by T. F. Walsh
Shadow felt the tremble in Zana’s touch. “It’s your mind dealing with what happened yesterday.”
“No!” Her fingers tightened. She lifted herself to her knees on the mattress, one hand still holding the sheet to her chest. “This was real.” She bit her lower lip, and her eyes moved rapidly back and forth as if deciding how to best explain her thoughts.
“Nightmares feel real,” he said. “I once dreamed all Guardians had been killed. Then they reanimated and tried to eat my brains. Scary shit there.” And for a days afterward, the smallest noise crept him out. Of course, he’d never told that story to anyone.
“This is different.” Her gaze dipped, and he wasn’t sure if she’d elaborate or not. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “It was a premonition.”
Shadow broke into a laugh—loud, piercing, and involuntary—because he believed dreams revealed the future as much as he believed he could walk on water.
“Fuck you!” Zana climbed off the mattress on the opposite side of the bed, tightening the sheet around her body. “Clearly, I forgot who I was speaking to.” She grabbed jeans off the chest of draws and stormed out of the room, down the tiny hallway, and into the bathroom. The door slammed shut behind her.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he called out. Had she been listening to the rumors about him in town? How he’d abandoned everyone for selfish reasons, which were lies.
No response. Yep. He discovered the chick was crazy after he’d spent a night with her. Nothing like making the next few days in Pryvale uncomfortable. Shit. He didn’t need more crap in his life, like someone who flew off the handle at the smallest thing. Dreams were just the brain processing thoughts. A part of him was pleased that Zana felt so deeply about him, but he couldn’t handle her dream thing right now.
He halted his pacing, unsure when he’d started. “What if…?” Maybe whoever had finished off Klurt would now turn their attention to Shadow? After all, the Wart Markets now fell under his care. The world was a fucked up place, and in Tapestry, everyone took the law upon themselves.
When the floor creaked, he lifted his gaze and found Zana marching into the main room, holding the two cups of coffee he’d made. Her amber hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. Tiny, loose strands fluttered around her face. Dressed in jeans that hung low on her hips and a tank top, he was tempted to drag her back into the bedroom. He never should have had sex with her last night. Now, he couldn’t stop picturing himself kissing her. Why did he always attract the insane girls? The last drae he dated ate only fruit for a cleansing diet, and expected him to do the same. Shadow loved his roasts too much to ever give them up for anyone.
“Here you go,” she began and handed him his cup. “I don’t care if you believe me or not, but I take my dreams seriously. I had a similar nightmare about Klurt and look what happened. You can’t ignore this.”
Shadow held back the response pressing on the forefront of his mind, but instead gulped a mouthful of hot coffee, loving the nutty taste. Anyway, nothing ever pointed to goblins having such an fortune telling abilities. Some draes were born with innate magic, but goblins were stock standard. No fairy dust. While a part of him insisted he not overreact, the other part dominated and refused to accept. Surely, if she possessed this vision thing, she would have bragged about it. Or the whole community would use her power to protect themselves. Instead, she lived on the outskirts alone. She might be a tarot reader at the markets, but perhaps that illusion went to her head. Two more mouthfuls and he finished the coffee, then placed the cup on the table.
“I appreciate you looking out for me, but I’ll be fine,” he said and stepped into his boots. “I’d better leave; I have a ton of things to do before tonight’s ceremony.” He wasn’t in the mood to get into a conversation about her dream. Find the killer, sell the Wart Markets, and return to his post in the realm. Simple.
Zana strolled past him, sipping her coffee, blocking his exit. “So, where are we headed?” Her voice was sharp and clipped.
He straightened his posture. “We aren’t going anywhere, but I am. How about you finish your drink and I’ll be on my way.”
Eying him with a narrow gaze, she tipped back the coffee in one go, wiped her mouth, and set the cup down next to his. “Everywhere you go, I’ll be there.”
She opened the door, letting in a flurry of cool morning air. With one hand on the door, the other on her hip, she cocked an eyebrow. “You’re in danger, and I plan to protect you.”
