Where There Be Humans

by Rebekah L. Purdy

  She caught my hand before I could run off. “I promise I’ll do everything in my power to help you get your brother back.”

  I leaned down and kissed her cheek, the scent of her rose perfume clinging to her hair.

  “I know.”

  “I think I’ll head for bed, too.” Pudge tossed his napkin onto his plate and stood. “We need to talk.” He tugged me to a stop at the foot of the stairs.

  “I’m really tired,” I said. “I just want to go to bed.” Chicken. You’re just afraid you might tell him how you feel.

  Pudge frowned. “Are we still okay?” He gestured between the two of us.

  “We’ll always be okay.” I cursed the tremor in my voice. “Can you send a message to Perci, Beaurick, and Cray that Dorian’s been found? And if you could check with my aunt to have her find a way to get a note to Lord Victor—a simple message that says, ‘he’s there.’ He’ll know what it means.”

  “Yes, I’ll take care of it.” He opened his mouth to say something else, but I darted upstairs and barred my door shut. I doubted I’d sleep. Thoughts of Dorian and Pudge haunted my mind. There was a strong possibility I would lose them both. And that was something I couldn’t bear.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Are you sure about this?” Aunt Margaret asked after breakfast the next morning. She stared between me and Pudge.

  “We have to try,” I said. “When we get to Hamden Estate, Pudge will glamour himself to look like Frederik. You’ll need to keep Lady Hamden away while I watch for the real Frederik.”

  Pudge sucked in a deep breath. “So when I get down there, I just knock?”

  “Yes, and remember, lower your voice like Frederik’s.” Our magic only worked on appearances, not voices.

  He nodded, and a few minutes later, we loaded into the carriage and headed out. When we arrived, Pudge pulled the horses close to the stables. My aunt headed straight for the castle, and I stayed with Pudge.

  “All right, put your glamour in place,” I said. “Pretend like you’re just coming from the stables.”

  Pudge smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” He squeezed my hand, and I watched as the magic layered over him like a curtain. Within seconds, Frederik’s face stared back at me. “How do I look?”

  “Like an arrogant lord.” I snorted. “So the plan is to go down and see if you can get Dorian out.”

  “What if the guards don’t cooperate?”

  “Tell them your father wants him moved, as there have been rumors that the goblin’s people are coming for him.”

  “Got it.”

  Taking a deep breath, I followed Pudge across the castle grounds, directing him toward the dungeon.

  He went on ahead without me while I paced about, trying not to look out of place. As I gazed across the way, I saw Frederik loping toward the dungeon. Heart colliding with my ribs, I moved to block his path.

  “Lord Frederik, there you are,” I said, catching his arm.

  He grinned. “Lady Ivy, I didn’t know you were visiting today.”

  I laughed. “My aunt decided to call on your mother, so I asked to come along in hopes of seeing you.”

  His eyes blazed with heat. “I’m glad you happened along. I daresay I thought I might’ve scared you off with that beast yesterday.”

  My fingers released his arm. “I don’t scare so easily, milord.”

  He raised a hand, catching my chin. “Then maybe you’d like to see something else. Another secret.”

  My gaze held his. What more could they have here? “Lead the way.”

  Frederik guided me toward the castle and away from where Pudge, at that very moment, was in the dungeons trying to free my brother. Hag, I hoped he was careful. But I had a job to do, too—keep Frederik busy as long as I could.

  When we got inside, he brought me upstairs to the same trophy room he had on the night of the ball. Once inside, he shut the door, then made his way over to a bookcase. He produced a key from around his neck and slid it into a keyhole on the side of the shelf.

  My mouth went dry. What was this?

  A loud click sounded, and a door sprang open.

  “Come along,” he said, grabbing a candle from a nearby desk with one hand and reaching back with his other to clutch hold of my fingers and lead me forward into a narrow hallway.

  Eerie shadows splayed and danced along the stone wall, the air cooler, more dank here.

  At last, we entered a circular room, and I gasped. Mounted on the wall were the heads of trolls, redcaps, and a single goblin.

