Page 114 of Her Blood Revenge

I blink at her. She doesn’t know?

‘You used your earth magic and knocked them out of the way,’ I lie. ‘Then you passed out.’

I don’t want to upset her even more with the truth. That she created a plague and turned her home into a nightmare.

‘The others?’ I ask, worried to find out if they’re hurt. ‘Are Shaw and Dorian okay?’

She looks down at me and smiles. ‘They’re both fine. They got out and are hiding in a human village by the coast. Shaw told me to tell you not to let anyone else see us. We’re to find somewhere secluded with a clear landmark. Then I’ll sleep and tell him where we are. They will come to us.’ She looks around. ‘So. Where arewe?’

‘South. Somewhere.’ Her fingers stop. I wriggle my head, and she starts again. ‘Your snake went off. Think she’s done a runner.’

‘She’s checking we’re safe and getting herself something to eat.’

‘How do you know that? You were out when she left.’

‘I just know. And I gave her a name. She’s called Poppy.’

‘I like it. Good name.’

There’s a rustle in the brush. I’m up and on my feet, watching for any movement.

The sharp end of a stick emerges first. It’s low to the ground as if being held by a child. The gnarly green hand comes next, gripping it tightly.

‘A goblin?’ I say, utterly dumbfounded, looking at the rugged little beast slowly walking towards me. It holds that sharp stick as if it’s a great sword. I can’t help but laugh. ‘Piss off. Would you?’

I turn to Pix, who is sitting up and watching the goblin walk closer. I offer my hand to help her up, but she’s too distracted to take it.

‘OW! What the fuck!’ I look back and see the stick embedded in my lower leg. Ripping it out, I point it at the ugly little toad. ‘Do not fucking poke me!’

When I go to toss it back, Pix grips my wrist and shakes her head. The crazy girl is smiling.

‘I know you,’ she says to it. ‘Don’t I?’

The goblin keeps glaring at me as more emerge from behind it. All the little shits are carrying sticks or rudimentary sling shots filled with rocks. And all are looking at me with a desperation to attack.

Pix steps in front of me, her hands up as if to soothe them.

‘Don’t hurt him. He’s a friend to you. Like I am.’

‘Pix? You know these little beasts?’

She walks towards the one who pricked me and kneels. The fucker spits at me before looking at her with kindness.

Strange. Not seen a goblin smile before. It looks ridiculous.

‘You got out,’ she says. ‘You clever girl.’

They rest their foreheads against one another.

‘An explanation?’ I urge. ‘Why are you chummy with a goblin?’

‘I regularly opened their cages and carriages when I could in the human village,’ she says, her voice bursting with pride and joy as the goblin picks a daisy and offers it to her. ‘She was in a carriage heading out of the village the day I met you. I opened the lock so they could sneak out when they got on the road.’

The goblin hisses at me when I take a step towards her. I hiss back at it, and the bitch spits at me again.

‘He’s a friend,’ Pix says to it, pointing at me. ‘Not a threat.’ She looks up at me, still grinning.

Not true. I’ve killed a fair few of them in the past and sold others to humans when I needed some coin. But I’m not about to admit that right now, or I’ll end up with one of those sticks up my arse.

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