Denial (Goblin's Kiss Series Book One)

by Cyndi Goodgame

  “What if the path is cursed?”

  “Heard that before. Seems to be a theme among you guys. I still don’t care.”

  “Someone else may.”

  “Who?” she asked unknowingly. Brooks may have discounted the curse as a hoax, but now, since kissing her, I just wanted to be sure. I don’t want the fortune teller to be right after all. Doubt had a way of weaseling in and making camp.

  “You’ll know soon.”

  “Still don’t care.”

  That’s all I needed for now. She’s all I needed. I jumped half out of the seatbelt and bustled around the Jeep dragging her into my arms. I would find a way out of the curse. Denying it's hold over me was half the battle.

  My body shuddered at her touch and it made me know my weaknesses. I’d never had them until her. She was a welcome distraction and never would I let her go. My thumb raked across the side of her cheek making her eyes close shut. I loved that I could do that to her. Melt her completely.

  “Can I stay with Katelyn tonight so I can see you in the morning and not have to wait till the afternoon.” Her voice was raspy and filled with something I didn’t ever see in other girls. Her face pressed against my chest and relaxed beneath me as I kissed her forehead, my favorite comfort. I could feel the warmth of her body straining towards me allowing me to take in her sweet scent.

  She could have told me to buy her diamonds and I’d be on the way already. Who could say no to a statement like that when the girl you were in love with says she can’t be away from you?

  “Ames?”

  I chose to forget to ever answer the last question. “Can I see you some before you go to sleep?”

  She lowered her eyes showing me just who had all the power in this scenario. “I was kind of hoping you’d take my hint that I wanted to stay with you. Only sleeping, I mean. If you can handle that.”

  Does a bull have horns?

  I grinned with an answer that made no sense to the question, but meant everything to her, “I will if you will.”

  EMMA

  I knew when I woke up cold he was gone. Him sleeping on top of bed sheets to “keep him honest” as he put it was annoying, but sweet. I could tell he was honorable, but had to work at it sometimes. Some may say they wouldn’t want a damaged man, but Ames was far from it in my eyes. He was never loved. We had that in common despite our differences in growing up. He told me once he was changing and it sometimes felt like he was out of his own skin. When I apologized for being a possible reason for changing him when it wasn’t my place, he argued back and said that was the best he’d felt in his life. That I was the best change that could have ever happened to him.

  He was for me too.

  I took my time getting ready. When I came out of the bathroom that I didn’t have to share with another person watching, the bed was made and a note lie in the middle.

  Emma

  Meet me in the book room.

  Ames

  Odd. He showed no feeling in the note. I expected after kissing the guy and making his dimples activate he would have a little more heart. Guys were so hard to figure out sometimes. It was a lucky thing I had an emotion meter when I was around him to pick up on what I couldn’t decipher in his verbal language. There had been times in the past weeks that I thought he was being curt, but his emotions said otherwise. How did any other girl ever figure a guy out?

  I dried my hair and headed to my destination according to the note.

  AMES

  “You could have just cost Emma her life.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” I screamed at Wicker.

  “Shouldn’t you have checked into this better?”

  “I did. I found the text that said she lives a long time.”

  “But that doesn’t say she won’t die first,” Wicker threw more curveballs than a female in his explanations sometimes.

  “What are you getting at?” I asked just because. Why did he doubt it?

  “Because, nothing is that simple. What if there is something else in the seer’s predictions you didn’t count on and you remain impassive to the implications and end up watching her die anyway. You ignored what might be because you assume it’s the godforsaken truth.”

  “And where do you propose we start looking for this hidden seer’s secrets?”

  “Not sure on that yet.”

  “Well, when you know, tell me.” I was fed up with going round and round and just wanted to get back to Emma.

  I arranged for her to meet me.

  I heard her laugh around the corner of the book room. She was here.

  Her beaming smile was significantly smaller when her face turned to mine. I worried she had wind of my coming share session already.

  “Good morning.”

  She timidly returned the sentiment.

  “I want to tell you the truth about everything before another day passes. You need to know this before I introduce you to your realm.”

  Emma’s face mirrored a blinded rabbit. “I am not ready just yet.”

  I secretly loved this answer. “I’m fine with that. In fact, I think it best you learn what you can before you do. It’s been months since finding out who you are and you still don’t fully know. Before you completely decide to stay here at my realm, I need to make sure you are aware of a few things.”

  I was scaring her. I could feel it all the way deep, down inside of her soul. Instead of putting off the obvious, I flipped open the books I’d been devouring for weeks now. I couldn’t sleep a whole night being away from her and I didn’t have the balls to tell her it was because I could seriously just marry her now and have her with me every single day of the rest of my life.

  Inside the first brown, leather binder was a stack of letters. It’s the letters Katelyn found secretly for me and now I am well versed in enough I could quote them.

