“Just get rid of her before the spell wears off.”
The words poked at my mind in the persistently annoying way of a mosquito until the echo of fading footsteps took the place of the words.
My brain didn’t want to work. Neither did my eyes.
I wanted to sink back into the fog shrouding my thoughts, but some small part of me insisted I resist the pull. I groaned, my head lolling to the side.
A small laugh teased my ears.
“The spell’s already wearing off. You’re in trouble.”
The sharp rattle of metal and a high-pitched shriek annoyed me enough that I managed to open my eyes. Bits of my surroundings swam in and out of focus with each slow blink.
A cement floor. A table with a cage on it, not far away and to my right. A bald kid walking toward me. Sharp teeth.
I jerked back and tried to lift my hand to rub my eyes. My arm wouldn’t move.
I opened my eyes again and stared at the glowing ropes tying me to a sturdy chair. The cloud of my exhale momentarily distracted me as I gave another tug. The ropes tightened around my forearms, biting into the skin. It should have hurt, but I was too cold to feel anything.
“Struggling only makes it worse.”
Lifting my gaze, I found the child-sized creature standing within kicking distance, which I would have tried to do if my ankles hadn’t been bound, too.
He studied me as I studied him. His size was the only thing he had in common with a human kid. The wizened wrinkles creasing his face and the tuft of hair sticking out from his pointed ears matched perfectly with his rough-spun shirt that looked a hundred years old.
“You’re in a pickle, aren’t you, my pretty plaything. Old Elbner will set things right. For a price.”
“This is really not the way to make a good impression with me,” I said, my voice surprisingly clear. “Untie me now.”
“I can’t. Once those bonds are on, only the buyer can untie you. Prevents backcrossing on deals struck.”
“He’s lying,” a high-pitched voice chirped.
I looked beyond good ‘ol Elbner to the cage on the table. A small creature with wings flitted around, shaking the bars as if testing their strength. When the thing saw I was looking at it, it flew at the bars and stared at me in return. A tiny shirt hung loosely from its bony shoulders, and the long pants it wore were held up with a string belt.
“You’re pretty,” it said.
“Thank you. What are you?”
“A brownie.”
Elbner stepped in my line of sight.
“We can share his wings if you’d like.” He licked his lips, the glisten making me feel sick.
The brownie squealed, and I scowled at Elbner.
“He looks pretty attached to his wings. Now, are you going to untie me or what?”
“I told you. Can’t.”
“He’s lying,” the brownie called again.
Elbner growled and pivoted to the cage, which made the brownie squeal and take off. It zoomed around it’s prison in a panic, trying to find a way out.
“How is he lying?” I asked.
“His master told him to get rid of you. He’s supposed to set you free.”
Elbner stopped advancing toward the cage and cast a sly look over his shoulder at me.
“‘Get rid of’ doesn’t mean set free,” he said.
“Someone bigger than you briefly considered killing me,” I said. “She decided not to risk it, though.”
He turned toward me fully, a low chuckle rising from him.
“Oh? And what stopped her? Fear of you?”
He moved closer and reached out a bony finger, trailing it from my chin down my throat. The sharp edge of his nail scraped my skin, not quite breaking it but definitely leaving a mark.
A spark of anger lit inside of me. Small in comparison to what I’d felt in the past, but enough. I tugged hard on the bonds. They bit in painfully, and I pulled harder still. The fire inside me burned brighter with the pain.
“Fear of pissing off the gods,” I said.
Elbner stopped touching me and stared at me with a puzzled frown.
“What are you?” he asked.
“You tell me, and I’ll tell you.”
“I’m a goblin.”
I closed my eyes and focused on the fire burning inside of me. When I opened my eyes again, an orange glow reflected on Elbner’s skin.
“I’m a fury.”
The old creature’s eyes rounded. He made a choked sound and stumbled back a few steps as the ropes binding me began to smolder. The glow faded, and the ropes fell away in seconds.
I stood, and the old guy fell to his knees in a shaking heap.
“Looks like you’re in a pickle, aren’t you?” the brownie chirped happily from his cage.
“I never meant to hurt you,” the goblin said, his voice muffled. “It was only a prank. Just my nature. To trick and tease.”
