“And you see why I couldn’t tell you?”
Alaric nodded. Evangelina Shadow-Storm. She was here. She was real.
He wasn’t sure what to feel. He had idolized this girl since he was a child, and now she was standing right in front of him.
Alaric realized he was staring at her and cleared his throat.
“Is that goblin what injured you?”
Nog’s roar echoed through the cavern. The rocks shook as he pounded at the door.
“Yes. Let’s go deeper into the cave. It will be quieter there.”
Alaric followed her. The stone hallway was simple. A natural formation carved until the passage was wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Nog’s roars faded as they walked through the cavern. Lina ducked into a door, and Alaric followed her.
“Be careful. There’s broken glass.”
Lina dodged the glass and sat on a large flat stone in the middle of the room. Alaric joined her. Dust coated every inch of the cave. Someone had traced hearts in the thick grime on the cavern floor. The cave was so silent he could hear her breathing.
He still couldn’t believe it. He was in the Temple of Evangelina. With Evangelina Shadow-Storm.
And she had kissed him.
Alaric was still processing that. The more he thought about it, the more he wished he had wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. He had been too surprised to do anything more than act like an idiot.
He had been expecting a slap at best. Part of him thought she would stab him to avenge her brother. Or blast him with shadow magic. Or throw him down the mountain.
But she had kissed him.
Alaric wanted to talk about it. Wanted to try kissing her again.
But a goblin was trying to break into their cave. And it wasn’t the kind that danced.
He flinched at the memory of the play. The dancing goblins. They must have seemed ridiculous to her. She had battled hundreds of goblins. She had sealed them away with the rest of the creatures of darkness. He had written a play with them dancing to a song.
Evangelina. Be my queen-ah.
He wanted to kiss her. Blast it all, they were in mortal danger! He might not get another chance!
Alaric turned, but Lina had moved. She walked around the stone bed, tracing a silver vein in the rock with her fingers. Alaric looked at it. That stone wasn’t natural. The silver moved and swirled around itself like oil in water.
Alaric jumped up. He looked at Lina. She nodded.
“Yes, that’s the seal. What we can see of it in the realm of light, anyway.”
“I was sitting on the goblin seal? Why did you let me sit on it?”
She laughed.
“You can’t hurt it. The seal exists in the realms of light and shadow. You’d have to sit on it in both realms to make a dent.”
“Then why is there a goblin on our doorstep?”
She frowned.
“I don’t know. The seal may have weakened when I awoke. Or Nog may have learned new magic while I slept. His power is different than what I’ve seen before. He seems to be using light.”
“But he’s a creature of darkness.”
“Exactly. It is strange.”
Alaric crossed his arms. Until he convinced one of his stepbrothers or Lina to take the throne, he was Crown Prince of Aeonia. And he was a military commander.
It was time to act like one.
“How can we defeat him? Maybe I can get a message through to the army.”
“No. Without magic, they wouldn’t stand a chance. Nog is in both realms right now, just like the seal. We’ll have to fight him in both to defeat him. Unless you have a troop of shadow warriors or light wielders, they’ll be useless in a fight.”
“He has a physical form here. Surely some well-placed arrows couldn’t hurt.”
“He wouldn’t even feel them. Goblins have very thick hides.”
Alaric ran his hand through his hair.
“He must have a weakness.”
“Goblins aren’t known to be smart, but Nog seems brighter than most. They are incredibly strong. They do everything by sheer brute force. That’s how they’re able to exist in both realms at once. Essentially, he’s pulling the realm of light around him into the realm of shadow. They overlap wherever he goes.”
“Is that possible?”
“Only for something as strong as a goblin. The rest of us who travel between the realms rely on technique. I trained for five years to learn how to materialize in the realm of shadows. It takes even longer to learn how to fight.”
She glared at him.
“That process does not involve turning into a goat.”
He threw his hands up in surrender.
“I’m sorry! That was what the legends said! I didn’t know anything else about magic. I know I keep making you mad, but it isn’t on purpose!”
She sighed.
“I know. As soon as the sun sets, I’ll be able to travel to the realm of shadows and attack Nog there. Your stepbrothers will aid me with their light magic. It should be enough to defeat him.”
“You don’t sound sure. What if it isn’t?”
“Then you can call the army. Maybe you’ll be able to defend the city. Marta mentioned a vault full of magical items, but it only opens at night. If there are enchanted weapons there, the army could use them and possibly stand a chance.”
“What about me? What can I do?”
“You’ll be my personal guard.”
“Don’t patronize me, Lina. I don’t need a pity assignment. You’re a shadow warrior. You’re powerful.”
Lina frowned.
“You really don’t know anything about this, do you? When I travel to the realm of shadows, my body stays here. For all practical purposes, I’m sleeping. I’m helpless.”
“Oh.”
“I need someone to watch me in the realm of light while I’m defenseless. To protect me. It’s an important job. Luca used to be my guardian.”
Alaric ran his hands through his hair.
“Lina, I’ll protect you with my life.”
She smiled.
“A sword might be a better weapon. Did you bring one?”
“Of course I didn’t. I came here to propose, not fight a goblin.”
