Heart Of The Goblin King (The Realm Trilogy Book 1)

by Lisa Manifold

  I couldn’t hurry this, even though it felt like something terrible had happened, and got worse and worse the longer I stayed here. I needed to make my parents okay with this, as much as they could be.

  “I think this is the right decision, Iris,” Mara came closer and took my hand. “I wish it were otherwise, but as I said, I’m a realist. Until you deal with this, it will plague you. You’ll need to ask Taranath to break the tie.”

  “You’re coming with me, right?”

  She shook her head. “No. My time there is done.”

  “But Nerida—”

  Mara laughed. “Nerida doesn’t hear what she doesn’t want to. I knew that I would not go home when I left to come to your grandfather. I made my choice. I understand your fear,” Her voice softened. “It’s frightening. Taranath would not give you something that would lead you to harm. I think you’ll be safe.”

  “That’s not very reassuring, Mom,” my mom said. “Would you have sent me out with an ‘I’ll think you’ll be safe’?”

  Her mother turned and looked up at her. “Now you see why I protested your marriage. I worried.”

  Mom opened her mouth, then closed it.

  “Not fair, Mara,” Dad put his arm around Mom as he spoke.

  “Generally I’m not,” Mara replied and amazingly, she smiled at Dad. “Fae do what is needed. Fair and unfair—that’s more of a human thing. Family and honor are the things that matter.”

  “As long as they go with the program?” Dad shot back.

  Mara’s smile widened. “I didn’t do much better than my own parents. I have thought that over the years. But you have done well for yourselves.”

  “No thanks to you.”

  “Correct, but that is not the issue at hand, Paul.” She turned back to me. “I think you need to go, and sooner rather than later, Iris. I think you saw Brennan as something bad happened to him. What could be going on? We don’t have warfare in Fae.” Her brow furrowed.

  I could see the thought distressed her, even though she said she no longer belonged there.

  “I’m afraid,” I whispered.

  “Of course you are. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take action.”

  I met her eyes. Took a deep breath. “You’re right. Whatever happens, I have to face it.” I walked away from her, from my parents. When I spun around, they were all looking at me. The fear and worry and love were all over my parents. Mara…well, I didn’t know her enough to read her. Maybe I just didn’t want to.

  I pulled out the bag from Taranath. “What did he say? Open it…”

  “Speak his name.” Trust Mara to remember.

  The little pouch looked so innocent. I opened up the cord that held it tied, mouthed I love you to my parents, and then, “Taranath.”

  The world spun.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Brennan

  Light…dark…warm…pain…hurts…

  Drake.

  Iris.

  Brennan opened his eyes and closed them immediately. Cowardcowardcoward some part of his brain screamed. The sound made his head hurt.

  He hadn’t felt pain to this degree since he’d been a child. Everything hurt. Opening his eyes hurt.

  “Don’t move.”

  Drake. Good. He must be safe. Drake sounded like Drake.

  “We’re almost to Taranath.”

  It took too much effort to figure out all that occurred around him. What had he been thinking of before…something happened?

  Iris.

  He’d seen her in…fae clothing. Why? He’d left her safely in the arms of her family. Away from Fae. Away from him. He killed those he loved. Better that she go.

  Those he loved…

  What happened?

  “Taranath, we’ve need of you!”

  Brennan let his eyes close fully. It seemed a shame that Drake sounded so concerned. Much better to relax and go to sleep. He could hear voices talking over him, but it took too much effort to focus, or pay attention.

  Iris

  Did any portal ever behave the same? The last time I’d gone through one, it had been like walking through water, the ripples moving me along. This time I fell, ass over teakettle. Maybe there were ripples but I couldn’t get my bearings. As I contemplated, as much as anyone could while spinning in all directions, how long it would take for me to throw up, everything stopped, and I fell once more.

  Straight down onto a hard floor.

  “OW!” I yelled. I clutched my head with both hands. I’d be lucky to escape this crap without a concussion. Or brain damage.

