By the timewe reached one of the rooms we’d been offered, I was full and finally relaxed. But only because I was a little bit drunk. As Avery interrogated me, with occasional translations from Mistral to help his rusty comprehension of the English language, I had sipped goblin wine to give myself pauses from answering. It hadn’t been all that bad, really, but Avery had been cut off from his sister and nephew without warning or reason. It was normal for him to want answers after all this time, especially since his sister had passed away on earth, unbeknownst to him.
And in return, he’d provided answers as well. He’d seen a few living shadows here and there, and had heard stories of goblins going missing, but they were isolated incidences. Nothing huge. If the darkness had started seeping into the goblin realm, my mother had cut it off before it got too far. Once Avery understoodthe danger, he seemed more at ease with my presence. In theory, my mother had saved his realm from ruin.
Now the only goblin I was worried about was Mistral. This was our first moment alone while Avery provided a tour of his estate to the others. Even Sebastian had seemed keen. It wasn’t often one got to explore a far realm.
Mistral sat on the deep stone windowsill, watching me as I explored our temporary living quarters.
The bed was huge. We all could have fit in it, though we all had our own rooms. Mistral had told Avery of my joining with him, but as far as I knew, he had left out my relationship with the other guys. Fire crackled from a fireplace made of small stones that swirled upward, reminiscent of a river. While the one exterior wall was also stone, the rest were dark, aged wood. Two cushioned chairs sat in front of the fire, between them a table with more goblin wine. The lighting was dim, but I had a feeling it could brighten with just a thought from Avery. The blown glass lanterns were all powered by goblin magic, linked to the owner of the estate.
Finished looking around, I glanced at Mistral, still unable to read his mood. I knew he was thrilled his uncle was alive, and that nothing terrible had happened to his homeland while he was away, but something felt off. There was something he wasn’t telling me. And now we no longer had a bargain of truth between us.
“You’re concerned,” he said when I started fiddling with the bedspread. It was forest green and soft as a kitten.
I glanced at him again. “Am I?”
He tilted his head, draping silken hair down his shoulder. “Yes, but about what?”
“Are you sensing this alleged concern through our connection?”
I glanced at him again to catch his smirk. “I have been alive a long time. I may not understand all human customs, but I can tell when a woman is concerned.”
I finally faced him, crossing my arms. “Do I have anything to be concerned about?”
His brow twitched. “You’re being coy, but there is no bargain between us now. You may lie if you wish.”
I sighed loudly, then approached, sitting opposite him in the windowsill. The stone was cold from the outside air. I looked out the window at the stars, unable to see the three moons from this angle. “It’s good that there’s not much darkness here. We won’t have to be concerned about something following us back to earth.”
“It is certainly a relief.”
I turned my head to study his face, but he was an ancient goblin. He gave new meaning to the term poker face. “So you’re relieved?”
“Why don’t you just ask what you wish, Eva? The others may return soon.”
Why didn’t I just ask?
Probably because I was terrified of the answer.
“Once this is all over…” I trailed off, my eyes slipping back toward the glittering stars. Only, the stars gave me a sick feeling in my gut. If Mistral ultimately wanted to return to his home realm, I might lose the stars that were always erupting between us.
“You wish to know if I still view this realm as my true home.”
I whipped my eyes back toward him. “Um. Yeah.”
A small smile played across his lips as he turned his gaze out the window. “Let me ask you, do you feel any increased magic through our bond here?”
I thought about it, but everything felt pretty much the same. “No. Not any more than when we’re in the Bogs. Should I?”
He looked at me again, as if willing me to understand. “If I were still the rightful ruler of this land, its magic would have flowed through me the second we stepped through the pathway. I knew it was not so the moment we arrived.”
My jaw gaped. I knew amongst goblins and fairies, the land chose the rulers, not the people. And I of course knew Mistral was a prince, and his mother had ruled this land with her brother, Avery. I managed to move my mouth enough to say, “I don’t think I understand.”
He stood, graceful as a cat, then offered me his hand. I stared at it, still unsure of his mood.
“I am no longer bound to this realm, Eva. Not by magic, nor by duty.”
I looked at his hand a moment longer, then lifted my eyes to his face. “And how do you feel about that?”
He kept the hand extended. “If we can regrow the pathway, and my people as well as magic can flow back and forth to the Bogs, I will no longer be bound by any duty at all. Do you understand what that means?”