  Queasiness gripped me tight, and I put a hand out to steady myself. Who was the goblin? Along the neck of him, I saw a moon and arrow. My eyes widened. Hag, he’d been one of the Moonstone family members. They used to be the main guards for the Starshooter family.

  “Bet you’ve never seen anything like these,” Frederik said, his voice full of pride.

  “How did you get these creatures?” I said, fighting the tears that threatened to spill out. This would be Dorian’s fate if I failed.

  Damn it. I hated this. Hated that I had to pretend to like this man, when I knew at this very moment he plotted to kill my brother.

  “There are two gateways that run along our borders. One here and one near your aunt’s estate. Years ago, when I was a baby, creatures like this used to come to our land. Father said it worried the nearby villagers, making people fearful. So they hunted the ones they found, then locked the gates. Father told everyone they’d imagined it, that an old hedge witch in town made everyone hallucinate. He didn’t want to stir up the masses, so he wrote them off as fairy tales…and, of course, the people believed him. I figured you knew some of the stories already from your family,” Frederik said.

  “What do you mean?” My eyes widened.

  His face became flushed. “People said your grandfather went crazy because one was found on his property. Some say it killed your aunt’s sister…or I guess that would’ve been your mother. Did no one tell you this? Your grandfather was the leading person behind wanting to get the beasts declared fairy tales.”

  “I see…” But did I really? I didn’t know who to believe. Hadn’t my goblin family lied to me all these years? And what about Vane and Barthe? They were horrible to others—who’s to say their families hadn’t tortured people from the human world. And yet, couldn’t the same be said about the humans? My aunt was kind, but what about the Hamdens? On the outside, they seemed like one thing, but deep down they were as dark and greedy as the Girts and Dundrys. What surprised me, though, was that my grandfather hid the fact that my uncle killed my mom, instead blaming it on the goblins.

  “Are you all right?” Frederik turned me to face him.

  “Yes. This is all such a shock. I never realized these beings were living alongside us.”

  It was the best I could come up with while trying to gather my thoughts.

  “I know it seems almost unbelievable until you see them for yourself. Father only allowed me to know the truth last year. So the goblin in the dungeon is my first capture. We’d been hoping that his people would meet our ransom, but so far no one has been in contact. Which is why Father made the decision to have him killed.”

  My lips tightened over my mouth. “If your father allows the knights to hunt him during the tournament, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of keeping it secret?”

  He chuckled. “I suppose. But Father thinks the people are ready for the truth. And where there’s one, there’s bound to be more, so we need everyone to be prepared in case of an invasion.”

  Hag, this was serious. I wanted to tell Frederik not to be a fool. My kind wanted nothing to do with humans. Me more so now that I saw the truth. Averting my gaze from the dead on the wall, I focused on the floor.

  Suddenly, Frederik took my hand in his. “I think you’ve seen enough for today. Let’s go find some refresh
ments, shall we?”

  I nodded, letting him take me back out of the room. When we came through the bookcase, he relocked it, and I ventured over to the window and peered out. There, below, I saw Pudge glamoured as Frederik, making his way toward the stables. Dorian wasn’t with him.

  Damn it.

  Frederik moved toward me, but I couldn’t let him see Pudge. So I rushed forward, collapsing in his arms.

  “Lady Ivy, are you all right?” He caught me, hefting me up in his arms.

  “I—I feel dizzy…maybe it was all the excitement of learning about those creatures.”

  His eyes met mine, and he carried me over to the settee and sat down with me on his lap. “I’m sorry if I frightened you. It wasn’t my intention.”

  “I know.” Bile burned my esophagus as I stroked his face. “Frederik, promise me you’ll protect me.” I laid it on thick, hoping I sounded “damsel in distress” enough.

  “I will always keep you safe,” he whispered, lowering his head until our lips met.

  While I thought his kisses were nice before, I could barely stomach them now, knowing his hatred toward my kind. But I was doing this for Pudge and Dorian. I needed to keep Frederik on my side because I might need him again.

