Heart Of The Goblin King (The Realm Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  When she turned, I knew I’d won my point. “Very well. Let us all go now. We shall return—”

  “Can we please return to where Brennan took me from? It’s important I get back to that moment.”

  “Why?” Taranath asked.

  “Because I need to look as though nothing has happened. I will make an excuse to Heath—”

  “Who is Heath?” Nerida asked.

  “The guy I went to the game with. He went to get me a soda while I went into the bathroom. I don’t want draw attention to myself. Not important!” My earlier concern over the potential loss of Heath’s affections seemed petty and unimportant compared to this.

  “I’ll tell him I have to get home. I met him there, so you guys can come back with me.”

  “Wait.” Taranath held up a hand. “Do you not travel in iron and steel carriages?”

  I nodded. “So?”

  “We do not stay well around iron. We shall have to use a portal.”

  I started to pace as I always did when I found myself frustrated. I stopped. “The hell with it. Can we just portal to my house? I’ll tell Heath that I had to get home quickly. I’ll…I’ll text him.” I’d forgotten that I did have a phone. Since the failed attempt to call 911 the thought of using it here hadn’t occurred to me.

  “Will you be able to pinpoint a way to Iris’s home?” Nerida asked Taranath.

  He nodded. “If you lend me your support. I will guide us. Once there, I’ll have enough strength left to see if Iris’s mother is indeed fae.”

  “We’ll need to talk to Imara.” Nerida looked sad and concerned. That was interesting. Why would she be sad to see an old friend? I thought that would be a happier thought. I pushed her worry aside. I had to focus on my mom and getting her help, making her better. Nerida could deal with her own problems.

  “Let me leave a message as to where we’ve gone,” Nerida moved away, rubbing at her forehead.

  I watched her, fascinated.

  “What is she doing?” I whispered to Taranath.

  “Some families have the ability to communicate across distance, without words. Nerida is one who can.”

  She returned, smiling weakly. “I’ve left word with one of Brennan’s goblins. Shall we begin?”

  I wanted to ask Nerida how she’d done it, but her expression didn’t invite questions. Anyway, there were more important things to deal with.

  Taranath smiled at me, I guess to be encouraging. “Iris, I’ll need you to sit and take my hands. I want you to focus on your home, see it and allow me to see it with you. Then I can be more accurate in where I open the portal.”

  I sat down and took both his hands in mine. Nerida went behind Taranath and put her hands on his shoulders. I closed my eyes and focused on seeing our living room.

  After a moment, I heard Taranath inhale. “Good, Iris. Show me more.”

  I forced myself to look around the room, seeing all the details, letting the memory fill my vision.

  Without warning, I felt the world around me—the only way I can describe it—shimmer. It was like the ripples that spread when you drop a rock into water. The ripples change the shape of the surface of the water, making it shift and move before becoming still once more.

  We weren’t at that stage yet. We were trapped in a ripple. I thought we’d walk through something like Brennan had done before. I guess everyone had their own personal portal style, kind of like everyone had their own car?

  The ripple stopped, and my breath felt it had been sucked from me. The darkness I’d seen in the ripple gave way to a near-blinding light.

  I opened my eyes a slit and saw that I sat on the floor of my own living room.

  “Iris?” My dad was standing next to the couch where Mom stretched out. Our arrival interrupted them. Mom looked weaker than normal.

  “Iris, what the hell? Who are these people? How did you get here? Weren’t you at the game?” My dad fired the questions at me. I could tell he was rattled.

  I turned to see Nerida and Taranath sitting in a jumbled heap. Taranath’s portal left dignity in the dust.

  I got up. “Mom, we need to talk.”

  Chapter Eight

  Brennan

  Brennan paced along the castle walls. He stopped, looking out over the Goblin Kingdom. Where was the scarred sorcerer? What plots were forming among Brennan’s own people? What had they been told to encourage them to rise up and contemplate rebellion? These thoughts made him sad. He knew nothing for certain, only that his people would suffer more than anyone else, himself included, before this ended.

