Greta and the Goblin King

by Chloe Jacobs

  She pulled up short. Trust? Between the two of them? She trusted Isaac about as much as she trusted a hungry black wolf when both of the moons were full. And she knew he didn’t trust her either. Whatever his game, she wasn’t interested in playing.

  “If you aren’t keeping me against my will, then I’m leaving. I’ve been patient because you helped me with Lucius. But if you have any idea where this demon is, you’d better tell me.”

  “As you say, Greta…forget it.”

  The wave of frustration and anger consumed her, and before she’d even thought about it, she kicked him in the shin. He jerked back and glared at her. “Why you vicious, ungrateful…” She suddenly noticed how long and sharp his claws had gotten.

  The points of Isaac’s incisors had lengthened as well, protruding from his mouth in a snarl, and his eyes glowed darkly. He took a halting step away from her.

  He’s going to turn.

  No, wait. His whole body was stiff, as if he was holding onto control by the skin of his teeth, but he was in control. As she watched, the claws retracted and his eyes lost that feral glaze.

  “What the hell was that?” she asked.

  He let out a guttural growl and shook his head. Had she really pushed him that far? She’d been much more aggravating than this and no one had ever never lost it before.

  “The eclipse is close.” He was still taking deep breaths, the shirt beneath his open cloak stretched tight across his heaving chest. Veins stood out in his neck, and his square jaw was clenched tightly.

  “Just how close are we talking?” Luke had warned her only a few moons ago that it would be soon, but she’d avoided thinking about the event for as long as possible because it would mean being shut away for the duration. Now she regretted putting those blinders on. An imminent eclipse certainly explained the added hike in her encounters with the Lost.

  “Seven days.” He wiped a hand over his brow.

  “You’re certain?”

  His expression didn’t change.

  “Okay, okay. So you’re certain.” She shrugged. Seven days? A heavy ball of dread settled over her chest as she remembered the horror of the damp, dark pit Luke had locked her in during the last two eclipses.

  She had gone willingly the first time, but the pitch black did something to her. Last time she argued that it wasn’t necessary, that she could take care of herself. She’d even been ready to fight him on it, but he hadn’t given her the chance. One morning she’d simply woken up with the dirt floor under her, trapped in the darkness.

  No way was she doing that again. A scary thought suddenly occurred to her. “You’re old enough now, aren’t you? You’re going to turn when the eclipse hits.”

  He swallowed hard. “I don’t know.”

  He’s lying. She crossed her arms over her midsection. “Fine, don’t tell me.”

  He groaned. “I think I will turn, yes. I could feel it last time, crawling beneath my skin, but I was still too young. I think this is the year.”

  The bleak look in his face sent a stab of sympathy through her. She hated the idea of Isaac caught up in the madness of an eclipse. She could imagine just how much he would hate the loss of control.

  Don’t waste your time worrying about Isaac. Worry about your own damn self.

  That got her moving. She hiked her pack high on her good shoulder. “Good luck with that.”

  He stopped her again. This time, he looked nothing like a manipulative and dangerous goblin on the edge of transformation. Just a boy who was already tired of all the crap that had been shoved onto his shoulders. “What if I…ask you not to go?”

  Her feet froze to the spot. “Is that what you’re doing?”

  “Well…if I was? Would you stay?”

  Greta swiped her palms over her hips and ducked her head. “I can’t. There are things I have to do.”

  The vulnerability in his expression vanished, replaced by the arrogant goblin king she’d grown to hate. Lips pressed together, he turned and started to walk away from her.

  It must be a trick. He wouldn’t just let a known human roam free. “What are you going to do? Are you going to tell—?”

  “Your secret is safe.” He looked back over his shoulder. There was just enough moonlight shining on his face for her to see the frown crinkling his forehead. “For now.”

  “For now? What is that supposed to mean?”

  “I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his hair absently. “Go if that’s what you want, but you know you can’t hide from me if I decide to find you.”

