by Ciara Graves
Chapter 2
Aiden
The brakes on the old, rundown red pickup gave my arrival away. Kids ran out of their homes and surrounded the truck as I grabbed my medicine bag and climbed out.
“Aiden!” A little goblin girl leaped at me, and I caught her with one arm as I laughed.
“I swear you’ve grown another foot,” I exclaimed as she beamed up at me with eyes so dark they were basically black. The pockmarks on her face were gone, which was good. I’d been busy dealing with a breakout in another small goblin community and hadn’t a chance to get back here as soon as I would’ve liked.
I was used to this treatment from her and the other kids. This tiny settlement was one of the many I visited in Montana. I was one of the few dark fae healers who cared enough to take care of them. King Jeric kept making promises that he was taking the plight of the goblins seriously, but from what I’d heard, his advisors were continuously finding ways to stop his progress. So far, all he managed to do was make the fae who hated their goblin brethren hate them more. Several small communities had been vandalized, with a group of fae going so far as to kidnap a goblin man.
His beaten body had been found two days later in the middle of the road. He hadn’t made it.
I set the little girl, Felicity, back on her bare feet and patted each kid’s head in turn. Mostly, I was checking for any signs of the gob-pox as the fae called it. Really, it was a deadlier version of what the humans called chickenpox.
A few of the other kids showed signs of it on their grey-toned faces. I made a note to give them all another dose of the vaccine and to leave a supply of ointments and tonics to help combat the fevers. Goblin fevers were the worst. They rampaged through the body, and if they weren’t caught fast enough, the goblin would die within days.
Lately, there’d been some new illnesses cropping up throughout Charus and Jolian. The other healers and I had never seen them before. I’d hoped all this community would have to deal with was gob pox, but even that had me on edge. I’d almost been too late with Felicity. I had been too late with countless others. Their deaths weighed on me and made me furious all over again that our nobility hadn’t done anything.
“Aiden,” an older goblin woman with white hair that was pulled back in a long braid bustled forward. She wiped her hands on her blue apron then hugged me fiercely.
I kissed her cheek, and she blushed.
“Matilda. Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back here.”
“Oh, we know Timber Falls isn’t the only community you take care of. You’re running yourself ragged.” She patted my cheek hard, those smaller, black eyes studying every inch of my face. “Have you been eating and sleeping? You look like shit.”
“Never one to mince words, are you?”
“What? You’re a handsome fae who needs to find himself a woman at some point.”
I laughed as she took my medicine bag and followed me to the bed of the truck. “I’ve been quite fine on my own without a woman. Too much drama.”
“Is that so?” Matilda asked with a crooked grin. “I know several here who would argue with you. Especially Teresa. She’s been asking about you.”
Teresa was tall for a full-blooded goblin, with a breathtaking smile and a kind heart. But I’d known her since we were kids and always thought of her as a sister instead of someone I’d ever get involved with. As much as Matilda repeatedly tried to set us up, Teresa felt the same. Last I heard, she had her sights set on Henry, another goblin here in Timber Falls. He had one of the better farms around. I told Teresa last time I passed through she should just tell the damned goblin how she felt.
If Matilda was trying to hook us up again, I guessed Teresa hadn’t yet. I’d have to talk to her about waiting too long.
I lowered the tailgate and climbed up. “I’m sure she has,” I told Matilda, “but as I said, I’m doing just fine on my own. Not like I’m home that much anyway. What kind of relationship would that be except a bad one?”
As Matilda barked a laugh, I rolled up the sleeves on my red, plaid flannel shirt, then set to work unloading the supplies I’d brought. I had crates of dried goods, herbs, replacement blades for some of the farming equipment, and whatever else had been on the list of items Timber Falls was in short supply of.
The kingdom of Charus might be doing well overall, but the goblin communities hardly ever saw any of the benefits. They had to hand over eighty percent of the crops they grew, as well as the livestock and whatever goods they produced. It left very little for them, and they were hardly paid what they should be.
There were other healers in my guild who also traveled around Charus doing what we could to help. Never felt like enough. I always thanked the gods I wasn’t in Jolian. The hardships for the goblins there were almost too much to bear listening to.
By the time everything was unloaded, I was shedding the flannel shirt and tossing it over the side of the truck. I shoved my shoulder-length hair out of my face, then hopped off the tailgate. Matilda stood to the side, talking with Teresa and the community elder, Orion. He was Teresa’s uncle, and essentially her dad. Her parents were killed in a farming accident when she was four. He was also one of the many regular patients I tended to, suffering from a decades-old fight with bad lungs. The tonic I brought him once a month was the only thing that seemed to help him breathe regularly.
“Good to see you again, lad,” Orion said as I walked toward him and shook his wrinkled hand.
“And you, sir,” I replied. “I brought as much as I could.”
“Anything you bring is always more than enough,” he assured me. “Come, why don’t we talk for a few moments while the others take care of the supplies. Matilda will take your medicine bag to the clinic for you.”
I agreed, and we set off, Teresa holding her uncle’s arm as we walked. She smiled at me, but her gaze was filled with worry when it shifted back to Orion. “You really should be resting,” she told him.
