Page 29 of Deadly Little Games

“But what about the bridle?” My voice came out more shrill than I would have liked.

“No time,” he said again.

His heels patted the horse’s sides and it took off like a bolt out the open stable gate. Gabriel leaned forward, sheltering my back with his broad chest and caging me with his arms.

I fought the urge to shriek, knowing I just had to trust him as the cool wind bit into my cheeks and the scenery passed by much faster than I had previously experienced.

Definitelynotthe evening I’d had in mind.

11

As we rode,Gabriel explained that Evenlee was the village we had visited together. Other than that, there wasn’t much he could tell me. We would simply have to see for ourselves what had the messenger so worried.

The first thing I noticed as we neared was that the village was dark, save for a cluster of goblins holding torches. Then I realized that they hadn’t actually turned out the lights. Their homes were covered in thick swarming masses of vines. There were so many vines that they completely covered the windows, blocking out all light.

And there weren’t enough goblins standing out in the road. Some of them had to be trapped inside the homes. Sure enough, when our horse stilled and we stopped to listen, I could hear shouting and banging coming from inside the nearest structures, the noise muffled by the stone and thick vines.

“What happened?” I gasped.

Gabriel gripped me tightly against him, making sure I stayed on the horse. I glanced back at him, then followed his gaze further into the village where Mistral stood on his own. The huddled goblins were watching him too.

“Stay on the horse,” Gabriel ordered. “If you feel you are in danger, just kick your feet. She knows the way home.”

I gripped his arm before he could dismount, stupidly hung up on the fact that I would have assumed such a massive horse was male. I hadn’t taken a close enough look to tell one way or another. “I’m not just going to leave you guys. Tell me what’s going on so I can help.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Eva.” He pulled his arm free from mine, then dismounted, marching off toward Mistral.

I felt uneasy as soon as he was gone, having no faith in my ability to control the massive beast, though it didn’t make a move in any direction. Some of the goblins were now looking my way, muttering amongst themselves.

I cast a furtive glance at them, then turned my head to watch Gabriel as he drew that massive sword, approaching Mistral. They were too far for me to hear what words were exchanged between them, but they both watched as the vines trailed ever higher. Some of the homes were nothing but green, completely sealing away whoever was inside.

It was magic, but it didn’t feel like bad magic. I could sense it emanating from the nearest vines, but it just felt like the Bogs. Onlyamplified. I remembered what Gabriel had said about the magic getting out of control, and I realized this is what he meant. It took goblin magic to create the Bogs, but here, it seemed like it was… unraveling.

Sword drawn, Gabriel watched Mistral’s back as the other man sank to his knees, placing his hands against the dirt. I felt a stronger flare of magic just as it hit some of the vines, making them retreat. They were still for a moment, making the muttering from the other goblins seem loud, then they abruptly resumed their climb, leaves slithering and hissing across stone.

I felt another pulse of magic, and realized it was Mistral pouring more magic into the ground, trying to control the vines.Was this what Sebastian had meant? Was this the bargain Mistral had struck with him? I didn’t see how else he could have enough power to actually control the land.

I found myself slipping from the horse without thinking. I had taken several steps toward Mistral and Gabriel without realizing what I was doing. I stopped, glancing at the gathered goblins now that half of them were watching me.

A larger pulse of magic made my legs go temporarily numb, then the vines retreated further, and this time their retreat continued. I whipped my gaze in Mistral’s direction to see him lowering further to the ground.

Gabriel looked back at me, his eyes shining in the dark. Seeing that I was off the horse, he shook his head.

Behind him, Mistral slumped onto his side, drawing Gabriel‘s attention.

With the other goblins whispering desperately behind me, I ran toward them. Something was wrong.Verywrong.

Gabriel held out an arm to bar my way as I reached them. “Don’t touch him.”

I looked down at Mistral, but I couldn’t see his face through his hair. He had managed to climb to his knees, but it seemed he could go no further.

I inhaled a trembling breath. “He can’t maintain it. He doesn’t have enough magic within him.” As soon as I spoke the words, I knew they were true. The land was powerful, and so much of that power was surging up through the vines. Mistral’s own magic was like a flickering candle next to a forest fire.

“You can sense it?” Gabriel’s voice was strained. He was worried.

“I don’t know who wouldn’t sense it.” The waves of magic had been impressive, but it wasn’t enough. The vines were beginning to stir again, ready to resume their climb. They hadn’t lowered enough to reveal any of the doors or windows of the homes.I remembered the village as it was. The goblins seated under glowing lanterns. The tavern a lovely warm place filled with laughter.

I had to do something,