  Chapter Six

  According to every piece of Mylean lore passed down through the generations or put to parchment, she was the very thing Isaac should hate, and yet he’d let her go free.

  Which worried her.

  He’d said he could always find her, though, and maybe that was true unless she found a way to lock the door on her dreams again—at the top of her list of annoying problems to deal with—but it still didn’t make sense. It was like she’d become a pawn in some game, but didn’t know who had the next move—or what the board even looked like.

  She’d spent two days asking everyone she came across about Agramon while trying to remain inconspicuous. As far as she could tell, the demon was a myth, or at best, a phantom. Still, she kept searching. There was nowhere for her to go now anyway. Without Luke, she didn’t have a home. She didn’t have anything.

  Blinking back tears that would only freeze on her cheeks if she let them fall, she turned off the lane and stomped toward the only public house to be found anywhere this side of Rhazua.

  What she wouldn’t give for a freak heat wave the likes of which Mylena had never known. She’d once asked Luke how it was possible for a planet to orbit two suns but have no summer, and he had countered by asking if Earth had been a paradise. She’d described the big golden sun and its radiant warmth, told him of spending long summer days at the beach where she and her brother Drew had splashed around in nothing but bathing suits because it was hot enough to fry eggs on the pavement.

  She stuck her hand in her pocket and closed her fingers around the walnut she’d taken from Luke’s place. Such a silly little thing to keep, but it was all she had that mattered besides her locket. More tears blurred her vision. Angry, she swiped at her eyes and took a deep breath.

  As always, the front entrance of Maidra’s Place was shut against the perpetual chill, but the inn itself never actually closed, except maybe during an eclipse.

  As she approached, warm golden light spilled from the crack beneath the door and through the single heavy-paned window beside it. How long before Isaac found her here? She hadn’t caught him snooping around in her dreams. Then again, she hadn’t slept longer than an hour or two at a time, for just that reason.

  Was he looking for her, or had he finally decided she wasn’t worth the trouble?

  Didn’t matter. Greta only needed an hour here, maybe less. Enough time to ask a few questions, get a few answers. And then she would be on her way.

  Maidra’s monopoly over the county’s supply of cheap spirits meant the small tavern attracted a wide variety of visitors and the atmosphere could turn ugly in the blink of an eye. Before she walked up the steps, Greta double-checked her braids, pulled her hood down low over her eyes, and patted the blade on her hip. Ready as I’ll ever be.

  The door swung open before she reached it, releasing a cacophony of merry sounds to the early evening air. A female goblin tripped out, a brawny male trailing eagerly in her wake. Greta didn’t recognize him, but there was no doubt he was a fire sprite. Lanky and tall, his hair was so vibrant it shone red with the light from the tavern behind him. And his eyes glowed. Greta dismissed him.

  The goblin was another story. Now her, she recognized.

  Siona was a hunter and, like every other goblin she’d met, including Isaac, a pain in the ass. She’d stolen a few bounties out from under Greta’s nose, but Greta had done the same to Siona often enough that it sort of evened out. She had no
real issue with the female goblin on a personal level—not that there was anything personal between them. Greta didn’t do personal with anyone, Isaac apparently being the exception.

  And look where that’s gotten you.

  Siona was also beautiful for a goblin. Too beautiful. She lacked the thick-boned bulk and sharp features that categorized the species, making Greta think there was a juicy scandal somewhere. They’d never been close enough for her to ask, but the female’s tall, slim build reminded Greta of the reclusive faeries. She had long, shiny black hair and big amethyst-colored eyes, though. Just like Isaac.

  The pair was about to step aside and let her pass, but Siona glanced up at the last minute. “Danem Greta, is that you?” She peered closer as if trying to see beneath the layers of winter gear Greta wore. “It is, isn’t it?”

  Siona’s own sleek ankle-length leather coat hung open despite the weather. The gauzy blouse and skin-tight pants beneath couldn’t have provided her with much protection against the cold, but at least her knee high boots looked furry and warm. She carried a long sword at her waist.

