Read Online Faery Born (Book One in the War Faery Trilogy) by Donna Joy Usher - Free Book Online
Authors: Donna Joy Usher
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somersault over the top of him. He crashed headfirst into a tree, shaking his head like a big bull as he turned back towards me.
This one wasn’t as easy to dispose of as the first one. It looked like I was going to have to use the blade. For some stupid reason I didn’t mind the idea of clubbing him to death as much as I did the thought of knifing him. What part of his body should I aim for? His heart? But that was protected by his ribs. I would have to get in close which meant I would only get one go at it. I had to make it a killing strike.
I eyed the big beast as I circled around him, trying to work out the easiest way to kill him without allowing him to plunge his ugly weapon into me.
And then it came to me. His neck. I should aim for the side of his neck. There were arteries there. If I were lucky, I would get one.
I waited for him to charge me again. This time, instead of leaping into the air, I pirouetted to the side, my knife arm held out wide. The tip of the dagger ripped into the unexposed side of his neck and blood burst from him. I felt the warmth of it spray across me, tasted the saltiness on my tongue.
And then I felt the dagger of the second goblin pressed against my neck.
Stupid, stupid. I had totally forgotten about him. It was going to be the last mistake I ever made.
‘Hey big boy,’ Grams shouted.
I made use of her distraction to elbow him in the ribs and rip myself from his grasp. He snarled as he looked between me and Grams.
The first goblin lay on his side, blood spurting rhythmically from his wound. A pleased thought – that I had got an artery after all – flashed into my head; followed even swifter by the notion that it was ridiculous to have time to be pleased about such things.
‘Over here,’ I yelled as he started towards Grams.
I saw Grams lift her wand and flick it at him and he suddenly let out a snigger. The snigger turned to a giggle and then a full-on ugly laugh. He threw his head back and clutched his arms around his chest as if to contain his mirth.
I rushed to Gram’s side. ‘What did you do?’
‘Hit him with a funny spell.’
The goblin collapsed to his knees, roaring with laughter as he pointed at his dead companion.
‘Wouldn’t have been my first choice.’
‘It worked didn’t it? You going to kill him?’
‘I don’t know if I can when he’s so… helpless,’ I said. ‘Come on, I’ve got to get you back to the house.’
‘Nonsense.’ She started to walk towards the main part of the village. ‘There are more goblins to deal with.’
Once Grams had her mind made up there was nothing I could do to change it. I grabbed another dagger from the dead goblin and chased after her.
‘Here,’ I said, handing it to her.
She shook her head and held her wand up. ‘Why didn’t you spell them?’
‘Last night I tried to elevate a watermelon and it exploded.’
She paused at the side of Mr and Mrs Trill’s house, peering around the edge of the building and up the street. ‘Not such a bad fate for a goblin.’
She was right, but the problem was that even my mistakes were unpredictable. I could try the same spell three times with three totally different results. It was possible I could try a spell to freeze them and end up weaving flowers through their hair. I was going to have to rely on weapons to get through this.
‘Come on.’ She scuttled away from the house, across the street and paused behind a large oak near the post office. A couple of goblins were in the process of setting fire to the building.
Grams pointed her wand at them and a large jet of water burst from its tip. She let out a gleeful cackle as it smacked into them, putting out their fire. The one closest to us held his arms up, trying to shield his face from the flow. I raced towards him, bending low as I passed to cut the back of his ankles. I saw a wolf do that to a lamb once, and this was just as effective.
He bellowed in pain as he crashed to the ground, but his friend leapt
This one wasn’t as easy to dispose of as the first one. It looked like I was going to have to use the blade. For some stupid reason I didn’t mind the idea of clubbing him to death as much as I did the thought of knifing him. What part of his body should I aim for? His heart? But that was protected by his ribs. I would have to get in close which meant I would only get one go at it. I had to make it a killing strike.
I eyed the big beast as I circled around him, trying to work out the easiest way to kill him without allowing him to plunge his ugly weapon into me.
And then it came to me. His neck. I should aim for the side of his neck. There were arteries there. If I were lucky, I would get one.
I waited for him to charge me again. This time, instead of leaping into the air, I pirouetted to the side, my knife arm held out wide. The tip of the dagger ripped into the unexposed side of his neck and blood burst from him. I felt the warmth of it spray across me, tasted the saltiness on my tongue.
And then I felt the dagger of the second goblin pressed against my neck.
Stupid, stupid. I had totally forgotten about him. It was going to be the last mistake I ever made.
‘Hey big boy,’ Grams shouted.
I made use of her distraction to elbow him in the ribs and rip myself from his grasp. He snarled as he looked between me and Grams.
The first goblin lay on his side, blood spurting rhythmically from his wound. A pleased thought – that I had got an artery after all – flashed into my head; followed even swifter by the notion that it was ridiculous to have time to be pleased about such things.
‘Over here,’ I yelled as he started towards Grams.
I saw Grams lift her wand and flick it at him and he suddenly let out a snigger. The snigger turned to a giggle and then a full-on ugly laugh. He threw his head back and clutched his arms around his chest as if to contain his mirth.
I rushed to Gram’s side. ‘What did you do?’
‘Hit him with a funny spell.’
The goblin collapsed to his knees, roaring with laughter as he pointed at his dead companion.
‘Wouldn’t have been my first choice.’
‘It worked didn’t it? You going to kill him?’
‘I don’t know if I can when he’s so… helpless,’ I said. ‘Come on, I’ve got to get you back to the house.’
‘Nonsense.’ She started to walk towards the main part of the village. ‘There are more goblins to deal with.’
Once Grams had her mind made up there was nothing I could do to change it. I grabbed another dagger from the dead goblin and chased after her.
‘Here,’ I said, handing it to her.
She shook her head and held her wand up. ‘Why didn’t you spell them?’
‘Last night I tried to elevate a watermelon and it exploded.’
She paused at the side of Mr and Mrs Trill’s house, peering around the edge of the building and up the street. ‘Not such a bad fate for a goblin.’
She was right, but the problem was that even my mistakes were unpredictable. I could try the same spell three times with three totally different results. It was possible I could try a spell to freeze them and end up weaving flowers through their hair. I was going to have to rely on weapons to get through this.
‘Come on.’ She scuttled away from the house, across the street and paused behind a large oak near the post office. A couple of goblins were in the process of setting fire to the building.
Grams pointed her wand at them and a large jet of water burst from its tip. She let out a gleeful cackle as it smacked into them, putting out their fire. The one closest to us held his arms up, trying to shield his face from the flow. I raced towards him, bending low as I passed to cut the back of his ankles. I saw a wolf do that to a lamb once, and this was just as effective.
He bellowed in pain as he crashed to the ground, but his friend leapt
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