  I indicated for her to read not wanting my voice to crack from saying the ugly truth to her.

  Dear son,

  I have been greatly wronged by you. I know that you are a treasure to behold and welcome the day you grow into a man. I have the greatest admiration for your father and what he will accomplish even if it isn’t always in his choosing. I am to blame for this horrid place our realms are in as of late. My own defiled existence led us to this.

  In short, a time will come when you will meet a girl. Not just any girl. This girl will be the next queen of our realm and she will lead us all. I will have to assume I will be dead if you are reading this, for the seer said it to be so. This girl will lead you into great things and you must not alter that course. Whatever you choose, let it be of sound logic when concerned with your destiny. Her destiny is not entirely made easy, as her parents will not be either.

  If you doubt my word, know this. The seer saw my death. She also saw a long and fruitful life for you, Ames Cahn, and the queen she saw coming. Jem Loggins will live a long reign and will bring unity back to the people.

  For now, I leave you my love. As clever as I know you to be even in my absence, take my words for truth and use them carefully.

  All my love,

  Layla Cahn

  Emma looked at me teary eyed.

  “Are you okay?”

  “This is the best genie wish ever,” she hugged the letter.

  No. No. She didn’t see it yet.

  “It's not a good thing to know your future isn’t “good” Emma. And there are other letters I need you to see.”

  She let the fist go and started pouring into the others while I told her that I had been led to believe for years that she would not be in our realm at all. She commented about this as she skimmed each letter and asked who they were written to. I didn’t know either and no one could tell me. The names were missing at the top.

  I left right outside the doorway just to get her something to drink. Tea.

  She started asking questions I couldn’t answer.

  “Who is the seer? Where is she? They predicted me? Us?”

  “I didn’t get the
impression they predicted you and I necessarily, but rather us as leaders.” I saw her female wheels spinning and stopped her before she could spew that I was being crass. “However, I have reason to believe that someone does.” No, actually I know. I’ve read the letters from her mother. I know what her mother thinks. Whatever this damn curse was, I wanted it solved and over with so I could be with Emma. I saw her read in the letter I moved near the top, but only her heart gave it away. She never said a word or asked a question about the curse. The first letter told her what hope I held too, that we both survived.

  “So, let’s see the rest of them and my mother’s.”

  Eager as I am. “First, you read these. Then, we will make the step of entering your realm.”

  Emma smiled but her heart wasn’t satisfied. I asked her why she was upset. She was confused at first at me asking, but realized I was reading her. I do love this extra sensory girl reader. I’ve got a gold mine every guy would love to have.

  “It’s just, you left this morning and your note was...not very happy sounding, so I expected you to show me something bad.”

  A curse is bad and it was just a note. “I just wanted to let you know where I was.”

  She glared. What did I do?

  I wasn’t sure what to say here. I felt cornered by her stare. It was one of those moments a guy feels no matter what he says it will be wrong. And here I just thought the ability to read her was a good thing. Maybe I was wrong. Knowing your girl is unsatisfied with everything you say was miserable to think about.

  Maybe she wanted a happy face drawn in the corner.

  I gave up and changed the subject hoping it would work. I didn’t want her mad at me today. She would have enough to be mad at when she met Caydon.

  “I have tea on the way for you.”

  Emma’s bottom lip disappeared under her top teeth. Her finger started to tap. Uh, oh. “Change the subject, but next time take a minute to not make me think you’ve changed your mind or something. I didn’t know what to expect walking in here today. You didn’t give me any hint in the note.”

  Ohhh! Got it. She wanted rainbows and hearts, X’s and O’s. I wasn’t that kind of guy, but if it kept her smiling at me, I’d give in to her.

  “Got it, love. Before our wedding night, I’ll leave a detailed note of every single thought that’s going through my mind while you’re off primping in your non-lace and non-stiletto clad dress. In fact, just plan on wearing what you have on now, because I’ve already held that scenario in my brain when you walked in the door a dozen times now.” She blushed all kinds of shades so it added more burn to the fire. She smoothed out her red shirt, now my favorite. “Forget writing it down, I will just tell you word for word right now.”

  Her hand went to my mouth to stop me. I was glad of it. I didn’t think I could make it through what I promised.

  “I got it, Ames. You’re not the sonnet type. Just don’t leave me any notes with cryptic words that leave me no way to know if you’re happy or sad.”

  Now that, I could promise.

  EMMA

  I didn’t tell Ames what I read in one of the letters. I hinted to see if he knew about it, but he gave me no clues.

  In the fifth letter I skimmed, I caught the word “seer” and “curse” in the same sentence. It never referred to who it meant was cursed. It was like the writer was trying to write in code and get the message across. This letter was addressed, but the name was torn out. In fact, all the rest of the letters had the dear line damaged and poked through. Only the first letter, the one he showed me, had a name at the top.