“And the brownie wings? Is that tempting offer still open?”
The brownie looked at me in horror as Elbner jumped up and raced over to the table.
“Yes. Of course. Two might be a bit filling, but I’d be happy to eat the second one for you.” He pulled a rusted knife from the back of his ripped pants.
The fire, which had freed me, slowly died. How could wanting to cut the wings off that tiny creature not be wicked?
Annoyed, I reached Elbner before he could open the cage. The old goblin made an awful moaning sound when I grabbed his arm and spun him around. The useless knife went clattering to the floor.
“I’m not interested in his wings. I said that to see what kind of person you are. And, I have my answer. Not a good one.”
He started to frantically shake his head.
“I’m no enforcer, but I’m not wicked. Just a few pranks. Harmless tricks.”
“Right now, I don’t care what you’ve done in the past; I’m interested in how I got here and why. Start talking.”
“My master only wants—”
His words stopped, but his lips still moved. I wanted to swear.
“What can you tell me?” I asked, interrupting his silent confession.
He licked his lips nervously as his gaze shifted around the room. Suddenly, his expression brightened.
“I can serve you,” he said. “You can be my master if you’ll have me.”
“Ew. No.” The last thing I wanted was this creepy old goblin hanging around me.
“Say, yes,” the brownie said. “The spell will fade once his ownership changes hands. He’ll be able to give you answers eventually.”
I looked at the brownie.
“You’re just full of information. If I let you out, is something bad going to happen?”
The little creature giggled and pointed at Elbner.
“I’ll pull out his ear hair.”
Elbner growled. “Touch me, and I’ll eat your wings.”
“No, you won’t,” I said. I reached for the cage door. “What does being his master mean?” I asked.
“He has to listen to you,” the brownie answered earnestly. “And, if you treat him well, he’ll listen. If you don’t treat him well, he’ll make your life miserable then leave.”
My hand hesitated on the latch.
“Treat him well? What’s that mean, exactly?”
“Feed him. Goblins like milk. Milk soaked oats. Milk soaked oats with honey are their favorite.”
“Not true,” Elbner said. “Milk soaked oats with honey and brownie wings are my favorite.”
“Why are you so willing to trade masters?” I asked, ignoring his obsession with the brownie’s wings.
“His master forgot to feed him today.”
The phone in my pocket buzzed.
“It’s been doing that a lot,” Elbner said. “I like the sound. Reminds me of wings beating.”
I pulled out my phone and looked at a string of messages from Oanen, the oldest from over three hours ago. The first one started out calm enough, asking where I’d gone. Then, each one after progressively showed his growing concern. The final one worried me.
If I don’t hear from you in ten minutes, I’m calling Adira.
I typed out a quick message while keeping an eye on Elbner.
I’m okay. I’ll call in a minute. Are brownies and goblins safe to be around?
His reply was immediate.
Safe enough. Where are you?
I looked at Elbner.
“Fine. I’ll be your master. As soon as the spell wears off, you’re going to tell me what’s going on here. Got it?”
He nodded.
“And no eating brownie wings while I’m your master. I’ll feed you everything else but that.”
He scowled at me and gave a single nod.
I opened the brownie’s cage and squealed when the thing flew straight at my face. Its tiny arms stuck to my neck as it hugged me.
“Thank you! Thank you! I thought I would die in that cage like my grandparents.” He released me and flitted back to look me in the eyes.
“My name is Piepen. What’s yours?”
“Pie Pen?”
He nodded.
“I’m Megan.”
He flew forward and hugged me again. His little hand stroked the side of my neck.
“I love you, Megan.” The tiny puff of his breath brushed my skin. Or was that his lips? Were his hips moving?
“Okay. I think I’m all hugged out.”
He didn’t let go. I carefully pinched his shirt and tugged him loose.
“You’re free to go, now,” I said.
His happy face fell.
“Go? I have nowhere to go. My grandparents are dead now, and I have no parents. Please don’t leave me behind.” His small cherub face scrunched up, and tears glistened in his eyes.
“Let’s talk about this later. I really need to make a phone call.”
With numb fingers, I dialed Oanen. He picked up immediately.
“Megan, where are you?”