“Ah, you young people are always worrying about everything. I’m fine.”
Teresa’s lips thinned, and she shot me a look behind his back. I tried to give her one back that said I’d take care of him. He didn’t sound as bad as he usually did, but if she was helping him walk, then he wasn’t as strong as he should’ve been.
“What is it you wanted to talk to me about?” I asked him as we strolled through the tiny community of Timber Falls.
The houses were all modest stone or wood cabins. The town’s structures were also wood, and nothing was taller than two stories. Most faces were smiling when we passed, but there was an air of exhaustion too. And fear. I’d sensed it at the other places I’d visited this past month. We reached the edge of the large pasture where a herd of cattle grazed.
“There are rumors of a rebellion reaching us,” Orion said quietly.
I rested a hand on the nearest wood post. “I know. I’ve heard the same mutterings. I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
“That’s not what the others are saying.”
“Others? What others?”
“A few weeks ago, a group of goblins passed through. Ones from further north,” Teresa explained. “They said they were joining up with other goblins who were preparing to take a petition before King Jeric.”
“Just a petition?”
Teresa’s frown deepened. “That’s what they said, but I overheard them talking about gathering weapons and trying to decide when the king would be most vulnerable. I think they’re planning to assassinate him. Or his sister. Hell, they might be after all the nobles.”
“They’ll fail,” I said flatly.
Orion nodded as he added, “And the moment they do, we’re going to be in danger. All of us. Aiden, I know you don’t have any influence with the king, but if your guild master, or if there’s anyone else you can trust does… I want you to pass along what we know.”
“You want me to tell them the goblins are plotting against the throne?” I asked, alarmed.
“The second they r
aise their hands in violence, we’re doomed. But if we can stop them, there’s a chance we can prevent the bloodshed that would surely come.”
I rubbed a hand down my face as I watched the grazing cows. Why couldn’t life be simple? The goblins had done all that was asked of them since the end of the first rebellion. King Jeric was attempting to make their lives better, and now these idiots were going to ensure their people would never have equal rights. Instead, they’d turn the goblins into slaves, or worse. Lives would be lost, so many lives.
“I’m sorry,” I told Orion. “I don’t think I can do anything. I don’t know anyone with enough influence to make a difference. If the wrong person finds out, it’ll just make matters worse.”
“And what happens when they follow through with their plan?” he argued, not angry, but firm. “Aiden, I won’t watch my people suffer because of the actions of a few.”
“I’m just a healer. That’s it.”
He smiled softly. “You and I both know you are far more than that.” He patted my shoulder. “If you change your mind and find someone you can trust, I urge you to tell them before it’s too late. King Jeric wants to better us all. I believe in him, but not all goblins are so trusting of the throne.”
They had a reason not to be. It was no secret there were some nobles who took sport in killing goblins. They’d come up with whatever reason they had to so they wouldn’t be punished for their crimes. It was sick. Aside from King Jeric, there were other nobles who supported his changes, but too many others were against them. The other Dark Fae Kingdom of Jolian treated its goblins worse than the fae here. They’d never side with King Jeric. Aside from the constant rumors of another goblin rebellion, there were extremists talking about taking down the throne. A civil war wasn’t out of the question. Many fae voiced their preference for Mariana over Jeric.
“I have kept you too long,” Orion said suddenly. “We can speak more of this later.”
“We will be talking later,” Teresa whispered to me as she passed, letting Orion walk ahead of her. “I’m worried about his health. He’s getting worse.”
“I wondered as much.”
“I’ll find you later. And Aiden,” she said, tapping my cheek as she’d done since we were kids, “welcome back. It’s good to see you.”
I kissed her cheek. “You too. I’ll be around. Just come find me.”
I’d already been stressed after leaving the goblin town fifty miles south of here. We were closer to the heart of Charus, but far enough from any nobles to deal with too much trouble. It was rare for any of them to show their faces here. These people were able to enjoy a mostly peaceful life. But being so close to the capital meant if there ever was trouble, Timber Falls would be the first community the soldiers would come to. Orion’s best bet would be to track down these goblins, figure out their plan, and convince them it wasn’t going to work. The fae were too strong. Jeric, as much as I didn’t necessarily like him, was trying his best. He simply needed more time. Anything the goblins did now could put all he worked toward in jeopardy.
As I walked toward the clinic and where I’d be sleeping for as long as I was here, I tried to put a smile on my face. I’d worry about a possible rebellion later.
When the last goblin left the clinic, thanking me profusely for the tonic to ease the pain in her arthritic back and knees, Teresa stepped inside. I sighed in relief to see the two plates of chicken, potatoes, and corn. The helpings were large, but I’d learned not to argue. They might not have much, but this was their way of thanking me. That, and goblins had quite the appetite.
“You’ve been busy,” she commented as she set the plates down on the table in the makeshift waiting room.
I washed my hands, then joined her. She removed two beers from her pockets then sat. “You are a lifesaver.”
“We both know that’s you.”