  “You can come out.” He kept his voice bored.

  “Thought you’d be out here.”

  “Clears my head.” He didn’t move. He could tell Drake walked up behind him.

  “I hope so. Telling Iris the truth was the right thing to do.”

  “Since when have you become her champion?” He whirled to face Drake, his calm broken.

  “Since I saw your thoughts.”

  The simple statement swept Brennan’s anger away like a strong wind.

  “What do you mean?” He already knew what Drake would say, but wanted to hear him say it.

  “You like her. You like her more than I’ve seen you like anyone else, and that includes Ailla. That gives me hope for you, Brennan. You deserve to be happy, and if this girl could be involved in that, I am willing to support it.”

  Brennan could only stare at his friend in amazement. Iris had not been at the castle for even a day and Drake made this sort of pronouncement? He must be mad.

  “I think you are confusing concerns with—”

  “Save the protest, Bren. I know you. I’ve known you my entire life and much of yours. I know when something has set you down a different path. Lie to yourself if you must, but do not attempt to lie to me.”

  Drake walked towards the other end of the walkway. Brennan could only watch him go, wondering what Drake saw in him that he couldn’t see in himself, feeling a sliver of hope that Drake just might be right.

  “I thank you for your concern, Drake, but I am to be married. My fiancée is a fine woman, from a fine family. She’ll make me happy enough.” He tamped the hope into ashes.

  Drake stopped and faced him. “Make you happy enough? How can you say that? You live for a long time, Bren! Is happy enough all that you want in a mate? Is that all you want to give your mate? I’m surprised at you. You’re so compassionate to the goblins when everyone else mocks and looks down upon them. Why would you do that to a woman who married you?”

  Brennan found himself speechless. He’d not heard such impassioned speech from Drake in some time. When his engagement had been negotiated, Drake had been steadfastly against it, in spite of his approval of Ailla herself. He said that both parties deserved better than a good political match.

  Brennen considered his fiancée. She was a good woman, the daughter of the king of the Dragon realm. Like all fae from that realm, she moved carefully and deliberately. Her beauty was legendary. He didn’t know if she had the Dragon temper because he’d never seen her angry.

  “I know you were not particularly in favor of this match…” He felt the need to tread carefully with Drake.

  “No, and I’m still not in favor of it. I think your parents pushed you, and you gave in because it was easiest. Iris excites something in you! Reach for that, Bren! Don’t let that go. When was the last time you got excited about anything?”

  “About one day ago, when you and I were attacked by goblins.”

  Drake stared, mouth slightly open. Then he muttered something in the Fae tongue that Brennan didn’t catch and stomped away. He wrenched open the door leading back to the castle, and disappeared down the stairwell without another word or backwards glance.

  Sometimes Brennan wondered if Drake remembered that he was the king. One didn’t stomp away from a king, no matter if they had grown up together.

  He followed Drake down the stairs, taking care to close and latch the parapet door.

&nbs
p; Was Drake correct? Were the unease and his rude, angry behavior because he actually liked Iris? Did Drake actually believe he should throw over the Dragon Princess for a human? Brennan shuddered at the thought of facing two irate fathers.

  “It’s time for this nonsense to end. She goes back. No more involvement.” Whether Drake was right or not, he’d made a promise. Not only to Ailla, but to their respective kingdoms and parents. He wasn’t going to toss all that away on a foolish whim.

  No matter how much he desperately wanted to believe Drake. Even though he knew that he, Brennan, couldn’t ever have such a thing. Even though—Brennan shook his head. No. It wouldn’t do to head into such thoughts. He’d learned long, long ago that he had no choice but to keep a tight rein on his emotions to keep everyone around him safe.