  But I couldn’t help my worry. Ames was severely focused on these letters and even more on me reading them. They didn’t tell me much about the Cahn history or their realm so his reason for having me read them was something else. I wasn’t blind. I’d heard all the references to being the “cursed” one. Now I shared in his fear permeating from inches away. He was afraid to tell me and I was afraid to ask.

  EPILOGUE

  AMES

  I was alone...in a world...where no really wanted me. Except this girl. She was the one. And for that, I could change anything...even destiny.

  EMMA

  I wasn’t alone anymore in this world or the one I left behind. I could finally tell the difference between reality and imagination. I felt complete. Reality is what you make it, not how it really is.

  APPENDIX

  jornete (gore knee) - herb extract used to dull pain

  siltlum (silt loom)- herb that thins the blood and helps with clotting

  mannon (man on)- herb used to produce energy

  wakenite (walk a night)-herb used to help produce sleep

  gruroot (grew root)- herb used by those who know it it’s magical properties to reverse effects of something

  As recorded by Emma Loggin in Lower Appalachian Realms, the long used title of their area before the kings of old separated out. Together again, the histories are kept logged for the future’s sake of knowing exactly where they came from.

  One realm during the reign of 1887-1947 A.D.

  King Edward and Queen Leesa Torrer (no children)

  One realm during the reign of 1947-1999 A.D.

  King Jared and Queen Marissa (goblin born) Cahn

  Son- Ares Cahn

  Two realms during the reign of 1999-2012 A.D.

  King Warren and Queen Alyssa Loggin (appointed king of new realm)

  Daughter- Jem (Emma) Loggin

  King Ares and Queen Layla Cahn

  Son-Ames Cahn

  One realm during the reign of 2012 A.D.-Present

  King Ames Cahn and Queen Emma Loggin

  If you enjoyed Denial, book one in the Goblin’s Kiss Series, then check out

  Yield (Goblin’s Kiss Series Book Two)

  Available at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, and www.smashwords.com, and iTunes

  And now an excerpt from Cyndi’s best selling series, Fey Court Trilogy.

  “What are you doing? And how did you get out here?” I snipped at Ian looking in both directions down the hallway. I didn’t mean too, but I raked my eyes up and down stopping at the black blazer layered with the solid black Henley. Hidden tightly beneath that were his broad shoulders that were all muscle and sooo…hard not to watch flex when he leaned absolutely anywhere. Not too tight, just right! His black jeans and Doc Martins were always my favorite. Well, just about all of him was my favorite. I hadn’t meant to leave my mouth wide open, but sometimes I just couldn’t stop myself. I closed my eyes despite how inappropriate this moment was for gawking. I just know he does these things to make my heart jump up and down and turn flips.

  When I opened them, I caught only a blur of movement moving fast. He’d just hid around the corner in an alcove near an empty classroom smiling that ridiculously fabulous smile of his. I walked as slowly as possible towards the place where he’d just vanished. Has he lost him mind? Are we playing cat and mouse?

  “You wanted to be saved, right!” he grabbed my slender arm and pulled me too close ramming up against him. Blocking the rest of the world out with his rogue smile shining at just me forced me to bite my gasp in two. My body had a tremor as I looked up at his clean-shaved, still chiseled jaw line I’d just stared at for three seconds too long. I followed down to his lips and back up to his eyes. Those shimmering green eyes with the little flecks of silver flying around inside them, that I was sure no one else could possibly have noticed since I was the only one got this close to him, were watching mine. And I watched the silver flecks spread wider when I stood this close to him as if it triggered something only I could. When I was this close he always seemed nervous. He pulled his free hand through his silky dark hair that fell right over his left eye where I loved it to be when he tilted just right. Brown, but with a hint of black to it. Getting reality in check, I closed my eyes fast.

  Focus! This is more than just saving.

  More hidden messages were sure to follow every time he spoke, but never explained. He swal
lowed, “Sorry! I didn’t mean to—

  He cut himself off.

  Something inside of me scrunched up and heavied my beating heart. I grabbed my head blocking the scent. It’s him, he’s near. This horrific connection to the ultimate villain is undeniably hard to ignore.

  Ian stiffened. He pulled me all the way against him forcing several strategic places to make me still like a statue. He was standing on my toes. Tears welled up as I tried to wiggle backwards. We were edged against the corner now. My mouth was beside his cheek so I curled my lips in to keep from touching his face. Soon, my toes were free.

  “WHERE did they go?” a voice boomed from the hallway. Ugh! It was the jock idiot, know-it-all Kin yelling at someone else to split up and find them. We were the them. They were forever torturing us.

  Footsteps trailed away.

  “How did you know you were saving me? And are you saving me from that horrid class or him?” I whispered into Ian’s ear and nodded in the direction Kin left. I didn’t have a choice about the whispering or how close I was to him to say it. He shivered. I know because I felt it!