“Yeah, right. You protect me?” The sunlight lit up the side of her face, her golden eyes gleaming, and his attention fell to her kissable lips. What had she done to him? Since when did he behave like a goblin drunk on sex?
He stepped outside, where the surrounding greenery swayed in the breeze. The sweet morning smell of freshly-cut grass infiltrated his nostrils.
The door snapped shut behind him. He turned to find Zana outside with him, tucking keys into the front pocket of her pants as she approached with a forced smile. Oh. She was mocking him all right.
“Look, Zana. I don’t need a chaperone. I appreciate the concern, but, honestly, I’m trained as one of the queen’s Guardians.” He marched away from her place, eyeing the cobblestone footpath amid trees in the distance. Time to chat to locals, maybe even visit Sivath, the goblin chief who, at last memory, lived a fair distance from Pryvale. He usually knew who was doing what in town.
Zana caught up to Shadow. “Here’s the deal,” she said. “Yesterday, I let Klurt out of my sights after I warned him about the vision. Then he died. So, today, nothing you do or say will push me away. Understand? Suck it up.”
Running a hand down his face, he stormed down the a worn path, unsure what to say. Perhaps that was part of Zana’s grieving process; focusing on him rather than the loss of Klurt. Who was he to steal that from her?
“Where are we off to?” She moved alongside him, cutting him a look that challenged him to argue.
Shadow scanned the woods on either side of him. If he bolted deep into the forest, would she follow? Definitely yes. So he’d go a different angle. “Thinking of paying Sivath a visit. He lives a half day’s hike out of town over rough terrain and hills. We’ll probably encounter wild trolls.”
“Why? You think he’s involved in Klurt’s death?” She studied her boots for a moment. “You’re probably right. I hear he’s corrupt, so you might be on to something.”
Fire struck Shadow, and rage burned through him at lightning speed. “You, of all goblins, are judging others? Have you ever met Sivath, or are you just being a sheep?”
“Screw you.” She stopped beneath an enormous oak with low-hanging branches crammed with dark green leaves. “Where have you been the past four years? Sivath’s minions have been breaking into goblins’ homes and stealing their possessions. An elderly man last year was killed when he tried to stop them.” Her hands were animated and flying all over the place. “Get your facts straight before acting like Mr. Know-It-All.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and slouched on one leg, unsure if he wanted to debate her, although he was convinced he’d win, or simply kiss the nonsense out of her system. She definitely did something to him last night if the latter was even an option in this argument.
“So you’ve personally seen Sivath’s so-called henchmen wreak havoc in the village?” he asked.
Her mouth opened, then shut. “Well, no, but others say they have.”
Shadow huffed and shook his head before beginning to walk again. “Goblins hate change, and anyone threatening their ways are deemed monsters. How long have you been living here again?” He turned to find her still several feet away. “Right. You live on the outskirts because they won’t fully accept you as a half-blood, but you believe their gossip. Sivath worked with Klurt to build the Wart Markets and was working on an orphanage to help children with no families. Did you know that?”
She shrugged and wore a puzzled expression. And that right there was what he loathed abou
t goblins in that town. They judged without knowing shit.
Refusing to let bitterness consume him, he returned to his walk. The earlier anger was smothered by a new emotion shoving forward. Disappointment. He could have sworn Zana was different from the rest of the monkeys in the town. Maybe he was right after all. There was nothing in Pryvale for him.
7
Visions sucked balls!
Zana sprinted along a dirt track through the forest, keeping up with Shadow as she had for most of the day. Twigs crunched underfoot; branches tugged on her hair, and all she could think about was the upcoming funeral ceremony for Klurt in a few hours.
But apparently, Klurt’s murder wasn’t enough. Now the universe tossed Shadow into the ring of death. In Zana’s dream, Shadow had been wandering through a thick fog. The voice in her head kept screaming his name, “Shadow. Shadow. Shadow.” Just as it had called for Klurt the previous night.
