Gillian Summers - The goblin's curse

“Meow needs to get body. So goblin spirit can travel to Sylvus.”

Keelie felt sadness seep into her bones. She wouldn’t see the little goblin again. Just like she wouldn’t see Mom. If she needed to retrieve Cricket’s body so his little spirit could travel on to its next destination, she would do it.

Peascod had done many terrible things to humans and fae, but she hadn’t thought that he would turn on one of his own kind, especially a young goblin.

“Cricket was like one of Peascod’s own,” Keelie said. “I don’t understand how he could’ve done this. I mean, is this what goblins do to one another?”

“Meow, cruel heart in some goblins. Cruel heart can be in human, elf, and fairy. Doesn’t matter the fur or skin if meow evil flows in meow’s blood.” Knot licked his paw and rubbed it over his injured ear.

“Keelie, what are you doing here?” She turned around and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Dad stood in the doorway, then stepped into the office. “I knocked, but Finch didn’t answer. Then I heard your voice.”

He seemed regal in his elven robes, but Keelie detected something different about him even without using the To See Truly spell. He was definitely more elven than he was even a few days ago.

“Knot’s hurt. And he says that Cricket is dead.” She started to cry again.

Dad took two large steps toward her and pulled her into his arms. For a moment, Keelie let herself cry into his shoulder, comforted by her father’s arms around her. She sniffed. “Thanks, Dad.”

He let go of her when she pulled away a little.

“Why are you here?” She wanted to go find Cricket’s body and bury him, but she didn’t want to tell Dad about her plans.

“I had to speak to Finch. I’m sorry about your little creature, but I must say that I’m disappointed to see you here. I was hoping you’d be staying indoors with Janice, where you would be safe.” He turned to Knot. “Janice can stitch you up.” He seemed so cold.

Keelie closed her eyes and sighed. When she looked at Dad again, he was all blurry-but she caught a glimpse of something shimmering around the outline of his body. That was not normal for elves.

She was about to look again when Dad spoke. “I’m sorry for the loss of your pet. I know you were fond of him.” His green eyes gleamed hard and bright. “But Keelie, I’ve come to believe that I’ve been too indulgent with you, and as a result, your reckless decisions have endangered you and many others. Your little friend was a goblin, a dangerous creature that would have betrayed you eventually.”

“Dangerous? Cricket?” Keelie managed to choke out the words as indignation rose in her. “Cricket showed me affection, no matter what you thought about him. I cared about him.” She tried to keep her voice steady. “He would never have turned evil, or done anything to hurt me.”

“Hard-headed child. Mourn your pet, but you must prepare yourself to leave the faire. All the elves will be leaving. You must keep your focus on the Dread Forest, where you will stay and be protected.”

Keelie shook her head. “Elves leaving?”

He nodded. “It was decided at the last Council meeting.”

“Dad, I don’t want to argue. I can’t deal with elves and Council decisions right now.” Keelie stood up as Knot jumped down from the desk. The cat hissed as he strolled past Dad. “I need to go and find Cricket’s body.” Keelie reached for some tissues on Finch’s desk.

“The trees will not accept the body of a goblin buried in their soil,” Dad said. “Remember what happened with that nasty goblin tree. We can’t risk another infection.”

“Cricket wasn’t a bad goblin,” Keelie retorted. Dad’s cold-hearted attitude made her inwardly wince, but she would stand her ground.

“Doesn’t matter. Cricket”-it seemed Dad struggled just to say the name of her little companion-“was a goblin. The elves will disagree with a burial too. Leave the goblin, and allow nature to take his remains. It is the elven way.”

Lately, everything was the elven way.

“I can’t leave Cricket. I need to bury his remains according to the traditions of the dark fae.” Keelie glowered at Dad.

“Where is the body?” he asked.

She didn’t dare tell him it was in Under-the-Hill, so she altered her story. “It’s in the meadow, close to the performers’ campground.”

He studied her intently, as if trying to determine whether she was telling the truth.

“Too dangerous,” he finally said. “And we have preparations to make for our trip back to the Dread Forest.”

At that moment, Finch walked into her office, rifling through papers she carried as if Keelie and Dad weren’t standing there. She wore cat frame glasses perched on her nose, and when she saw Dad and Keelie, she blinked. “Did I miss an important meeting?”

Keelie could tell she’d overheard every word.

“No, we were just leaving.” Dad gestured, indicating he wanted Keelie to follow him.

“Zeke, Keelie has been a big help to me,” Finch said. “We need her here. The humans need her.”

Dad held Finch’s intent gaze. “You’re driving a wedge between us, Rose.”

Finch certainly didn’t look like a Rose.

The faire director scowled at Dad. “Zekeliel, you can’t blame me for the situation at the faire.”

Keelie forced her full attention on Finch and breathed deeply, summoning up her inner strength. “I came here to tell you that your suspicions were right. Hob is Peascod.”

“What? Peascod is at the faire?” Dad’s face became chalky white. He whipped around to face Keelie. “And you knew?”

“Not until this morning.” Keelie winced. She wondered what she could have done differently so that Cricket would still be alive.

Oh Cricket!

“I knew it,” Finch growled, walking over to her desk and tossing her papers onto it. She sighed in frustration, then removed her glasses and flung them onto the desk too. They clattered loudly as they landed. Smoke drifted from her ears. “If the goblins storm the faire, they could expose our world. And with Peascod in the mix, I’m sure they’re going for a full-blown attack.”

Dad glared at Finch. “That is not my problem. You will have to deal with Peascod. The elves wish for Keelie and me to return to the Dread Forest, where we will be able to protect our home forest. My daughter’s powers will aid her kind.”

Keelie stared at her father. Who was this elf? This didn’t sound like Dad. Had he been brainwashed from listening to Niriel and the other elves advise him on how to take care of his mutt daughter? She could hear them now: Reel her in, Zekeliel, before she goes totally human. Or worse, totally fae.

“Your daughter is more than an elf-she is a glorious combination of all that is good in this world,” Finch snapped. “What you’re doing to her, by expecting her to be one way, is breaking her heart, and she will follow her own path. Trailblazers always do.”

Keelie stared at Finch, who blushed under her admiring gaze. Or maybe she was turning red from anger.

“Don’t tell me how to raise my daughter.” Dad’s voice rose. When had he started to yell so much?

“Zeke, I’m not telling you how to raise your daughter, I’m advising you to listen to your daughter,” Finch said. Draconic scales formed around her hairline, popping up through her skin.

Keelie decided it was time to stop this interchange before Finch became a full-on dragon and flamed her father. “Dad, we need to go.” She touched him on the shoulder, avoiding eye contact with Finch.

He nodded. “This is how a daughter listens to her father.”

Keelie recoiled. “Who are you? You sound like an old-school feudal lord who demands total obedience from his daughter. That’s not me!” Her face flushed with anger and embarrassment.