  For a flickering heartbeat, Greta envied the young female who pulled off sexy, graceful, and deadly in a way she couldn’t begin to match. They were about the same height and age, but Greta had never owned clothing that would be considered frivolous or decorative, and couldn’t remember what it was like to do something just for fun.

  She stepped to the side to encourage the couple to pass her. “Good evening, Danem Siona. Excuse me.”

  “I heard about Dolem Lucius’s death,” Siona said, staying right where she was. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Anger bubbled up anew. “Please let me pass,” she said carefully. “I would hate to interrupt your evening.”

  Siona pulled her companion close and whispered in his ear, but her eyes remained fixed on Greta. Whatever she said didn’t seem to go over very well. The sprite gave Greta a fiery glare before stalking past them down the lane.

  Greta settled her hand on her waist, very close to the sword strapped to her hip. “What is it you want, Danem Siona?”

  “Out of professional courtesy, I thought I would try to warn you,” she answered, grim lines pulling her forehead tight. “There are a lot of interested parties looking for you right now. In fact, I could earn a nice bag of coin if I turned you in myself.”

  “Turn me in? Are you saying there’s a bounty out on me? On my head?” Greta barked out a surprised laugh. “On whose authority? What are the trumped-up charges?”

  “The writ stipulates that you be taken alive for the murder of Dolem Lucius.”

  Her stomach lurched. “Why would I have killed my own pater? And who is telling such lies?”

  She shook her head. “Don’t know. Anonymous bounty.”

  “Someone had to have proof in order to push it through. A bounty is never completely anonymous.”

  She nodded. “You’re right. There are rumors that King Leander of the southern counties put up the guineas for the writ.”

  Leander again? What was up with that guy? Greta had never been to Rhazua, never had a job go bad, or clashed with the gnome king or any of his people. At least that she could remember. Why would the death of a wood sprite in another territory matter to him one way or the other?

  Unless maybe someone had put him up to it.

  “Whatever he has is crap.”

  Siona cocked her hip and pulled her coat together as a gust of icy wind blew between them. “It seems to have been enough to convince the Council. He’s also taken great pains to make it a cross-border writ.”

  Greta snorted.

  “This is no joke, Danem. Hunters from every county have come out of the woodwork, looking to bring you down.” The goblin’s eyes gleamed, her lips twisting in a bemused smile. “And a lot of them aren’t even in it for the money.”

  Greta waved that away. “We’ve all stolen bounties from each other. I lost one to you last fortnight. First in, first out, first to get paid.”

  The goblin’s smile faded as she looked over her shoulder at the closed tavern door. “But the secret is out that the late Dolem Lucius’s ward is not quite who she says she is,” she said in a low voice. “For them, it’s no longer just a matter of being bested by another hunter…”

  Greta stepped back. Isaac? She didn’t want to believe that he’d orchestrated this…but how else? His promise that her secret was safe “for now” apparently had a pretty tight time limit. Or maybe this was how he intended to find her.

  Her shoulders slumped, but she forced herself to throw off her disappointment. “Why are you telling me all this? You would have had a better chance collecting the bounty if you hadn’t just spilled the beans and put me on guard.”

  “And you think I won’t be able to take you in? Puny little human that you are?”

  Greta forced a laugh. “Don’t forget, this puny little human is still the same person who had to pull your sorry ass out of that wraith’s den in Eyna’s Falls.”

  “You have nothing to worry about,” the goblin finally said, sliding her fingers through her long black hair. “At least not from me.”

  Greta’s grip on the hilt of her sword relaxed a bit. “Why not? Shouldn’t you be spitting on me in disgust, hauling me away as a threat to society?”

  “You weren’t a threat to society yesterday.” Siona’s sculpted brows lifted. “Are you saying you’re a threat today?”

  “No more than you are, but that’s not the point, is it? You don’t care what happens to me, so don’t pretend otherwise. Why wouldn’t you cash in on that bounty and rid Mylena of an undesirable at the same time?”

