Page 105 of Magic and Muffins

“Barnaby and I remembered everything she’d said, though. She wanted to use the relic to send all the creatures back to the fae realm so the vampires could rule over the humans without interference. We knew we couldn’t allow that to happen, so we refused to get the relic she wanted.

“She left us here. But she returned later with more people. They weren’t thralled but bribed, which meant they were determined to bring the relic out. We broke their runes and ours so no one could leave.”

Understanding dawned.

“That’s why you asked if I had one.”

“You can’t leave with the relic, sweetheart. No matter what Orphia promised you, you can’t leave.”

“She has Vena, doesn’t she?” Grandpa Hunter asked sadly.

“No. Vena’s fine. Well, mostly fine. I promise. Orphia didn’t put me in here.”

“Then why are you here? How did you know to come?”

“The abbreviated version? A lot has happened since you’ve been here, and most of it just this summer. The relic is only part of what Orphia needs.

“Vena and I found the book that Orphia gave you. It has four stones in the back. One for each of the major races. Vampires. Werewolves. Dwarves. Fae. They used those stones to seal the portals. And they can use them to open the portals again too.”

“That’s why we couldn’t get into the fae realm on the other side,” Grandpa said softly.

I shivered, glad they hadn’t.

“Orphia has the dwarf stone, which was made into a ring. I, unfortunately, have the wolf one.”

I held up my hand to show the sapphire ring.

“How did you get it?” Grandma asked.

“The vampire who pushed me in here slipped it onto my finger.”

“What about the other two?” Grandpa Hunter asked. “Does she have the vampire ring?”

I shook my head. “The vampire with the ring won’t give it to her, but I think that’s why I’ve been shoved in here. I’m leverage.”

“Leverage?” Grandma Hunter questioned. “How?”

“I’ll leave that part for later.”

“And the fae ring?” Grandpa asked.

“Effora, the fae Queen, still has it as far as I know, but she was also working with the vampire who shoved me in here.”

Grandma Hunter shook her head. “This isn’t good. Orphia is closer to opening the portal.”

“I think so too. The people that the vampire is using me to lure here are probably already on their way.”

“We can’t let them open the portals. Not for you. Not for anyone. Do you understand? The closed portals are the only thing stopping Orphia from obtaining the relic.”

Grandpa stood and opened one of the packs to remove a misshaped stone covered in runes and veined with the same iridescence as Effora’s belly button ring.

I couldn’t believe the relic was actually here with them.

“We’ve been hiding it and protecting it since we’ve arrived. Like I said, we weren’t the only ones she sent in after it, but we’re the only ones who kept our sanity for this long. The mist broke the minds of everyone else.”

“It’s because we have each other to talk to,” Grandpa said.

“And we knew what to expect when coming in here.”

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