“She’s here. I’m telling you. I’m not wrong.” One of the men in the group gestures around and huffs.
Shit. He can only mean me. How has Cashel noticed we’re missing so soon? I made sure to put pillows under the blankets on the bed. Ensured the door was closed and that there wasn’t any trace of blood behind us as we made our way to the door.
“You had better be right, or I will skewer you on a pike and place you at the front of the gates,” another of the men promises in a familiar tone.
Still a bit too far away for me to make out their features, I keep hold of Arradel and wait until they are practically on top of us.
I toss away the illusion I weaved around us and wave my arms in the air. “Over here! I’m over here!”
All at once, six heads snap in my direction. Varying looks of shock appear on their faces and I can’t contain an insane sounding giggle. Shit, I’m ready to fall over from exhaustion and relief.
The first to storm toward me is Dare, followed closely by Doyle and the rest of my crew. Dax and Dagan bring up the rear.
“How?” Dare barks the question at me.
His mouth is set in a firm line, his legs braced widely, and his arms crossed over his wide chest. But his eyes are soft. He rakes his gaze over every inch of me, and warmth spreads through my chest.
“They underestimated me.” I look up at him and relief spreads through me.
Dare grunts, and Doyle pushes past him. He barrels into me and sweeps me up in a hug. Even through his constricting grip, I can breathe easier. I’m safe. I watch over Doyle’s shoulder as Dagan grips Arradel’s arm, keeping her upright none too gently.
“I’m okay,” I whisper to Doyle.
Kirin and Axel huddle around me like big momma bears. Eryn appraises me with her shrewd gaze. She tilts her head slightly, and everyone sighs.
I step out of Doyle’s arms and turn to face the three goblins. Each wears a grim expression, their bodies humming with restless energy. They are probably ready to pepper me with a million questions.
“Not here,” I say before they can start the interrogation. “You’re going to want her with us. She was working with Cashel, and she is the one who brought me to him.”
Dare opens his mouth.
I raise a hand. “Not now. Let’s get out of here, and we can discuss it somewhere more private and a lot more secure.”
Dare nods and turns, striding back in the direction from which they came. His quick departure sends a pain through my chest, but I ignore it.
I look to Kirin. “This your handiwork, Kirin?”
“Yeah, Ev. I was able to track her to this area, but where exactly you were, was up in the air.” He hangs his head, hunching his shoulders slightly.
I put my hand on his upper arm. “I was in the Light Elven Kingdom. You couldn’t have tracked me since you have never been there.” I shrug.
Kirin shrugs one shoulder, his expression unchanging. He can come to his own conclusions. He’ll realize it isn’t his fault that they didn’t pop into the Light Elven Kingdom in the middle of Cashel’s quarters. I’m certainly not going to mention the C-4 that Arradel used against me to ensure the safety of my crew. Some things are better left unsaid.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
The journey back to where they’d first appeared in the field isn’t that far, but with Arradel dragging us down, it takes us twice as long to get there. I’ve yet to answer the three very frustrated goblin’s questions about what part Arradel took in this whole cluster fuck of a situation. All I can focus on is putting one heavy foot in front of the other and sorting through the rush of feelings flooding me at being freed from Cashel’s clutches. Their loathsome looks only add to the pounding in my head. I can barely muster a glare back each time their scowls fall upon me.
Up ahead, my crew is circled up and talking amongst themselves. A hush quickly falls upon the group at my approach.
“What’s with the silence as soon as I appear?” I quirk a brow at their reactions of feigned innocence. They aren’t fooling me. “Guys, seriously, what’s up?”
Kirin cracks first, his sentence so rushed and jumbled together I have to take a minute to process it. “They are taking us into the Goblin Kingdom immediately, and we told them you wouldn’t be happy, but they insist.” He takes a huge breath and looks at me with trepidation. Probably expecting an outraged outburst from me.
“Okay, sounds good,” I shrug. I’ve wasted enough time at their compound or manor or whatever it’s called. I’ve just lost another day in Faerie with the way time works there, too. I’m ready to get somewhere I can relax, and more importantly, get some answers.
