“The portal is this way.” He gripped my arm and angled me to the side. I couldn’t wait until I was able to sense them. I hated walking around aimlessly. We passed through and were back to Texas in seconds.
24
I gazed up at the dark sky. The full moon offered the only light. One moon. Normal stuff. Walking out of the forest, we stepped on the sidewalk. I looked around, vaguely recognizing downtown.
“We have to find the closest bridge,” Roark said, scratching his chin.
“I think the closest thing to a bridge other than the causeway is the pier.”
“Is there water?” he asked. I nodded. “That works.”
He waved his hand out in front of him, waiting for me to guide us. I trudged in the direction of the old bridge, where homeless people mostly loitered during this time of night. Even though I didn’t feel the cold, I wrung my hands together nervously.
“Goblins hang under bridges? I thought those were trolls,” I muttered.
He chuckled. “Trolls are entirely too big for bridges.”
I swallowed my awe and walked after him. We’d been walking briskly, so it was no surprise when the dark shadow of the pier curved up in the backdrop of the dark sky.
“It’s right there,” I said, pointing.
Roark pulled the small glass container from his pocket. “We need to take this first.”
I eyed the shimmering greyish powder. “As long as I don’t have to snort it.”
“That would be the easiest way to get it in your system.”
“So, you’re telling me I’m about to take the cocaine of the Unnatural world?”
Roark just rolled his eyes as he upturned the vial in his mouth. Pressing his lips together, he handed it to me. I exhaled sharply. Well, here goes nothing. I poured it into my mouth. The minuscule grains spread on my tongue as I swallowed. It felt like when I ate that last powdered bit at the end of the pouch of pop rocks. I tried not to be skeeved out that it was crushed up dragon claw traveling down my throat.
“Not so much.” Roark snatched it with a curse. “Any more and you would have been out of your mind.”
As soon as it went down, a tremble coursed through me. “Whoa, is everything supposed to look so popped out?” I said, blinking.
The light from the streetlight had turned blood-red, enhancing the surroundings. I lifted my hands. I could see every crease. Waving my hand in front of my face, the motion was lagged and made it so my hand appeared in multiple places. My hearing adjusted and the lapping of the shore infiltrated.
I blinked, realizing Roark had been talking to me while I waved my hands in front of my face. “What?”
Roark pursed his lips and tugged my arm. Where he touched me was sensitized, the sensation of skin against skin addicting. I reached up with my free hand and trailed my fingertips across my face. Biting my lip to hold in my giggle, I palmed my face and shuddered at the tingling of my flesh.
He sighed, looking back at me, but a grin played on his mouth. I reached up and pressed my finger into his cheek wanting him to feel the delicious prickling of contact. “Do not look into its eyes. They make you feel nothing but fear.”
He paused at the edge of the pier. Instead of going up, we went around toward the bottom where the bridge blocked the water. I couldn’t make anything out in the darkness.
Roark’s hand went to squeeze mine. “Do not scream.”
The shadows undulated, seeming to come together and apart before settling solidly. A tall, skinny form stepped out of the shadows, and I understood why Roark told me not to scream. The arms and legs were long, and the torso was thin and lengthened, making it as tall as a human. But that’s where any resemblance ended. Its gaunt, grey face elongated. Its slim proportion was similar to the rest of its body. My mouth went dry, and I averted my gaze before I looked into its many eyes. Not thinking twice, I clutched Roark’s hand.
“We were told you have information?” Roark asked tightly. I was glad Roark was with me since I was positive I wasn’t able to speak.
“In return, her blood I demand,” the goblin hissed.
My shoulders tensed, and I clutched Roark’s hand harder. Fear spread through me as the darkness seemed to undulate. He stepped in front of me, fully blocking the thing from me. My gaze traced over Roark’s stiff shoulders. I knew if I didn’t intervene, this could destroy our chances of finding out how to free magic. I released a deep breath.
“Okay.” I stepped beside Roark, gripping the straps of the backpack so I wouldn’t tremble. He tensed to argue, but I stopped him before he could. “It’s okay.”
“Is struck the deal,” it hissed, its elongated head dipping in a nod. I quickly evaded its eyes before it captured my gaze. “To the unbinding the answer holds the human realm born. A sad Queen’s curse will the Fae no longer be restricted by. Will bring forth the unbinding the ultimate sacrifice causing the tie the answer lies. Once more magic will reign.”
I didn’t know if it was just because I was high, but everything sounded backward.
He said nothing more, just held out its long fingers. This was the prophecy everyone was in a tizzy about?
“That’s it? We get a damn riddle with poor grammar?”
“Blood I want.” It waved its grotesquely long arm out insistently.
Roark took a step forward and hissed. It hissed right back. Before they tried to kill each other, I held my arm out and took a step forward, holding Roark’s hand with the other.
It mirrored my step, and the long arm