“Oh, um…” I looked around at the empty room. “I think I’m in some kind of old warehouse.”
The phone was quiet for a long moment.
“I want an address, not a description.” The warning in his tone made me grin.
“Hold on.” I looked at Elbner. “What’s the address for this place?”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. I wished I was a lip reader.
“Fine. Where’s the exit?”
Elbner led the way to a set of stairs. I clumsily jogged down the first flight with Piepen flitting alongside of me, his tiny wings buzzing.
“What’s that noise?” Oanen asked as I started down the second flight.
“That’s Piepen, a brownie I set free.”
“And you won’t regret it,” Piepen said. “I’m good at making beds and washing dishes.”
“You’re going to regret it,” Oanen said in my ear.
“Already am,” I said softly.
I pushed through the door at the bottom of the stairwell and stepped into what looked like a shipping yard. Metal containers and boards poked through the snow and littered the space before the building.
“There’s a sign to the right,” Elbner said.
Glancing back, I caught the glint of his eyes as he hovered in the shadows. He pointed down the road.
“Just a second, Oanen. I need to run to the street corner.”
He remained quiet as I jogged.
“26 th and 4 th street,” I said, looking at the signs.
“There is no 26 th and 4 th street in Harlem, Megan. Open the map on your phone.”
I put him on speaker, pulled the map up on my phone, and sent him my current location.
“You’re not even in Manhattan. How did you get across the river?”
I looked around and saw the glimmer of lights reflecting on water further down the street. A shiver coursed through me. How in the hell had I crossed that?
“Not sure,” I said. “I just woke up fifteen minutes ago.”
“Woke up?”
“Yeah, I think the burger I ate was drugged.”
A shiver of emotion tingled along the back of my neck. Anger. Fear. A lot of fear.
“Are you safe? Right now. Are you safe?” he demanded.
“Oanen? Did you just…” The idea that I’d just felt what he was feeling made my stomach dip and my heart flutter.
“Just what?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’m safe.”
“I’m flying to you.”
The call disconnected, and I frowned at the phone.
“I don’t like him,” Piepen said. “He didn’t sound nice.”
“He’s really nice. And, I like him a lot.”
A scruff of noise from behind us had Piepen diving for my hair. I turned, trying to ignore the brownie shaking on my shoulder.
“Lost, honey?” a man asked, stepping from the shadows.
“No. Just waiting for my boyfriend.”
“Want me to keep you company?”
“Thanks, but I don’t think that’ll help his mood.”
A snarl came from behind the man a moment before a long piece of two by four lumber swung out of the dark. The chunk of wood hit the man in the head. His eyes rolled back, and he fell like a brick to reveal Elbner standing behind him.
“What the hell, Elbner? Why did you hit him?”
“He was going to hurt you.”
“No, he wasn’t. I’m a fury, remember? I would have felt his wickedness if he was going to do something.”
Elbner cast the board aside and scowled at me.
“If you mistreat him, he’ll make you miserable,” Piepen said softly, right in my ear. “He’ll want extra milk for protecting you.” I was about to thank the brownie for the reminder when something touched my earlobe. Something tiny and wet. I shuddered and reached for Piepen.
“Okay. Ride’s over. Get out of my hair.”
The little guy flew out and went to investigate the fallen man.
My phone rang again, and I quickly lifted it, ready to ask Oanen to hurry up. Instead of Oanen’s name, Eliana’s flashed. I smiled and answered.
“You officially broke your promise,” she said.
“Huh?”
“It’s after midnight. You said you would check in daily, and I didn’t get a call yesterday.”
“The day I left doesn’t count.”
“Sure, start bending the rules already. So, what’s it like having freedom?”
I watched Piepen lift the guy’s eyelid.
“Knock it off,” I said.
“Do I even want to know what Oanen’s doing?” Eliana asked.
“Not Oanen. A brownie named Piepen is messing around with some guy’s eye.”
Piepen zipped over to me and flitted around my head, trying to listen. I waved my hand, shooing him away.
“A brownie?” Eliana asked.
“Yeah, long story.”
“I’ve got time.”
“I let him out of a cage, and now he’s following me.”
