Chapter 13 #2
This was it. It was finally happening. All five points of our star would be in the same place at once.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but with Marcie and potentially Lucas watching, hopefully it wouldn’t be anything too embarrassing.
Mistral awaited us at the gates. He looked lonely standing in the moonlight just beyond the iron bars—or maybe it was simply my imagination. He couldn’t come out, and until now, half of us wouldn’t have been able to go in. Only me and Marcie could manage it on our own.
Oh, and Ringo, but he was a full blooded goblin.
“Looks like you won’t have to wait for your answer after all,” Marcie said tersely, her eyes drifting toward Lucas. I wondered if there was a reason she didn’t want him accompanying us.
I tried to relax as we reached the gates. Mistral was finally allowing Sebastian inside, but I knew it hadn’t been an easy decision, and it wasn’t one he would have made on his own. He was doing it for me. I felt both appreciative and guilty, and I hoped the decision wouldn’t come back to bite me.
“Now!” someone shouted behind us, the shout followed by a flash of blinding green light.
I didn’t even have time to turn because Gabriel was already shielding me with his body.
I could only see Mistral shoving open one side of the gates.
He reached out to grab my hand, then pulled me through.
I shifted across the barrier out of reflex, barely noticing the change, clinging to my takeout boxes like they were a lifeline.
“Wait,” I huffed as Mistral’s arms wrapped around me.
Gabriel had turned away, remaining outside the safety of the boundary.
More green light flashed, making it difficult to see anything beyond the gates.
Everyone else had been swallowed by the lights, though I could still hear them fighting.
“What’s happening?” I gasped as Ringo hopped down from my shoulder, then climbed the bars of the gate for a better look.
“Another vortex,” Mistral said in my ear, holding me against his chest. “It must be the fairies.”
I realized I still hadn’t told him about the kidnapping—he didn’t know that yet another fairy was after me, but there was no time to explain it now.
I could hear shouting, crunching gravel, and shadows swirled amongst the glowing green light.
I tugged against Mistral’s hold on me. “I have to help them!”
He didn’t budge an inch. “You cannot. This attack is meant for you, Eva. If Varian—”
“It might not be Varian. Another fairy is after me, I think because of my grandfather. They must have been waiting to attack, knowing I’d return here for safety.
” I tugged against him again, then went limp.
The blinding lights and sounds of fighting cut off as abruptly as they had started.
I realized too late that I could have simply used Mistral’s power to jump me out to any of the guys.
My breath was shallow as my eyes took their time adjusting to the sudden darkness.
It had all happened so quickly, and I had no idea what had ended it.
I was able to make out Lucas first by the shape of his wings, but he was pretty much the only one I wasn’t worried about.
When I spotted the other three guys, huffing but seemingly uninjured, I relaxed, and in return Mistral relaxed his hold on me.
But something was wrong. I didn’t see Marcie.
Sebastian reached us first, and even with only the moonlight to see by, my breath caught at the intensity in his eyes as they locked on my face.
One sleeve was nearly torn off his shirt, and he had a bruise forming near his temple, but he appeared otherwise unscathed.
“They took Marcie. A vortex absorbed her power, and they used it to flee. They did not seem intent on killing us.”
“You mean they realm jumped? Non celestials?” I looked at Crispin and Gabriel for confirmation.
Gabriel nodded. “It felt like your magic. Marcie’s magic.”
“Shit.” I handed Mistral the takeout boxes that I had miraculously not dropped, then pushed open the gate for them to step through.
Gabriel and Crispin came first, Ringo hopping down from the gate onto Crispin’s shoulder as he passed.
Sebastian stepped confidently through next, but I sensed his nerves.
He didn’t fully trust that Mistral was actually allowing him entry.
That left only Lucas outside, his eyes on me.
It was a look that said, You’re totally going to screw me over now, aren’t you?
I took Mistral’s hand in mine. I really hoped I wasn’t going to regret this. “We’ll need Lucas’ help. He’s the only one who knows as much about what’s going on as Marcie does.”
Mistral laced his fingers with mine. “You ask much of me, Eva.”
“Sorry about that.”
He sighed. “Very well. It is not as if things can get any worse.” His eyes met Gabriel’s.
I wanted to ask just how bad the magic in the Bogs was getting, but couldn’t do so with Sebastian around. And now Lucas was cautiously stepping over the boundary.
Nothing bad happened once he did. As out of control as things had become, Mistral was still bound to the Bogs as ruler. His word was law.
Mistral peered out into the darkness beyond the gates, his silver eyes shining. “Let us retreat before we discuss things further.”
Everyone nodded. No one seemed to know what else to say.
It was a first.