by Zoe Arden
The vendor shrugged.
"I don't know anything," he said and went about his business.
I looked at Eleanor. She clearly didn't believe him any more than I did.
"Are you sure you don't know where we can find Kyrab?" I asked.
"Ask the meat man," he said.
I scrunched my face. "Meat man?"
He pointed at another vendor just across from him. That vendor told us to ask the fruit man and pointed back at him.
We sighed.
"This way," Eleanor said, pointing to a goblin dressed like a gypsy. She wore a long dark skirt and big gold hoop earrings. Her hair was brushed to one side. That was the only way I could tell the girl goblins from the boys. The girls had hair; well, most of them did at least.
"Excuse me," I said. "Can you tell us where to find Kyrab?"
The woman looked at us. Her round black eyes widened to tennis balls; it was like peering into two black vortexes.
"Kyrab is gone," she said in a haunting, shaky voice.
She held out one hand like she was pointing to something behind us. We turned to look and saw a dark gray goblin staring at us. He was male and shorter than those around him, maybe three and a half feet. He had striking green eyes, which was unusual for a goblin, almost as unusual as the clothes this gypsy goblin was wearing.
Most goblins dressed in second-hand clothes. Often times the shabbier a goblin was dressed, the more elegant it was considered to be. This gypsy appeared to have the opposite thinking. Her clothes were neat and clean if not a little on the gaudy side.
When we turned back around to her, she was gone. The dark gray goblin was taking surprisingly large strides toward us.
"Who sent you?" he demanded.
"Uh, well, Perx did, I guess," I said, looking at Eleanor, who shrugged. "We've been asked to look into Zulubar's disappearance."
Eleanor cut in. "We were under the impression that everyone in Goblin Territory had been informed of this."
He glared at us, sunlight shining off his eyes like two spotlights. "We were told only that there was an investigation, not who was doing the investigating."
"Who was that woman we were just talking to?" I asked.
"That was Esha, our village historian."
"Historian?" I asked. "You mean she's not a gypsy?"
He cocked his head to the side. "What's a gypsy?"
"Never mind," I said.
"Esha told us that Kyrab is gone. Do you know if that's—"
"Sssh!" the goblin hissed. "Do you want to get us all killed?"
Eleanor and I exchanged a look. "What do you mean?"
"It's not safe to talk here," he said. "My name is Bisnunk. Meet me at the boulder's entrance after dark, and I'll explain."
"Explain what?" I asked.
Sssh!" He looked around and leaned in close to us. The top of his head barely hit my abdomen. "I know where King Zulubar and Kyrab are. They're together."
My heart thumped. "If you know, then can't you just—"
"Not now. After dark."
He looked quickly around. "Go now. Don't stay here. It's not safe."
He hurried away. Eleanor and I looked at each other and I knew we were both thinking the same thing—what had we gotten ourselves into?
* * *
CHAPTER
FIVE
.
.
.
* * *
* * *
.
I got the call from Eleanor around ten.
"I'm sorry, I can't go. Zane just got home. Something's wrong."
"What is it?" I asked. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know," Eleanor complained. "He won't tell me, but I've got to get to the bottom of it before he destroys any more of our furniture."
I heard a cushion being ripped open in the background.
"Oh, no, not the good couch," Eleanor muttered. "I've gotta go. Tell me what happens."
I hung up with Eleanor and considered calling Lucy Lockwood. My best friend was always up for an adventure. I hesitated though, not sure just what type of adventure this might turn out to be.
Snowball jumped onto my bed. "Mama go to sleep now?" she asked and began to purr. She butted her head against my hand, and I scratched her fluffy white head.
"Not yet," I told her. It occurred to me that I could take Snowy with me tonight. The goblins loved cats, especially Snowball, but I wasn't sure that was the best idea. Snowy made an excellent lookout, but she was so tiny, and the goblins were so big. What if one of them accidentally stepped on her in the dark?