  ***

  He walked for a while, not really paying attention to where he went. He heard over and over Drake’s words, debating the merit of his friend’s observations. Every time he went over all that Drake had said, he felt a rising of hope and a sweep of emotion so strong that he felt he stood on the edge of a high cliff, ready to fall over. He nearly ran into Drake at the door to his rooms.

  “What is amiss? No need to stand out here as though these are not my rooms,” he grumped.

  Drake took two steps in and then stood to the side. “Where have they gone?”

  “What? What do you mean, where have they gone? We left them not that long ago!”

  “Yes, your lordship, we did. However, they are no longer here.”

  Brennan opened his mouth to bellow for one of the goblins who took care of him when Glynan came in. Her head bowed, she twisted her hands in front of her.

  “I have a message for you, Majesty,” she said. Everything about her said clearly that she didn’t want to pass the message on to him.

  “What is it?” Brennan asked. He tried to throttle down his anger. His goblins were loyal and they worked hard. Other than his own foul temper, he had no need to shout at them.

  “Her Majesty, the queen, she bade me tell you that they, her and the mage, have taken the girl home. She will contact you when she can.”

  “That wasn’t the plan at all. Not in any fashion,” Drake said. “What happened while we were out?” He looked to Glynan, but she didn’t look up.

  “Glynan,” Brennan asked, feeling rather smug that Drake now shared in the general upset, “What else did my mother say?”

  “Didn’t say anything, Majesty. Only told me, and not even in person, that they needed to go, and I was to tell you.”

  She stopped. Brennan could see he wouldn’t get anything else out of her. Probably because she knew nothing more. She also felt horrible for bringing him news that she felt sure would upset him.

  “Thank you, Glynan. You may go.” The little goblin almost ran from the room.

  “She sent a message to Glynan. She never sends to anyone outside the family.” Drake looked more worried than annoyed.

  Brennan nodded. He felt the same way. “That suggests they left quickly. Otherwise, why not speak with me or you directly?”

  “Because she didn’t want us to stop her?” Drake asked with a slight smile. “She is, after all, your mother. The acorn grows directly from the tree.”

  In spite of his anger over her skulking away, Brennan had to laugh. “Yes, she and I are a lot alike. Doesn’t mean I have to like it when I have to deal with it. She’s supposed to be my elder, and what does she do but sneak away like a youngling?”

  “There’s a reason for it. Mother is nothing if not deliberate. Perhaps we should trust this?”

  “Yes. That’s what worries me. What told her that this would be the correct move?”

  Chapter Nine

  Iris

  “Mom, Dad! Stop! Just stop and listen to me, okay?” I couldn’t remember the last time I’d raised my voice at my parents. We all worked well together. You have to when you live on a small boat. Well, she wasn’t small, but in terms of space for three, she was. We were a good team, and I counted on that to keep them from freaking out.

  “What is going on, Iris?” Dad looked angry.

  “Mom, we need to talk about your mother.”

  This made my mom sit up, and exchange one of those married looks with my dad.

  “Why?” She asked quietly. I felt Nerida start next to me. When my mom spoke, the intensity of her illness stood out in stark relief. Even the one word took something from her.

  “I am Nerida, and I believe your mother was a good friend of mine, one I haven’t seen for a long time.” Nerida took the bull by the horns and stepped right in.

  “Why would you think that?” This from Dad.

  “Why do you not see your families?” Taranath interrupted.

  “Who are you to be concerned?” I could feel my dad getting mad.

  “Dad, will you trust me? Taranath means nothing bad. We really do need to know about this, though. Please. We never have talked about it. But we need to now.”

  “Why?” Mom asked again.

  “Because I don’t believe your mother is human, and having encountered your daughter, I think we can help you.”

  Nerida’s blunt statement took me aback, and I knew what she planned to say. Sort of. I also felt a thrill of hope that Nerida had agreed to try and help Mom. She hadn’t been willing to say as much when we were still at the castle.

  My parents were rocked.

  “What?” Dad whispered. “What the hell is this? It’s not funny.” His eyes filled with tears.

