***
Drew kept searching for a way out, but it was like he was the only one here. It appeared even the healing pools had dried up. No portals, no sign of life. Irfin had said the elder would destroy this place but it already looked abandoned as the light faded with each passing moment.
Suddenly, he looked around. Was Irfin back? "Who's there?"
"Goblins," came a gravelly voice behind him.
Drew watched as two beings stepped into the meager light. He saw something that looked like orange crayon outlines walking toward him, then the closer they got they became more solid.
"Geez." He tensed as they solidified and stopped about five feet away. The shorter one gave him a quick head to toe assessment. Drew knew there was nowhere to go.
The creatures were something pulled from a nightmare. The shorter goblin was orange with an enormous stomach. His small bulging purple eyes sat atop a grin that spread from one oversize ear to the next. The second goblin was tall and slim, his blue body covered by pink giraffe-type markings. Drew braced himself, ready to bang some heads together and go down fighting.
The orange goblin turned to the taller blue goblin. "I don't know, Sirt, what do you think? Can we shift him without killing him?"
"You'll have a fight on your hands," Drew said. "Whatever you're thinking about, I'm not going anywhere."
The orange goblin looked disappointed. "You don't want to help Pandimora?"
"What -- where is she?" Drew took a step forward.
"Jonic, he doesn't know," said the blue goblin. He looked at Drew. "Lukais has her."
Drew cursed. "Did you lead her into a trap?" he demanded.
Hair instantly bristled outward like porcupine quills all over their bodies and they both moved toward him threateningly. Drew backed up and put out his hands. "Sorry -- sorry. I'm really worried about her and this whole faerie thing has me off balance. You've got to admit you guys don't have the greatest reputation where I come from." They both grinned widely and the quills disappeared. "How did you get in here anyway?" he asked. "Nobody said anything about goblins gaining access to this place."
"Everything's off balance," said Jonic. "It was quite easy. We were told where to find you."
Drew hid his surprise. "Irfin?"
Jonic nodded.
"Umm, well I thought leprechauns and goblins --"
Sirt put a finger up to his lips. "You must swear not to tell. Our reputation is very important."
"Okay." That would be easy, Drew thought. He didn't anticipate talking to other goblins. "How do I get to Pandimora?"
"You can't," said Sirt.
"Listen, I've been through this with Irfin --" he shut up as they began to look hostile again. Drew took a deep breath. "Last time I saw goblins, they were screaming to get their hands on a human."
Both goblins smirked.
"That's true." Jonic nodded vigorously, his large ears flopping. "But that was business. This is more personal. We like Pandimora," he added. "She's got guts going up against the elder. She asked us to get her into Aisywel but the elder caught us and he suspended her in a dimension without time or meaning."
"Wait -- he caught all of you? How did you escape?"
"Listen," Jonic turned surly. "We didn't have to come for you. Pandimora begged the elder to release us, which is lucky for all of us, okay? Now here's the plan. We might be able to shift you into the dimension, but it's very risky."
"Tell me what to do."
"We disassemble your cells and body matter bit by bit and piece by piece and then when you reach the other side, the cells and body matter come back together."
"Seriously? What if you miss putting a few cells back in their proper place -- like brain cells or something?"
They just looked at him.
Drew rubbed the back of his neck, picturing Pandimora alone ... a prisoner. "And then what? How do we get out again?"
"Once we get you to Pandimora, you have to initiate the shift for both of you to Aisywel and then to Isidghe almost instantly. Pandimora entered Aisywel from Isidghe and must go back in the same order so her equilibrium is not left unbalanced." Sirt looked at Jonic. "Right? Isn't that the way we have to do it?"
Jonic shrugged his narrow shoulders. "Maybe."
Drew looked at them. "You're not sure?"
"What we do know is there can be no delay; the shift must be almost instantaneous."
"What happens if it doesn't work that way?" Drew asked grimly. "What if something prevents us from shifting quickly?"
"Hmm, well," Sirt hedged, "we don't really know."
"There's no other option?" Drew asked, frustrated. "That's a lot of cell and body shifting," he muttered.
Sirt waved his hand. "Oh, don't worry," he said, "We do this all the time and we're perfectly fine."
Drew looked at his misshapen face, frighteningly wide grin and bulging purple eyes. "Thanks for the reassurance," he managed. If he wanted to find Pandimora, he saw no other option.
Find Me: Faeries Lost Page 27