Yep. Her visions were a curse. She was a freak, destined to watch those around her die. Desperation closed in around her lungs, her breath shallow and racing. This can’t be happening again.
Shadow marched forward without a care in the world. He studied and surveyed the village. It took every inch of strength to hold back the words brewing in her mind. He’d been a major dickhead that morning, and she’d contemplated throwing a rock at him.
She’d been the one living in Pryvale, the one who’d seen the terror in goblins eyes, witnessed the aftereffects of the break-ins; personal belongings trampled, doors destroyed, and valuables stolen. The tears of the families she helped comfort alongside Klurt. Those weren’t in her imagination, or made-up gossip. But Shadow had his head so high up his ass, he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. Sivath was at the bottom of the problems in Pryvale. The goblin chief pretended to help goblins, but everyone said the guy stole from them and kept the wealth for himself. He only helped those who paid him. Rumor had it he wore so much golden jewelry his minions stole for him that he never left his home because he was paranoid he’d get mugged. So much for wanting to aid those in need.
“What exactly are we doing?” she barked, simply to stop the churning thoughts in her mind—otherwise, she might end up throwing that stone at Shadow.
Keeping his focus on the path dotted with patches of sunlight from the thick canopy overhead, Shadow replied, “Don’t know what you’re doing, but I’m learning my way around the town.”
“Why? You grew up here.” She stepped alongside him. To her left sat huts, while in the opposite direction, trees and the terrain sloped upward toward the mountains. Trolls lived up there somewhere and they rarely came down to Pryvale.
“So much has changed,” he said.
“Really? Like what?”
The whole time she’d lived there, the only differences were additional houses. Even the meadow used for community activities remained the same, minus grass, replaced with trampled soil.
“Hunting grounds have expanded, and several storefronts are now near the river.”
“I could have told you that in two seconds rather than us spending hours slogging through the woods.”
He cut Zana a sharp glance, as if challenging her. “And looking for anything suspicious. A weapon someone might have dropped as they ran away from something, anyone acting strange.”
“Why not just ask someone if they spotted anything? Maybe they saw someone new in town. Well, besides you.”
He shook his head and kept traipsing onward. If it weren’t for her prophetic dream, she would have let him go on alone. But, instead, her thighs ached from climbing the bumpy terrain, and her pounding headache worsened by the second.
In her entire life, she had experienced four death premonitions. Each of the goblins died the next day. Her visions should serve a purpose besides making her witness their deaths in horror before they even happen. So no matter what it took, she would change fate!
“Stop!” A young female’s panicked voice came from farther ahead, and concern sliced through Zana’s thoughts.
“What was that?” she asked, already nudging past Shadow and rushing up the slope to where the trees grew sparser. She’d seen too many goblins get hurt outside the town by wild animals, trolls, or other goblins, so if she could help someone, she’d jump straight in.
Shadow’s footfalls closed in behind her as she emerged into a green field dotted with white flowers and knee-length grass. In the near distance, three girls yelled at a goblin, who threw their basket of flowers on the ground and stomped on them.
“Who’s that?” Shadow asked.
“Clearly a dickhead.”
The guy snatched a girl by the arm and tugged her toward him, so close that it gave Zana the creeps. His dominance reminded her of her ex, Carver, who believed men owned females and existed to do their bidding. The poor girl screamed and her friends stood there, helpless, cowering. No one around to help them out.
But she wouldn’t turn a blind eye. Zana darted toward the girls. “Hey asshole! Go find a mate in the cow meadow. That’s more your style.”
The moment the guy turned around, she reached him and shoved her hands into his side. He released the girl as he stumbled but swung a hand out, clipping Zana on the cheek.
The sting webbed across the side of her face, but she refused to show her pain. “Leave the girls alone.”
A blur darted past Zana and Shadow crash tackled the goblin, both of them crashing to the ground. The three girls huddling close, their eyes growing wider.
Zana checked on the youngsters, who had to be thirteen or fourteen years of age, and pushed a lock out of the brunette’s face. “You are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
She pointed at the guy eating dirt as Shadow shoved his face into the ground. “Bara said he’s claimed me as his mate and that I have to go with him.” Her words trembled.
