I got up, pacing around the room. Why did he run from me? Because that is exactly what his leaving was. Running from me. Big damn baby.
Damn. My vocabulary was stuck. It was Brennan’s fault. Damn man.
I walked to the window, crossing my arms around myself into a hug as I looked out over the castle grounds. Lawn? Garden? I didn’t know what to call it. It looked like a combination of all the above. I could see a rose garden off to one side. From my previous time in this room, I knew that this window didn’t open. I felt the urge to be outside, to let fresh air and sun clear my head.
I whirled around as the door opened. Maybe he’d decided to not be such a jerk.
I felt my shoulders sag as I saw Glynan, the little goblin woman I’d seen before, come in with a tray of food. She brought it over to a table, smiling at me as she set it down.
“Majesty says to please eat, and not wait for him.”
“No joke,” I muttered. “Heaven forbid he spend any more time with me.”
“Sorry, miss?”
I shook my head as I walked to the tray. “Nothing. Thank you, Glynan. Oh, I am so glad you brought the bread and honey again!”
The smile broadened. “I’ll tell Cook that you like it. She’ll be pleased. This is fresh this morning.”
I spread the honey on the bread and took a huge bite. “It’s delicious,” I got out. “Cook is amazing.”
“Thank you, miss.” She turned to leave.
“Wait!”
She stopped and I could tell she was surprised.
“How do I let someone know if I need something?”
“You just ask, miss.”
“Like I ring a bell, or something?”
Glynan nodded. “Over there,” She pointed at the doorway, “Next to the door. See the bell? Give it a jingle, and one of us will come directly.”
Wow. Right out of Gone With The Wind. “Okay. Can I ask you if I can go outside after I eat?”
I could see the wrinkles form in her forehead with her frown. “I’m not sure, miss. You’d need to ask Majesty about it.”
I waved a hand. “He said to make myself at home.” Not quite what he said, but hey, he left. I was on my own.
“Where did you want to go?”
I pointed towards the window. “Into the rose garden I saw out there.”
The wrinkles on her forehead eased. “Oh, that’s the Queen’s Garden. That’s close to the castle. I think that would be okay. I’ll need to get someone to go with you. Eat, miss, and we’ll see what we can do. You’re here for a bit, Majesty says.”
I nodded, but I wondered what exactly Brennan had told the goblins. I’d love to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation. “I am, I guess. When can I go outside?”
“Well, I don’t know, miss. I’ll check with Majesty. Don’t you worry none about it. Eat.”
With that, she hurried out the door.
These goblins, from the king on down, were really good at getting out of Dodge when they didn’t want to answer any questions.
***
Three days. Three days. It had been three days since Brennan had abruptly walked out of the lounge, leaving me to wonder what had happened.
I still wondered what had happened but he made it clear that something had happened. Whatever it was, it wasn’t in my favor.
I’d seen Drake, and Glynan, and Taranath, but no Brennan. He practiced some serious avoidance. So much for keeping me with him, and safe. His idea of keeping me safe meant that Drake followed me everywhere other than the bathroom.
That didn’t make me or Drake very happy.
Midday the day after I’d come back to Fae, where I sulked around my rooms—Brennan had given me a wonderful suite of rooms—and Drake lurked in the corners, I finally got mad, and turned on Drake.
“Since we’re apparently stuck together, we might as well talk.”
“There is nothing to say. You’re here to be kept safe. I am doing the duty that my king commands, and keeping you safe.” He stared over my head.
What had happened to the joking Drake of before? Did he still think I had something to do with Brennan being hurt? God. These guys.
“Well thank you ever so much for doing your duty. But it’s going to continue to suck for us both if we don’t clear the air. So go. Tell me why you’re so mad at me still. Because I don’t get it.”
At my words, his gaze met mine. Ouch. Maybe I should have let him be a statue still. His eyes blazed hot and angry.
