Denial (Goblin's Kiss Series Book One) (36 page)

This time. Terror replaced my
predicted scenarios. ”You told others you were leaving?”

Trigger took a
step back seeing my advance on his attempt to get farther from me.
I took hold of his guard
’
s jacket that he still wore and
carved the tree out with his backside.

“Who.did.you.tell?
”

He
didn
’
t even look scared. “Would you chill your ride? I told Jones
and Seth. You know we
’
ve been plotting fake takeovers
since we were old enough to make pipe bombs. We made a pact years
ago that if one of us ever got out that the others would be ready
for a war if it came to it. I want freedom as much as the rest and
so does the rest of the realm. If humans wouldn
’
t be so repulsed by
what we are, all three of us would have jumped ship long ago and
housed it up in the bars of loose women and human
liquor.”

Honesty was
always in Trigger
’
s trademark even if they were
ineloquent and messy. He meant what he said and it was better than
the alternative. Either way, I now knew Trigger
’
s
motives.

We all had our agendas in place.
Now it was time to “misplace” our current leader.

“You see me as
this hero, but you know full well that I
’
m far from it. I intend to
redeem that reputation so that you can adhere to a king who will
not command his people, but work as a team to make life not a crime
to exist. And to make good on a long awaited debt for the torture
of your father.”

I
’
ve never said aloud that I would rectify the kidnapping of
Wicker
’
s father for being one of the men to save Emma as a baby from
the rubble that day. His family was silenced and only a handful of
other elders knew what Joshlin later. He may have been young, but
he was evil even then. The worst was finding out that Paul was the
young boy whose father was tortured for taking Emma and that he
thought the girl to be dead. He was told Joshlin killed her. All
this came to light one day when Paul and I were still too young to
do anything about it. But that was the day before I met her. At
ten, I wasn
’
t anything but a selfish boy who
wanted to best my evil stepbrother for hurting my friend. Now that
Emma was part of the deal, the debt was larger than Joshlin could
handle.

Wicker circled around the tree and
faced me again, “I will hold you to that. And your promise to
Katelyn.”

He
didn
’
t call me out on the hows of replacing Joshlin, just the
promise that it would happen.

“But you need to
know you
’
re stronger than you make yourself out to be. You
can
’
t go around playing tough guy with the things you lapdog out
for Joshlin and not claim you are capable of taking the guy out.
You could command a whole damn army to take out the human
population if you had a good reason. Man, they would probably do it
anyway. Quit moping and make it happen already.”

I knew he was
right even as I joked it off with, “Didn
’
t I just say I
would.”

Wicker knew what I needed and when
even if it was a tough pill to swallow.

Katelyn retired
into a room that was directly across from mine and significantly
smaller. I didn
’
t care for the uncomfortable
feeling that gave me since, in my opinion, we were on equal playing
fields. But I also didn
’
t want to jeopardize the progress
we
’
ve made in so many hours.

I hoped, as I
lay down in a soft gown and curled under the blanket, that it would
all be over soon and someone would be here to rescue me. I
anticipated it would be Ames, but at this point
I
’
ll
accept any savior.

I
didn
’
t sleep much, but it was enough to have me refreshed and
ready for hopefully the day I would leave.

Katelyn came in early saying I had
breakfast and then a short showing to the realm that I was indeed
there and not a mirage.

Paraded out in a
different dress of the same caliber, I never once looked at evil
man Joshlin. He addressed me only as a future queen Jem and then
sat on his little throne not even being a gentleman and allowing me
to sit first. Don
’
t these people, goblins, see him
for what he is? No, they didn
’
t fit the typical goblin
stereotype and were mostly human looking with a better than average
appeal for good looks and a tidbit of magic. They had slightly
paler skin than most humans unless they actually lived among them
and saw the sun more. But they couldn
’
t be that
bamboozled?

Either way, they
couldn
’
t see this goblin king for what he was...a
cockroach.

Arrogant and full of himself,
Joshlin strutted around the room for a while before taking my hand
and leading me to the table for breakfast. He made polite small
talk in front of others and even smiled genuine for them. He really
could pull off the fake look.

A few laughed and smiled around
the table helping me pay attention to the good humored ones. I
analyzed each of them curious if they were related, worker bees, or
painted picture toadies for the others to see when the king was
upset.

A very unhurried
hour passed by and Joshlin stood saying he would retire for an hour
and return. I stiffened knowing his side agendas and felt disgusted
even more when he kneeled before me and kissed my hand and my
cheek. I was forced to comply as I watched
Katelyn
’
s eyes follow him out with mine. Her nod was so slight no one
would have noticed. She dipped out the door and was
gone.

I circled the room to pass time
actually wanting to know everyone a little better and find out if
they were followers or survivors.

