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He didn’t respond, and she hadn’t the energy to prompt an answer from him. She yawned and watched Imenborg loom closer. They walked a wide path marked by rows of stones on both sides seeming to lead to the main entrance’s double doors. Someone waited for them. A goblin man, she realized. He leaned against the wall, one ankle hooked over the other as he lazily watched them approaching.
Whoever he was, he didn’t make much of a guard.
“He doesn’t make much of anything,” Jael grumbled in her ear.
Skadi’s frost, had she said that out loud?
“Well met, brother dearest!” the goblin called as they drew close to the base of stairs leading up to the entrance. “What have you done now? Did you go and steal yourself a family?” He remained as he was, leaning against the wall as if he had all the time in the world.
The goblin holding her seemed to choke and fell into a fit of coughing. “Hold your tongue, Kora, or I will hold it for you. Rock and bone.”
It sounded like a curse, but she couldn’t say for sure. It wasn’t an expression she had ever heard before. He should know better than to use such language in front of children, so hopefully it was a harmless expression.
“I suppose this is your doing,” Jael continued, swiping a hand to indicate his whispering entourage. Anrid flicked a wide-eyed gaze between him and his brother. Kora, he had called him, still maintained his carefree pose, cutting an elegant and rather attractive figure with flowing white hair and a piercing way about him. He was a fellow who looked good and knew it.
Kora studied her in return, then winked before he splayed a hand across his chest and turned back to Jael. “You wound me. I have nothing to do with this lovely bunch of lads and lassies.”
“Which is ironic considering you’re supposed to be the future Minister of Goblinborn Affairs.” Jael’s tone was more growl than speech. “Take charge of this lot.”
Kora waved a dismissive hand. “I am not here for that, and you know it. But I am interested in this beautiful lady. Wherever did you find her? Kidnap yourself a bride, did you? Jael, I didn’t think you had it in you!”
Heat exploded in her cheeks. Skadi help her, Kora was a forward one, wasn’t he?
Jael spluttered, his arms tightening around her and Medda. “I did nothing of the sort! It was your goblin horde that did that! Bespelled her right out from under her own people’s noses!”
Kora assessed her with a knowing smile. “I can see why you didn’t take her back, though. That hair.”
Anrid blew a noisy breath through her nose. “I don’t appreciate you talking about me, or these poor children, as if we were a litter of puppies you found under a bush.” The words came out sharper than she intended. Startled, she lost everything else she might have wanted to say. She floundered for a minute as Kora’s eyebrows rose, a smile quirking about his mouth. “And—and I don’t like you talking about my hair either,” she finally mumbled. “It’s none of your business.”
Kora blinked twice and then burst into laughter. He pushed away from the wall, hands braced against his knees like she had been so ridiculously funny he couldn’t even hold himself upright. The heat in her cheeks escalated even further.
She must be as red as her hair.
Kora straightened, flicking a finger at the corner of his eye to chase a tear she was entirely convinced did not exist. “I like this one, Jael. You can keep her.”
“I have no intention of keeping her!” Jael barked at the same time Anrid spluttered, “I don’t want to be kept!”
Medda lifted her head with a noisy yawn. “Why all da yelling?” she complained. She stretched luxuriously and then smiled at Anrid. There was something adoring and trusting in the child’s little face. Anrid melted a little bit.
She was in danger of doing anything this little one wanted her to do, just to elicit more such expressions. That part of her that longed for her own family ached with joy.
Maybe her future dark elf husband liked goblin children and wouldn’t mind if she brought a few home with her.
Chapter 10
“Perhaps you should put me down now,” Anrid whispered. “I can walk from here, I think.”
Jael experienced a brief pang of reticence and found it rather befuddling. Where had that come from? It’s not as if he liked carting women through the tunnels when he was bone tired and preoccupied with other things.
Even if they were soft and doe-eyed with hair a shocking shade he longed to feel beneath his fingers to see if it was real.
“Yes, Jael,” Kora agreed. “Do put the poor woman down. You’re clinging to her like you’re afraid she’s going to get away. And if you don’t intend to keep her, you shouldn’t be so possessive. You might give the wrong impression…a prince should be careful of such things, you know.”
When Kora clucked his tongue in disapproval, Jael scowled. He was going to throttle him. “As if you know anything about making a good impression.” He adjusted his grip so that the girl’s feet swung toward the ground. She kept a tight hold on Medda, who whimpered in protest.
“Did he just say—did he call you—are you—” As Anrid situated her feet beneath her, Jael kept a supportive arm around her shoulders, still not trusting her not to collapse.
It was the gentlemanly thing to do, he was sure. Granted, he knew nothing about human gentlemen...but it was the decent thing to do for goblin runemasters.
