Shades of Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #16) - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,16

her down, making them sluggishly zigzag from side to side.

“Let go of me, you fool,” she growled.

The large fairy wings flapped, glittering even in the darkness. “Not until you return us to the mer-folk castle.”

She shook her arm in the rhythm of her words. “Not. Going. To. Happen.”

Levet raised his free hand. “Return us or I will blast you with my awesome fireball.”

Brigette growled in frustration. They continued to move through the darkness, but they’d slowed to a snail’s pace. What was going on? Was it the portal? Or had the gargoyle done something to block their passage?

“You are ruining everything.”

“Moi?” Levet sounded outraged. “I did not kidnap you and haul you into this very peculiar portal.”

Once again Brigette tried to shake him off. “Go away.”

Levet clicked his tongue. “I did warn you.”

“What are you…” Brigette forgot what she was going to say as she caught sight of the flames that were forming in the palm of Levet’s tiny hand. Christ. This portal was already weird enough. Who knew what would happen if the gargoyle used his magic? “No.”

The word was still on her lips when the blast ripped through the darkness. Heat and pain hammered into Brigette as she cartwheeled through the air, her stomach heaving and her brain scrambled when she abruptly tumbled out of the portal and hit the ground with enough force to crack a rib.

Beside her a small form skidded over the cobblestone street, his wings spread wide.

“Ow,” Levet groused.

“Dammit.”

Brigette shoved herself to her feet, groaning as she struggled to stay upright. The pain from her rib combined with the disorientation of being tossed into a strange place made her knees weak. Of course, that was the least of her worries. First she had to get away from the aggravating Levet, and then…

Well, she’d worry about that very long list of worries once she’d shaken off the gargoyle.

Turning away from the creature, she took a step forward, only to feel a tug on her wrist. She growled, glaring down at her arm. She expected to find the gargoyle grabbing her, but he was still lying on the road. Instead, a glistening rope was wrapped around her wrist and flowed down to encircle the gargoyle’s waist.

Like a sparkly leash.

She glared at the creature in outrage. “What have you done?”

Levet rose to his feet, tilting his head as he studied the glittering rope. “It appears we are magically bound together.”

She bared her teeth. “Then unbound us.”

He furrowed his brow. “I do not believe that is a word.” He shrugged. “Of course, people are forever correcting me, so—”

“Do it!”

The gargoyle sniffed. “There is no need to yell,” he protested, grabbing the rope around his waist and giving it a tug. “I cannot undo it.”

Unease slithered down her spine. “Why not?”

“I don’t know how it happened. I only intended to disrupt the portal with my fireball.” The gargoyle continued to tug at the mystery cord. “This must have been a side effect. If you ask me, there is something cloudy about the magic that you used to form the portal.”

Brigette scowled in confusion. “Cloudy?”

“Non, that is not right.” Levet took a second before he snapped his fingers. “Shady. Oui. Shady about the magic.”

Brigette prepared to grab the creature and shake him until he got rid of the leash, but there was something in his curious expression that suggested he was as surprised as she was that they were bound together.

“Perfect,” she snarled. “I’m freaking tied to a yapping paperweight in the middle of…” She forgot her anger toward the gargoyle as she belatedly glanced around. “Where are we?” she demanded, her gaze moving toward the pine trees that lined the cobblestone road.

In the darkness it was impossible to see more than thick shadows and hints of movement among the branches. Brigette grimaced, turning her attention to the large town that glowed in the valley below.

She could make out large, gray stone buildings with thatched roofs and narrow streets that were lit by torches. It looked exactly like London during the Victorian era.

Had they been sucked back in time?

“How should I know where we are?” Levet intruded into her thoughts. “You were the one who brought us here.”

“It wasn’t me.” She glared at him. “Weres can’t create portals.”

“Was it Zella? I don’t like her.” Levet wrinkled his snout. “She smells like poopy.”

Brigette closed her eyes, trying to reach out to the voice that had promised her salvation. There was nothing. An empty void. Which meant that she clearly wasn’t where