Page 51 of Casting Butterflies

“Perhaps you should worry more about the goblin about to take a bite out of you.”

I whirled and saw the stubby fucker racing for me on his short legs. I pointed and spat, “Can’t you see I’m busy? Off with your head.”

Schick. The goblin died, and I turned back to Cedric, who murmured, “Effective tactic. I wonder…”

“Wonder what?”

“Your control over the magic has much improved. Maybe you can do something to seal the hole.”

“Me?” Okay, my chest might have puffed out a little. “I don’t know how, but I’m willing to try.” Brave words to say, which led to me realizing I would be going from a spot with only a few goblins to handle to the hole in the ground spilling them out. Too late to back down and, honestly, I didn’t have much choice. We had to do something about the goblins. People were dying—and if I ever wanted to have sex with Misha again, then I needed to help him.

Following Cedric’s upright tail, we made our way toward the front of the train. Each time a goblin chose to spring away from a train car—where it was trying to smash its way in—to attack me, I channeled the Queen of Hearts. The beheading trick was easy and precise and, honestly, much better than a frying pan since I didn’t have to get close.

A strange orange glow ahead appeared to be our target, and I gaped at the sight of the hole causing all the trouble. More like a chasm, it spanned a good twenty feet, and a rail car teetered over its edge, rocking slightly, likely because Misha stood atop it, punting the goblins that climbed to reach him back into the pit from which they crawled.

Since he didn’t require my immediate help, I chose to direct my attention to the pit. As a new wave of goblins emerged, I slashed my hand, imaging myself swinging a scythe, and a dozen heads toppled.

Only to be replaced by a new set of ugly fuckers.

“There’s no point in trying to kill them all. Who knows how many remain below?” Cedric stated. “We need to seal the hole.”

As if Misha heard Cedric’s remark, he leapt down, landing mere paces from me. Rather than scowl and order me to go hide away, Misha waved his dagger, saying, “Keep the goblins busy while I work on the locking mechanism holding this car.”

Hot damn, he finally trusted me to fight, and it only took using magic to decapitate to impress him.

I parked myself between Misha and any goblins who might approach and got to listen to him grunting and clanging at the contraption holding the cars together. While he cursed and hammered, I handled the goblins that came rushing from the chasm, not even bothering to say anything, just slicing my hand through the air as if I wielded an invisible Grim Reaper scythe. Pity I didn’t have a cloak. I bet I would have looked totally badass.

“It’s no use. I can’t get it to unlock,” Misha stated after several minutes.

“Maybe I can use magic to disconnect it,” I offered.

“Do—” He didn’t finish his sentence, and his head pivoted sharply to look at something by the edge of the pit. He growled just one word. A name actually. “Valefor.”

A glance showed the shadow elf approaching. For real or was this another projection?

“You can’t win,” Valefor stated. “The goblins will keep coming. They’ve been reproducing like rabbits for centuries, and now that I’ve given them an exit, there will be no holding them back.”

“Close the hole,” Misha growled.

“I will if you hand over the woman.”

“Never!” Misha didn’t even hesitate, and while I’d like to think it was because he cared for me, it probably had more to do with his precious spirit inside me.

“See, that’s shortsighted because there will be no leaving this place alive. How long do you really think you can fight? How long before you get too tired or clumsy? And then what will happen to the woman? I can give her a quick and painless death, as opposed to what the goblins will do.”

“Better to fight than surrender to the likes of you,” Misha spat.

He wasn’t the only one angry and annoyed. This asshole spoke of me as if I were of no consequence. Rude!

“Off with his head!” I flung my hand and shouted, shaping my magical intent, only to see it deflected, the invisible blade diverting into the train and leaving a gash in the metal.

Damn. Good thing no passengers stood in its path.

“Do you really think you have the skill to harm me?” Valefor stated with disdain. “A simple human who has wielded magic for mere seconds to my decades?” He flicked his fingers, and a fist of air punched me hard enough I hit the ground on my ass.

Guess I should have remembered he could also fight with magic.

Before I could scramble to my feet, Misha roared and charged at Valefor, the swing of his blade causing the shadow elf to retreat a step.