Read Online Traitor (Creepy Hollow, #3) by Rachel Morgan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rachel Morgan
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kill count is low, so I haven’t had to do the counseling thing too often.
I’ve just stuffed my amber back into my pocket when the air nearby ripples and a doorway appears. Thorton, a tall faerie with purple and black hair very similar to my own, steps out. “Hey,” he says. “Tough evening?”
“ I’ve had better.” I stand up and brush bits of leaves off the back of my pants. “Thanks for getting here so quickly.”
He nods. “So where’s this goblin?” I point behind him. He turns to look at the large, hairy body with the glittering sword protruding from its chest. “Okay. Well, I’ll take care of it from here.” He looks back at me. “You can go and, uh, clean up.”
I look down at myself. My black top is wet with goblin’s blood.
Great.
*
An hour later I step out of the air and onto Nate’s window seat. I went home, cleaned up, and thought about trying to sleep, but the dead goblin I kept seeing every time I closed my eyes put an end to that plan. A distraction is what I need.
The television is turned down low, and Nate is sitting on one of his couches. He has a notebook on his lap and a textbook open on the cushion beside him. He doesn’t seem to be looking at either, though. He’s staring straight ahead, but not really at the TV. More like through it. Almost like the way the goblin’s eyes stared through me after it took its last breath. A shiver raises the hairs on my arms.
I lift my hand and knock on the wooden frame of Nate’s window. He blinks and turns toward the sound. “Hey,” he says, a smile stretching almost to his eyes. “I thought you were busy tonight.”
I hesitate. When I left here yesterday we’d had a big argument about the eye-shaped tattoo that appeared on Nate’s lower back during his disappearance in the labyrinth. Apparently he isn’t interested in finding out how it got there, despite the fact that malicious magic could be involved. I wonder now if I should bring it up. Should I apologize for snapping at him? Ask if the tattoo is still there?
No. One fight is enough for tonight.
“ All done,” I say, walking over to the couch. I sit down and tuck my legs beneath me. For a moment I consider telling Nate that I killed someone tonight, but I’d rather forget about it. “It was a goblin. I got rid of him.”
Nate smiles and puts an arm around my shoulder, drawing me closer. “Of course you did. Did you knock him out, like that troll in the labyrinth?”
“No, we don’t stun while fighting, remember? Takes too much time to draw all that power.”
“ I’ve been thinking about that, actually,” says Nate, leaning forward to reach the TV remote. He clicks a button, and the low hum of voices turns to silence. “If you usually arrive before whatever creature is coming, then why don’t you use that time to gather enough power to stun the creature the moment it appears?”
“ Because I might miss. Then I’ll have depleted a whole lot of my power and I’ll still have to fight the creature off.”
“ You? Miss a target?” asks Nate, and for a moment the twinkle is back in his eyes. “Never.”
“ It’s been known to happen,” I admit. “On the very rare occasion.” I push the notebook off his lap so I can snuggle closer to him without getting poked in the side.
Nate is silent for so long that I begin to feel awkward. Then he says, “You haven’t told your mentor what I am, have you? That I’m . . . a halfling.”
I slip my fingers between his and shake my head. “That would mean admitting that I lied to her and continued breaking Guild Law by seeing you. I mean, technically I wasn’t breaking the Law, but I didn’t know that at the time.” Nate says nothing. I draw back, searching his face, trying to figure out if he’s upset that I haven’t told anyone about him. “And aside from that,” I add, feeling the need to explain further, “it’s not really in your best interests for the Guild to know what you are.
I’ve just stuffed my amber back into my pocket when the air nearby ripples and a doorway appears. Thorton, a tall faerie with purple and black hair very similar to my own, steps out. “Hey,” he says. “Tough evening?”
“ I’ve had better.” I stand up and brush bits of leaves off the back of my pants. “Thanks for getting here so quickly.”
He nods. “So where’s this goblin?” I point behind him. He turns to look at the large, hairy body with the glittering sword protruding from its chest. “Okay. Well, I’ll take care of it from here.” He looks back at me. “You can go and, uh, clean up.”
I look down at myself. My black top is wet with goblin’s blood.
Great.
*
An hour later I step out of the air and onto Nate’s window seat. I went home, cleaned up, and thought about trying to sleep, but the dead goblin I kept seeing every time I closed my eyes put an end to that plan. A distraction is what I need.
The television is turned down low, and Nate is sitting on one of his couches. He has a notebook on his lap and a textbook open on the cushion beside him. He doesn’t seem to be looking at either, though. He’s staring straight ahead, but not really at the TV. More like through it. Almost like the way the goblin’s eyes stared through me after it took its last breath. A shiver raises the hairs on my arms.
I lift my hand and knock on the wooden frame of Nate’s window. He blinks and turns toward the sound. “Hey,” he says, a smile stretching almost to his eyes. “I thought you were busy tonight.”
I hesitate. When I left here yesterday we’d had a big argument about the eye-shaped tattoo that appeared on Nate’s lower back during his disappearance in the labyrinth. Apparently he isn’t interested in finding out how it got there, despite the fact that malicious magic could be involved. I wonder now if I should bring it up. Should I apologize for snapping at him? Ask if the tattoo is still there?
No. One fight is enough for tonight.
“ All done,” I say, walking over to the couch. I sit down and tuck my legs beneath me. For a moment I consider telling Nate that I killed someone tonight, but I’d rather forget about it. “It was a goblin. I got rid of him.”
Nate smiles and puts an arm around my shoulder, drawing me closer. “Of course you did. Did you knock him out, like that troll in the labyrinth?”
“No, we don’t stun while fighting, remember? Takes too much time to draw all that power.”
“ I’ve been thinking about that, actually,” says Nate, leaning forward to reach the TV remote. He clicks a button, and the low hum of voices turns to silence. “If you usually arrive before whatever creature is coming, then why don’t you use that time to gather enough power to stun the creature the moment it appears?”
“ Because I might miss. Then I’ll have depleted a whole lot of my power and I’ll still have to fight the creature off.”
“ You? Miss a target?” asks Nate, and for a moment the twinkle is back in his eyes. “Never.”
“ It’s been known to happen,” I admit. “On the very rare occasion.” I push the notebook off his lap so I can snuggle closer to him without getting poked in the side.
Nate is silent for so long that I begin to feel awkward. Then he says, “You haven’t told your mentor what I am, have you? That I’m . . . a halfling.”
I slip my fingers between his and shake my head. “That would mean admitting that I lied to her and continued breaking Guild Law by seeing you. I mean, technically I wasn’t breaking the Law, but I didn’t know that at the time.” Nate says nothing. I draw back, searching his face, trying to figure out if he’s upset that I haven’t told anyone about him. “And aside from that,” I add, feeling the need to explain further, “it’s not really in your best interests for the Guild to know what you are.
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