“Sounds good?” Doyle casts a side long glance at Eryn.
“Yeah, sounds good. I don’t see what the big deal is.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“The big deal is that you didn’t want to go into the Goblin Kingdom unless absolutely necessary,” Eryn chimes in. She stares at my forehead like the secrets of the world are hidden under the smooth skin between my eyes.
“Stop that! I didn’t want to go, but in light of the information I found out during my little stint in the Light Elven Kingdom, I’d like to go and see what information we can ferret out.” After all, the more information I can gather about my parentage and what exactly is going on with these new found markings on my arms, the better equipped I’ll be to deal with the coming deluge of issues. Hopefully someone knows what a mark of truth is and how it will affect my abilities.
The tensing of every muscle in my body gives away Dare’s approach before his growly voice can.
“We must talk, little álainn.”
My hackles rise at his order, and I spin to face him. “We can talk when we are all safely inside the Goblin Kingdom.”
He crosses his arms, and a pinched look appears on his face. “I can’t take you into Goblin until I know what happened. I will not put those I have vowed to protect in unnecessary danger.”
I know I have to give him something—something serious enough to warrant our immediate entrance into Goblin, but evasive enough that we can finish the conversation in the safety behind the Goblin Kingdom’s walls.
Heaving a sigh, I wave an arm towards Arradel. “Your maid there was bought off by Cashel.” I watch as his face contorts with rage and disgust. “He promised she would be his máistreás and her past indiscretions absolved if she helped get me to him.” I finish with a wary glance at Dagan and Dax, both standing shoulder to shoulder behind Dare now. Both with equal narrowed eyes and curled lips directed towards Arradel who’s now sprawled in the grass a few feet from where we stand.
“Mac soith!” booms Dagan at the same time Dax shouts son of a bitch. Dagan turns and storms over to Arradel.
Crouching down to her level with his lips in a firm line, his eyes tiny slits, Dagan speaks low to Arradel in Gaelic. His words are clipped and harsh sounding. The terror flitting across Arradels face give me some idea as to what he said to her.
Turning to Axel, I whisper under my breath. “Did you catch what he said?” At the shake of his head I try again. “What about mac sloth? What does that mean?”
I frown and his shoulders stop bouncing up and down.
“Mac soith”—he annunciates clearly—“means son of a bitch.”
I nod and turn my attention back to the scene at hand. Dagan is still standing over a cowering Arradel, and Dax and Dare are talking with the rest of my crew. Moving closer, I ask the million-dollar question.
“So what’s next?”
“Next we go to Goblin. And we will deal with her”—Dare sneers—“in a way that is fit for the crime.”
I shrug at the direction his thoughts are presumably going. She had betrayed those who who had given her shelter and a place within their Kingdom after being exiled from the Light Elven courts.
“Well, let’s be done with the traitorous bitch and move on to other things, like who the hell daddy dearest is. I think it’s time we have a little reunion. I’d
like an explanation for keeping me in the dark for, oh say, my whole life. And don’t forget this mark of truth shit. I want to know what that’s all about too.”
The quick twitch of Dares lips gives away his amusement, but I don’t care if I’m amusing. I just want to get the show on the road. I’m determined to leave this field of long flowing grass and get my first glimpse of the feared and much talked about Goblin Kingdom.
*
The path leading to the door that will allow us entrance into the Goblin Kingdom is full of twisted brambles, thorns, and mud. Not the most welcoming entrance, but hey, I guess if you make it to the door then you are really determined to seek an audience or seek shelter within their walls. We pause at the door. Dare knocks hard enough that I’m sure he’s going to punch a hole through the solid mass of dark wood.
The sound of shuffling feet and grumbles precede the sudden opening of the door. The troll who opens the door is square in shape and covered in hair. He looks like he hasn’t cut any of his hair since he was born, say five centuries ago. One mangled hand holds the door open, the other a cane made from twisting wood covered in vines. His golden eyes gleam with intelligence. Sparing my crew and me only a cursory glance, he focuses his attention on Dare and his brothers.
