Chapter 12
TWELVE
Crispin stood stunned in the doorway while I hastily applied some makeup. He looked fantastic in his charcoal slacks and sea foam green button up—though now his face had gone white as a sheet.
“You cannot possibly feel so blasé about being kidnapped!”
I paused with the mascara wand in my hand. “I had Sebastian and a potion to give me a power boost. I was fine.”
Okay, so maybe I hadn’t felt so fine when I was knocked out and manhandled, but I didn’t want to worry him more than was necessary.
Plus, if I downplayed it to Crispin and got him on board, it would be easier to downplay it to Gabriel.
Sebastian was already acting like nothing had happened, including our kiss in the stairwell.
Crispin lowered his chin, stepping closer. “You should have called.”
I stuck the mascara wand back in its cylinder before it could dry out, then turned to face him. “Yes, I could have called, and when you eventually got the message Gabriel would have rushed over here with you, leaving Mistral vulnerable.”
Crispin stood his ground. “If things progress in the Bogs, there is nothing Gabriel can do.”
His words made my knees feel weak. “I thought you said it’s under control.”
“Under control, as in not rapidly progressing. The new gray area is not near any settlements, so no one is in immediate danger.” He huffed. “You should have told me about it sooner.”
“We told you about the vines.”
“Not that the magic of the Bogs is entirely unravelling.”
“Shh.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the bathroom, shutting the door behind us. “Sebastian doesn’t know.”
Crispin shook his head. “This is folly, Eva. We don’t understand this connection between us. If something happens to Mistral, it may be harmful for us all.”
“Is that all you care about?” I was more bothered than I thought I would be at the notion.
He threw up his arms, invading my space, though it was hard not to in the small bathroom.
“Of course not! I like Mistral, and I don’t ever want to find out what will happen to the goblins if he loses control of the wild magic of the Bogs.
All I’m saying is that this cannot be kept secret.
Sebastian is adept at finding information, and he is also responsible for the contract binding Mistral to the land. Keeping this from him is foolish.”
I crossed my arms and scowled. “It’s not like it’s my choice.”
“No, but if anyone can convince Mistral, it’s you.”
My scowl wilted. “I hate it when you make sense,” I muttered.
“I do more often than not,” he said more softly. He knelt, and I realized I had dropped my mascara. He picked it up, then extended it toward me.
I took it, keeping my attention on him. “You know, I’ve never seen you so worked up.”
Crispin stood, his height making the bathroom feel too small for the two of us.
I could smell his spring-like scent, making me think of sunshine and meadows even in the artificial light.
He leaned against the wall next to me, hunching his shoulders.
“I didn’t like feeling so helpless in the Bogs.
I’d hoped there was more I could do, especially after Mistral trusted me enough to be honest.”
“I’m sure he still appreciated you trying.”
He looked at me through a fallen lock of blond hair, smiling softly. “Are you trying to comfort me after I yelled at you?”
“You seemed to need it.” I wrung the mascara in my hands. “Is it really that bad in the Bogs?”
His smile fell. “They told me you saw the first gray area. That’s what you all were whispering about at the pool.”
“Yeah, the Bogs clearly wanted us to see it. The magic may be out of control, but I don’t think it likes what’s happening.”
“I agree.” He met my eyes. “But I find it curious that it took you and not Mistral.”
“Well he was down in the pool with you,” I argued.
“And what about the whole walk there and back?”
He had a point, but I really didn’t like thinking about it. The wild magic in the Bogs could be intoxicating, and dangerous. I wasn’t sure what to think of its reaction to me, whether it was about my connection to Mistral, or something else.
Crispin gripped my shoulder. “I’m sorry for worrying you. I’ll let you finish getting ready.” He stepped back toward the door. “Just—tell me next time you get kidnapped? Tell me right away?”
His worry had me feeling guilty for not telling Gabriel and Mistral, but they had bigger things to deal with. They would worry and try to protect me, but wasn’t I allowed to do that for them too? I decided that I was, and I was glad that I didn’t have to do it alone.
I stood on my toes and kissed Crispin’s cheek, eliciting a little spark of moonlight tinged magic between us. “Thank you for caring about Mistral,” I whispered.
His eyes were a touch wide as I stepped back. “I yell at you, and you thank me?”
“You were hardly yelling,” I laughed.