From the temper
change of the room when he vamoosed, it was the later. Shoulders
lowered, laughter grew, and bodies moved around more. I confirmed
at least that the group before me would back my decision to attempt
a kingly removal. I also considered the idea of Ames taking over,
but from what I can concur, he didn
’
t want it. He might not have a
choice.

Upon returning,
Katelyn made her way to me pretending to see if I needed anything.
At least, I think she was pretending. I didn
’
t consider that I
might be the first queen the younger generation had known and that
maybe making it up as I went wasn
’
t too odd. Or following Joshlin
orders. They had only known a male leader.

Speaking of the
S.O.S., in he walked. He didn
’
t have to force his devil smiles
in every direction. He just liked to throw them out. All imitated
their adoration to him like a masquerade of lies. Their postures
stiffened back into their practiced act of dancing around a man
they hated. Conversations lowered and the fake smiles turned into
sad ones, but
he
never noticed...or cared.

His runway show walk landed a
handbreadth from me. His edged jawline was in a permanent grin. I
offered the same look as the rest of his subjects.

“I just procured the plans for a
feast tonight along with entertainment and dancing. It took a
little convincing to get the instruments to your liking, but I
think you will like it. Is there a particular favorite?”

My shock
wasn
’
t unnoticed. “You
’
re asking?”

His lip lifted a little offering a
small amount of genuine pride in doing something good that gained
my favor. So maybe he was actually away doing something nice for
someone.

“I will enjoy any music chosen,” I
threw my own half-lidded appeal back at him hoping to throw him off
his game. He eyed me wearily with suspicion but went with
it.

“Very well.”

We visited with person after
person. As soon as the last person left the room I sighed heavily
wondering if I had another day to go and then ached at the thought
of days to go. Or a lifetime.

What if no one could save
me?

“What are you thinking that has
you worried?” the deep timbre of his voice drifted over to
me.

The air was thick with more than
just worry in the room, but I swallowed and answered with, “Will we
have to greet them all like that every day?”

Thrown off from my real anxieties
he assured me it was a onetime thing to get to know their new
queen. My slow nod was all I could give in the reminder of who and
what I was pushing up the dull ache making camp in my
stomach.

“We can do great
things together, Jem.” He crossed his huge leg over his other
making his boot sole face me. The name I didn
’
t know was yet another
reminder.

“Why do you want me?”

His face went
through several emotions before settling on serious and a look
meant for me to take his words in closely. “If I
’
d have known your
amount of power, I
’
d have never let you live away
from here. I was told to keep you safe in the human world because
of others who would use your power to kill. I only want it to make
sure my subjects know what could happen. It will only take a few
instances to let them see what you can do and then all will be
powerless to conquer me.”

I
forgot to quell my anger.
“
You
can
’
t make me hurt them. Magical goblin or human or whatever, no
one deserves to be a slave.”

“You
don
’
t understand what you
’
re talking about. It takes power
to run a group if order and peace are to remain. If they question
that power, they are punished. Otherwise, they would overrun the
system and chaos would emerge. Is that what you want?” He was
sitting on the edge of his seat leaning towards me talking with his
hands in the air.

I thought carefully. “I think that
a group wants power to keep them under protection and safe, but I
will never make the assumption that anyone wants to be forced by
cruelty or tyranny. You would do well to realize that any governing
body has to have the best interest of that group if they are to win
them over.”

He scoffed with the same regal air
that Ames carried with him sometimes, but with arrogance instead.
“I have their allegiance.”

I think he
really believes that. “You
’
re
delusional.
”

“And
you
’
re out of line. I allowed this little discussion to take
place. But remember that you are here because I brought you and
this will just make us act with spite towards one another. We need
to make this work in the best way for both of us. It will not do
well for the realm to see a malice laced leader who
can
’
t keep her temper in check and acts like a bratty twelve year
old. Your little incident was covered up well with a drawn out tale
for legends to come, but it will not happen again.” He stopped to
take a breath making his face turn red with rage. “You will show me
affection whether it is real or not and you will make them think
you want everything that I do.”

If he could only feel my emotions
now, they said all I needed them to. I wanted to throw the man
against the wall and break his neck. It sure felt like I was making
a sordid deal with the devil himself. Joshlin was definitely
working for the dark side.

“Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” I said crisply. “Am I
excused now?”

“Katelyn is outside the
door.”

I
didn
’
t bow my girl butt at him out of
pure defiance. I’
d already
laid the rotten egg in the room and nothing would save it now. He
hadn
’
t seen any of my real temper yet.

Katelyn knew from my face that I
was hot, potent with a growing anger that would unleash if not
stifled. The one who seemed able to calm my instant magical temper
was nowhere in sight. Katelyn left me alone after getting me ready
for bed. I dressed myself, but she ran my bath and sat in the chair
reading.

I cried myself to sleep knowing no
one could see me fall apart. I wanted to leave this place even if
it meant blowing it up, but there was something I had to do
first.