Lina’s face fell. Alaric wished he could take back the words. They sounded too much like a complaint. An accusation. He wasn’t upset that the proposal had been delayed. If anything, he should thank Nog for the diversion.
“We’ll have to improvise then,” Lina said. “A weapon enchanted with light magic would be best. You’ll be a light wielder. Sort of.”
Lina picked up a long, jagged piece of the broken mirror. It sparked in her hands. She traced the surface with her finger, and a black bolt of lightning flashed across the glass.
Alaric jumped.
“That’s amazing!”
She grinned.
“It’s nothing. Cael blasted this with light magic earlier. Let’s see if he did any good.”
She hit the mirror against the side of the cave. It didn’t break. Lina tore the hem off her skirt and wrapped it around the thinnest edge of the glass to make a handle. She handed the weapon to Alaric.
“There. You are now a light wielder.”
Alaric took the glass and weighed it in his hand. It looked like a jagged dagger. He touched the reflective surface. The glass sparked.
“Ouch! That burned.”
“Why do you think I made a handle? You aren’t trained in magic. You don’t know how to handle it. Don’t touch it again. You’ll ruin the enchantment.”
Alaric examined the mirror.
“There’s something moving on it. Lights. Those aren’t in the cavern, are they?”
Lina glanced at the mirror.
“No. The mirror’s original purpose was to provide a portal to check on the seal. It lets you see between the realms. That’s a reflection of stars in the realm of shadows. What light wielders look like there. They’re your stepbrothers.”
“Oh.”
Alaric tried to think of something intelligent to say, but he knew nothing about magic. Not real magic, anyway. If magic had been the same as it was in the legends, he would have plenty to talk about.
Best not to mention that though. Apparently Lina was sensitive about the goat thing.
Alaric turned the glass over in his hands. He gasped.
“I see Nog!”
Lina nodded.
“You’ll be able to see everything that happens in the realm of shadows. Including me once I’m there. You might hear me if you listen closely. Normally you’d need training for that, but Nog’s presence has pulled the realms closer together.”
Alaric looked into the mirror again. The stars buzzed around Nog’s head.
“They’re attacking him,” he said.
Lina smirked.
“They’re just bothering him. Like flies.”
“Oh. So they’re not powerful light wielders?”
“Not even close. They have potential, but they haven’t had anyone to train them. I hope they’ve managed to pick up a few tricks though. I’ll need a light wielder’s help to defeat Nog.”
“It won’t be that dangerous, right? You’ve fought goblins before.”
Lina grimaced.
“Yes, but I had help. And more weapons. All I have is one gem.”
She pulled a round, green gem from her sleeve. Alaric gasped.
“That’s an emerald, right?”
She nodded.
“Luca always called them peas. This was the eye of the protective wolf statue. I found it when I woke up. Nog destroyed the statue and other gem.”
“No, he didn’t.”
Alaric pulled the ring from his pocket. Lina’s eyes widened.
“The other pea! How did you get it?”
“I found it years ago when I was a boy. This is what made me believe in Evangelina Shadow-Storm.”
“So you made it into a ring?”
“It means a lot to me. I wanted my bride to have it.”
“Oh. Oh! You were going to propose to Carina with this!”
Alaric nodded. Thank goodness he hadn’t. This ring belonged to Lina, even if she wasn’t his bride. He took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. It sparkled in the light of her diamond.
“A perfect fit,” he said. “I hope this helps you defeat Nog.”
Her eyes glistened.
“Alaric, you don’t know what this means. To have the other pea. I-”
Nog’s roar echoed through the mountain. Pebbles fell from the ceiling as the cavern shook. Lina’s face turned grim.
“The sun just set. Nog’s at his full power. I need to travel to the realm of shadows now.”
40
The shadows pulled at Lina. They were stronger than usual. It made sense. The realm of shadows was closer thanks to Nog. She gathered them and wrapped them around her like a cloak. She couldn’t delay her confrontation with Nog for a single moment.
Lina lay on the rock bed, on top of the seal, and smiled at Alaric. Part of her wanted to fight off the shadows. To stay and talk to him. She wanted to hear the story of how he found the pea.
She wanted to tease him about giving her an engagement ring. Wanted it to mean something.
But now wasn’t the time. Now, she was just grateful that she had another weapon.
Lina grinned and winked at Alaric. Then she closed her eyes and sank into a trance. She appeared in the realm of shadows.
Ugh. The whole place smelled like goblin. Ghostly raindrops hovered around her. Nog hadn’t pulled the realms close enough to make them solid, but she could see the results of the storm in the realm of light. Lightning flashes lit the darkness with an eerie glow.
She jumped to the seal and checked it. Her patch on the seal held. No more goblins would escape.
Now she just needed to take care of Nog.
Lina followed the stench. She considered using magic to block her sense of smell, but decided against it. The smell was the only way she could track him.
Three stars appeared over her head.
“Cael, Henry, and Benjamin, right?”
The stars flashed brighter. Lina smiled.
“I’m glad you’re here. Nog is trying to break into the cave to get to the seal. Alaric and I locked him out, but I’m not sure how long the door will hold. Nog destroyed all the charms set up to protect it.”