Companionable silence filled the clinic as we dug in. I finished the food in record time and sat back, enjoying the cold beer. Teresa picked at her food more than she ate it. Eventually, she shoved the plate aside and fiddled with the label on her beer bottle.
“Orion, you want to tell me how bad he really is?” I asked.
“He’s been coughing up blood,” she said quietly. “He thinks I don’t know, but I’m the one who takes out the bathroom trash. I’ve seen the tissues.”
“I was worried this would happen eventually. I’d thought we had more time.”
“You’ve already done so much, and I know that, but if there’s anything else that’ll help, Aiden,” she sniffed hard and then a tear slipped down her cheek, “I can’t lose him. Not yet. I’m not ready to watch him die.”
I held her hand. “I know. I’ve got a few strong tonics I can make before I leave, but they’re only going to put off the inevitable. To be completely honest, I’m surprised he’s held on this long. Pretty sure that was because of you.”
She swiped at her eyes. “He told me the other day he wants me to be elder when he passes.”
“And you should be. You take care of them all. You put them first. I don’t think anyone would disagree with his decision.” Wanting to cheer her up, I asked, “What does Henry think?”
“Henry?”
“Yeah, Henry, the guy you’ve liked for the last what, three years? Longer?”
She tugged her hand free and took a long sip of her beer. “I wouldn’t know because I haven’t told him.”
“Teresa, for the love of the gods, you have to tell him how you feel.”
“Why? Not like he’s shown any sign he likes me back, not like that at least.”
“Right, and have you, I don’t know, done anything to test this?” I challenged.
She shrugged, and it was like we were kids again with me picking on her for her pigtails. “What exactly should I do? Just go up and kiss him?”
“I mean if you want to be direct, sure why not,” I said, laughing until she threw her napkin at me. “What? I’m just saying I don’t think you should wait much longer. You know, if he’s still single after this long, it might be because he’s holding out for you. Ever think of that?”
From the way her lips screwed up to the side, she hadn’t. “And what about you?”
“What about me? And you’re just trying to change the subject.”
“No, well a little, but seriously. You can’t tell me you still enjoy living on your own in the woods.”
“I’m hardly ever alone. I travel, I see people. I get out in the world,” I said, spreading my arms wide, but she was shaking her head. “How is that not being with people?”
“You know what I mean, Aiden. When are you going to find that special someone?”
“Many healers don’t. You know that. Part of our calling. We end up alone.” I finished my beer and glanced out the front windows as the sun set over the pastures. “Maybe we like it that way.”
“That tone of uncertainty in your words says otherwise.”
I had nothing to say. Was I lonely? I used to think I’d be fine on my own. Most healers I knew were, but lately, this strange sense of emptiness surrounded me. I was anxious, like I needed to go find someone, but I had no idea who. It was part of the reason I hadn’t been to my cabin in over two months. Suddenly, being there wasn’t as peaceful as it used to be.
When I was first starting out, I was with others my age, or a few years older, or younger. We learned the craft of healing together. Some broke off and became alchemists, but I was drawn to the healing arts. The tattoo of a crescent moon surrounded by sprigs of various healing herbs marked my right forearm, signifying me as a healer. The markings on my left pertained to the abilities I’d mastered. I was adept at tonics and poisons, as well as antidotes. I could also deal with most injuries, though even for the world of the fae, there were some wounds even we couldn’t recover from.
Each of my skillsets was marked by a scroll with a lavender sprig wrapped around it. When I first started out, I believed my life would be fulfilled by using my gifts and going where
I was needed.
In some regard, it was. But I still came home to an empty cabin. I could spend weeks all alone, with only the birds to talk to. Not exactly the fulfilling life I dreamt about but the idea of finding someone to share it with meant seeking out someone who would understand my life. And a fae who did not look down on the goblins. That was probably the hardest part.
“Your face is going to get stuck like that,” Teresa said, pointing her beer at me.
“Like what?”
“Like you’re questioning everything about your life.”
“Your fault.”
“It’s what friends are for.”
“Uh-huh, and as your friend, if you don’t say something to Henry before I leave this time, I will.”
That set her off on another tirade, and we were back to our usual bantering.
She helped me clean up the clinic, and when I turned in much later that night, I managed to shove aside any worries about my sad, lonely life.
I’d stay in Timber Falls at least one more day, then get home. The herbs would need picking, and I had a new list of tonics to make. There was no more avoiding going back to my quiet, lonely life.
Chapter 3
Iona
Three days had passed since Jeric made the announcement he’d already found a suitable wife. Ever since, I’d sensed Mariana’s eyes on me constantly. If hers weren’t, a spy’s were. I ordered Jeric’s other bodyguards to be on high alert. When they asked what for, I told them to carry out their orders without question.
Jeric, the damned optimistic fae that he was, told me over and over there was nothing to worry about.
“Iona,” Henson called.
I paused in the hall as he hurried up to me. I was on my way to check on Jeric before I turned in for the evening.
“Latest report. Thought you’d want to see it.”
I took the paper he held out, skimmed it, and cursed. “And he wonders why I worry.”