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I stepped forward. “Just wait a minute. We areignoring one big problem. Your daughter is still in danger. And youknewshe was actually poisoned.”

He bared his teeth at me, and I thought he was going to tell me to get the hell out, but at a look from Sebastian, his expression sobered. “The poison would not have killed her. She was safe in that park with the trees.”

I lifted a hand. “Wait a minute. Youknewshe was in the park. You knew she—” I cut myself off as the rest fell into place.

“He knew she was receiving packages from Seraphina,” Sebastian finished for me. “He had her poisoned, but not enough to kill her. If his own daughter wascursed, he would avoid any suspicion for killing his own brother. Just as he would teach her a lesson for disobeying him, making her too fearful to leave the realm again.”

Crispin’s jaw fell open. “Wow. That’s dark.”

Fiorus completely crumpled the parchment in his clenched fist. “You know nothing of this. I have done what is best for my daughter.”

“By poisoning her?” Crispin reiterated.

Sebastian seemed to be getting a real kick out of everyone’s reactions. His eyes danced with unexpressed laughter.

I shook my head. And here I thought my family dynamic was messed up. “So Aaliyah’s not in danger then. Other than having an asshat for a father.”

“Correct,” Sebastian said. “We had no real need to come here.”

I wasn’t so sure about that, but I kept my mouth shut. I would open it later to tell Seraphina she should get her sister out of here. She was better off being exiled.

“Sheisin danger,” Fiorus said abruptly.

We all turned to look at him.

He glared at each of us. “I don’t know who you are or why you would care to protect my daughter, but if that is still your aim, then I need your help.”

I stared at him, hardly believing his words.

This evening had just beenfullof surprises.

16

“Arewe sure we want to involve ourselves in this?” Crispin whispered as four guards escorted us back toward the portal.

I had no good answer for him. Turned out, Fiorus had made a deal with a devil to “curse” his brother, because his brother was going to try killing him first as a result of a power struggle over the nymph’s magical well. He wasn’t able to tell us what he had given the devil in exchange—secrecy on that front was part of the contract—but he was able to tell us that he’d gotten what he wanted. Only, his other brothers had grown suspicious. And so the devil had poisoned his daughter too. No one would ever suspect he would go so far to avoid suspicion.

I knew I was still having trouble believing it.

As we reached the end of the long, spooky path, I glanced at Sebastian. He had gotten what he wanted too—the devil’s name. And I knew why he wanted it. There were few devils in the city, and the news that one had delivered my mother’s orders to Lucas… chances were high it was the same one. Find the devil, and maybe we would find my mother.

One of the nymphs cleared his throat. There were three men and one woman, all dressed in a similar white toga style. Their different coloring hinted at a few forms of elemental magic.

Nervous, I returned my attention to the blank wall of wood where the portal should be. I would need to reactivate it to get us out of here.

When I didn’t do anything, the nymph cleared his throat again.

Sighing, Sebastian grabbed my hand and placed it on his chest.

Crispin did the same, only a little more gently and far less rudely. He gave me an encouraging smile.

Ringo shifted on my shoulder, clinging tightly to the collar of my coat as he prepared himself for the shift.

I took a deep breath. I could do this. It hadn’t beenthathard the first time, and this time we were going back home. I didn’t need to attune my energy to the nymph realm. I just needed to focus on how home normally felt.

Both men’s hearts beat steadily beneath my palms. I could feel their magic. Sebastian’s, dark and unnatural. And Crispin’s like a clear flowing river and crisp green leaves. And even though he wasn’t there, I thought ofGabriel. His magic like woodsmoke and deep earth. And Mistral’s like night air and ozone.

The portal flashed to life, steady this time, not reaching out to grab us. Each of them keeping hold of one of my hands, the guys walked me into the light. For a moment everything was blinding blue, then we lurched forward, our feet crunching on dirt.