Chapter 6 #2
He glanced over heads, as if seeking something, or someone, in particular. His gaze swept over me and then returned briefly. For a second, my heart stuttered, thinking he’d pull a movie stunt, like push his way through the thin crowd to make his way directly to me.
Nope.
The handsome blond office dude turned to a vendor. I sighed. I really wasn’t destined to get a meet-cute moment.
“Your fresh chocolate,” announced Lester, who offered it to me on a paper plate. I’ll admit, I eyed the lumps in the chocolate a lot more dubiously than I had the rat meat. Could I really eat bugs? My first bite indicated I could.
Sweet chocolate, still warm, with a crunch that added a hint of salt, made my tastebuds sing. So long as I didn’t imagine the bug parts being ground between my teeth, I had to admit the shit was crazy good.
I took my dessert and wandered over to a stray bench set against a wall that offered a quiet spot to savor my dessert—and people-watch. Some of the chocolate stained my fingers, and I, of course, licked them, which was when a deep voice said, “I’ve been told Lester’s chocolate is quite delicious.”
Startled, I lifted my gaze and gaped at the blond hunk in a suit with eyes of the most startling green. Did he wear colored contacts because they didn’t seem real? Then again, in this place, I’d bet he had a little inhuman blood running through him.
“Um, yeah, it is pretty good, as are Jim’s skewers of meat. Don’t let the rat part scare you.”
His brow arched. “I’ll keep that in mind. I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”
A remark that indicated he came on the regular. “It’s my first time.”
“And how are you enjoying the market?”
“It’s different, in a good way,” I hastened to add. “Are you here to buy some ingredients?” A lame thing to ask. Why else would anyone come here?
“Not quite. I’m looking for someone who is in possession of a very special book. A little goblin told me they might be here today.”
I almost asked if he meant a real goblin but didn’t want to sound dumb. “What kind of book?”
“Magical of course. And old. Very old.”
“Do you know what the person who has it looks like? Maybe I can help you find them.”
“She’s prettier than expected and younger than the previous owner of the tome. Her smile is also quite charming.”
Ever get the sense something might be amiss? My preservation instinct began nudging me just as Beatrice barked, “Charlotte, move away from him at once.”
“Now, now. No need to be so aggressive.” The stranger stood with his hands held out. “I was just having a conversation with the young witch with the lovely smile.”
Ice began flowing in my veins as I realized he must have been talking about me. But why? How did he know my identity? And what book did he mean? I thought of the grimoire stuffed in my duffel back in the train.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Beatrice remained harsh in tone, but I noticed her clenched fists and sensed her worry.
“Tell that to the witch who opened the door to my world in invitation.”
Uh-oh. I glanced at the blond suited man. He didn’t have the grayish pallor Ulseere possessed, and yet only an idiot wouldn’t realize his identity.
“You’re Gryvak. The dude Ulseere is looking for,” I blurted out.
His lips curved in a beautiful smile that sent ice racing through my veins. “I see you’ve heard of me, thus you know what I’m seeking. You will hand over the book with the spell that drew me here.”
“Like fuck. I am not letting you open a portal to your dimension.”
“Me?” he stated with a chuckle. “I cannot cast the spell. It is a strange quirk of our kind that, with all our arcane knowledge and power, we cannot link our two worlds, and yet, witches from this plane, despite their weaker magic, can do so. Hence why I require both the book and you.”
“I am not going to help you,” I huffed, standing from the bench.
“You say that now, but you’ll change your mind. I can be very persuasive.” The smile should have been evil. Should have chilled me to the bone but damned if he didn’t appear sexy and charming.
Beatrice snapped, “Begone, dark prince. You will not be taking Charlotte or the Grimoire.”
“And who will stop me?” A strange hush fell over the market, partially because many of the shoppers and even some vendors appeared to have disappeared. Couldn’t really blame them, given the tension and aura of pending violence hanging in the air.
“We are not without defense, dark one.”
“Speaking of dark, there is no point in maintaining the illusion.” Without twitching a single muscle, his appearance changed, or I should say, his skin hue did, going from a light golden tan to dusky gray.
I’d like to say it rendered him hideous.