“Aye, boys, ye’re home at last! An’ a sight fer sore eyes ye be!”
Each of the rough, barbaric, and stone faced goblins I’ve grown used to wears a smile brighter than the sun, and crinkles from laughter form at the corners of their eyes.
“Aye, we’re home, Adhamh,” Dare says, “and we come bearing gifts—”
“Yeah mission accomplished,” Dax says. “I’m hungry, so can we come in or are we standing outside for a reason?”
Reaching behind him, Dare slaps the back of Dax’s head, and we all laugh.
“Patience, boy, I can still whip yer arse if need be.” Adhamh eyes Dax, who now has a pink tinge on his cheeks. “An jus’ who da we have ’ere?” Adhamh looks past Dare to give my crew and me more of an in depth onceover. He quirks a brow, and I bring a hand up to try and smother my laughter.
“This here is Ever McElva and her team consisting of Doyle, Kirin, Axel, and Eryn. Each of them is here under my protection and is not to come to any harm while within the walls of Goblin.” At the trolls’ look of shock, Dare continues, “Feel free to spread that word if you so please. It will make their transition much smoother.”
“Axel, you say?” The troll taps a gnarled finger to his lips.
Axel’s shoulders tense.
The troll continues, “I knew an Axel from the house Cedon. He traveled through this gate many years ago courtesy of his hag of a mother.”
His words prompt a snort from Axel. Each of us spins to face him, mouths hanging open in shock.
“What? He’s right. She is a hag.” His lips twitch into a full smile.
Stepping forward, the troll extends a hand to Axel, shaking it with force and welcoming him back into Goblin. “An fáilte abhaile to you, me boy. ’Tis good to have ye back.”
Axel wears a small smile and drops his head once in thanks. He steps back, leaving the troll to scrutinizing me.
“Ah, cailín álainn. An I welcome ye into Goblin as well. May her beauty leave you breathless, as you have me.”
Again with the álainn. Is that the word of the month in the goblin calendar or something?
Curbing my sarcasm, I smile at the old troll. “Hopefully I will be more enlightened when I leave than I am now.”
The troll tilts his head, and Dare responds before I can open my mouth. Pushy bastard.
“She doesn’t believe she is Tore MacDouglas’s daughter.” He shakes his head.
I place both hands on my hips and meet Dare’s determined stare with one of my own. “Do we need to go over the whole sordid tale again? Right this minute? In case you forgot, I’m injured and would like to sit down. Preferably with a warm cup of tea and in my fuzzy socks!”
Dare’s expression darkens, and a low growl rumbles from his throat.
“Aye, let’s get you settled.” At my wide eyes, Dare leans close to me, his scent enveloping me in a cloud of comfort. “I am not as harsh as you would paint me to be.”
His whispered words in my ear send tingles of warmth through my body.
I can only nod while I wait for him to lead the way through the gate and into the Goblin Kingdom. We each enter single file, the troll standing guard in the doorway. Dare exhales a long sigh at the first view of his home. I step up beside him, and the sight takes my breath away.
There is only one way to describe the Goblin Kingdom—fearsome to behold. The raw beauty of the castle in the distance with its sharp turrets spearing through the orange clouds they rest against seems to go on for miles. The rolling green hills are covered in wild flowers in every color imaginable. The grass sways to an unseen breeze, and the branches of willow trees dance to an unheard song. I remain motionless as I take in the beauty before me. Twin suns rise above the castle and cast it in a golden glow. The well-traveled dirt road beneath our feet leads toward the gates into the castle and the small village that surrounds its walls.
I stand completely tongue tied. All I can do is turn and look at the faces of my crew and watch their reactions to the sights before us. Equal expressions of elation and awe rest on their faces.
“Breath taking isn’t it?” Dax chuckles at my wide eyed nod. “Not what you were expecting, I take it?”
“Not at all what I expected from the Goblin Kingdom.” Heat tickles my cheeks.
Dax shakes his head. “We have really got to update the info MECA gives you guys.”