"Mama goes to see detective man?" Snowball asked.
"You mean Colt?"
Snowball nodded, her green eyes blinking at me as she flopped over and began to roll on my mattress.
"No, not tonight. He's still not back."
"Snowy likes him."
I smiled. "I like him, too."
I gave her one last scratch then snuck quietly out the front door. The last thing I wanted to do was tell my dad I was going into Goblin Territory after nightfall. He'd flip his lid. I may have been an adult, but I would always be his little girl.
The forest was pitch black. I fought my way through the goblin's spells—I was almost positive I'd left the car running and started back to check more than once—and finally made it to the boulder. I looked around for Bisnunk but didn't see him anywhere. My ears perked up at the snap of a twig. My head snapped around.
"Bisnunk?" I whispered.
"Ava Fortune?" a voice whispered back.
I hurried toward its source and saw the black outline of a short, stumpy goblin.
"I wasn't sure you'd come," Bisnunk said.
"You didn't leave me much choice." I was both irritated and fascinated by him all at once.
We looked at each other in the darkness, each suspicious of the other.
"You said you had information for me." I tapped my foot on the ground, waiting for his answer, and tried to act like I trusted him.
"I must know one thing first," Bisnunk said.
I lifted my eyebrows but realized he probably couldn't see them in the dark. "Yes?"
"Where do your loyalties lie?"
I felt my face tighten, not quite understanding the question.
"My loyalties?" I bit my bottom lip and try to think.
This was not multiple-choice; this was yes or no. Bisnunk clearly had a right or wrong answer. I was pretty sure that if I failed to answer it the way he wanted, I would go back home tonight empty-handed. If he really knew where Zulubar and Kyrab were, I had to find out.
I considered what I knew about the goblins, which wasn't a whole lot really. Most of what I knew had come from Sheriff Knoxx and Eleanor, and I didn't know how accurate that information was. Everything Sheriff Knoxx thought about them was colored with his personal perspective; everything Eleanor thought about them was colored with hers.
The tempting answer was to say my loyalties lay with King Zulubar. Something told me that was the wrong answer, though. Even in multiple-choice, there was always one obviously wrong answer and one trick answer—one that seemed right, but which was really wrong.
I sighed. The goblins were black and white when it came to rules. There was no gray area with them. Guilty or not guilty, happy or sad. It gave me an idea.
I took a deep breath. "My loyalties lie with justice."
Bisnunk smiled. "Correct." He paused as if giving me a moment of silence out of his newfound respect. "Truth comes in many forms; it is not always easy to decipher. Loyalty can hide the truth but never justice."
Great, a goblin who speaks in riddles.
"What does this have to do with King Zulubar and Kyrab?" I asked. It was getting cold, and I still wasn't sure whether Bisnunk was giving me the runaround or really had something to say. "You said you knew where they were."
"I do."
"Then tell me."
He glanced around. I couldn't help but glance with him.
He inhaled deeply. "The night
King Zulubar disappeared, I could not sleep. I went outside to stretch my legs, hoping the night air would clear my head. I saw King Zulubar and Kyrab running together through Beggars Forest."
"Running? Why were they running? Was someone chasing them?"
"Yes, but it's not who you might think." He shook his head. "The person I saw that night was—"
Bisnunk stopped talking. His mouth dropped open in a silent scream, and his eyes bugged out of his head. Even in the dark of night, I could see the expression on his face. It was not just surprise; it was total and complete shock. He looked down at his chest and my eyes followed his. An arrow was sticking out of his front. It had pierced straight through him.
"Bisnunk!" I screamed.
Bisnunk's eyes closed and he sank to the ground, motionless. A twig snapped in the near distance, and my head shot toward it. A second twig snapped and that one was followed by a series of snaps that turned into footsteps that turned into running.