That would have been a lie. Were all shadow elves handsome?
Beatrice kept glancing past him, as if seeking something. Someone…
Gryvak noticed and appeared amused rather than worried. “The hunter won’t be coming anytime soon. The bait I set out will keep him busy while I tend to my business.” His gaze turned to me. “Where is the book?”
“What book?” When stalling for time, play dumb.
“The one with the spell. I know you have it with you.”
“I left it at home when I escaped your demons last night.”
His smile remained as he shook his head and tsked. “You really shouldn’t lie. Your home was searched thoroughly. You have it in your possession. You will fetch it at once.”
“Like fuck I will,” I spat, even as I wondered what thoroughly meant. Had the prince destroyed my belongings seeking the Grimoire?
Gryvak arched a brow. That was all he did, and yet Beatrice suddenly grabbed at her throat. Her eyes widened as she struggled to breathe.
“I wonder how long before she suffocates,” Gryvak murmured in a casual tone as he murdered Beatrice with some kind of Jedi power in front of me.
“Stop it!” I yelled.
“Get the book of spells.”
Did I have a choice?
Not really. Once he’d killed Beatrice, I’d be next. “Fine. You want it, I’ll get it but stop choking Beatrice.”
“Humans. I see you haven’t changed your weak emotional ways.”
Beatrice collapsed to her knees, gasping for air.
So much for her assertion they could counter the dark elf.
An elf I’d brought here. My fuckup, my responsibility.
With Gryvak shadowing, I trudged to the train, trying to think of a way to stop him from getting his hands on the Grimoire—and me.
How could I stop this clusterfuck from getting worse?
“What’s your plan, anyhow?” I asked, silence not being my strong suit.
“Other than taking control of your world?” He said it lightly as if it were nothing.
I snorted. “You’d need quite a few demons to do that. You do realize there’s like a few billion humans on Earth.”
“Once they get a taste of what I have in store if they don’t concede, most will bare their throats begging for mercy.”
He might have a point. Hard to be brave when fearful for your life or that of your family. Still, I wouldn’t agree just on principle. “Some will pretend to obey, but there’s many who won’t, and they have guns.”
“And I have magic.”
“Will your magic stop a bullet aimed at your head?”
“I’ve much experience erecting shields to counter projectiles aimed at taking my life.”
Well damn. “Our military has jets armed with missiles.”
“Ah yes, your metal birds in the sky. I’m sure they have a weakness I can exploit. My understanding is electronics don’t fare well when bombarded with electricity, and lightning is so easy to call in your water-rich world.”
Not being a technically inclined person, I couldn’t tell if that would work, then again, it just might. Look at how a bolt of lightning could fry a house’s electrical panel.
The train appeared ahead of us, and I still didn’t have a plan to thwart Gryvak.
Pity I had no idea how to use my magic. Nor did I think he’d give me the time to flip through the Grimoire, find a spell, gather the ingredients, and cast it.
Although hadn’t Ulseere hinted I could do some basic stuff without implements, like conjure fire?
“I see your mind whirring, seeking a way to foil me, but you will fail, witch.”
“Of course you’d say that.” I wasn’t stupid. I played volleyball in high school. Psyching out the opponent was a time-honored tradition.
“Will it take a lesson, witch?” The soft purr was my only warning before I found myself wrapped not in arms or anything I could see. And yet I could feel myself being squeezed, so tight I couldn’t draw a breath. So painfully I feared for my ribs.
The constriction led to me panicking and thrashing wildly. To no avail.
Gryvak spun my invisibly tethered body to face him. “As you can see, you can’t fight me. And why would you when you could partner with me? A king needs a queen after all. And who better than a witch strong in magic? Help me and together we can rule the world.”
The words had a hypnotic and calming effect that relaxed—and intrigued. He wanted me as his queen? Meaning a royal wedding and a party to rival that of the British monarchs.
Tempting, but… Did I really want to shackle myself to someone who thought he could magically restrain me to prove he was stronger?
“Well, witch? What will it be?” The bands around my chest eased, and I could heave in a breath, but before I could reply, a bolt of pure white energy slammed into Gryvak!