“Even if I fell in love with the goblin king, don’t you think I’d take home my seven gold pieces so my family wouldn’t lose their house? But I didn’t, because I wasn’t given seven gold pieces,” I said. “You think I’m lying, but did you ever consider that maybe the witch is lying to you because she doesn’t want you to kill the goblin king?”
At the least, I had gotten their attention. They weren’t raiding the library anymore.
“Why wouldn’t she want us to kill him?”
“Because, she has devoted her life to torturing him. She is the one who makes him have sex with every girl who offers herself to him. If you kill him, she won’t have any more satisfaction in watching him suffer. She will have nothing to live for. Why would she have set all of this up if she didn’t like the game?”
Mr. Vedast turned on me. I could see that he was starting to believe me.
I continued, “It’s true. I did have some feelings for the goblin king. But I was never given any gold. She didn’t need to give me any gold because I was already planning to come back to him. I never saw a single coin. If anyone knows where it is, it’s the river witch.”
“Where is she?”
“In the grotto.”
“Give him a kiss, eh? That’ll wake him up?” Mr. Vedast took hold of my arm again. “Show us to the grotto.”
I was sick with terror, knowing this plan might kill me and Nyar. At this point, all I could think was that if I could lift the curse, Nyar’s subjects would be freed. Even if I died before they could rescue me, at least they wouldn’t be shattered into a thousand shards of china.
He led me down the stairs, my feet almost tripping on the rope he had tied me with. “I can’t move that fast,” I growled.
He ignored me entirely. We got to a convergence of paths.
“Which way, goblin whore?” One of his men prodded me with a sheathed knife.
“Down.”
As we turned the bend, I heard faint clinking in the distance, like the way a set of dishes might sound if it was trying to sneak around.
The goblins, I realized, surely heard us. They might try and save Nyar and myself, even at the cost of their own lives.
“Goblins!” I cried. “Don’t follow me! Please!”
“Goblins?” The men all looked around. “What goblins? Where?”
Mr. Vedast grabbed my arm again. “What do you know?”
“The ghosts of the goblins live in the walls,” I said. His grip dug into my flesh, hurting me. “I don’t want them to get involved…because…” I scrambled for ideas. “…they might make the entire cavern collapse if you anger them.”
“You might have mentioned that earlier. What will they do if we were to kill their king?”
“I don’t think they’ll mind if you have an honorable duel with him. After all, they’re ghosts themselves, so they probably would like him to join them. It just has to be fair.”
“Hmm. All of this is sounding pretty fishy. If I find out you’re lying, girl, I’ll poke out your eyes.”
Chapter Twelve
We descended to the grotto. The air was chillier here than I remembered. The slick rocks were even harder to traverse when my feet were bound. I couldn’t spread my weight as far as I wanted to keep my balance.
“This is it,” I said. “The river. The goblin king is…there.” I could hardly finish my sentence as I got close enough to see the coffin. The beautiful prince was gone. It was just Nyar there now. My Nyar. It was painful that I couldn’t rush to his side right this moment.
The river was calm, but bubbling at the edge.
You may safely cross, the river witch said. She sounded excited.
“Croth, Baynard, come with me. The rest of you should remain on the other side to guard the entrance and watch the river.” Mr. Vedast told the other men, and he urged me into the water. “You first.”
The banks of the river dropped off rather abruptly. Because my feet were bound, I had to actually hop in to the water. I knew the river witch could easily speed up her current, lash her waters at me, and carry me away if she wished, the way she had taken Knife. But for now, the water was warm and pleasant. I took small steps. The current dragged at my skirts, making me a little unsteady, especially when I was in up to my thighs. Mr. Vedast was behind me now. The water was frothing and foaming along the rocky banks now. The river witch expected this to have an outcome she was going to like, which did nothing to calm me.
The opposite bank had more of a gentle incline, so I was able to walk slowly out into the dry air. Now my skirts were wet and heavy. I wished I still had the goblin dress on, which wouldn’t have been so long.
I tried my best to rush to the coffin, so I could get one look at Nyar before Mr. Vedast was right behind me.
