Page 16 of Deadly Little Games

Struggling to catch my breath, I slid down until my feet hit the floor.

He stepped back so I wouldn’t be completely squashed against the wall. “Eva, I—”

I gripped the knob of my door and slipped inside, shutting it behind me, then leaned against the wall. My entire body felt like it was burning, and not in a bad way—

But the magic. It made it too hard to think. I could have just as easily ripped his clothes off right there in the hall. With my back against the wall, I sank to the floor.

Ringo hopped down from the bed and scurried over to me, his large eyes wide with concern.

I buried my face in my palms and shook my head, trying to calm my racing heart. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, Ringo.”

I felt his soft little paw on my wrist, the light touch releasing my tears.

I wasn’t even sure why I was crying, but it probably had something to do with my entire life being turned upside down.

And maybe something to do with the fact that in all likelihood, things would only get worse.

I wanderedout into the hall with Ringo the next morning, surprised no one had woken us. I had grown oddly accustomed to waking up with Gabriel standing over me, for one reason or another. But today, nothing.

Finding Mistral’s chambers still vacant, I wandered further down the hall until I found the goblin himself. He held a plate in each hand, and I smelled maple syrup.

He reached me and handed me a plate. “I thought you might prefer to eat in your room, unless you’re no longer upset?”

I took the plate, looking down at a fluffy stack of pancakes. I never would have taken Mistral for a pancake person, but he had an identical plate in his other hand. It made me smile.

“It’s fine. It was just a long day yesterday. Where is Gabriel?”

Mistral studied my face as he answered, “His horse is gone. He is somewhere out in the Bogs.”

I sucked my teeth. Had he run away because of me? As the night wore on, I had regretted cutting him off so abruptly. But everything had just been so overwhelming.

I moved my plate away from my messenger bag as a little blue paw tried to snatch one of my pancakes. “Should we eat outside? I could use some fresh air.”

We were near the study, and Mistral gestured toward the open door and the balcony beyond.

We ended up seated on the low stone wall with a rather perilous fall below us. If I lost my balance, would I be able to shift in time to save myself, just like I had shifted to save Braxton?

I wasn’t betting on it. At least not until I’d had a chance to explore things further. I lowered one leg enough that I had a foot on steady ground, my knee coming close to brushing Mistral’s.

Mistral was silent as I took a bite of my pancakes, closing my eyes as a cool breeze tickled my face. I took a deep breath of rain-scented air, then gazed out across the forested land. “I didn’t realize how much land you have here until Gabriel told me last night.”

Mistral followed my gaze. “It has been my home for a long time, and I am grateful for it.”

The silence stretched on between us as I ate my pancakes. He seemed better than he had the previous night, but there was still an edge of exhaustion dragging at his features.

“I think I’ll be okay today with Crispin. I don’t think I’ll react to him, and maybe he can help me learn something. I know you guys don’t trust him, but hedidmanage to realm travel relatively recently. If anyone can help me figure it out, it’s probably him.”

Mistral finally looked at me, his gaze sharper than before. “Why do you believe your magic won’t react to him?”

I turned my attention back to the distant greenery, combing over the thoughts that had plagued me all night. “I think—” I hesitated, trying to come up with the best way to put it into words. “I think I have to feel something for the other person involved. To have the… reaction.”

“And you feel something for Sebastian?”

I glared at him. “It doesn’t have to be apositiveemotion. He irks me, but he has also saved my life several times. It’s complicated.”

Mistral nodded, accepting my vague explanation. “Just be careful. He’ll use you if he can.”

“Obviously.” I fought the urge to touch his long white hair as a soft tendril lifted in the cool morning breeze. I knew I should still be irritated with him, but it was difficult with the nice morning, pancakes, and him being so pleasant. “You didn’t seem bothered by the idea of me kissing Gabriel.”