Sebastian reached the edge of the shadow, producing a playing card from nowhere. He flung it at the darkness, and though it looked like a card, I knew it was backed by his magic and could slice through flesh. It did the same to the darkness, cutting off a tendril, but the severed limb simply absorbed back into the main mass to continue creeping along.
“Not the same effect blades had on the shadow creatures,” Crispin said.
He was right. When we’d faced them with Silvana, cutting the creatures down actually did something.
With his arm already around me, Gabriel stepped us both out of reach. “It’s trying to get to you.”
I had initially thought it was going for the portal, but Gabriel was right. It definitely had its sights—if it had sight—set on me. And it probably had the same idea last night. It must have sensed our magic as soon as we arrived.
“I have an idea,” Crispin said, taking my left arm.
“What sort of idea,” Gabriel snapped.
Mistral and Avery had edged toward us, keeping out of reach of the darkness, not testing it like Sebastian had.
“We’ll erupt light within it,” Avery explained as they reached us. “See if that might pull it apart.”
Crispin cleared his throat. “IsaidI have an idea.” He was still gripping my arm, which I didn’t like one bit.
“Is it an idea that’s going to get Eva killed?” Sebastian said caustically.
“Certainly not.” It was always unnerving how calm Crispin stayed, especially as he started walking me toward the slow moving darkness. He didn’t get very far though with Gabriel’s arm still around my waist.
Crispin sighed. “It’s moving at a snail’s pace. I won’t let her get too close.”
“Maybe I don’t want to get close at all!” I argued.
Crispin glanced back at me with a lifted brow. “Aren’t you the one who claimed we would defeat the darkness and not allow it back to earth?”
I winced. Yeah, I guess that had been me. “Fine. What do you want me to do?”
“Just hold out your hands.”
I realized his intent as he guided me closer, palms facing the darkness. It really was moving rather slowly. I had a feeling this must have been a small trickle cut off from the main mass whenthe ways were severed. Just like the much larger trickle that had been trapped with Silvana’s people.
“Um, I know you’re thinking about the guardian, but I have no idea how I did that.”
“This is sentient magic,” Crispin explained, stopping us just a few feet from the creeping darkness, “not unlike the guardian. And when you felt immediately threatened…” He took the Realm Breaker from my hand and slipped it back into its sheath across my back. Then he stepped right into the low cloak of shadows.
It swarmed instantly. Even though it was one mass, the wordswarmwas the only way to describe it as tendrils shot up Crispin’s legs. It would be all over him in seconds.
“Dammit, Crispin!” I held my hands out with more conviction, feeling like a pathetic version of a superhero. No big muscles, no neon costume, and definitely no comprehension of what I was doing.
I focused on the darkness now swirling up his body. It didn’t seem to be hurting him yet, but I wasn’t about to find out what would happen if it reached his airways.
As soon as I focused, I felt the vortex doing that strange humming, then the darkness pulled away from Crispin’s body and came toward me. Mistral and Gabriel were at my sides in a heartbeat, both reaching for me, but not quite touching. Not yet.
The darkness hit my palms, then disappeared. I thought it would stop after I pulled the last bit off Crispin, but it kept coming until the forest floor was clear and vibrant green once more.
Crispin stood smiling at me, completely unharmed.
I pulled away from both of the goblins and socked Crispin in the arm. “Not cool!”
Unlike with Sebastian, my punch actually jostled him, just a hair, and he gripped his arm and laughed, pointing at his feet. There were living vines there, alert and ready like little insectantennae. “My magic is quite strong here. I gave myself a decent chance of escape even if you failed.”
I rubbed my palms on my jeans, feeling like they should be stained from absorbing the darkness, but I really didn’t feel any different. Ringo had popped his head out above the zipper of my jacket at some point, probably after the darkness was gone. “Adecentchance?”
Crispin bowed. “Nothing good in life is without risk, dear Eva.”