I nod and step off the worn path onto the grass. My arms hang loosely at my sides, my fingers splayed open, and the tips of the grass tickles my fingertips. I take a moment and let the feeling of familiarity wash over me. My chest expands and I feel airy and light. I feel like I belong here. Like I’m coming home. Nothing at all like the dread I felt when I was being dragged into the Light Elven Kingdom. Even without the kidnapping part.
“Ev! Ever! Earth to Ever!” Doyle yells and snaps me out of my reverie.
“What?”
They aren’t looking at me but around and past me. Slowly, I turn my head to look behind me. I fully expect to see some giant beast ready to eat me for breakfast. The blades of grass around me are all leaning toward me, straining at their roots to reach my hands still down at my sides. I move another step into the field. The blades of grass follow my movements.
Letting the blades of grass continue to slightly tickle my palms, I turn to Dare and his brothers, a question on my lips. “Does it do that for everyone?”
At their simultaneous “No” I worry that I’m upsetting the land or something.
Panic rising, I try to snatch one hand away from the blades of grass threaded through my fingers but the grass holds firm. As in I can’t tear my hand away from some grass.
“Do not fret, Ever. It will only hold you tighter.” Dare speaks calmly, like he’s soothing a wailing child.
Trying to calm my heartbeat, I halt my movements. “How do I make it let me go?”
“Ask it what it wants from you.”
“Oh, ask the grass what it wants. Yeah, that makes perfect sense.” I give my crew a “come get me the hell out of here” look with narrowed eyes. Before they can take more than a few steps, they are blocked by Dax and Dagan.
“The land obviously requires something of you, Ever.” Dare presses his lips together before he glances down at the grass holding me captive.
“What the fuck could it possibly want from me? Did I offend it by stepping on the grass or something? You guys should put up some signs or something if that’s the case!” My voice sounds shrill even to my own ears. “Get me the hell out of here. Now!” My chest itches with panic, and I shuffle my feet.
Dare slowly steps onto the grass. Approaching me, he keeps his hands above the reach of the grass and slowly makes his way toward me. A flicker of unease courses through me at the th
ought of us both getting stuck out here. I pull at the grass again. Nothing.
Dare reaches me and rests his hands lightly on my arms. His touch calms me slightly, and I shiver. I tilt my chin up and meet his orange and red eyes, the same colors as the sky above us, with determination. Dare slides his fingers down my arms and take my hands in his. The grass only includes him within its grasp instead of letting me go.
“Well, that is the opposite of helpful.” I blow tendrils of hair out of my face. “The goal was to get me out of here, not join me in being enslaved by the grass from hell.”
Dare scowls, and I snap my mouth closed.
“Can you feel it?” he asks.
“Feel what, exactly?”
“The call of the land. She is welcoming you.” His lips part slightly.
“By keeping me captive? How do I get her to let go of this uncomfortable hug of hers?” I feel a sharp prick against the back of my hand. I wince as another blade of grass cuts into my flesh. “Ouch, and now she is slicing me!”
Dare’s lips press into a fine line before his eyes widen and he whispers low. “She requires your blood.”
I have to lean into him to hear him. “My blood? What for?”
“For what purpose, I don’t know. But she requires it from you before she will let you go.” Dare glances away from me quickly.
I look down at my hands. Grass wraps around them like a vise. “Well, take what you need then, I guess.” I stare at the ground.
“Not as eloquent as most, but it should do.” Dare huffs the words.
Shrugging, I wait to see what will happen. I don’t have to wait long. One at a time a few blades of grass slice into my palms, my fingers, and the backs of my hands. Each leaves a thin sliver of blood in their wake. The blades of grass seem to absorb my blood, slowly disengaging from my hands as they take a few droplets. After a few minutes, each blade of grass is no longer holding me captive and I’m free to move once again. A range of emotions flash across Dare’s handsome face—wonder, surprise, and curiosity followed by a determined set of his jaw.
Mark of Truth (Wicked Kingdoms Book 1) Page 11
