Page 53 of The Howl
It was a long walk out of town, but I wasn’t overly cold, thanks to my recent feeding. When I got close to Megan’s house, everything was dark. While I knew of goblins in general, I’d never dealt with one in person. They were reclusive by nature. So, I wasn’t sure if a dark house was a good thing or not.
Going around to the back door, I knocked then let myself in with the key.
“Hello,” I called. “My name is Eliana. I’m Megan’s friend. The one who offered to feed you.”
“Elbner knows who you are,” a low voice said from the dark.
Red eyes glinted in the hall. A tingle of fear traced down my spine. It didn’t matter that the height of those eyes was waist level. In fact, that only made them creepier. I reached out for the switch and flooded the kitchen with light.
The goblin stood where the eyes had been. In one hand, he held a filthy rag. In the other, a small hand broom. Dirt smudged his threadbare clothes and his pointed chin. As I stared, the permanent scowl on the goblin’s wizened face deepened.
“It’s nice to meet you, Elbner,” I said politely, looking around the now immaculate kitchen.
Megan had kept the place neat enough, but the old home had sported signs of age in the yellowing of its walls and cabinets. That yellow was gone. Everything looked fresh and clean. Even the slight stain by the refrigerator handle was gone.
“This is impressive,” I said. “Have you slept at all since you got here?”
“Are you here to feed me or talk my ears off?”
“I’m sorry. You’re the first goblin I’ve met, and I don’t know the etiquette.”
“You feed me, and I work. That’s the etiquette.”
“Okay. Did you like what I fed you last time? Is there anything that I should change?”
He gave me a contemplative look.
“It was okay. But for the quality of my work, brownie wings would be a suitable gift of appreciation. Dip them in boiled honey and crumble them on top for a bit of crunch. That’s how me mum’s old owner used to feed her. She ate like royalty and polished his throne nightly in return.” His scowl melted into anticipation.
I had to swallow back my bile before answering him.
“Megan is a fury who finds the consumption of brownie wings wicked. For your safety and mine, you must forego the wings.”
He grunted, his intelligent eyes never leaving my face.
“You’re a clever one, aren’t you?” he asked.
“No more clever than you, I imagine.” I went to the cupboard and got out a bowl, noting that it was the one I’d used previously and that he’d already washed and put it away.
“Can you tell me anything about your previous owner? Did he feed you wings?”
The goblin snorted.
“Wings are hard to come by.”
“Do you remember your previous owner’s name?”
I looked up from the oats I was pouring when Elbner made a choked sound. He was trying to speak, but no words were coming out.
“It’s okay,” I said, doing my best to hide my disappointment. “I know about the spell. It was wishful thinking that you’d be free of it in only a few days. We’ll try again tomorrow.”
I finished adding the milk and honey and put everything away.
“Is there anything else you need from me?” I asked.
“Your absence. Turn off the light on your way out.”
As I left, I heard the chair at the table move across the floor. How could he possibly survive on one bowl of honey and oats a day? Yet, I’d read that’s all they required. I wondered if he was in a constant state of starvation like I normally was.
