Page 86 of The Evernight Court

You think Storm won’t eat you when he sees you, if he’s still alive?

You think Storm doesn’t blame you for Grey’s banishment when everybody else does—as they should?

And most importantly,even if you somehow manage, how do you think a dragon the size of Storm will fit through that tiny mirror?

I sat on the floor again and I all but pulled my hair out of my skull completely. My mind was so loud, so crowded, and my stomach kept twisting and turning, and my heart wanted to beat right out of me, be free of me for once.

I tried to focus on Grey’s face, on the mirror next to the portrait that Mama Si had given me, on the clothes that still smelled like Grey in the closet, on the book that Valentine had written for me, on that pen that I’d enlarged and shrunk just that morning, that was back to its original size now as it lay innocently on the floor next to the book…

All my thoughts crashed and burned all of a sudden.

“Magic.”

I reached out and grabbed the pen—perfectly intact, same size as ever, exactly like it had been in Grey’s desk where I picked it up.

“With magic,” I told my own self as a small smile crept up my lips. “Storm will fit through the mirror with magic.”

I’d make him as tiny as I’d made this pen before I left the closet, and Storm would fit through…right? I seemed to remember something I read in Valentine’s book. I seemed to remember it hazily.

The pages and letters swam before my eyes when I pickedit up and skimmed through everything I hadn’t accidentally burned to ashes. Even so, I found what I was looking for right away—with enough magic and enough focus, anything can be shrunk or enlarged to fit the user’s needs, be it an object or a living organism.

There it was.Living organism—that was Storm. I could shrink him, and I could take him through the damn mirror, and he could pick up Grey from wherever he was and bring him back to the Whispering Woods.

“Nobody has to know…” I whispered to the portrait. “Nobody has to know, Grey.”

We could live on a mountain. We could hide under a rock. We could be anywhere on the Isle, so long as the magic of the curse didn’t kill him. I had more than enough blood to feed him. He wouldn’t need to go hunting even for animals. We could stay hidden all our lives if we had to.

The whole world was suddenly resting in the palms of my hands. Grey was alive somewhere, strong enough to stand on his own and with his wings spread. He was alive, and Storm could bring him back here again. I had no doubt about it. He’d carry him across worlds in those talons. That, I believed with all my heart.

All I had to do was find him and bring him back here. Shrink him. Take him through the mirror.

And I’d either succeed—or I was going to die trying.

The brides weren’tin the dining room just before lunch, and I went in and walked out with a bag full of food within five minutes. I didn’t need much, just things I could carry comfortably in the leather bag I’d found in Grey’s closet, things that would give me energy to keep walking without stop until I got to where I was going.

The hallways were empty, too, and so I didn’t look aroundme, didn’t bother to check if someone was watching, when I knew Shadow wouldn’t be there. He was in Agva now, too, and maybe I’d see him again before he starved himself. Maybe I could even convince him to come back to the castle, toliveinstead, even if it was without Valentine.

Maybe.

All those thoughts—and my plan—were running through my head so I didn’t even feel anything until someone grabbed me from behind and stopped me before I reached the doors to the third tower.

The bag of food dropped from my hand, but I’d zipped it, at least, so the food didn’t spill out. The scream that left my lips rang in my ears, and for a moment I was blind with the surprise and the fear and the shock of being grabbed like that so suddenly.

Then Tristian said, “Missed me, Fall?”

Fuck, I was so screwed.

“Let go of me,” I spit, then tried to pry his arm from around my waist, but it was impossible. He could have been made out of fucking steel, and all I managed to do was make him hold onto me tighter, press me to his chest until I felt every inch of him against my back.

“Hush now, little Fall,” he whispered, bringing his other hand in front of me, fingers wrapped around my neck gently. “Hush. Relax. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Tears fell from my eyes—angry tears. Desperate tears. “Romin ordered you not to touch me unless I asked. I am asking you tolet. Go!” I said, barely drawing in enough air.

But Tristian laughed. “Romin isn’t here right now, is he? And youwillbe asking me to touch you, Fall. As soon as we get to my bed, you will.” His lips pressed against the side of my neck where my pulse was going crazy, and he growled.

I screamed.

With every ounce of energy in my body, I screamed at thetop of my lungs, so loudly the entire Isle would hear it, and I was sure Romin would, too. I was sure he’d come running from his office to see why, and he’d stop Tristian. He’dmake him let go of me.

---