And that small reveal had Zana’s veins turn into lava. “Listen to me,” Zana said. “No male has a right to claim you against her will. Next time, kick him in the nuts and run home, okay?”
She nodded. “Thank you.” They picked up their broken baskets, empty of flowers, and darted toward the forest that lead into town.
“Fuck off,” Bara growled.
Zana turned to find Shadow dusting his hands, one foot pressed into the goblin’s back, keeping him face down. She approached them and kicked Bara in the ribs. “Creep. Stay away from young girls.”
Bara lifted his head, groaning, curling in on himself. “You have no idea what you’ve just done.” He spat blood on the ground.
“Oh, I’m sure she knows exactly what she’s done.” Shadow bent down and fisted the goblin’s hair. “I see you harassing anyone again, and I’ll break your spine. Understood?” Shadow released his hold and walked away with Zana.
“You all right?” He cupped her chin and lifted her face to the light, studying her cheek.
She couldn’t help but admire his caring nature. Why couldn’t more goblins in town be like Shadow?
“I’ll heal. But thanks for beating the crap out of that idiot.” As they strolled away, she glanced back to see Bara lifting himself off the ground. “What do you think he meant by his threat?”
“It’s just a scare tactic. Scum like him give goblins a bad name.” He looked away and brushed his hands down his shirt. For the rest of the hike down the hill, Shadow didn’t say a word or glance her way.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
“Seeing Bara with the girls reminds me of when I was young. Another goblin had attacked one of my friends. Sue was twelve like me and that night a goblin rushed out of the forest and snatched her away. I did nothing, despite her screams. I froze and was petrified. I didn’t even see the guy’s face to identify him. I’ll never forget her or forgive myself.”
Zana swallowed the thickness in her throat. “What happened to Sue?”
Shadow shrugged and glanced at her with a darkened gaze, the kind that said more than words ever would. Sue was taken as a bride or slave or whatever
depravity her capturer had intended. Zana heard of such atrocities still happening, but no one ever revealed names or stood up against the enemy, and that pissed her off.
She took Shadow’s hand into hers, and he didn’t protest. “The world sucks, but you can’t blame yourself. You were a child. What could you do without getting yourself killed?”
“Didn’t matter.” His voice deepened. “I should have done something.” His hand squeezed lightly around hers.
“Is that why you accepted the job in the kingdom?” She hadn’t meant to ask such a personal question, but hearing Shadow’s experience tore at her insides. Every goblin dealt with grief in different ways. Maybe his was to run away, not be reminded of his past.
“One of the reasons I left was because I wanted to learn how to defeat any enemy and kill them if needed.”
Zana pulled the cloak’s hood over her head and folded her arms. Then she dropped them by her side. It was the first time she’d been inside a pre-ceremonial tent, let alone one the size of her kitchen. No matter where she stood, dread pushed against her, owning her. Klurt was dead. Gone forever—his body somewhere outside. Her stomach locked up tight.
“Are the volunteers ready?” Povian asked, whistling whenever he said the letter ‘s’. He held several roles in town, including midwife, local medic, and gardener, growing most of the vegetables for the community. Dark hair peppered with white stuck out just above his ears while the top of his head was bald. He threaded his arms into a robe—a necessity for attendees at a farewell ceremony.
“Cruz has everything under control.” Zana wiped the sweat from her upper lip. “Why’s it so hot in here?” She dampened her neck with a sleeve, feeling as if she’d been swallowed by an inferno. Shadow didn’t seem to notice as he stood deadly silent.
“Are you okay?” she asked him.
When Shadow looked up, something flashed beneath the surface of his hardened expression, an emotion too quick for her to catch. “Yeah. All good.” His dismissive voice said enough; butt out of his business. Except he’d lost that privilege the moment she’d witnessed his death in her vision. Plus, he’d changed the moment they arrived at the ceremony, growing distant and silent.
