it reminded her of the rebel camp. Of Makani. She wanted to be back there. Every thread of her magic was screaming for her to return. What dark magic was this?
“You three have got yourselves into quite a bind, haven’t you?” said Gran. “Darksire, Firestorm, criminals from hell escaping.” She sighed, handing out the teacups.
“That’s our life,” replied Naomi. “Don’t you miss it?”
Gran chuckled. “Sometimes.” She set down a bowl of cookies.
Naomi took one, still thinking about Makani and his band of rebels in the underworld. Whatever she did, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she belonged there.
Proving her mind was as sharp as her body, Gran said, “What’s troubling you, Naomi?”
“Not what,” Eva told her. “Who.” She winked at Naomi. “You’re seeing that dreamy man again, aren’t you?”
“Dreamy man?” Gran asked, perking up with interest.
When the topic was boys, Gran was always ready to talk. Grandfather knew nothing of her extensive collection of Mages Illustrated magazines. Kai Drachenburg’s cover was probably in there too. Naomi wondered if Gran had ever asked Kai to sign his photo. They knew each other from the Magic Council meetings. He sat on the Council, and she consulted for them.
Actually, no, Naomi didn’t need to wonder. She was sure Gran had asked him—probably in front of the whole Magic Council. She’d always been bold, even for a fairy. Naomi wished she’d been there, if only to see the expression on Kai’s face as he tried to remind himself that he couldn’t turn into a dragon and step on one of his Council’s most important consultants.
Naomi cleared her throat. “It’s not just the dreamy man, Gran. A dark fairy attacked me earlier tonight. Since then, I’ve been having visions of the spirit realm.”
“What kind of visions?” Gran asked.
“Visions of myself there, walking around as though I’m really there, as though it’s as real as here.”
“And this man you saw?”
“He was once a prince.” Naomi ignored Eva as she pretended to swoon. “He’s been trapped there for centuries. Hell drains magic, right? But he is still so powerful, even seven hundred years later. There’s a war being raged in hell against demons, and he is leading the charge. People follow him. They can’t help but to do it. He’s so…”
“Sexy?” Eva said, smirking.
“Overwhelming,” amended Naomi. Makani was so much more than sexy. “Standing before him is like standing naked before a volcano. It’s so big, so magnificent, but if it goes off, there’s no chance you’d survive.”
“This prince and his war against the demons sounds even better than that book you loaned me last week,” Eva commented. “The one with the god of war and the warrior priestess he fell in love with.”
Marek rolled his eyes.
Eva poked him in the chest. “You have no right to make fun of my reading tastes, Marek. I saw your collection of Mages Illustrated magazines.”
“The articles are educational.”
Eva laughed. “Funny how you’ve decided that the only educational articles are inside the issues with half-naked women on the cover.”
“I learn better from a pretty woman.”
He squeezed her side, which sent her into a fit of giggles. She tried to pull away, but his hand locked around her arm, holding her as his tickling intensified.
Gran smiled warmly at them. “I’m glad you two could work things out.” She turned that smile on Naomi. “Now, how can I help you find your handsome prince?”
“It’s not like that. I think I’m meant to help him, and he’s meant to help me. I’m not sure how I know this, but I do.”
“Magic works in mysterious ways,” replied Gran. “Ways we often do not understand. Tell me exactly what happened with the dark fairy who attacked you.”
“It happened as I was leaving Spitfire. He attacked with powerful magic, old and dark magic. I fought him off for a while, but he eventually trapped me inside a net of
“You three have got yourselves into quite a bind, haven’t you?” said Gran. “Darksire, Firestorm, criminals from hell escaping.” She sighed, handing out the teacups.
“That’s our life,” replied Naomi. “Don’t you miss it?”
Gran chuckled. “Sometimes.” She set down a bowl of cookies.
Naomi took one, still thinking about Makani and his band of rebels in the underworld. Whatever she did, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she belonged there.
Proving her mind was as sharp as her body, Gran said, “What’s troubling you, Naomi?”
“Not what,” Eva told her. “Who.” She winked at Naomi. “You’re seeing that dreamy man again, aren’t you?”
“Dreamy man?” Gran asked, perking up with interest.
When the topic was boys, Gran was always ready to talk. Grandfather knew nothing of her extensive collection of Mages Illustrated magazines. Kai Drachenburg’s cover was probably in there too. Naomi wondered if Gran had ever asked Kai to sign his photo. They knew each other from the Magic Council meetings. He sat on the Council, and she consulted for them.
Actually, no, Naomi didn’t need to wonder. She was sure Gran had asked him—probably in front of the whole Magic Council. She’d always been bold, even for a fairy. Naomi wished she’d been there, if only to see the expression on Kai’s face as he tried to remind himself that he couldn’t turn into a dragon and step on one of his Council’s most important consultants.
Naomi cleared her throat. “It’s not just the dreamy man, Gran. A dark fairy attacked me earlier tonight. Since then, I’ve been having visions of the spirit realm.”
“What kind of visions?” Gran asked.
“Visions of myself there, walking around as though I’m really there, as though it’s as real as here.”
“And this man you saw?”
“He was once a prince.” Naomi ignored Eva as she pretended to swoon. “He’s been trapped there for centuries. Hell drains magic, right? But he is still so powerful, even seven hundred years later. There’s a war being raged in hell against demons, and he is leading the charge. People follow him. They can’t help but to do it. He’s so…”
“Sexy?” Eva said, smirking.
“Overwhelming,” amended Naomi. Makani was so much more than sexy. “Standing before him is like standing naked before a volcano. It’s so big, so magnificent, but if it goes off, there’s no chance you’d survive.”
“This prince and his war against the demons sounds even better than that book you loaned me last week,” Eva commented. “The one with the god of war and the warrior priestess he fell in love with.”
Marek rolled his eyes.
Eva poked him in the chest. “You have no right to make fun of my reading tastes, Marek. I saw your collection of Mages Illustrated magazines.”
“The articles are educational.”
Eva laughed. “Funny how you’ve decided that the only educational articles are inside the issues with half-naked women on the cover.”
“I learn better from a pretty woman.”
He squeezed her side, which sent her into a fit of giggles. She tried to pull away, but his hand locked around her arm, holding her as his tickling intensified.
Gran smiled warmly at them. “I’m glad you two could work things out.” She turned that smile on Naomi. “Now, how can I help you find your handsome prince?”
“It’s not like that. I think I’m meant to help him, and he’s meant to help me. I’m not sure how I know this, but I do.”
“Magic works in mysterious ways,” replied Gran. “Ways we often do not understand. Tell me exactly what happened with the dark fairy who attacked you.”
“It happened as I was leaving Spitfire. He attacked with powerful magic, old and dark magic. I fought him off for a while, but he eventually trapped me inside a net of
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