Chapter One
Gabriel gripped my hand where it pressed against his chest, then slowly removed it. The glow
remained until his fingers slid from mine.
His dark eyes watched me with unsettling intensity. “You need to come back to the Bogs, Eva.
It’s the only way we can keep you safe.”
I gripped my covers around me. “No way. I’m not going to be trapped there. You need to explain
why you suddenly think I’m in so much danger.”
His jaw clenched, his dark eyes intense. “If anyone else finds out about this, they’ll want to use
you. Imagine if the vampires knew you could increase their power.”
“The vampires had a great time manhandling me earlier tonight.” My eyes flicked to the rim of
daylight beneath my blackout curtains. “Or last night, I guess. None of them started glowing.”
“Perhaps it’s just those of us with blood from the far realms.” His eyes lifted to my bookshelf.
“Come here.”
It was only then that I realized Ringo had retreated from the foot of the bed to his spot on my
shelf. He huddled in the little pile of pillowcases I had put there for him.
“It’s okay,” I said.
At my words he shifted, then hopped down from the bookshelf to scamper across the floor. He
climbed up my bed toward us.
“Touch her,” Gabriel ordered
Ringo extended one tiny trembling blue paw toward my arm. He placed it against my bare skin.
Nothing happened.
“See?” I said. “It’s just some weird fluke thing. My magic is only reacting to Mistral, you, and
Sebastian.”
“Sebastian?” He reared back.
“You guys need to learn to be a little less touchy when I mention him.”
He lowered his chin. “It is bad enough for him to know of these changes, but for you to react to
him in this way? He will push you for more. You cannot trust him.”
“Obviously.” I shook my head and released my grip on my covers. “But he’s going to help me, in
exchange for me helping him. And I have to meet with the elf king today.”
He blinked at me. “Surely you jest. Only an idiot would find all this out about herself and go
marching into Emerald Heights.”
“I have to go. I owe his daughter a favor.”
He lifted a brow. “Princess Millelena?”
“Yeah, though she introduced herself to me as just Elena. She saved our cookies last night, and
asked me to come speak with her father in return.”
“Cookies?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, you know, like our butts? The vampires kidnapped my roommate and
were trying to throw him off a building.”
He gripped my hand. “An even greater reason to be cautious then. You cannot go to Emerald
Heights, Eva.” The glow started again where our skin touched, filling my chest with a warm
tingling sensation.
I wanted more of it. Every time one of them touched me and gave me this feeling, I wanted
more.
His eyes drifted down to the glow and he yanked his hand away. “If you go to Emerald Heights,
we can’t protect you.”
“Well good thing I don’t think the elves want to hurt me. Like I said, they saved us last night.”
He gave me a look like I was being very stupid. “And why do you think Princess Millelena wants
you to come? If she saved you last night, then she knows about the game. She knows about the
sword. Her father came from the elven realm. He is trapped here, just like Mistral. But his
motivation to return to his home will be even greater.”
“Why?”
His shoulders slumped. “It is only rumor, but some say that when he came here, he left his
queen behind, not knowing he would be unable to return to her.”
My stomach sank. Elves were extremely long lived creatures. Who knew how long he and his
queen had been together before he came here? And now to be apart, all this time. “That’s
awful.”
“It is. But if anyone is to acquire the Realm Breaker, it will be Mistral.”
I furrowed my brow. “But can’t others use it too? Maybe Mistral can use it to go home, and the
elf king can use it as well.”
I felt a small squirming sensation in my chest at the thought of Mistral going home. It would
mean never seeing him again. I had only known him a short time, but I found I didn’t like the
idea.
I shook my head. “Never mind. This is all conjecture. We don’t even know if the sword can
actually do what everyone believes. If you would have asked me a few days ago, I would have
said it was a myth. So first thing first, I have to go meet with the elf king. Then Sebastian and I
are going to continue searching for my mother.”
Gabriel clenched his fists again at the mention of Sebastian.
“Oh no.” I held up a finger. “I don’t want to hear it. I have a contract with him, and you know what
that means.”
“You also have a bargain with Mistral. Two bargains.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I haven’t forgotten. And that first bargain pertains to Sebastian. So tell
Mistral I’m just fine, and I will report to him when I’m able.” I gave him a look. “Unless he wants
to come here himself.”
His mouth sealed into a grim line. I was pretty sure by now that Mistral couldn’t come here
himself, and I was growing increasingly curious as to why that was.
But it was a problem for another time.
I shooed him aside so I could climb out of bed. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to get dressed.”
“You’re being foolish, Eva.” But he went for the door.
I turned to watch him reaching for the knob. “I’m half human. Foolishness is in my blood.”
He hung his head, shook it, then left the room. A moment later I heard my apartment door
opening and shutting.
I looked down at my hand. It seemed perfectly normal now, but the glow had been very real.
And I had really shifted fully last night. Maybe the Realm Breaker wasn’t even necessary.
Maybe I could learn to shift to the near realms on my own, like a real celestial. But could I bring
someone with me?
I had no idea, because my mother had left me with so little. I didn’t know anything about my
magic. Maybe meeting with the elf king, an ancient being with vast knowledge, could be my first
step toward finding out. ...
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