“I’m not following. I’m going to help you. I’ll take care of your house.”
“No, you won’t,” Elbner said from the shadows. “That’s my job.”
“No, you take care of everything outside. I take care of the inside.”
Eliana started snickering.
“Two of them? What are you going to do with two?” she asked.
“One’s a brownie and one’s a goblin. And I have no idea.” I paced to the corner and back toward the shadows where the man lay, still unconscious, before turning again. Moving wasn’t warming me up like I’d hoped.
“They’re not going to like the hotel or the car. They’re much happier in real homes,” Eliana said.
“She sounds nice,” Piepen said. “I like her.”
“Aw! Isn’t he sweet,” she said.
Piepen’s face lit up with joy, and he started zipping around my head faster.
“Stop. He can hear you, and I think you’re going to give him a heart attack. What’s wrong with hotels?”
“What’s a hotel?” Piepen asked, slowing to hover in front of me.
Elbner stepped from the shadows, a severe scowl on his face.
“A hotel? A hotel!” His ears quivered with his anger. “I will not lower myself to the upkeep of rented rooms.”
“Told you,” Eliana said in my ear.
“I have a house,” I assured Elbner. “I’m just visiting the city for a while.”
“Where’s your house?” he demanded. “I’ll wait for you there.”
“Tell him,” Eliana encouraged through the phone. “You’ll be happier with him here. I’ll feed them both for you.”
“Are you sure?” I asked her.
“Yep. It’ll be fine.”
I looked at both of the creatures, hoping I wasn’t about to make a mistake.
“I live in Uttira. N125 W837 Crooked Road.”
“Hmm.” Elbner looked north. “It’ll take me a few days,” he said after a moment. “It better not be a nice house.”
“Oh, it’s not,” I assured him.
“Tell him I’ll have a bowl of honey-soaked oats waiting for him,” Eliana said.
Elbner’s eyes gleamed, and I knew he’d heard her.
“Can I go, too? Can I?” Piepen begged.
A speculative look glazed over Elbner’s eyes as the old goblin stared at Piepen’s wings.
“Can I trust you to care for Piepen?” I asked Elbner. “That means protecting him and his wings, from yourself and everyone else.”
Elbner grumped and grumbled before nodding. He waved for Piepen and started across the street. The brownie-boy flew at my head, kissed the tip of my nose, then took off into the dark after Elbner. Once they were far enough away, I gave Eliana the rundown about what had happened once we got to New York. Getting drugged. Waking in the warehouse. A goblin with answers but bound by a spell.
“I’ll call you if he says anything about who his previous master was,” Eliana said when I finished.
“Thank you. And watch yourself around both of them. Oanen said they wouldn’t hurt me, but Elbner seems sketchy.”
“Did he make you mad?” she asked.
“Surprisingly, no.”
“Then I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
An eagle’s cry split the air.
“I better go,” I said. “Oanen’s coming, and I need to check the guy Elbner knocked out.”
“What guy?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
I hung up and hurried over to the man on the ground. When I tapped his cheek, he groaned, a sign he was close to coming to. At least, I hoped so.
Straightening, I stepped away from him and looked to the sky. The clouds and the nearby streetlights made it impossible to see Oanen until he fell from the sky. His graceful shift from griffin to human as he landed made my pulse quicken. I doubted I would ever tire of watching him do that.
He strode toward me, his golden gaze locked on my face. The tick of his jaw and the scowl on his face distracted me from the fact he was walking around naked in New York in the middle of winter as if it was no big deal.
Without a word, Oanen pulled me into his arms and held me tight. I could feel him shaking and tried to hold back my wince when his hand brushed over the sore spot on my back. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I just let him hold me.
“Fury’s aren’t the only ones with a temper,” he said against my hair. “Don’t ever leave my side again, Megan. New York wouldn’t survive what I would do to find you.”
The man behind me groaned. Oanen lifted his head, and I pulled back in time to see his pupils dilate. I quickly cupped Oanen’s face and forced his attention on me.
“I’m tired, cold, and a little sore. Feel like giving me a ride home, bird boy?”
The heated look he gave me sent a shiver all the way to my toes.
“I’m never letting you go again, Megan. I’m done playing nice.”
