Page 1 of Deadly Little Games

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Gabriel grippedmy hand where it pressed against his chest, then slowly removed it. The glow remained until his fingers slid from mine.

His dark eyes watched me with unsettling intensity. “You need to come back to the Bogs, Eva. It’s the only way we can keep you safe.”

I gripped my covers around me. “No way. I’m not going to be trapped there. You need to explain why you suddenly think I’m in so much danger.”

His jaw clenched, his dark eyes intense. “If anyone else finds out about this, they’ll want to use you. Imagine if the vampires knew you could increase their power.”

“The vampires had a great time manhandling me earlier tonight.” My eyes flicked to the rim of daylight beneath my blackout curtains. “Or last night, I guess. None of them started glowing.”

“Perhaps it’s just those of us with blood from the far realms.” His eyes lifted to my bookshelf. “Come here.”

It was only then that I realized Ringo had retreated from the foot of the bed to his spot on my shelf. He huddled in the little pile of pillowcases I had put there for him.

“It’s okay,” I said.

At my words he shifted, then hopped down from the bookshelf to scamper across the floor. He climbed up my bed toward us.

“Touch her,” Gabriel ordered

Ringo extended one tiny trembling blue paw toward my arm. He placed it against my bare skin.

Nothing happened.

“See?” I said. “It’s just some weird fluke thing. My magic is only reacting to Mistral, you, and Sebastian.”

“Sebastian?” He reared back.

“You guys need to learn to be a little less touchy when I mention him.”

He lowered his chin. “It is bad enough for him to know of these changes, but for you to react to him in this way? He will push you for more. You cannot trust him.”

“Obviously.” I shook my head and released my grip on my covers. “But he’s going to help me, in exchange for me helping him. And I have to meet with the elf king today.”

He blinked at me. “Surely you jest. Only an idiot would find all this out about herself and go marching into Emerald Heights.”

“I have to go. I owe his daughter a favor.”

He lifted a brow. “Princess Millelena?”

“Yeah, though she introduced herself to me as justElena. She saved our cookies last night, and asked me to come speak with her father in return.”

“Cookies?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, you know, like our butts? The vampires kidnapped my roommate and were trying to throw him off a building.”

He gripped my hand. “An even greater reason to be cautious then. You cannot go to Emerald Heights, Eva.” The glow startedagain where our skin touched, filling my chest with a warm tingling sensation.

I wanted more of it. Every time one of them touched me and gave me this feeling, I wantedmore.

His eyes drifted down to the glow and he yanked his hand away. “If you go to Emerald Heights, we can’t protect you.”

“Well good thing I don’t think the elves want to hurt me. Like I said, they saved us last night.”

He gave me a look like I was being very stupid. “And why do you think Princess Millelena wants you to come? If she saved you last night, then she knows about the game. She knows about the sword. Her father came from the elven realm. He is trapped here, just like Mistral. But his motivation to return to his home will be even greater.”

“Why?”

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