  When he pulled back, his hand moved to my waist. “I can’t get enough of you.”

  I smiled. “Nor I you—but I should probably get back to my aunt soon, or she’ll come searching.”

  “Must you really leave now?”

  “Yes, but fret not, milord. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “And the day after,” he teased.

  When we got back to the courtyard, my aunt was there waiting for us, with Pudge glamoured as our driver once more. After several niceties and goodbyes, we climbed into the carriage and pulled away from their estate.

  Down the road from the castle, I called for Pudge to stop. He brought the horses to a halt and came around to the door.

  “I’m sorry, Ivy. I couldn’t get Dorian. They had more guards down there today. Even after I told them the earl wanted him moved, they wouldn’t allow it, saying the earl had made no mention of it. They were sending a guard up to check with him, so I left.”

  “Shit, did the guard get to the earl? If so, they’ll figure out something’s not right.”

  “No. I caught up with him and used magic on him. I had a sprinkle of forgetful powder left from when we broke into the palace kitchens last year, so I took it with me just in case. I threw it in his face and sent him back to the dungeon.”

  Letting out a low hiss of breath, I nodded. “Good thinking. We’ll find another way—maybe I can persuade Frederik to release him.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know.” Could I maybe count on Lord Victor as an ally? I doubted he’d want to help if he knew what I truly was, whether his brother was a prisoner as well or not.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The following day, after the failed rescue attempt, I stood with Frederik in the courtyard, pretending to be interested in our conversation, which had drifted to the jousting tournament that would wrap up in two days. I smiled at him, my eyes glazing over. It was hard to pay attention when I was trying to come up with a way to free Dorian. If they brought him out during the celebrations, I might be able to take down some guards and rescue him. Then I remembered the mounted heads in the secret room. Would that be our fate, too?

  “Would you accompany me horseback riding?” Frederik interrupted my thoughts and caught my hand in his.

  The sweet scent of roses clung to the air, and any other day I would’ve enjoyed it. But the late-summer breeze was anything but relaxing. It reminded me how little time I had to succeed in my Mission. Dorian’s time was running out.

  “Sure, I’d love to,” I said at last. Guilt settled in my stomach. It sickened me to be near Frederik, knowing that while he courted me, my brother wasted away in his dungeons. To think I’d actually started to find him tolerable.

  We walked to the stables, where two men readied a large white stallion for us. “I know how to ride. I can take my own if you’d like.”

  “Ah, and take away my chance to be close to you?” Frederik teased.

  “Oh, then we shall take one,” I said. My hopes to put some distance between us shattered. I had to keep up the ruse. Just a while longer.

  Once saddled, Frederik boosted me up, then climbed on behind me. The guards raised the gates, and we rode across the countryside.

  Warm winds blew across the grass, and it swayed like green waves. Trees beckoned us closer, their branches bending like elongated hands. Birds chirped overhead, and beams of sunlight filtered down upon us.

  Frederik’s arm nestled me against him, as if he tried to meld us as one.

  I shifted uncomfortably, wishing he’d fall off the horse and not be so close to me.

  Soon, he slowed the equine, stopping beneath a cluster of weeping willows near the riverbank. He slid off the steed, then turned to lift me down beside him. He unlatched one of the buckles along the saddlebag and pulled out a large blanket. Then, taking my hand in his, he led me toward the river, where he spread the blanket on the ground. I sat down, and he lowered himself beside me.

  “It’s beautiful here.” I tilted my head. “So quiet and peaceful.”

  Frederik lay back, his head resting in his hands. “This is the one place I can come to escape everything at the castle,” he said.

  “And what would you need to escape from?”

  His smile looked bitter. “Life, parents, ladies who are only interested in my wealth.”

  I frowned, not wanting to feel sorry for him. And yet, I did.

  “Well, we’re here now, so try not to think about it.” My fingers rubbed against the hem of my skirt, tracing over the silken ribbon sewn into it.