  “Iris?” I heard surprise in Taranath’s voice.

  Well at least I’d made it to the right place.

  “I had to come,” I said, rolling onto my knees. I had to take a moment, let my head hang down. Throwing up was still on the table.

  I pushed my hands against the floor and carefully stood. I had to keep my eyes closed. When I opened them, I saw Taranath and Drake gaping at me.

  “I know, I know, not graceful. I’m doing the best I can.”

  “What are you doing here?” Drake cut right to it.

  “I had to.” I felt tears and the worry I’d suppressed before opening the pouch rise to the surface. “I felt…I don’t know what I felt. But Brennan—” Drake’s gaze shifted when I said the name to something in front of him.

  “Oh my god!” I clapped my hand over my mouth. The thing in front of him stirred. Brennan!

  I rushed, as much as I was able, to the table where Brennan lay.

  “What happened to him?”

  “Why are you here, Iris?” Taranath asked, a lot more nicely than Drake had.

  He moved next to me, moving his hands over Brennan gently. When his hand brushed the center of Brennan’s chest, Brennan stirred and made a noise that might have been a protest. It broke my heart.

  “I felt this,” I whispered, unable to take my eyes off Brennan’s face. That face, so expressive, always in motion—lay still. Quiet. It didn’t feel right. It scared the shit out of me.

  Drake had moved around to where I stood without my realizing it until he grabbed my arm that reached for Brennan. “What are you doing here? What do you mean, you felt this?”

  “Drake,” Taranath said mildly.

  Drake’s anger showed in every line of his face, in the strength of the grip on my arm.

  “Drake, this doesn’t help Brennan. Let go of Iris.”

  Another moment that could be an eternity, and then Drake dropped my arm.

  “Now, Iris, what brought you here?”

  Shaken, I made myself turn slightly to Taranath. I didn’t want to turn my back on Drake. He no longer had the joking, best friend vibe. He had the ‘hurt my friend and I’ll kill you’ vibe. It scared me to think what he might do if I couldn’t see him.

  “I was sitting in our garden, and I felt like something had hit me right in the chest, and then I saw Brennan, and he looked…he looked…” My eyes were drawn to his too-quiet form in front of me, “Like he fell down. But with a surprised look. And then my chest hurt, and I knew something had happened. Then,” I stopped to wipe the tears I didn’t realize had slipped out, “I couldn’t see or feel anything more. It happened really fast.”

  I clutched at Taranath’s arm. “Will he be okay?”

  “How did you know to come here?” Drake pushed in between Brennan and me.

  I didn’t understand his anger.

  “Because I didn’t know where else to go. Taranath—”

  I took several steps back in fear, the words choked in my throat. Drake had pulled a knife! A knife! What the hell?

  “How did you know how to find him?” Drake yelled. “No one knew where we were going! How did you know to find us here?” He grabbed the front of my shirt. The knife hovered before my eyes.

  “Get off of me!” I found my voice and screamed as loudly as I could, grabbing at his hand that still held onto my shirt. I felt his fingers curl tighter next to my chest, and as fast as I could, I changed my grip and
pulled his hand towards my face. My movement caught him by surprise and I felt his fingers move away from me. I pulled his hand harder, using both hands, getting it close to me—and then in what quickly was becoming a signature move, I bit him.

  Hard.

  “Crazy human!” He yelled and let go of me like any sensible person would.

  Drake stepped back, bumping into the table. The hand holding the knife dropped, and I lunged for it. I might be able to get the knife and—

  I overshot the mark and fell into Drake. We tumbled against the table.

  Just as quickly, we were both pushed back, flying in opposite directions from the table. I landed on my back, hitting my head, again. I smirked through tears of pain to see Drake also rubbing his head on the other side of the room.

  “STOP!”

  Taranath hadn’t raised his voice since I’d met him. It felt like a thundercloud dropping on my head.

  “This is not helping Brennan,” he said, dividing his anger between the two of us. “Shall I leave you where you lie, or can you be trusted to behave as civilized people who are concerned for the king?”

