Page 24 of White Little Lies (Four Ways to Fate #3)

24

Sebastian didn’t fight me as I dove into his arms and pressed my lips against his. In fact, he embraced me, his tongue sliding into my mouth, his hands kneading the flesh of my ass. I could see lights beyond my closed eyes, but I focused all I could on my connection with Sebastian, building our power together. I knew we wouldn’t have long, and we would only have one chance.

I melded against his body and thought of Gabriel, knowing he would still be out in the city looking for me.

“I don’t think so.” I could feel Penelope’s dark magic, so similar to Sebastian’s, swelling as she drew near.

I cracked my eye open just enough to see as Sebastian removed one hand from my ass, and used it to grab his sister’s wrist. Realizing what was happening, Lucas dove toward us, and that was the last thing I saw as everything seemed to turn upside down again. I could feel that golden cord between me and Sebastian, tying us together more than groping hands and hungry mouths ever could.

He kept me upright as we landed back in the park amongst the nymphs. Gabriel and Crispin were there, arguing with Fiorus. Even Seraphina had returned.

Lucas staggered away from Penelope, leaving her standing on her own as Sebastian pulled me tightly against him.

“Hey, I’m still pissed at you,” I hissed.

He didn’t let go, and instead lowered his lips to my ear. “She tricked me into a contract when we were young, that I must do whatever she says. But it is only valid in the hells.”

My eyes widened in realization. That’s why he had just stood there, and what he was trying to tell me about attacking a devil in the hells.

“You still lied about your sister,” I grumbled.

He loosened his grip slightly, but didn’t let go. “We will discuss that later.”

“You!” Fiorus marched toward Penelope, who still had the glowing blue lantern in her hand, glowing brightly in the darkness.

All the nymphs seemed to recognize it for what it was. They closed in around her as the ground began to quake with their combined power.

Crispin and Gabriel joined us as Sebastian backed me away toward the tall iron fence surrounding the park. Ringo had been granted a spot on Gabriel’s shoulder, and looked rather proud to be there.

Crispin moved to my other side, then turned to watch the show. “Gabriel about had a heart attack when the connection between us stretched within an inch of its life.”

“I did not.” Gabriel stood a few steps ahead of us, like he would intercept anyone who tried to come near.

Only there wasn’t any need, not at the moment. The nymphs all closed around Penelope, and if I wasn’t mistaken, all the trees had moved closer too. Water in a small decorative pond bubbled and swelled out of its boundary. I didn’t see Lucas anywhere, so maybe he had put survival above his anger and hightailed it out of the park.

We move further away, pressing our backs against the fence. Part of me wondered if we should run, but I couldn’t look away. At the center of the chaos, there was an explosion of blue light. It swelled outward, launching into the night sky in a blinding flash before pouring back into the empty cauldron.

The nymphs cheered, all gathered so closely together I couldn’t see what had happened to Penelope.

“They won’t have killed her, unfortunately,” Sebastian said tersely, his arm still around my waist.

“She’s the reason you can’t return to the hells,” I realized. “It’s not that you don’t have enough power to return there.”

“It’s both,” he said, and if he minded that Crispin and Gabriel could overhear, he didn’t show it. Maybe he knew I would just tell them anyway. “When I realized she would be after the nymphs’ well, I tried to summon her to earth, but she pulled me to the hells instead.” He shook his head, his eyes drifting toward the celebrating nymphs. “She is much stronger than she used to be. I was forced to leave because of her, but the longer I was here, my magic dimmed. I needed enough power to travel back, and to destroy her.”

“And the Realm Breaker would give you both.”

He glanced down at me. “Not if it’s true that only you can wield it. I was unaware of that information.” Suddenly he seemed so unsure, something I never expected from him. I had a feeling being around his sister had actually shaken him.

“Trust me, if I get the opportunity to cut her down with a magical sword, I’m taking it. But only after she tells us who created the bounty.”

“I’m not sure she actually knows. She is a talented liar.”

“Not that this isn’t fascinating,” Crispin interrupted, “but we have the nymphs’ attention again.”

He was right, Fiorus had broken away from the crowd to approach us, and Seraphina of all people was walking by his side.

He gave his daughter a hesitant look as he reached us, then he addressed me. “I cannot believe you went to the hells to retrieve our magic.”

I forced a smile. I probably shouldn’t tell him that it wasn’t exactly intentional. “It wasn’t right for her to steal it from you. That contract definitely wouldn’t have held up in court. Not that it could ever actually go to court, but you get what I mean.”

Fiorus’ furrowed brow said that maybe he didn’t, but regardless, he continued, “I had no idea how many of my own people were against me. How many wanted to come out into the world.” He glanced back toward the glowing cauldron, most of his people now gathered around it. “And now there is no choice.”

“We could still try to move it back to your realm,” I offered weakly.

“The other realm is gone,” Seraphina explained. “Only the well sustained it.”

“So what will you do now?” Crispin asked.

Fiorus’ eyes lifted to the raw iron fence behind us. It surrounded the entire park. The gates were closed in the evening, keeping humans out. “We will claim this land. Create our own boundary, as the others wish. Our well will give us enough power to do so.”

“Um, you can’t just steal a park.”

Fiorus’ eyes darkened. “Would you care to stop me? Once the boundary is formed, only nymphs and ones like yourself will be able to cross it.”

He had a point. “Well I don’t personally care if you steal the park.”

He gave me a sharp nod. “Good.” He looked at Seraphina. “Say your thanks. You will be needed for the ritual ahead.” He turned and walked toward his people and their well.

