Read Online Gods and Swindlers (City of Eldrich Book 3) by Laura Kirwan - Free Book Online
Authors: Laura Kirwan
Ads: Link
“I’ll be fine. If he wakes up, I’ll give him another little tap.”
John nodded and headed up the stairs.
Meaghan looked around the basement. Russ had done a lot of work down here since their father had died. He’d gotten rid of the boxes of random junk and set up the space as a rough but serviceable recreation room. There was a slouchy old couch with a new cover Annie had made for it, a card table, and a newer futon sofa, which was now open and covered with rumpled bedclothes.
Not sitting there. Meaghan moved over to the couch and sat down. While she was okay—theoretically—with the idea of Natalie and Owen being together, she didn’t want to know any of the details.
The elf had been chained by an ankle and a wrist to one of the support columns in the center of the room. A pallet—it looked like an inflatable sleeping bag pad and a couple of quilts—had been placed on the floor, along with a galvanized bucket and a plastic jug full of water.
Meaghan had been so amped on adrenaline out in the woods she hadn’t really looked at her attackers. The elf was small, not as short at Owen, but far more slender, almost child-like. It wore a plain gray tunic and leggings, not the rich fabrics and colors she’d expected. The clothing was like a blank screen, she supposed, and the elf projected on it whatever it wished.
As Owen had described, the elf had sallow pockmarked skin and pointy ears. There was nothing beautiful or glamorous in the least about its actual appearance. No wonder they hate the impervious so much. We’re like the kid who told everybody the emperor was naked. Even the thing’s laughter was unappealing, like tomcats having a fight.
The elf stirred, groaning. Meaghan had assumed it was a he, but up close, she wondered. These things seemed as genderless as the Troon.
When the elf saw Meaghan, it bared its pointy, yellowed teeth and began to hiss.
She merely stared back.
The elf began to hiss louder.
Meaghan, her face impassive, held up the saucepan.
It cringed back toward the column.
“You be nice,” Meaghan said. “The leprechaun is strong, but I’ve got leverage on my side. I’ll hit you even harder.”
The elf stared back, its face twisted in revulsion.
“Do you understand what I’m saying to you?” Meaghan asked. “Do you speak English?”
“No one speaks this. You grunt it,” the elf hissed. “Like pigs. This is barely language.”
Meaghan raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t get what’s going on here, do you? You’re the one chained to a post. Insulting me is probably not your best strategy at the moment.”
“Impervious,” the elf spat. “You are a disease. Worse even than the rest of the humans.”
Meaghan smiled. “For you, yeah, I’m your worst nightmare. Because if everyone could see what I’m seeing, you’d be finished. What’s your name?”
“You couldn’t say it with your human excuse for a voice.”
“Try me.”
The elf sneered at her. More high-pitched shrieking erupted from its mouth.
Meaghan clamped her hands over her ears. “Enough, already. Shut up.”
“You wanted my name,” it said, smirking.
“That’s your name?” Meaghan shook her head. “And you’re insulting English? You got a shorter version of that?”
It shrieked again, sounding like a rusty hinge.
“Fine,” Meaghan said. “We’ll come up with something on our own. Why are you here?”
“You attacked me and then brought me here.”
“I attacked you ? You bastards jumped me in the woods.”
“You broke the truce,” the elf said.
“I broke the truce? How?”
“You brought him. The smith.”
Terry? “I didn’t bring him. He just showed up. After you attacked me.”
“Your feeble gods can’t protect you from what’s coming.”
Meaghan frowned. Was it still talking about Terry? “What feeble gods?”
The elf hissed and bared its teeth again. “Those who are no more.”
“So what’s your problem with the smith?”
The elf glared at her but
John nodded and headed up the stairs.
Meaghan looked around the basement. Russ had done a lot of work down here since their father had died. He’d gotten rid of the boxes of random junk and set up the space as a rough but serviceable recreation room. There was a slouchy old couch with a new cover Annie had made for it, a card table, and a newer futon sofa, which was now open and covered with rumpled bedclothes.
Not sitting there. Meaghan moved over to the couch and sat down. While she was okay—theoretically—with the idea of Natalie and Owen being together, she didn’t want to know any of the details.
The elf had been chained by an ankle and a wrist to one of the support columns in the center of the room. A pallet—it looked like an inflatable sleeping bag pad and a couple of quilts—had been placed on the floor, along with a galvanized bucket and a plastic jug full of water.
Meaghan had been so amped on adrenaline out in the woods she hadn’t really looked at her attackers. The elf was small, not as short at Owen, but far more slender, almost child-like. It wore a plain gray tunic and leggings, not the rich fabrics and colors she’d expected. The clothing was like a blank screen, she supposed, and the elf projected on it whatever it wished.
As Owen had described, the elf had sallow pockmarked skin and pointy ears. There was nothing beautiful or glamorous in the least about its actual appearance. No wonder they hate the impervious so much. We’re like the kid who told everybody the emperor was naked. Even the thing’s laughter was unappealing, like tomcats having a fight.
The elf stirred, groaning. Meaghan had assumed it was a he, but up close, she wondered. These things seemed as genderless as the Troon.
When the elf saw Meaghan, it bared its pointy, yellowed teeth and began to hiss.
She merely stared back.
The elf began to hiss louder.
Meaghan, her face impassive, held up the saucepan.
It cringed back toward the column.
“You be nice,” Meaghan said. “The leprechaun is strong, but I’ve got leverage on my side. I’ll hit you even harder.”
The elf stared back, its face twisted in revulsion.
“Do you understand what I’m saying to you?” Meaghan asked. “Do you speak English?”
“No one speaks this. You grunt it,” the elf hissed. “Like pigs. This is barely language.”
Meaghan raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t get what’s going on here, do you? You’re the one chained to a post. Insulting me is probably not your best strategy at the moment.”
“Impervious,” the elf spat. “You are a disease. Worse even than the rest of the humans.”
Meaghan smiled. “For you, yeah, I’m your worst nightmare. Because if everyone could see what I’m seeing, you’d be finished. What’s your name?”
“You couldn’t say it with your human excuse for a voice.”
“Try me.”
The elf sneered at her. More high-pitched shrieking erupted from its mouth.
Meaghan clamped her hands over her ears. “Enough, already. Shut up.”
“You wanted my name,” it said, smirking.
“That’s your name?” Meaghan shook her head. “And you’re insulting English? You got a shorter version of that?”
It shrieked again, sounding like a rusty hinge.
“Fine,” Meaghan said. “We’ll come up with something on our own. Why are you here?”
“You attacked me and then brought me here.”
“I attacked you ? You bastards jumped me in the woods.”
“You broke the truce,” the elf said.
“I broke the truce? How?”
“You brought him. The smith.”
Terry? “I didn’t bring him. He just showed up. After you attacked me.”
“Your feeble gods can’t protect you from what’s coming.”
Meaghan frowned. Was it still talking about Terry? “What feeble gods?”
The elf hissed and bared its teeth again. “Those who are no more.”
“So what’s your problem with the smith?”
The elf glared at her but
Similar Books