  He propped himself up on an elbow, staring at me. “I’m glad you came here. Ever since you’ve arrived, I’ve been happy. It’s as if I’ve found someone who understands me.” He scooted closer. “And you don’t seem interested at all in my title or wealth.”

  Because I wasn’t interested in him. “There are too many other things to worry about,” I said.

  “Exactly.” He sat up, moving across the blanket until his arm brushed against mine. “Once the tournament is over, the goblin will be taken care of. And you’ll have nothing to fear ever again.”

  I quirked an eyebrow but nodded my head. “And what will you do with him, once you’ve destroyed him?”

  My chest constricted, as if I’d wound a rope too tight.

  He chuckled. “We’ll have another head on the wall.”

  “Oh.” Fear gripped me from the inside out, and I stood, moving away from Frederik to the river’s edge. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to rid my mind of images of Dorian’s head mounted amongst the Hamden trophies.

  Footsteps sounded behind me, and then a pair of hands rested on my shoulders.

  “Are you okay?” Frederik whispered in my ear.

  Swallowing hard, I turned to face him. “Ye—yes. Sorry.”

  He took another step closer and leaned down, his face mere inches from mine. “Nothing will ever hurt you, Ivy. I promise to protect you.”

  He wrapped his arms around me, lips hovering above mine.

  My hands pressed against his chest, and I gave him a shove back. “I’m sorry, but I’m a proper lady. If I allow you to kiss me again, it will ruin my reputation. I already made concessions during the tournament and yesterday in the trophy room, but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me.”

  “Forgive me.” He met my gaze but kept his distance. “No one has ever made me feel like this before. I want to spend time with you—to never be apart.”

  “But you barely know me,” I said.

  “It doesn’t matter. These past few days have been perfect. Which is why I approached my father last nig
ht and requested he make arrangements with your aunt for a betrothal.”

  I stiffened. He couldn’t be serious. But his eyes said it all. I forced a smile, reaching for his hand.

  “Frederik, I’m honored.” Then something occurred to me—maybe a way to barter for Dorian’s freedom. “If I agreed to this, would you do something for me?” I moved closer to him again. My hand touched his arm lightly.

  “Anything,” he said, his voice huskier.

  “Would you free the goblin and send him back to his own realm?”

  His eyes widened. “You can’t mean that.”

  “I do. The more I think about it, the more the goblin seems too human-like to kill. He stands on two legs, speaks… I—I don’t feel right thinking of it as a beast.”

  “I can try, Lady Ivy, but I don’t know if my father will agree.”

  “Frederik,” I whispered. “It would mean a lot to me.”

  His fingers traced my cheek. “If I release him, do I have your word you’ll marry me?”

  “Yes,” I said, fighting back the urge to run. But I’d do anything to save my brother.

  “Then consider it done—even if I have to sneak him out myself.”

  I smiled, relief flooding through me. “Thank you.” I hugged him tight, forgetting that only moments ago I’d pushed him away. Frederik would be our savior. For a price, of course, but one I’d pay to see Dorian to safety. But other thoughts reeled in my mind. What would happen if we had children? Would they, too, hold the light green sheen to their skin? Or could I use glamour to hide their appearance until they were old enough to do it themselves? I’d have to figure something out. For now, I would worry about freeing my brother; the other stuff could wait until he was safe.

  “We must get back to the castle at once,” I said, tugging him to the horse.

  No matter how much Frederik claimed to love me, I knew he hated goblins. And no matter how badly some of them had treated me in the past, they were still a part of me. I mean, sure, Vane and Birdie and their parents were horrible to me. Father and Archer had lied to me my whole life about who I was and where I’d come from. But what about goblins like Pudge? Amos? Dorian? Cook? They weren’t so bad. They loved me no matter what I was. But I realized that if Frederik discovered my true identity, no matter how human it was, my fate would be no different than Dorian’s. I could never let my glamour falter, not with him around. Or I could always run away once I was certain Dorian made it back to Gob Hollow safely, but would that put my aunt in harm’s way at all? I had so many thoughts chasing through my mind. No matter what choices I made, there was a chance someone would get hurt.