  She only shrugged. “I’ve got other orders.”

  Suddenly Greta knew exactly who had given the hunter a side job. “So that’s the real reason you’re here? You’ve been staking the place out, waiting for me to show up because he asked you to? Well, run along.” She waved in the direction the fire sprite had gone. “You’ve seen me, and now you can tell him I’m done with his damn games. Ogres will wear bikinis before he comes anywhere near me again, and I don’t appreciate him keeping tabs on me.”

  Siona looked a little baffled. “I believe he actually fears for you.”

  “If he’s so concerned, why isn’t he here himself?”

  “His people need him.” Was there a note of censure in her tone? “There was some trouble with a pack of gnomes. Hordes of them have flooded into our county from the outlands, terrorizing villages. They seem to be looking for something.” She paused. “Or perhaps someone.”

  Sadly, there was no need to guess who that might be. She only wondered if the gnomes were responding to the writ, or working for Agramon like Isaac had said.

  “For some reason he seems to think you are a bad influence on his duty.” Siona frowned and accessed Greta’s appearance, looking less than impressed. “I can only imagine why.”

  “If you think I believe for one minute that he can’t trust himself to be near me—”

  She tilted her head and narrowed her gaze. “I agree. I don’t get it either.”

  “Gee, thanks,” she said with a hint of sarcasm before realizing she sounded offended.

  “This is made even worse with the eclipse fast approaching.”

  Greta barely smothered her gasp. The eclipse. Had she really almost forgotten something so catastrophic? Isaac had nearly changed in front of her the last time they were together. She remembered the look in his eyes, and the way he’d struggled to pull himself back. He was so strong, it scared her and excited her at the same time.

  Siona seemed to study her face, her eyes lingering on Greta’s heated cheeks. Great.

  “I’ll give my cousin your message,” the goblin said, “if only because I get so few opportunities to torture him and I’m going to enjoy watching the two of you play off each other.”

  Cousins? Greta would’ve never guessed. Aside from the violet eyes and thick black hair, they didn’t look much alike.

  “A most unlikely pair
you make, and I’m not sure I understand what he sees in you.”

  “Yeah, you already said that.” Greta didn’t know whether to agree with her or kick her ass. “So get going already.”

  “Eventually,” she said. “Although I cherish the chance to torment my cousin, my king wants me to keep an eye on you, and his will must be obeyed.”

  “His will be damned,” she snapped. “Isaac is not my king and as far as I’m concerned, he has no right to follow me or sic his cheap flunkies on me.”

  Siona’s gaze turned sharp with warning. “Beware of using that particular goblin’s given name so casually, Danem.”

  Why couldn’t she have mentioned that before Greta met Isaac? At the limit of her already strained reserves of patience, she groaned. “Listen, I’m looking for some information about a demon named Agramon. I need to know where to find him, and so far no one’s talking.”

  To her frustration, the goblin was already shaking her head. “For good reason, Danem. Don’t go looking for more trouble than has already set itself in your path. That would be very dangerous.”

  “Since when do you give a crap about my ‘path,’ hunter? You and I both know I can take care of myself. And if I should fail…well, then I guess you’ll just have less competition for the next bounty, won’t you?”

  Siona’s eyes filled with something that looked a lot like sorrow. “I understand your anger and pain, Danem Greta. I too have felt the kind of loss you are suffering now.”

  “I doubt it.” Siona was from Mylena. She may have lost someone before, but she still had family. Greta forced a hard swallow past the thick ball lodged in her throat. “I don’t need your understanding, Siona. What I need are answers.”

  “This path can only lead to disaster, and I can’t be the one to take you there.”

  “Then, if you’ll excuse me…” She moved past the other female toward the door.

  “You really should not go inside.” She took Greta’s arm, her nails biting into Greta’s skin. “There are two hunters within. Ogres from Florin’s county. They’ve been lying in wait, assuming you would show up here eventually.”