“I nearly lost my king, my brother. You are in the wrong place at the worst time, and it’s happened more than once. I haven’t seen anything that shows me you’re not a threat to him.”
“If I was a threat, wouldn’t I tried to have get the hell out of this prison by now?”
“It’s only been a day.”
“It may as well be forever. If Brennan wants you to follow me like an angry pit bull, fine. I haven’t tried to hurt him at all. I helped heal him. But if you don’t want to accept that, fine. Can we get out of here for a while?”
His eyes narrowed. “Where is it you want to go?”
“I’d like to go sit outside. I’m dying, cooped up in here. I saw a garden, Glynan called it the Queen’s Garden—can I go there?”
“Such a specific place.”
“It’s all I saw from Brennan’s rooms.”
He turned away from me, hands behind his back. I could tell he considered my request seriously. Even if he hated me, at least he listened. Maybe I could get him to listen a little more.
He faced me once more. “Very well. We will go outside. You will not leave the Queen’s Garden, and you will come inside when I say you need to.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Am I a prisoner here? Because it’s starting to sound like it. That wasn’t the deal.”
“Do you wish to go outside or not?”
I hated to give in. “Yes,” I got out.
“Then you will follow directions. You’ll need to change.”
Whatever I’d expected, that wasn’t it. “What?”
“You’re in your clothing from the Human Realm. You need to look fae. I’ll have some clothing sent up. I don’t want you to look any different. It will keep you safe. That is my concern, after all,” He bowed, a mocking tone in his voice.
It took all my self-restraint not to yell at him. “That would be great. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
His eyes narrowed again. I guess he’d not expected that from me. Good. I will kill you with kindness.
With that, he excused himself, and rustled me up some ladies’ clothing.
The next morning after I ate, we went outside. I plopped myself on one of the benches and soaked up the sun. It felt like forever since I’d been outside. To someone who’d spent their life outside, the last two days had been difficult.
Drake hung around the edge of the garden, like the proverbial fly in the ointment. The garden was lovely. Roses of all shades bloomed, and they were larger than what I was used to seeing. The smell of them nearly overwhelmed me. I could hear birds in the distance, and after sitting a while, it sounded like bees were working in the flowers. I couldn’t see them, but the hum of something was persistent in the background.
We stayed like that, me sitting, Drake lurking, for nearly an hour before I broke down.
“Come and sit down, please. You’re like the specter at the feast.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re hanging around the edge here, glaring and whatever, and ruining the day. Sit down. Yell at me if you want. I hate someone being angry at me and not just getting it out in the open about why they’re angry. If I’m going to be here, I don’t want to be fighting with you at all times.”
“You’re so sure you’re going to be here for a while?”
But he’d come closer.
“Even if I’m not, is this pleasant? Because it’s sure not fun for me.”
Shading my eyes, I looked up at him. He still had his suspiciou
s face on. I really hoped this worked, because my patience with him had worn thin.
He sighed. “Very well,” And sat down on a bench across from me. “How are you feeling?”
“What do you mean?”
“Taranath said that the last time you were here, you were fading. Do you feel that way still?”
I thought about it. “I don’t feel like running a marathon, but I don’t feel like all I want to do is lay on a couch, either. That’s how I felt before. I feel,” I stopped. “It feels like when you’ve been sick, and you’re finally getting better. Do you know what I mean?”
He shook his head. “I haven’t been sick in a long time.”
“Oh. Probably a fae thing, right? Never mind,” I waved a hand. “How old are you, Drake?”
He looked surprised. “Brennan and I are about the same age. Mother and Father were not sure exactly how I was when I came here, but they guessed three years younger than Brennan.”
“And how old is that?”
“Six hundred seventy-one.”
I nearly fell off the bench. When I pulled myself back up, I could see that Drake sort of smiled. “What? How old? Is that you or Brennan?”
“Me. Brennan is six hundred and seventy-four.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it. What do you say to that? “Um. Well, how do you live so long?”
