
“Right.” I rolled my eyes. Sebastian might have a soft spot for me, but I was dreaming if I thought he’d grow a heart in any other regard. Not that Penelope hadn’t earned whatever she had coming.
Ready to depart, Mistral joined us, his uncle and the others standing back with the horses to watch.
With Ringo trembling inside my coat, I withdrew the Realm Breaker.
The movement was a little more smooth this time, and I didn’t come close to cutting off my braid, which was nice since we had an audience.
I was asking them to put their faith in me, the half-blooded celestial who couldn’t even draw a sword without injuring herself.
But now that it was drawn, I hesitated. That instruction manual would be really nice to have right about now.
Sensing my dilemma, Mistral wrapped his hands around mine, turning the blade pointy side down before planting it into the earth.
I blinked at him, and he smiled. “Seemed logical.”
“Sure,” I said, then knelt before the blade.
All four guys knelt with me, Mistral and Gabriel at my sides and a little back, and Sebastian and Crispin directly behind me. I realized they had formed a little star. A wonky star, but still a star. Because I wasn’t the center, I was the point.
I gripped my hands around the sword hilt as each of the guys gripped onto me and onto each other. It wasn’t just normal touch this time. All of their magic hit me at once. It built quickly, and because I was so nervous I forgot to breathe, the pressure growing too great.
But we had practiced this. The magic would overwhelm me if I didn’t use it for something. All I had to do was breathe out and let it go.
So I did just that, releasing all of that magic into the blade.
Gasps sounded from the goblin crowd as stars swirled around my hands and the blade.
Where each of the guys touched me, the different magics glowed—moonlight, sunlight, stars, and dark aurora.
I closed my eyes and searched for the pathway, feeling the guys helping me along, all of our intents aligned for once.
Cold sweat broke out across my forehead, and my hands ached where I gripped the sword hilt. I felt the vortex come alive, siphoning magic from the ground at my feet and pouring it into the pool of our joined will.
With that last push of magic, the earth around the blade flashed silver, at first just a thin line, but it grew with every drop of magic pushed into it.
I realized I didn’t have to know everything, nor did the guys.
The knowledge of my ancestors was in the blade.
It knew every map, every path, and every realm.
With a final exhale, the pool of silver flashed outward, creating a portal the same mother of pearl as the blade. I was standing right on top of it, but it wasn’t my will to cross yet, so we didn’t.
Avery approached cautiously, his gray eyes reflecting the light of the portal.
The guys kept their hold on me as I pulled the blade free with trembling arms, then they helped me stand.
I ended up leaning heavily on Gabriel as Avery addressed us. “There are many in this realm who were separated from loved ones. I understand that separation now, but I am still grateful that it can come to an end.” He smiled warmly at Mistral as he said the last.
With everyone smiling at each other, I was the first to notice the tendrils of darkness creeping toward us through the grass.