Page 36 of Board Games and Broomsticks

‘I flew into town on my broom, but … Would you like to ride with me?’

The smile Elowen gave was enough to wash away any lingering doubts. In that moment, Nyssa didn’t want to think about Morven, or her trial, or anything that wasn’t Elowen’s beautiful face and the fluttering in her stomach as the elf gave her answer.

‘Yes.’

They walked side by side to where Nyssa had parked her broom in the tavern’s broom-lot. Nyssa placed Nyx inside her basket, waited until she’d curled up into a ball, and then swung her leg over. Elowen watched with a charming mixture of excitement and trepidation that only made the butterflies in Nyssa’s stomach flutter harder.

‘Just get behind me and hold on tight. The broom will do most of the work. Don’t worry,’ Nyssa added when Elowen still looked unsure, ‘I won’t let you fall.’

That seemed to do the trick. With a small smile that made Nyssa’s heart flip, the elf mounted the back of the broom, her slim, toned arms settling around Nyssa’s waist. And as her scent flooded Nyssa’s senses, she kicked off the ground and sent a single command to the magic enchanting her broom: Home.

A sharp gasp of surprise escaped Elowen as they soared into the sky, and her grip around Nyssa’s waist tightened almost to the point of hurting.

‘You’re all right. I’ve got you.’

Elowen’s grip started to loosen as the broom levelled out and settled into a gentle glide across the sky. Below, Nighthaven was a blur of shadows and warmly lit windows, the main town gradually giving way to expansive countryside with dense patches of woodland. As they neared the lake, it looked as if the sky itself had taken its place. A small group of water pixies played on its surface, chasing the reflection of the stars.

‘I’ve never seen Nighthaven like this.’ Elowen’s breath kissed the back of Nyssa’s ear. ‘It’s always looked magical, but now … it feels like being in another world.’

Nyssa let out a low hum of agreement. This was her favourite time of the day, when the world felt still and at peace and Nyssa could just be without the weight of expectation. It was a moment just for her that she hadn’t imagined sharing with anyone. But having Elowen behind her, arms wrapped around her waist, felt … right. As if something had clicked neatly into place.

‘I want to show you something.’

There was a small spot near her cottage just above the lake, where a grove of trees stood in a circle. Her grandmother had taken her there often when she was younger to perform spells, and at this time of night, it was always alight with soft golden fireflies.

Elowen let out a soft gasp as they reached it, and Nyssa commanded the broom to stop and hover. She turned to look at Elowen over her shoulder, chest suddenly too tight. ‘What do you think?’

Elowen tore her gaze away from the dancing fireflies to meet Nyssa’s stare, and she wasn’t sure the elf was talking about the grove any more as she replied, ‘Beautiful.’

This time, when Nyssa’s gaze drifted to Elowen’s lips, the elf didn’t back away. Instead, she leaned slightly forward, lips parting in anticipation, and before Nyssa knew it she was closing the space between them, and—

Screee!

The shriek pierced the night, startling Nyssa so much she almost lost her balance on the broom. Elowen tightened her hold on her as the broom swayed dangerously in mid-air, and a spark of recognition sparked through Nyssa: it was the same large, sharp-taloned owl she’d spotted outside of The Pixie’s Grove.

And this time, it was heading straight for them.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I knew there was something weird about that damn bird.

The thought had barely formed before Nyssa was forced to swerve out of the owl’s trajectory, causing her broom to sway dangerously from side to side as she tried to regain their balance. Nyx let out a loud hiss from her basket, and Elowen’s grip tightened painfully around her waist. ‘What in the name of all the deities is going on?!’

Nyssa didn’t have an answer for her. Instead, she glanced around the small grove, her gaze fixing on a small patch of flattened grass. ‘Hold on, I’m going to land!’

Nyssa was good on a broom, but there was no way she could outmanoeuvre this bird. It was too fast, too big, and if she didn’t get them to ground soon, she had no doubt it would send them plummeting to an extremely painful end.

‘I’ll buy you some time.’ Elowen’s words landed at the same time as a vine from one of the nearby trees shot straight for the owl and wrapped around one of its legs. A loud, pained screech cut through the grove, sending the already frantic fireflies darting into the shadows.

There was no time for Nyssa to marvel at yet another power Elowen had kept hidden. Not when the owl was already tearing itself free, its wide, yellow eyes flashing with an unnatural light. There was something familiar about those eyes, but Nyssa couldn’t place it, like a dream she couldn’t fully recall.

Nyssa had little time to dwell on it as she was forced to dodge the owl once more. She angled the broom downwards, aiming directly for the patch of grass that was open enough to land on but close enough to the treeline for her, Elowen and Nyx to dart for cover. Magic tingled at the tips of her fingers, and Nyssa channelled it into her broom, pouring as much power as possible into her command: Land!

The broom lunged forward just as Elowen sent another vine towards the owl, causing it to veer off course and miss crashing into them by just a few inches. The air whooshed around Nyssa as the owl passed by, the tip of one of its wings brushing against her arm, and even through the sleeve of her jacket she felt the familiar tingle of magic.

‘Get ready to move.’ Nyssa’s words came out in one rushed breath as the ground drew ever closer. ‘The second we hit the ground, run for the trees.’

She could feel the thud, thud, thud of Elowen’s heart against her back, and without thinking, Nyssa focused her magic on Elowen, willing it to fortify the elf’s magic.