“I was too.”
My grin grew. “I’ve seen a lot worse.” I realized we were still standing close, and my smile faltered, my heart skipping a beat. “Crispin—”
“You don’t need to say anything, Eva.”
“How do you even know what I was thinking?”
He leaned forward, surprising me when he kissed my cheek in return.
More magic welled up within me, the small touch both exhilarating and comforting.
Every touch from him just felt right. We were bound, for better or worse, but like Sebastian, Crispin never seemed to want to talk about it beyond magical theory.
He stepped back, and I didn’t want him to. I didn’t want that space between us. Gods, if I was falling for yet another guy, I was going to be so pissed at myself. It had to just be the magic, and I was pretty sure Crispin thought so too.
I had to clear my throat before I could speak. “Now weren’t you supposed to be picking out a dress for me to wear?”
He scoffed, flustered. “There are only three to choose from.”
“That’s a lot.”
He pinched his brow and shook his head, and the tension between us eased. “You’re worse than Elena.” He lowered his hand, then looked me up and down. “We’ll go with the blue.” He opened the bathroom door, then stepped out into the bedroom.
I hoped Sebastian hadn’t heard us about the Bogs, but then again, maybe it would be for the best if he had.
He’d admitted to me once that Mistral’s mother had asked him to create the contract for Mistral free of charge.
Sebastian himself couldn’t control the Bogs, but he did have the power to create binding contracts between magical entities. He might be able to help.
Of course, he’d never told me what Mistral’s mother had given him for the favor. Maybe it was something unforgivable, and Mistral would refuse his help.
I sighed, then turned back to the mirror. It was a problem for another time. For now, I had to make it to a date, and hope I didn’t get kidnapped again in the process.
I wore my hair loose so Ringo could hide in it.
He would be pretty visible to anyone who looked close, but my satchel definitely didn’t go with the blue silk dress Crispin had picked out of my meager wardrobe.
The dress had been a gift from Dawn, something to wear when she took me to schmooze with clients.
She had liked using me as an example of what nightrunner magic looked like.
Recalling the old memories, I wondered why I was even doing her this favor.
As Crispin opened the door to the restaurant for me, I glanced across the road, spotting Sebastian leaning against a streetlight.
He looked terribly forlorn, but no one else walking the streets seemed to notice.
It was a peculiar bit of magic on his part, to go unnoticed.
I would have loved the same capabilities, especially after the kidnapping.
We stepped inside, the air conditioning summoning goosebumps on my legs. The dress might have been long, but the slits were high, the slithery fabric dancing as I walked in my boots with the tallest heels.
A female server dressed in black cigarette pants and a fitted black button up stepped between us and the rest of the bustling restaurant. The smell of something sizzling and cheesy made my mouth water.
The server tucked her short brown hair behind her slightly pointed ear as she addressed Crispin more than she addressed me. “Two?”
Crispin, however, didn’t seem to hear her.
He was looking at an elf sitting alone at a four-seater table near the bar.
The elf had long, dark brown hair pulled back from his face and deeply tanned skin.
He was ageless in the way many elves, goblins, and fairies seemed ageless, but he did at least seem older than Crispin.
“That’s Rian,” Crispin pointed, making the server frown.
“I thought you didn’t know him,” I said.
He shrugged. “I can know what someone looks like and not actually know them.”
As the server’s frown deepened, I smiled at her. “We’re meeting someone, thanks.”
Before she could answer, Crispin had taken my hand to lead me to the table. I could sense a bit of nervous energy from him, which made me even more nervous in return. I didn’t see Dawn anywhere yet, but it was just like her to be fashionably late.
Rian’s brow furrowed at us as we stood before him.
His shirt was dark blue linen, and while it was a button-up, it looked somewhat antiquated—which was kind of a trend going around, but I was guessing he didn’t dress with trends in mind.
The set of his face suggested he frowned more than he smiled.
Why Dawn was enamored with an old-school elven noble was beyond me. They all seemed pretty stuffy.
Crispin quickly made introductions, then pulled back one chair for me. I sat, wildly uncomfortable already.
“Dawn did not mention that King Francis’ wizard would be dining with us.”
Crispin paused halfway to his seat, obviously caught off guard by Rian’s words. Recovering, he sat. “I imagine she does not know my role within the court, only that I am involved with Eva.”