He was more perfect than I remembered. His face was peaceful, but his mouth was open just a little so I could see the edges of his fangs. His hair was in some disarray, sweeping one direction across his brow and another way behind his head. He was still wearing the clothing I had last seen him in, complete with a few buttons still undone—by my hand, I thought. He had a sword at his side now, I was glad to see, because he certainly might need it. His hands were that ghastly pale color with knobby knuckles and sharp claws.
He was a mess and I loved him.
My hands tugged at my bonds behind my back, desperate to touch him.
“Ugh. Look at him.” Mr. Vedast grabbed my shoulder and shoved me back. “Like a corpse mated with a wolf.”
“You want to mate with that?” One of the other men poked the coffin with his finger, laughing.
They were hoping to make me cry, to force me into displaying shame for what I had done, but I would never be ashamed for any of it. I held my head high, even as a slight tremble passed through my jaw.
Mr. Vedast pushed up the glass lid of the coffin. It actually seemed too light, for what it was, but I suppose it was enchanted not to be too heavy, so I could have lifted it myself. He brandished his sword at Nyar’s prone form.
“Go ahead and kiss him, then,” he told me.
God help us. Let us get out of this somehow. I prayed before I leaned forward.
My lips met Nyar’s. He was warm, his taste so familiar.
His eyes opened. Golden and heavy with sleep. Then, a blink, and they came alert. He saw Mr. Vedast almost immediately, and sat up—in fact, I could tell he would have been on his feet with his own sword drawn, had Mr. Vedast not put a hand on his chest before he could get that far. I had certainly learned that Mr. Vedast was quite keen on using his hands to restrain, shove, and grab.
Nyar, now upright within his coffin, glanced at me briefly, with hope but also a hint of caution.
I gave him a look back that I hoped would tell him everything—most of all, that I hadn’t betrayed him.
“Sabela,” he said. And I knew he understood.
The curse has been broken, the river witch said. Her voice had a funny hitch to it, like she didn’t know what to do with herself. And now the fun will begin.
Nyar’s eyes shot to Mr. Vedast.
“Goblin King,” Mr. Vedast said. “I’m here to avenge all the young women you have taken advantage of over the years. Tell me where your gold is, and I will spare your life.”
Nyar raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
He glanced around the room. At the frothing river. At me. And the twelve men with their swords drawn.
“It’s right here,” he said. “Underneath the coffin.”
Mr. Vedast’s eyes were darting around. In fact, he reminded me of when I was in the library trying to look at the maps. He expected a trick. “Get up,” he said.
Nyar climbed out of the coffin in one nimble motion, standing beside me, close enough that I could feel the heat of his body. Underneath where he had been laying, there was an obvious wooden panel that Mr. Vedast lifted up, and just as promised, there were sacks of gold coins.
“Take them,” Nyar said. He took a step back.
“Put
your sword down,” Mr. Vedast said. “Three against one.”
Nyar lifted his hands in a gesture of peace, and then took off his sword belt. Is this a good idea? I wondered. He must know what he was doing.
Mr. Vedast motioned for his two men to reach for the gold first. They took a heavy sack in each hand.
“Get them across,” Mr. Vedast said.
They carried the sacks across the river, as the waters remained calm.
As soon as Mr. Vedast saw it was safe, he grabbed two more, and the he tried to manage two in one hand so he could take a third. While Mr. Vedast was distracted with the gold, Nyar’s claws tore the strands of the rope that bound my hands. I rubbed my chafed wrists, but kept my hands tucked behind me so Mr. Vedast wouldn’t notice.
I wondered why Nyar was letting him get away with all this. Mr. Vedast was obviously getting more arrogant, caught up in his impatience, and I was sure it was a trick and that any moment Nyar was going to attack him while his hands were full.
But maybe he didn’t care about the gold.
I had just had this thought when I heard a commotion outside the door. The men who were guarding it took a step back. “Goblins!” they cried. “Real goblins—not ghosts.”
“Was this your plan all along?” I whispered to Nyar.