  “I am not joking. Why don’t you see your families?”

  “My mother had a different life planned for me. I chose for myself, and she told me I was on my own.” Mom spoke over Dad. I couldn’t believe that she’d gotten all of that out.

  “And you?” Nerida turned to my dad.

  His anger gave way to sheepishness. “My parents knew Claire’s. They knew that her mother was against our marriage. They were offended by her attitude towards me, as though I wasn’t good enough. They told me that if I married Claire, I was making my own bed to deal with her snotty family.”

  “Needless to say, we told them all to go to hell.” Mom said in a whisper.

  Dad laughed, and sat down next to her, cuddling her close. “Yes, we did. And they went away muttering about how stupid we were, and not to come crawling back.”

  He and Mom smiled at one another. It filled my heart to see the love still strong between them.

  Taranath watched them as well. His expression altered only a little, but I could tell that their love affected him, too.

  Nerida didn’t allow the massive quantities of sentiment to deter her.

  “Does your mother know you’re ill?”

  Dad answered, shaking his head. “They have not been part of our lives, just as they promised. They don’t need to be part of it now.”

  “That is where you are wrong. We must contact your mother. Contact Imara.”

  “Mara,” Mom corrected her.

  Nerida smiled at her, and for the first time, I saw her empathy for my mother. “We knew her as Imara. If I address her so, and she recognizes it, I shall know I have found her. How can you contact her?”

  “Call her?” I suggested.

  “I do not call in the same way you do, I think. Will you call her?” She looked around at the three of us. “One of you must do it. I must speak with her. Immediately.”

  I could tell that my dad didn’t care for her dictatorial manner. It could be annoying, but there was no time to get stuck on that now. We needed to see if there was anything to be done for Mom.

  “Can we get to it, please?”

  Everyone looked at me in surprise. “Mom, we’re here to figure out some stuff about your mother, but we’re also here to see if Taranath can help you. We don’t have time to waste. So save all the arguing or whatever for later.”

  Dad looked from me to Taranath, and Taranath stepped forward. “I cannot promise that there is anything I can help with, but I have told Iris
I will look and see.”

  “What can you do that the doctors can’t?”

  “Was there anything odd about your mother growing up?” Nerida again. The woman bore a strong resemblance to a pit bull with an agenda.

  “She loved the water and sky.” Mom’s voice had a dreamy quality. She’d leaned back against the sofa and was looking at something the rest of us couldn’t see. “I didn’t understand when I was younger, but she and my dad would fight because she’d go out back naked and lie under the stars when the sprinklers were on.”

  Nerida laughed softly. “Of course she did. That’s because we fae take strength from the natural world.”

  “Fae? What are you talking about?” Dad asked.

  Taranath stepped close to where my mom lay on the couch and knelt down next to her. Whatever Nerida planned to say, she suspended as we all watched Taranath move his hands above Mom. Like some crazy healer, I thought, feeling hysteria swirling through me. If this didn’t work, I didn’t know what I would do. I hadn’t realized how much I pinned on him being able to help her.

  “You are very ill, Claire. But you know that. The fact that you are still with us is, in part, due to your fae heritage. It refuses to die.” His voice soft, the words heavy. Weird, how hard those words were to hear.

  “I wondered what was keeping me going,” she answered, her eyes closed. “I thought I should have died some time ago.”

  I gasped, then covered my mouth. Stepping closer to Dad, I took his hand. I could tell he felt as shocked as me. We hadn’t talked about this with Mom ever. Yet here she was, telling someone who was basically a complete stranger things we didn’t even talk about!

  I covered my mouth with my other hand so I didn’t cry out. Horrible as this was to hear, I didn’t want to miss any of their conversation.

  “Your fae wants to live. Being with us will help you, Claire. We need to bring your mother to you.”

  “She won’t come,” Mom whispered. “She is probably still angry that I married Paul. He wasn’t the one she chose, and…she doesn’t let go of grudges.”