He shrugged. “We just do. I don’t know, really. Taranath could probably tell you.”
“You’re not treating me like a criminal. Does this mean you believe I’m not a threat?”
He leaned back, sighing as he did. “I don’t know, Iris. I like you. I think you’re good for Brennan.” He held up a hand to forestall the question I started to ask. “I won’t say anything more. It’s not my place. But you’re in the wrong place twice in a row, twice when Brennan was in great danger. I can’t ignore that.”
This was not going to be easy. “Did you ever think maybe I was supposed to be there?”
“Eh?”
“I mean, maybe I was supposed to meet you in the bathroom. And you can doubt me if you want, but talk to my grandmother and my parents. I felt it when Brennan got hurt. Like I’d been hit in the chest myself. Before that, I had no idea what was going on here. It scared the crap out of me, so much that I had to come back, even though coming back scared me too.”
His head cocked, Drake studied me. “Do you give me your word that you speak the truth?”
I nodded. “I can’t give you anything else.”
I don’t know what exactly it was that I said, but from that moment on, Drake relaxed with me.
Two days after that conversation, we were in the garden again.
“Drake?”
“Yes?”
“Where is Brennan, and why haven’t I seen him in three days?”
Three days. It felt like an eternity.
He busied himself with looking at a rose. “I don’t know, Iris. You’ll need to ask Brennan that.”
I got up, forcing him to look at me. “I would, if I ever saw him! I haven’t seen him since the first night I got here, after he was hurt! He’s avoiding me, the big baby!”
Drake looked shocked that I would refer to Brennan as such, but to hell with it. I didn’t do well with this sit around, and play the nice lady part. Although the dress was nice. I loved fae clothing. Comfortable, kind of renfest-like, but comfortable.
“Why would you say that, Iris?”
“We had a pretty open conversation, and then apparently I asked too deep of a question for his royal highness and he stomped out. And sent you to hover over me.” I scowled. “He knew you were mad at me. He knew, and still told you to sit on me.”
“I have not sat on you.”
“Never mind. That’s not the point! The point is that he’s avoiding me! If he’s not going to talk to me or spend any time with me, he might as well send me home. I’d rather be with my parents if I can’t…” I stopped. I didn’t want to say that.
But Drake caught my slip up. “If you can’t what?” He asked quietly.
“It doesn’t matter. If I’m nothing more than a prisoner, I need to go home.” I crossed my arms, walking away from him.
Drake didn’t speak for a bit. Neither did I. What else was there to say?
“I’ll go talk to him.”
I whirled to face Drake. “You will? Thank you!”
“Don’t thank me at this moment. I may not be successful and you may find yourself here tomorrow. But I shall speak with him, and convey your concerns.”
“When?”
He stared at me, at my face that I knew had a hopeful expression, and sighed. “Oh, all right. I’ll go find him now.”
“Great! I’ll—”
“You’ll stay right here. I’ll get one of the goblins to sit with you. I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“But—”
“Sit. Wait for someone to come and sit with you. That’s my offer, or I don’t speak with Brennan.”
I glared. He returned my glare in full measure.
“Oh, all right. Go find my next sitter.”
He grinned at me, pointing at the bench behind me.
I walked towards it, and before I sat down, looked over my shoulder to see him loping off to the castle.
I hoped he could talk some sense into Brennan.
Brennan
He watched as Drake left Iris in the garden. His anger flared like a fire. What was he thinking, leaving her alone? He’d told Drake to stay with her at all times.
Iris looked over her shoulder, and Brennan took a step back. The picture in front of him was the last thing he’d seen before everything had faded when Scarface attacked him. Iris, in fae clothing, looking over her shoulder. From this vantage point, it was almost as though she looked at him. He felt struck at seeing her as he’d seen her in his vision.
What did it mean? That he’d seen Iris as she was now? In his kingdom, dressed as fae, and happy.