Once he was gone, I lowered my voice. “Does that mean your exile is lifted?”

Seraphina smirked. “Having half his followers turned against him has rattled him. He now sees the value in his daughters.” She shook her head. “But I won’t be coming back. I like my life, and now I will be able to see my sister whenever I please.”

“I’m happy for you.”

She looked at each of us. “But what about you? The bounty on your mother?”

I winced. “You heard about that, huh?”

“Word travels fast.” The guys shifted as she reached out and grabbed my arm. “You have helped my family. If you need help in return, I am here.”

“After what you guys just did to Penelope, I may just take you up on that.”

She smiled. “You do that.” She looked at each of the guys again. “It has been… interesting, but we must start work on the boundary now. I would suggest those of you without celestial blood not be in the park when the ritual completes.”

“Fine by me,” Crispin said. “I have a princess to pick up from a vampire bar. I’m sure her werewolf escort is ready to be relieved.”

Seraphina lifted a brow, but didn’t ask questions. She simply turned and walked away .

“Let’s get out of here,“ I suggested. “We have a lot to discuss.”

Crispin left us to pick up Elena, which put me alone with Gabriel and Sebastian at the steps to my apartment.

“I would require a moment alone with Eva.” Sebastian’s eyes were on Gabriel, daring him to argue.

But the goblin said nothing. He simply took my keys and went ahead of us toward the apartment with Ringo on his shoulder.

Exhausted, I sat on the steps. We were somewhere in the early hours of morning where the city was almost entirely quiet. I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering slightly. It had been a long night.

Sebastian sat beside me. “You jumped realms tonight. Twice.”

I wasn’t sure why, but the idea made me uneasy. “Only because I had you to lead me in one direction, and Gabriel to lead me back.”

“Still. It’s progress.” He looked at me, his eyes shining in the darkness. “You regained one of your memories. What was it?”

“You really expect me to believe you didn’t know your sister had a contract with my mother?”

“I knew your mother long before you were born, and I have avoided my sister just as long. As you have learned, I cannot return to the hells while she is there.”

“Then why did you try to summon her?”

He sighed. “I thought I could tempt her with information. Outwit her. I was mistaken.”

“I’m surprised you’re admitting it.”

He gave me a strange look, like he didn’t quite recognize me. “You saved me tonight.”

“It was more complicated than that. If I didn’t save you, Penelope could have used you to harm Mistral.”

He laughed, his eyes drifting to the dark sky above. “True.”

I looked at him, like really looked at him. There was much more to him than I understood—more than I would ever understand with how secretive he was. “Why did you really form your contract with Mistral? He believes you wanted him to die so you could access the wild magic of the Bogs. Gain enough power to go home.”

He lowered his chin, that stubborn look flitting across his face.

“Hey, I saved you tonight. You said it yourself. And I know he didn’t give you anything in exchange. You did it for free. Why?”

He was silent for a moment, then asked, “Did he tell you that I knew his mother?”

“We never discussed it, though I assumed you must have at least known of her.”

“It was she who summoned me for a contract, unbeknownst to Mistral. We met at the gates, and she told me she was going to die. She paid the price for the contract she knew her son would request. She thought, if he would already bear the burden of the land, he should not pay dearly for it.”

My pulse raced. Mistral still didn’t know any of this. Surely he would have told me if he did. “And what did she give you?”

He simply smiled at me.

I gaped at him. “You can’t just tell me all of that then not tell me what she gave you.”

“The terms of every contract are private.”

“But she’s dead!”

His eyes danced with amusement.

“You are such an asshole.” I started to stand, but he grabbed my wrist.

“You know it’s no longer safe for you to stay here.” He didn’t say it like it was a question.

“We don’t know that.”

“Too many know of the bounty, and now with my sister involved, you are not safe.”

“She’s not as strong outside the hells.”

“Neither am I.” He stood, still holding my wrist, and a glimmer of magic flared between us.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I hated this. I hated being chased from my home. “Where am I supposed to go?” I thought about the Bogs, but it would be difficult to make it to Emerald Heights to work with Crispin. And now that I had realm jumped, we could finally progress.

“My apartment. It is well hidden, and it is neutral ground. Crispin and Gabriel can both access it.”

“But not Mistral,” I countered.

“And neither Crispin nor I can enter the Bogs.”

He was right. There was no perfect answer, and whatever this was, we were all in it together. “Fine.”

He lifted an eyebrow.

“What? I can be reasonable.”

“You could have fooled me.”

He had stepped closer, his dark magic tickling down my skin like a lover’s caress. His hand lifted, stroking a light line across my jaw, lifting my chin, guiding me closer.

And gods curse me, I went willingly.

I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead his lips grazed my cheek, settling near my ear. “It is in my nature to read intentions. Hidden desires. Tonight, you weren’t just saving Mistral.”

I went still at his words, hating that he was right. Even after all he had put me through, I never would have left him down there with his sister.

“I will remember it.” His words were barely above a whisper.

I tried to glare at him as he pulled away, but I knew I didn’t quite manage it. I knew I couldn’t keep what I was feeling entirely out of my expression. And what I was feeling was the overwhelming need to press my body against his. To feel that golden cord between us plucked like a harp string.

“I will wait while you pack your things.”

Suddenly, the spell was broken. “You expect me to go tonight!”

He smiled. “You did already agree, Eva.”

With a huff and a final glare, I marched past him up the stairs. All I wanted was a hot shower and my bed. I wanted to feel comfortable and safe.

And even though his apartment was probably as close to safe as I was going to get, comfort was not something to be asked of devils.

Because just as Mistral’s mother had known, there was always a price.