I took one last look at Bisnunk, making certain he was not breathing—he wasn't. He'd died quickly, at least. I drew in a deep breath, thinking quickly. I could either go and get help, or try and stop the goblin who'd done this. I ran after the footsteps.
The killer ran quickly. I could hardly see anything in front of me, but they darted left and right as if they had built-in night vision. Maybe goblins could see in the dark better than witches. I'd have to ask Sheriff Knoxx about that later.
"Stop!" I screamed. The only answer I got was the crunch of another twig as it snapped under my feet. "Stop!" I screamed again.
I couldn't hear him anymore and thought for a minute that I'd lost him. I ran past a large pine tree and an arm reached out, strong fingers wrapping around my hair and pulling me back. I tried to turn around to see the face of my attacker, but it was impossible.
"Help!" I screamed. "Help!"
The killer flung me across the forest floor like I was nothing but a rag doll. Whoever it was, he was very strong. But then most goblins were. He let out a loud roar—the kind that could rival any jungle lion—and then took off, his footsteps sounding heavy now instead of light.
When I looked up again, the killer was gone. I stood slowly up. My head was dazed, and I was seeing double, but there was nothing wrong with my ears. I listened. There was movement to my right. I took a step toward it and realized that my ankle couldn't support my weight. It had gotten twisted in the fight and was already beginning to swell. I did the only thing I could think to do.
"Klaviosa!" I cried, pointing my index finger in the direction of the movement I'd seen.
There was the harsh, startled cry a male's voice. I smiled, certain that my spell had hit him. It didn't matter where the spell had struck him, he would be marked until the next full moon. All I'd have to do when I got out of here was look for the goblin with a four-leaf clover burned into the palm of their hand, and I'd know I had my killer.
* * *
CHAPTER
SIX
.
.
.
* * *
* * *
.
"You did what?" Eleanor screeched.
I had just finished telling her about my encounter in the forest with Bisnunk and his killer, and she was looking at me like I was crazy.
Perx had swooped in out of nowhere just as I'd returned to Bisnunk's body—apparently, some of his guards had heard Bisnunk's final cry and come running while I was busy chasing the killer—and taken him away before I'd even had time to ask any questions. Like who the killer could've possibly been and what Bisnunk had been about to tell me.
I'd tried to talk to Perx about what had happened before I left, but he'd insisted Bisnunk's death was a completely unrelated incident. It had nothing to do with Zulubar's disappearance. How he'd come to that conclusion so quickly I had no idea.
"What about Kyrab?" I'd asked him.
He'd shaken his head.
"Kyrab is little more than the king's concubine. She is irrelevant to me or our kingdom."
I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows at that. Somehow, I had the feeling Zulubar would not have agreed with Bisnunk's statement. I'd tried to tell him about the spell I'd cast, hitting the killer with an identity spell that should leave a mark on his hand, but Perx wouldn't listen. Eleanor and Trixie, however, had both agreed that was the one thing I'd done right last night.
Trixie set a fresh tray of blondies on the counter to cool and lifted her head. She was looking at me with the same amount of consternation as Eleanor.
"I can't believe you'd be so foolish as to chase after a murderer," said Eleanor, her hands on her hips. Her face was tight and pinched and every time she bent over, she reminded me of a chicken pecking at the ground. I just barely managed to suppress my laughter.
"And I can't believe you didn't even ask me to go with you," said Trixie. She was pouting and folded her arms across her chest.
Eleanor looked at her as though she were as crazy as me.
At least my dad didn't know what had happened. Yet. This wasn't the sort of thing I could keep secret for very long. Gossip had a way of spreading in small towns, even when it was gossip that had happened in a dark forest in the middle of the night... especially when it happened in a dark forest in the middle the night.
Even though she was mad at me, Eleanor had promised to tell my father about my encounter with the killer gently so that I wouldn't have to and in such a way that my dad wouldn't have a heart attack. It wasn't as if he could ground me, but ever since I was a baby, he'd been overly protective of me. I was sure it had to do with my mother's death—he'd been terrified that something would happen to me if he wasn't watching me every second of the day. I understood that, but I was an adult now and he had to accept that at some point. Didn't he?