  No one spoke. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. “Yes. If the knife can go away, please.” I shot a glare at Drake.

  “Of course, Taranath. My apologies for getting in the way of your work. I will not question Iris further until you’ve tended to Brennan.” Drake’s voice didn’t even sound winded.

  How did he calm himself down so fast? I felt a flash of envy at that kind of control. I didn’t have it. I wanted to bite him again, maybe tear his head off. Asshole. I couldn’t believe he pulled a knife on me.

  “Put away all weapons.” Taranath’s tone brooked no discussion. “And no biting.”

  He watched us both for a moment, then “You are both free. Get up.” He whirled around to Brennan.

  How the table hadn’t fallen during all that, I didn’t know. Taranath must have some pretty amazing moves to have done what he did.

  It’s always the quiet ones, isn’t it?

  I walked carefully to the table, taking care to keep Taranath in between Drake and me. I know he promised, but I’m not taking chances. Insane man.

  “Iris came here because I gave her the means to come to me if she needed to,” Taranath said, not looking up from his examination of Brennan. “She could not go anywhere else. Nor did I want her to. I felt if she must come to Fae, it would be safest to come to me. I do admit, Iris, to wondering at your timing. Did you come because of what you experienced? How did you know Brennan had been hurt?”

  His hands busied themselves opening up Brennan’s shirt. They moved in a way that seemed independent of the man himself. I watched his hands, unable to turn away.

  Brennan had no color. He was so very pale.

  “Um…yeah. Yes. I knew something had happened. Mara told me I had to come back here, to see you, to…” I didn’t want to tell him what she had said. I didn’t want to share that, not now, not with Brennan lying here, and Drake still glaring at me.

  No way.

  Taranath nodded. Whether he knew what Mara had said, or whether I’d told him enough, I don’t know. I felt relief that I wouldn’t have to go into it now.

  I’d have to, though. At some point.

  “So, Drake, Iris reacted to Brennan being hurt. I think you may safely sheath your knife.”

  Silence, and then I heard the hiss and snick of the knife being put back.

  “It would seem that you have some connection to Brennan. Most interesting. I would like to talk with you more about it, but I need to heal him. Iris, I will need the assistance of the both of you. Drake, please move to the other side.”

  I couldn’t take my eyes from Brennan, who seemed to have gone paler while we talked.

  “He isn’t getting better,” I said in a small voice.

  “No, he’s not.” Taranath spoke before Drake could. “But we shall change that. Come here, Iris.”

  I took a step closer to him.

  “Your hand, please.”

  I held out my right hand.

  “No, the other one.”

  Okay. Weird.

  I did as he asked.

  “Drake, your right hand, please.”

  Drake gave him his right hand.

  Taranath took both our hands, placing Drake’s on top of mine. Both of us jumped. I could feel it in his hand.

  Then he placed our stacked hands on Brennan’s chest. This felt awful. Not only because Drake and I were still ready to kill one another but because I could feel Brennan’s wound. His blood pumping from his body.

  “Don’t move. Either of you.” Taranath spoke mildly, but I heard the command. He walked to Brennan’s head, and placed his hands on the sides of Brennan’s head.

  “When I begin, I want you to think of Brennan healing,” he said.

  Where was the wand?

  The image of Taranath running a wand over me popped into my head right then. Why wasn’t he using the wand? Magic didn’t seem to have any hard and fast rules here.

  He closed his eyes, and began to speak in a language I couldn’t understand. I felt Drake’s hand tighten over mine. I risked a peek at him, and saw that his eyes were closed. His jaw had the hard look jaws have when the person is clenching their teeth.

  I looked down at Brennan, so still and pale.

  Oh god, you can’t die. You have to get better.

  He didn’t move.

  Like before, with my mom, Taranath had a glow on his arms. It encompassed Brennan’s face, and I could see it moving down to where our hands sat on his chest.