With Drake.
The hot, sudden blast of jealousy that engulfed him entirely took him completely off guard.
Drake would never—he knew how Brennan felt—
A flash of something out of place in the garden caught his eye and stopped the building rage he felt.
He stepped closer to the window, looking for whatever it was.
There was Iris. Her dress and gown were a pale green. Pale like the spring, and suited her. He’d seen something dark.
Iris turned from where he could see her face, and he saw that she spoke to someone. A goblin, although he couldn’t tell who it was. He squinted. Drake must have sent the goblin to Iris as he felt he needed to leave. Brennan knew he’d have words with Drake over that. Iris had been alone.
The goblin came closer to Iris, and Brennan watched as he—for it was a male—held out a tray he carried with a cup. He could see Iris smile at the goblin and reach for the cup. As she took it, the goblin bowed, and smiled up at her.
It was not the smile of someone happy to help her, but one of gleeful anticipation.
He watched as Iris lifted the cup to her lips and—
“No!” He cried from the window, already in motion. He pulled a stone from his pouch and raced out of the room to the door that led to the rose garden. He had to hurry. Only seconds before Iris drank and then—
He burst from the castle and ran along the path, stone in hand and raised waiting for only a glimpse of the goblin who’d brought her the drink. As he approached the center of the Queen’s Garden where he’d last seen Iris, he saw that the goblin was no longer there, and he couldn’t see Iris.
“Iris!” He shouted, running faster. He reached the center and nearly stepped onto Iris, lying in a crumpled heap next to a bench.
“Iris! Drake! Drake!”
Still clutching the stone, Brennan knelt and gathered Iris to him, cradling her in his arms as he lifted her and turned back to the castle.
“Brennan! What happened?” Drake nearly ran into him.
“You tell me, Drake! W
hy was Iris alone?” Brennan didn’t break stride and Drake hurried to keep up with him.
“Taranath! Find the Court Mage now!” He shouted at several goblins who’d poked their heads out of the door. “And out of the way! I must get the lady to Taranath!”
Goblins scurried as he and Drake made their way through the corridor, heading for the mage’s rooms.
“Iris wasn’t alone,” Drake said beside him as he kept up with Brennan’s hurried pace “I sent Glynan out to her.”
“Glynan did not go to her. A goblin I didn’t recognize came out bearing a tray—”
“I sent Glynan with a cool drink for Iris.”
“The goblin gave her the drink, and she collapsed.” Brennan finally looked over at Drake. Drake’s face showed his anguish plainly. “Find Glynan. Now.”
With a nod, Drake reversed his direction, leaving Brennan to continue on to Taranath.
He burst through the mage’s door. “Taranath! I need you!”
Taranath came gliding through from his study. “I am here, Your Majesty. What has happened?”
“I am guessing Iris has been poisoned,” Brennan walked over to Taranath’s examining table where he’d been only a few days prior.
He laid Iris down gently, and Taranath immediately moved over her, murmuring quietly. Brennan stepped back, knowing that Taranath worked best without anyone hovering.
It took all his strength, however, not to do something, anything. He couldn’t look at Iris, lifeless and still.
“It is poison, but…”
“What?” Brennan snapped.
“This is interesting,” Taranath said, leaning over Iris.
“What?” Brennan thought he’d go mad, waiting for the man to tell him what the poison was.
“They, whomever they are, have used a poison found in the Human Realm. It has been used to end life, and…”
“Yes?” Brennan forced himself to level his anger until Iris was out of danger. If she could be brought out of danger.
“Were she not part fae, she would have died, instantly.” Taranath looked up at Brennan. “She was targeted with a poison deadly to humans. Her fae side saved her.”
“She will live?”
Taranath nodded. “She will. But I must tend to her. Go, Your Majesty. Find the one who has done this. I need to be sure of what has been used on her.”
Heart Of The Goblin King (The Realm Trilogy Book 1) Page 19