I was lucky that he'd decided to sleep in this morning or he'd probably already have heard about it on his way in. People who knew we were related were bound to stop and ask him questions.
Whatever the case may be, I was planning to be nowhere near my dad when she told him that I'd chased a goblin killer through Beggars Forest and almost died. All right, almost died might have been a bit of an exaggeration. Could've been killed might have been a bit more on the nose. Either way, I wouldn't be here to find out my father's response. At least my ankle wasn't broken. It hadn't even swollen that much.
Snowball had lain curled next to my ankle the entire night through, one paw lying gently on top of it as if she was hugging my ankle to make it feel better. It must've worked because this morning when I woke up, it had felt better, and the swelling was gone.
It was still a tad sore but otherwise fine. Familiars did have powerful magic that witches and warlocks did not completely understand. Maybe Snowball really had done something to heal me. When I got home from my trip to the mainland, I'd make sure to give her some tuna.
"I'm sorry, Trixie. Next time I go into Goblin Territory in the middle of the night, I'll make sure to wake you up and take you with me."
Her frown lifted, and her eyes brightened. "Good."
Eleanor made a tsking sound and shook her head gently. A strand of golden hair, just a shade darker than my own, escaped the bun she had pulled it into and fell across her face. She brushed it out of her eyes and behind her ear.
"You two are both crazy, you know that, right?" Eleanor shot me a look and a soft smile grew on her face. "Though I have to say, Ava... if your mom were here, she'd be proud. Chasing after a killer was exactly the sort of thing she'd have done."
My face lighted and my cheeks grew warm with pride and embarrassment.
"Thanks," I said and cleared my throat. "Anyway, I have to go if I'm gonna catch that ferry by noon."
Eleanor walked me to the front doors of Mystic Cupcake, handing me a small box of chocolate chunk happiness cookies.
"Cookies have a way of turning enemies into friends," she said. "You just give those to Dean and then see what he tells you about Colt. I bet he'll tell you anything you want to kno
w."
"Thanks, anything is worth a shot at this point."
I was furious with Dean. Sitting on the ferry on the ride over to the mainland, it was all I could think about. I pictured storming into his office and throwing him out of his chair. I pictured slapping him across his face. I pictured any number of things that might result in his pain and my delight. That might have sounded crass to some, but if you'd ever met Dean Lampton before, you'd know he had it coming.
I kept a close eye on everyone I encountered, looking for a four-leaf clover on the palm of their hand, but so far, I'd seen no one with anything even close. I wasn't surprised. I was almost positive that Bisnunk's killer had been another goblin, but still... I couldn't say for sure. I hadn't seen their face.
Getting to COMHA was easy; the tricky part was getting in. I'd done it before though and knew that the simplest way in was with a bribe. I'd lined my pockets with money—well, what little money I had—before coming down here and was ready to give it all away if it meant getting in to see Dean. It would be fifty dollars well spent.
"Hello," the security guard greeted me. "How may I help you?"
"I'm here to see Dean Lampton."
"Are you on the list?"
"I don't know," I said, slyly sliding a twenty-dollar bill across the counter. "You tell me."
The guard looked at the twenty, paused, then pushed it back over to me.
"Looks to me like you're not."
"What would it take to get me on the list?" I asked.
"You have to know someone inside."
"I do know someone inside. Dean Lampton."
"Then why don't you call him and have him put you on the list?"
I sighed, exasperated. "I didn't say that Dean and I were friends; I said I knew him."
I licked my lips, thinking so hard my head began to hurt. I set the box of cookies that Eleanor had given me on the counter and dug into my pocket for another twenty. I pulled it out and set it on the counter beside the first one. The guard paid it barely a glance, but he was looking at the cookies.