“I wouldn’t call it a plan, so much as…a circumstance. I knew they would return to their true forms as soon as you kissed me. But I don’t want them hurt. Halt!” He shouted. “Be cautious, my people!” He looked at Mr. Vedast. “They won’t hurt you if you won’t hurt them.”
Mr. Vedast dropped the sacks and drew his sword again. “I know what you’re planning. You think I’ll cross the river, and as soon as I cross, your men will kill us. But I’m staying right here. If your goblins dare to hurt my men—“ He pointed his sword at Nyar’s heart. “I will run you through.”
“The thing of it is,” Nyar said, “I’m going to die one way or another. The river witch has become so obsessed with her curse that I’m not sure she even knows how to take on a human form anymore. She is waiting to drown me as soon as I cross. So if you kill me, it won’t make much of a difference. You will have to cross the river sooner or later. My people, on the other hand, deserve the gold. If you would be kind enough to leave it on the opposite bank for them, I’ll tell them to leave you alone.”
“I came for gold,” Mr. Vedast hissed. “How many goblins could there be?”
“Well, sir—quite a lot, I think,” one of the other men said. “Maybe a hundred?”
“A hundred?”
“I can hear them out there having a discussion. I think we’re outnumbered. You’d better just give it up.”
“Fine,” Mr. Vedast spat. Now he pointed his sword at me. “I hope you enjoy drowning with your goblin.”
“I will,” I said, although…well, I’d rather not.
Mr. Lock put one foot in the water and immediately it sprayed a forceful plume of water at him. The waters began to churn.
Greedy man, the river witch said. I don’t like you either. I think I’d like to see you fight the Goblin King. Who will win? I don’t care. I will enjoy the show.
Mr. Vedast went pale, but only for a moment. He realized that Nyar’s sword was still on the ground, while he was holding his own, and moved to strike.
Nyar dodged the first strike, but it carried him even farther from his own sword. Mr. Vedast seemed to have angled him that way on purpose. Nyar hit the side of the coffin, and darted around it, using it as a shield. Mr. Vedast chased him around the coffin, slashing perilously close. He was a good fighter. Nyar was agile, managing to evade but not to get into a position where he might use his claws.
I hobbled toward the sword, still pretending my hands were tied.
Nyar knew what I was up to. He managed to lead Mr. Vedast back around, closer to me, and I quickly picked up the sword by the blade so I could get the hilt of it right into his hand.
I was so urgent, and the blade was so sharp, that I slashed my palm. It stung like anything, blood leaking from the gash immediately, but I wrapped my apron around the wound. “Don’t worry about me!” I cried, when Nyar looked at me with concern.
He barely ducked from Mr. Vedast’s latest attack. One of the tips of his horns was slashed off and rolled into the river.
But now Nyar had his own sword, and he could give as good as he got. I knew just how strong he was, and I knew he still practiced, so I expected him to be good with a sword, and he was.
Their blades clashed, ringing in my ears, neither seeming to have the upper hand at first—but Nyar was on the defensive. By choice, I hoped. Mr. Vedast seemed ready to burn his energy. Every muscle in my body tensed, watching how close that fierce blade came to the man I loved. In one horrible moment, it could all be over, and it was all so fast.
Nyar blocked one of Mr. Vedast’s more vigorous assaults. Their blades were crossed, arms straining, Mr. Vedast trying to knock Nyar down while he dug in his heels.
With a grunt, Nyar shoved Mr. Vedast back again, and they were back where they started, striking at each other. I could see Mr. Vedast had lost the vigor of his initial assault, but he was not an opponent to underestimate. As he tired, perhaps he was also considering his strategy better. He still had Nyar on the defense.
But Nyar looked relaxed, nimble on his feet, his golden eyes slightly narrowed.
Mr. Vedant rushed at Nyar, and to me it looked like he might strike his side. I gasped, unable to do anything but watch.
Nyar blocked in the nick of time, and grabbed Mr. Vedant’s sword by the hilt before he could recover from the force of his blow. He twisted the sword out of his hand, and now Nyar had both swords.
