His eyes turn rounder. “Oh?Thosesupplies. Well… I suppose I could buy them for you, Miss Sophie. I just need a list.”
“That’s great. Thanks, Igor.”
“You can’t let him go by himself. He’ll mess up!” Tish complains.
“You’re really testing my patience, pest,” Igor says through clenched teeth.
“I suppose you could go with him, Tish,” I reply, knowing she was hoping I’d make the suggestion.
“I guess I can suffer his company for an evening. The things I do for you.”
Six
VIVIENNE
TWO MONTHS LATER
It’s been two weeks since Miranda and Rikkon were taken to Ellnesari by Selor, my mother’s minion, but it feels much longer than that. We worked around the clock, trying to find a way to use the Taluah Mirror to open another portal, but it wasn’t until earlier today that we caught a break. Solomon found a spell that might work—mightbeing the operative word. He also warned us that what we’re attempting could literally blow up in our faces, especially after what Aurora and Saxon did beforehand. To say they got carried away is an understatement.
We’re now gathered in the same magical spot where Selor used the mirror the first time. Solomon believes the enchantment in the place can enhance the spell’s potency. I can’t feel the magic, but the tension among our party is palpable. If this works, we’ll be traveling to a dangerous land where we aren’t welcome. My mother is a ruthless queen, and sadly her courtiers and soldiers follow her lead, acting just as cruelly as she does.
We are all armed to the gills with swords and daggers, plus Aurora has her crystals. Vaughn asked why we weren’t bringingguns, but modern weapons don’t work in Ellnesari. However, our arsenal can’t do much against Nightingale magic. Stealth is the only way we can hope to succeed.
“All right, we’re all here. What are we waiting for?” Lucca asks Solomon.
The Bloodstone Institute’s headmaster levels him with a glare. “We are waiting for me to get ready. May I remind you that the Taluah Mirror is an unpredictable relic? One wrong word or ingredient and I could end up opening a gateway to Hell.”
Saxon shudders. “That’s definitely not a place I want to visit again. Please, take your time.”
Solomon turns to Isadora, the High Witch, and they exchange a nod. She hands Solomon a silver bowl, then cuts her palm with her dagger, reciting a chant in a foreign language I’m unfamiliar with. Blood drips from her wound into the bowl, and instantly, glowing symbols appear outside the container. The script is an ancient form of Aquilan, which means what I thought was an ordinary bowl is, in fact, another Nightingale object. I want to ask Solomon where he found it, but I don’t want to interrupt the ongoing spell with inane questions.
After he collects the last drop from Isadora, he turns to us. We’re standing in a semicircle in front of the Taluah Mirror per his instructions.
“Now it’s your turn to make a donation,” Solomon tells us.
One by one, my companions cut themselves and give their blood. As the bowl fills, the writing etched on the silver surface glows brighter.
“Does anyone know what those symbols mean?” Vaughn asks, his voice strained.
I squint, trying to read the inscription. It’s harder now with it glowing so brightly. But then I recognize one symbol and gasp.
Lucca puts his hand on my lower back. “What is it, Vivi?”
“It’s… it’s my name. My full name, written in old Aquilan.” I turn to Solomon, trying to control my pulse. “Where did you find this?”
Solomon’s thick eyebrows furrow together. “I’d rather not answer that.”
“Why not? Wait… did you steal it from someone?” Saxon arches a brow.
When Solomon doesn’t offer a retort, it becomes evident to me that Saxon guessed right.
“The source of this object isn’t important. Let’s focus on finalizing the spell,” Isadora interjects.
Lucca grumbles, stepping even closer to me. He’s always being protective, which I love about him. But as we’re moments away from traveling to my homeland, I wish he wasn’t. He’ll risk his life to protect mine, and since my mother warned me that my life would be forfeit if I ever returned, I’m putting him in great peril. If I had my way, he wouldn’t come, but when I suggested he stay behind, he looked so damn hurt that it broke my heart.
Solomon collects everyone’s blood, saving Lucca and me for last. But when it’s my turn, he stops me from cutting myself. “No, dear. I don’t need your blood.”
My eyes widen. “You don’t?”
