Read Online Twiceborn Endgame (The Proving Book 3) by Marina Finlayson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marina Finlayson
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draw in a shocked breath.
“Bloody hell. It’s Kasumi.”
“What?” Garth clenched his big fist, eager to punch her again.
“Let me see,” said Ben.
I passed him the goblin’s glasses. “That’s amazing.” He had a good look at everyone present. Smart man. I should have thought of that. Then he glared at Blue. “You’ve been holding out on us. How do these work?”
“Goblin glass,” he said sullenly. “Always shows true. Haven’t you ever noticed how many highborn goblins wear glasses? It’s not because they’re short-sighted, trust me.”
I suppose that made sense, given the ability of goblin spells to change a person’s appearance. You didn’t want imposters sneaking up on you. But this wasn’t a goblin seeming. Kasumi was a kitsune, one of the fabled fox people of Japan, and mimicking the appearance of others was one of her natural abilities. Interesting that the goblin glass could see through that deception as well. I’d never known that was possible, but then, Leandra hadn’t known much about kitsune. They were rarely seen outside Japan.
I folded my arms and contemplated the goblin mage. He’d had these all along and never mentioned them. What other tricks was he keeping up his sleeve?
“I guess we know what your first job will be now.” I took the glasses back from Ben. “I’ll need about a dozen pairs of these.”
“Impossible! They take weeks to make.”
“You’d better get started, then. I’ll keep these ones as a down payment.”
“Perhaps some ointment would do? That’s quicker to make, but you would have to keep reapplying it.”
Ointment? There were fairy tales of people who’d rubbed magical ointment on their eyes and been able to see fairies all around who’d previously been invisible. The trouble was, I wasn’t sure I trusted Blue enough to rub anything he gave me into my eyes.
“Glasses,” I said firmly.
I put them back on and looked down at Kasumi again. Seeing the stubbly-faced man disappear, to be replaced by her familiar wide face and dark, red-tipped hair, was disconcerting.
“Let her up,” I said to Garth.
“I can’t believe you had the hide to show your face here again,” he growled.
She shook him off and climbed to her feet, ignoring Steve’s gun. She was a small woman, solid and powerful looking. Her short bob swung loose around her face, red tips as bright as ever.
“Believe what you wish, wolf.”
He growled. They’d never liked each other. “I should have hit you harder.”
“Look at this,” Luce said.
She held out the signet ring—only now it had a sharp needle-like spike protruding from it. A drop of some thick liquid glistened on the needle’s tip. She pressed a hidden catch or button on the side and the spike withdrew again.
“What’s in the ring?” She glared at Kasumi as if she’d like to use the poison on her. “Bane leaf?”
“No.” Kasumi’s gaze was level as it held mine. “We know that doesn’t work.”
Because she’d already tried that on me. In fact, this was the first time I’d seen her since she’d stabbed me in the heart, fully expecting that the poison on her blade would kill me. And then she’d abducted Lachie. Rage pounded in my head, and bloodlust sang in my veins. I could smash her to pieces with a smile on my face.
It hurt even more because I’d thought she was my friend.
“Du, then, I assume.” It was the only other poison that killed dragons.
Kasumi shrugged, but didn’t answer. I could hardly stand to look at her. She’d taken my son. Had she hurt him? I would tear her apart.
Luce held the ring as if it might grow fangs and bite her. Perhaps it could. Du was fatal to wyverns too.
“Let’s inject her and see what it does to kitsune,” suggested Garth in a menacing rumble.
“Maybe we can swap her for Lachie,” Ben murmured, a quiet voice of reason among all the hostility.
But Kasumi heard. “Don’t be ridiculous. Daiyu finds him too useful in controlling Jason to give
“Bloody hell. It’s Kasumi.”
“What?” Garth clenched his big fist, eager to punch her again.
“Let me see,” said Ben.
I passed him the goblin’s glasses. “That’s amazing.” He had a good look at everyone present. Smart man. I should have thought of that. Then he glared at Blue. “You’ve been holding out on us. How do these work?”
“Goblin glass,” he said sullenly. “Always shows true. Haven’t you ever noticed how many highborn goblins wear glasses? It’s not because they’re short-sighted, trust me.”
I suppose that made sense, given the ability of goblin spells to change a person’s appearance. You didn’t want imposters sneaking up on you. But this wasn’t a goblin seeming. Kasumi was a kitsune, one of the fabled fox people of Japan, and mimicking the appearance of others was one of her natural abilities. Interesting that the goblin glass could see through that deception as well. I’d never known that was possible, but then, Leandra hadn’t known much about kitsune. They were rarely seen outside Japan.
I folded my arms and contemplated the goblin mage. He’d had these all along and never mentioned them. What other tricks was he keeping up his sleeve?
“I guess we know what your first job will be now.” I took the glasses back from Ben. “I’ll need about a dozen pairs of these.”
“Impossible! They take weeks to make.”
“You’d better get started, then. I’ll keep these ones as a down payment.”
“Perhaps some ointment would do? That’s quicker to make, but you would have to keep reapplying it.”
Ointment? There were fairy tales of people who’d rubbed magical ointment on their eyes and been able to see fairies all around who’d previously been invisible. The trouble was, I wasn’t sure I trusted Blue enough to rub anything he gave me into my eyes.
“Glasses,” I said firmly.
I put them back on and looked down at Kasumi again. Seeing the stubbly-faced man disappear, to be replaced by her familiar wide face and dark, red-tipped hair, was disconcerting.
“Let her up,” I said to Garth.
“I can’t believe you had the hide to show your face here again,” he growled.
She shook him off and climbed to her feet, ignoring Steve’s gun. She was a small woman, solid and powerful looking. Her short bob swung loose around her face, red tips as bright as ever.
“Believe what you wish, wolf.”
He growled. They’d never liked each other. “I should have hit you harder.”
“Look at this,” Luce said.
She held out the signet ring—only now it had a sharp needle-like spike protruding from it. A drop of some thick liquid glistened on the needle’s tip. She pressed a hidden catch or button on the side and the spike withdrew again.
“What’s in the ring?” She glared at Kasumi as if she’d like to use the poison on her. “Bane leaf?”
“No.” Kasumi’s gaze was level as it held mine. “We know that doesn’t work.”
Because she’d already tried that on me. In fact, this was the first time I’d seen her since she’d stabbed me in the heart, fully expecting that the poison on her blade would kill me. And then she’d abducted Lachie. Rage pounded in my head, and bloodlust sang in my veins. I could smash her to pieces with a smile on my face.
It hurt even more because I’d thought she was my friend.
“Du, then, I assume.” It was the only other poison that killed dragons.
Kasumi shrugged, but didn’t answer. I could hardly stand to look at her. She’d taken my son. Had she hurt him? I would tear her apart.
Luce held the ring as if it might grow fangs and bite her. Perhaps it could. Du was fatal to wyverns too.
“Let’s inject her and see what it does to kitsune,” suggested Garth in a menacing rumble.
“Maybe we can swap her for Lachie,” Ben murmured, a quiet voice of reason among all the hostility.
But Kasumi heard. “Don’t be ridiculous. Daiyu finds him too useful in controlling Jason to give
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