I clutched my hands with sudden joy and admiration of his skill, before I remembered we were all trapped here, on the opposite bank of the river. It didn’t really matter who won. The river witch would have the last word.
A moment later, the doors burst open. Mr. Vedast’s men didn’t even try to hold back the wave of goblins who rushed in, armed with swords and knives and other various weapons. The ones in front had shields, forming a wall of metal. A hundred seemed a fair assessment. My heart thrilled at the sight. Finally, I could see the faces of my friends. Mostly men in this front wave, but a few scrappy-looking women with surprisingly strong arm muscles were in the gang. I assumed that only the fighting goblins had come through the doors.
“My king!” A few of them rushed to the shore.
“Garor? So you are alive. Who was the knife, then?”
Garor, one of the burliest of the goblins, with a scar on his face, looked pained. “It was my lady Selnay, my lord. I was the butter dish.”
“The butter dish?” I asked, flashing back to when I had patted the butter dish while wondering if it was a goblin warrior in real life. I had been right on the mark.
“Selnay?” Nyar cursed. “Don’t cross the river. She’ll kill you.” He looked at Mr. Vedast. Both of them had paused their fighting when the goblins surged in. “You can surely see that your men are outnumbered and out armed. Let my people have their gold. My sins were never theirs to begin with.”
“And what about me?” Mr. Vedast shot a furious glance at the rest of his gang.
“I’m sorry, Vedast, I didn’t sign up to fight an army of goblins. I thought we were going to plunder an abandoned cave.” One of the men held up his arms. “Have your gold. Just let me get out of here.”
Mr. Vedast’s other men quickly followed suit, putting away their weapons and spreading their hands.
A younger goblin poked one of them with a clawed finger and jeered, “Yeah, get out of here!” before getting cuffed by one of the more seasoned soldiers.
“I’m going to die with you? Like hell!” Mr. Vedant flung himself across the river. He managed to get his arms on the opposite bank, and started clawing himself up.
The river roiled, splashing his face. The river witch cackled.
“Help me, damnit!” Mr. Vedant yelled at his men. One of them ap
proached, holding out a hand, and was immediately met with another wave. He, at least, seemed braced for it.
“Hurry!” he shouted. “Get my hand!”
But the water was surging where it entered the grotto, and a current rushed at Mr. Vedant, while an undertow seemed to pull him beneath the water. He thrashed, his friend still making a valiant attempt to reach for him.
“Stop!” I cried. I didn’t want to see Mr. Vedant drown, even if he had tried to kill Nyar. I didn’t want to see anyone drown. Especially when we might be next.
Nyar put an arm around me.
It was too late for Mr. Vedant. His body was sucked under and dragged across the rocks. I had to bury my face in Nyar’s chest. The river witch was enjoying herself, laughing as she carried him off the same way Knife had gone. You’re better off without him anyway, wouldn’t you say?
“Even a criminal deserves a trial,” I said. But it was obviously too late for that.
Mr. Vedant’s friend hastily backed away from the river. Friend? Maybe I shouldn’t have said ‘friend’. No one seemed all that upset by his death. He was not well liked in the town, that was for sure.
“We’d better just go,” the man said.
“I’d say so,” Garor said, picking up one of the bags of gold almost like he was going to slug one of the humans in the head with it.
The human men retreated hastily now, and the goblins cleared out of the way to let them pass.
Then they approached us, gathering on the opposite side of the bank. Nyar and I stood alone, in a small, dark, cavernous space, with nothing but the glass coffin. Obviously, the river witch had allowed Nyar to cross the river every morning to sleep, but now her waters danced menacingly.
“We could get a rope,” Garor said.
“Garor—my friends—all of you. Please, listen to me. Are the rest of you out in the hall? I hope they can hear me,” Nyar said. There was not much room left in the grotto to fit more people, but I assumed there must be other goblins who had not joined the fight. “I might not make it out of this. Before anything else, I just want to…see your faces. And offer you my sincerest apology. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t thought it was a good idea to put on a glamour and run around with faery maidens. I was young and stupid, and not a wise ruler.”
Beauty and the Goblin King (Fairy Tale Heat Book 1) Page 10