  It still scared the shit out of me, and I wanted to do something to the glow, but I knew I couldn’t move.

  Please get better.

  Taranath chanted loudly, and the glow brightened. Any brighter, and I’d have to cover my eyes.

  Please.

  I felt a heartbeat beneath my hand.

  For me.

  Brennan

  —please—

  For me.

  The words penetrated the dark. Who asked this of him?

  For me.

  Who?

  His eyes opened, and everything that happened burst over him like a shower of lightening.

  “Drake!” He sat up. He hadn’t left Drake in the Dwarf Realm, had he?

  He realized he wasn’t alone. Hands were upon him. Drake and…Iris.

  “You must rest, Brennan.” A voice behind him.

  He tried to see who had come up behind him, and when he moved, a jolt of pain ran from his head to the tips of his fingers.

  “Your Majesty, please. You are safe. Drake is safe. But you will not heal as you should if you do not allow the body time to rest.”

  Gentle hands on his shoulders pressed him back.

  “What…what is she doing here?”

  A spasm of hurt crossed over Iris’s face. He saw it, and it made him want to turn away. He didn’t want to hurt her.

  “Not…safe for her,” he caught Drake’s hand. “Get her home.”

  “No.” Iris spoke. “Not until you’re well.”

  Brennan ignored her.

  “Get her safe.” He wouldn’t look at her. Couldn’t trust himself to hold his resolve if he looked at her again.

  “No!” Iris came in close to him. “You can hate me if you want. But I can’t go back, not until you’re better. Because if you don’t get better, I’ll keep falling over in my own realm. So shut up and get better.” She moved away from him. He could still feel her, as though she sat next to him.

  Brennan heard her anger and the jagged edge of pain. He closed his eyes and sighed. Better that she be in pain and go home safe. It wasn’t safe here. Not with Scarface. Not after he’d attacked him with magic that Brennan didn’t even know, hadn’t heard of or seen, nothing. It hit him like nothing he’d ever experienced before, and it kept coming. He’d lost the ability to fight it.

  The last thing he’d seen…Iris. Dressed as a fae woman, smiling at him over her should
er.

  “Majesty,” Taranath, hovering over him. “I will send for my goblins. They will tend to you.”

  He nodded, eyes still closed.

  “Iris, come with me. You need to rest for a time.”

  He heard them leave.

  “Come and help me up.” He knew Drake hadn’t left.

  He felt hands gently tug him into an upright sitting position.

  “Where is he?” He whispered.

  He could see the anger and regret on Drake as though he shouted it.

  “I don’t know. He hit you with that spell, and then I couldn’t see much. I was lucky that I saw you as you fell. I carried you away from the cottage and opened a portal. I am ashamed, Brennan. I didn’t look back or strike another blow against our enemy. My concern was for you, and to get you to safety.”

  “Did you recognize the mage?”

  Drake shook his head. “No. Why?”

  Brennan shrugged. “When I got close to him, I looked hard at him, and something rang familiar. Just as it did before. I cannot put my mind to what piece of his face did it. I’ve seen him before, though. I am sure of it.”

  “How? We know everyone.”

  Brennan glared. “Yes. Like we knew of the old king’s widow and her children. Indeed. We know everyone.”

  Drake’s shoulders sagged. “True. I spoke rashly. We don’t know much of anything about this, do we?”

  “I didn’t recognize the magic, either. Did you?”

  “No. I’ve not seen you felled in such a manner.”

  Brennan glared harder. “Thank you for the words of confidence, Drake. It improves the situation greatly.”

  A grin swept aside the tension that sat on Drake like a cloak. “You must be feeling better if you are able to give me such sarcasm.”

  “I’m so weak that a healthy breeze would be the end of me. My mind, however, is relatively unscathed.”

  “Good. Let’s talk about something else for a moment, as our situation in regards to the sorcerer is going nowhere. What is Iris doing here?”

  “How would I know, Drake? I was not aware of much of what happened.”

  “She showed up via a portal right after I brought you to Taranath.”