The Dragon Realm (Dark World The Dragon Twins #2) - Michelle Madow Page 0,41
to agree with her.
“So it sounds like we should get going,” I said. “Get our pieces in place before Lilith gets hers.” I turned to Torrence and Reed. “Before we came to the Otherworld, the Empress’s advisor gave us these.” I removed the portal tokens from my pocket. “The only two tokens that can bring you out of Ember.”
Suspicion dawned in Torrence’s eyes. “How’d she know you’d need them?”
“Prince Devyn gave them to her.”
Torrence nodded in understanding. She knew all about Selena’s dad, and his gift of omniscient sight, so mentioning him was the only explanation necessary.
“Any chance she told you where they’d bring us?” she asked.
“They’ll bring you to the Otherworld,” I said.
“Figured,” she said. “Good thing we’re on good terms with the fae. We shouldn’t have an issue getting back to Earth from there.”
“What’s your plan for when you’re back?”
“We’re going home—to Avalon,” she said. “The Earth Angel needs to know what happened to her daughter.”
I couldn’t imagine how difficult that conversation was going to be. “Then I guess this is goodbye,” I said, surprised by the twinge of sadness I felt at the thought. Even though Torrence had been dark when she’d saved us from the mages, there was a certain bond you developed with someone when they saved your life. And ever since the Crown had brought her back from the darkness, she was actually pretty cool.
“Goodbye for now,” Torrence said. “You never know where the future might lead.” She took the tokens and handed one to Reed. “Now, where’s the nearest fountain?” she asked. “Because I’m ready to get out of here.”
26
Gemma
After Torrence and Reed left, the Elders brought us the half of the Crown. Ethan took it for safe keeping. He didn’t explain why, but I guessed he didn’t want to have to choose between giving it to me or Mira.
It was definitely the right call.
We said goodbye to the Elders, then used our keys to enter the Library.
As had been the case recently, Hecate wasn’t there.
I walked back to the door and brought out my key.
Mira and Ethan didn’t move.
“Are you guys coming?” I asked.
“There’s something we need to talk about first,” Ethan said.
I stilled, not liking his serious tone. “And what’s that?”
“Ever since touching that piece of the Crown, you’ve been different.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
It was a lie. I knew exactly the moment he was referring to—it was when I’d handed the Crown to Torrence.
It was the ice that had flooded my veins when she’d touched it and returned from the darkness.
But I didn’t mind. In fact, I liked it.
It numbed the pain I’d felt every time I looked at Ethan and remembered what it felt like to kiss him.
Whatever had happened when I’d touched the Crown had made me stronger. Less emotional. Less vulnerable.
“When Torrence touched the Crown, it brought her out of the darkness,” he said. “But when you touched the Crown, it put darkness into you.”
“When I touched the Crown, it gave me purpose,” I said. “It gave me something to fight for.”
“It changed you,” Mira said. “And don’t try to argue with me. I’m your twin. I know you.”
“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.”
She backed away, like she’d been slapped. “You never would have talked to me like that before.”
“Things change,” I said. “Besides, you touched the Crown, too. Nothing happened to you.”
“We have a theory about that,” Ethan said.
“Now you’ve been ‘theorizing’ about me behind my back?”
“The change happened when you and Torrence were both touching the Crown,” he continued. “We think some of your light magic went into her, and some of her dark magic went into you.”
“That’s impossible.”
“So you wouldn’t mind if we go in there and ask one of those witches wandering around the shelves if she’s willing to try taking the dark magic from you? A more experienced witch, who’s able to handle it?”
“It would be a waste of time. We need to get back to Earth and find the second half of the Crown.”
“Wrong,” Mira said. “We need to get you back to normal.”
“I am normal.”
“Then prove it.”
“No,” I said, and I walked up to the door, stuck the key into the lock, and left the Library before they could argue with me further.
The Haven’s tearoom looked the same as when we’d left. I picked up the pad of paper and wrote to Mary to let her know we were back.
As I was writing, Ethan and Mira came in to join me.