They walked with heavy, booted footsteps, and all three wore dark robes with cowls. The portal’s bluish light made the shadows deepen, darkening the creases in their faces. Despite the darkness, I couldn’t mistake the overconfident gait of the man walking in front.
Geth.
“Miranda,” I said calmly. “Run. As fast as you can.”
“You want me to leave you?”
“Yes. Go. Go now.”
She must have heard the intensity in my voice because she turned and sprinted toward the parking lot.
None of Geth’s men followed her. They didn’t need to—I had what they wanted.
I clutched the basketball tightly under my arm as Geth and his men closed the distance between us. My heart pounded in my chest. I considered running but knew it would be useless. They would catch me. They would find me. No matter where I went, they would find me. All I could do was stand and fight, and with only half my magic, I knew my odds.
Geth stopped in front of me, seeming taller with his cape billowing in the stiff breeze. The bluish-gray light illuminated his hardened features and made his scars look more pronounced. I couldn’t meet his gaze. There was something about his eyes that gave me the creeps, plain and simple.
His scowl deepened as he focused on the basketball tucked under my arm. “So,” he said. “A toy is what Earth Kingdom chooses as the disguise for the magical bloom. Hilarious, when you think about it. But fitting.”
I could barely hear his words over my hammering heart. “I won’t give it to you, Geth.”
He raised an eyebrow. “No? Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.” He took a step closer, his footfalls echoing over the wooden planks. “The words you spoke when we met earlier impressed me, which is why I haven’t overpowered you. I will give you one chance. Give me the bloom, and I will let you go free. You can resume your life as normal here in Earth Kingdom, and you’ll never be bothered by me again. You needn’t worry about what happens in Faythander—you can live the rest of your life as if Faythander never existed.”
One of Geth’s men, Nehor, shifted beside him. I noticed he was clutching a goblin knife—a wicked-looking thing, and deadly. I’d seen those black, mirror-like blades in action before and didn’t care to see them again.
Geth’s offer shouldn’t have tempted me. I should have been noble and brave and laughed in his face, but I couldn’t stop looking at that blade. I knew Geth’s men would slit my throat as soon as they decided I wouldn’t cooperate. And I didn’t have my Faythander magic to protect me.
Blue light sparked from the portal, giving me an idea. Could I make it to the portal before they caught me? And, assuming I made it through, could I use the bloom’s magic to manipulate the portal’s exit point? If so, then if Geth and his men followed me, they would hopefully end up someplace else—preferably as far away from me as possible. It was an insane idea on all sorts of levels, but if it worked and I survived, then it would be worth it.
“Make your decision,” Geth growled. He pulled a knife from his belt. The inky, reflective surface glinted in the blue light.
Geth’s eyes met mine, and fear spread like frigid water through my veins. I didn’t want to die, but I knew that was precisely what Geth had in mind. He’d given me the option to run, but he knew as well as I that I would never take his offer.
Oddly enough, I thought of Kull. What would my death mean to him? Technically, we weren’t a couple, but even so, I felt a connection to him unlike I’d felt for anyone before. I would miss him. And I knew he would feel the same way if I died.
No, dying wasn’t an option. I was smarter than this. I just had to come up with a distraction, something that would allow me to make it to the portal before they caught up.
The basketball warmed under my hands. Magic spread from my fingertips, through my arms and chest, and enveloped my whole body, catching me by surprise. I felt the surge of power swell deep inside my soul. Its warmth embraced me—the same warmth I’d felt while standing under the limbs of the Ever Root Tree. It calmed my confusion, spoke to my worries, and gave me hope. The feeling wasn’t an easy one to describe, except that the flower made me feel at peace. I knew then that I had a chance—however small, I still had a chance. And Faythander still had a chance, too.
I took a deep breath. I knew what to do.
Geth didn’t want me. He wanted the bloom. So, I would give it to him. I’d never been great at illusion spells, but since it was so dark, I hoped it didn’t matter.
If this were going to work, I’d have to be fast.
I wanted to draw his attention away from the ball so I could make it disappear. Clenching the ball tightly, I decided my mouth would be the perfect diversion.
“Fine,” I told him. “Maybe I would rather live than die. But how do I know you won’t kill me once I give you the ball?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Because I am not a murderer.”
“Really? How do you rationalize such a thing?”
Good. Keep him talking. I formed the replica ball in my mind as the original lost its coherence. I couldn’t just make it invisible—I had to rearrange its molecules to mimic its background. Usually, it was difficult, but since it was so dark, I simply darkened the shadows around it as the replica ball took shape.
“Murderers,” Geth said, “kill out of