The stars flashed again. Lina wished they were strong enough light wielders to talk to her. That would make this a lot easier.
The stench grew worse. Lina stared up ahead. Nog stood in a pool of light. The mountain was visible around him. Lina could see faint outlines of the rock, the cavern door, and the field of snowbells.
She raised her left hand to her lips.
“Spear,” she whispered.
The green light from the pea emerald in Alaric’s ring mixed with the white light from her diamond. They stretched into a spear with a jagged point. Lina threw the spear as hard as she could. It flew through the air and landed in Nog’s left shoulder.
Nog grunted and continued to hammer the rock with his fists. Water ran down his massive arms. Lina jumped towards him. She changed the other pea into a sword in midair. Nog was preoccupied with the rock. If she landed a few blows, she might be able to force him back to the realm of shadows.
Without looking away from the rock, Nog reached his hand up and backhanded Lina. The blow caught her chin. She staggered back. It didn’t hurt as much as it should have. She caught her breath and studied Nog.
He was less solid than he should have been.
“You’re trying to leave the realm of shadows!”
Nog turned and laughed at her.
“Wrong, goat girl. I’m pulling the realm of light completely into the realm of shadows. Your protective charms are holding this rock together, but that won’t do any good when I pull it into my domain.”
“That isn’t possible!”
“Watch me.”
Lina formed the second pea into another spear. She threw it at Nog’s chest. It lodged where his heart should be, but he didn’t stop digging.
“That was your mistake, goat girl. Thinking you could do this on your own.”
“I’m not on my own. I have stars.”
Nog laughed.
“Those pathetic pinpricks of light? They’re not strong enough to hurt me.”
Nog raised his hand and blasted the stars with a bolt of red lightning. They disappeared.
“No!”
Lina reached out with her senses, but the princes were gone. She and the goblin were alone in the realm of shadows. Nog laughed.
“Don’t worry. They’re not dead. Not worth killing. Who takes the time to swat every gnat that comes their way?”
“They’ll be back.”
“I doubt it. So what will you do now? It takes the power of shadow and light to defeat me. You’re only shadows.”
Lina dissolved her spears and formed the light from the two pea emeralds and the diamond into an enormous sword. She couldn’t defeat Nog without help from a light wielder. Not entirely. But maybe she could slow him down long enough for the stars to return.
41
Alaric watched Lina. She hadn’t moved since winking at him and collapsing into a deep sleep. Her diamond ring still lit the cavern.
Not that there was much to see. Alaric picked his way around the shattered glass on the floor and walked the perimeter. He had always pictured the Temple of Evangelina as a grand structure. Something as intricate as the archives. Gleaming marble that crackled with magic.
Maybe this cavern had been magnificent once, but now it felt oppressive. He couldn’t imagine staying here a few days, let alone a hundred years.
He finished his patrol, such as it was, and returned to Lina’s side. She flinched in her sleep. A fresh bruise blossomed on her chin and spread up her cheek. He watched the purple mark crawl across her skin until it covered half her face.
Alaric gritted
his teeth. Some protector he was. Some warrior. He felt useless, sitting here while she fought. Watching new injuries appear. Surely there was something he could do.
He held up the mirror fragment. At least Lina had his stepbrothers. She wasn’t fighting alone. He blinked at his reflection. Lina’s green eyes blinked back at him. He jumped and almost dropped the mirror.
He was looking at Evangelina Shadow-Storm in the realm of shadows! Alaric twisted the mirror to get a better view.
Lina stood in a field of faint snowbells. She wore a flowing black gown with a cape that billowed behind her like a cloud. She moved with impossible grace. Like she weighed nothing at all. She looked just like Alaric had always imagined she would.
Except she wasn’t part goat. That was good. He liked her better as a human.
Lina held an enormous sword made of green light. She jumped around the goblin, attacking him in an impressive display of swordsmanship. Nog parried with his bare fists. He blasted red light at Lina, but she dodged.
Lina kept fighting, but she wasn't causing any damage. The goblin barely noticed her blows. Lina had said this would happen. She needed to work with a light wielder. With his brothers.
Alaric’s stomach dropped. He studied the mirror from every angle. Apart from Lina and Nog, he saw only darkness.
Where were the light wielders? Where were the stars?
He turned back to Lina’s sleeping form. Was it his imagination, or did her face look troubled? He checked the mirror. Lina definitely looked worried. Something had gone wrong.
Alaric knelt by Lina’s side.
“Tell me what to do,” he whispered both to her body and the mirror. “How can I help you?”
42
It wasn’t working. Lina kept jumping around Nog. Kept hitting him with the sword. Nog batted away her strokes and kept working on the door. Scratching at it. Trying to dig through.
He had made a dent.
Blast it all! Lina stepped back. The sword wasn’t doing any damage. Even with the extra gem, she was still shadow fighting darkness. She needed light!
A faint glimmer appeared by Lina’s side. Not quite a star. Fainter than that. The presence felt familiar.
Princess of Shadows: The Princess and the Pea Retold (Fairy Tale Adventures Book 1) Page 21