Eva reached up and yanked a piece of my hair out. “Ow!” I rubbed the spot where itburned.
She gave me an eye roll mixed with a good-natured smile. She placed the hair in a mortar and pestle, and began grinding it with some otherherbs.
“So … mates,” Eva said. Since Logan and I had kissed and had our little light-up show, we hadn’t spoken about it much with everything goingon.
“Yeah. Who knew?” I shrugged,smiling.
Eva grinned. “I had a pretty goodidea.”
My mouth popped open. “Thanks for tellingme!”
She smirked. “Some things are better to find out on your own.” She winked without looking up from her spell craft, adding a few flower petals to her mixture and grinding themup.
True.
“So … Isaac.” I left that open, not really sure what to say about the quirkydruid.
Eva looked the direction we had just walked, where we had met with Isaac. “Isaac is a good person. You can trust him. He only wants peace for the Earth and all of herinhabitants.”
I nodded my head in agreement. “I sensed that. He seems to be against what the other druidswant.”
Eva poured the contents of the bowl into her palm, and the second it hit her hand it burst into purple flames. I jumped back, but she called me forward with a flick of her wrist. Hesitantly, I stepped forward, and she threw the purple fire at my chest. I yelped, but when the fire hit my skin, a cool buzz seeped into my bones, causing a brief euphoric feeling to settlethere.
“Now you two can talk in each other’s minds but no picking up on randomstuff.”
I barely registered what she was saying. I was too busy staring at the place on my chest where the fire had died down. She could have warned me. Geeze. “I wish I was half sorcerer,” I told her. Because that was scary but cool ashell.
She gave me a tired smile and smoothed my hair, which I had come to understand as her motherly gesture of love. “Sloane, you are perfect the way you are. Just beyou.”
I don’t know why that statement hit me so hard, but it did. My chest tightened with emotion. I realized I had been feeling bad about being half druid. I felt evil or dirty, but at her words a different perspective sprang up inside of me. I was born this way and there was nothing I could do about it. Isaac was proof not all druids were bad. So maybe it wasokay.
“Thanks for everything, Eva,” I told her, and she pulled me in for a tighthug.
“You’re welcome, dear,” she whispered. “I’ll be gone in the morning, but I want you to know I’m never far away if you guys needme.”
I pulled back from the hug. “You’re going back? But they know who you are? Jeanine andSteven—”
“I’m not going back to Flagstaff. If there are more skyborn, then I must find them, unite them. Protect them. It’s my entire purpose in life, dear, protecting people like you and Logan.” Her voice was soft and I gathered that she didn’t want the others knowing herplan.
“But … we should go together.” I fought for the right thing to say. How would she even know where to startlooking?
Eva shook her head. “You must train to control your dragon. Harness your druid magic properly. Stay safe. I will send word when I have anyleads.”
“Eva…” It didn’t feel right, or safe, for her to be going off on her own likethat.
“Shh. That’s enough. I’ve decided, and once I decide something, no one can talk me out of it. I’m the most stubborn woman you will ever meet,” she assured me with one raised well-manicuredeyebrow.
I gave her a wan smile. “Will you tell Logan you’re leaving?” Sure, he and I were new at this mate thing, but it felt wrong to keep him in thedark.
Eva tucked a dark strand of long hair behind her ear and stared at the ground. “For decades I told Logan he was the only one. I did countless spells to reveal if there were any more skyborn, and only his black scales were available in the underground market. So we just assumed. He lived an isolated life these past twenty years because I assured him that there were no others of his kind. He’s lived with so much pressure and loneliness … I need to make this up tohim.”
I reached out for her arm but she recoiled. “Eva, he doesn’t blame you.” I didn’t actually know that for sure, but I knew Logan loved her, and that he would never pin this on any one person. He was hurt she had kept information of Isaac from him, but it stoppedthere.
Eva shook her head. “I’ll be in touch. Stay safe, sweetheart.” Then she turned on her heels and walked in the direction of our fire-pit, seemingly to meet with the happydruid.
“Hey, roomie.” Nadine popped up behind me and I jumped a little,startled.
“Hey. Wait, what?” I asked her, confused. My mind was still reeling from what Eva said, wondering if I should tell anyone. I mean, she was a grownwoman...
