"Ha!” I laughed and pointed at
him.
Karl balled his fists and kicked me hard in the shin with his tiny black boots. With a yelp, I felt my eyes go black. “You're a filthy little beast." "You're a leech,” came Karl's shrill reply. "Knock it off,” Toby growled. I saw his eyes flash yellow for a moment. “Karl's here to help.” He stepped close, dwarfing me. “If you can't deal with that, I suggest you leave." I couldn't help but step back from Toby's anger. He had never before rebuked me. I felt a flash of fright. It occurred to me in that moment why he kept his distance from me most of the time. Beneath his human exterior, he was a raging monster ... just like I was. I couldn't get any words past the lump of fear in my throat.
Toby shook his head and lowered his voice. “I don't want to hear anymore of this.” He glared down at the Goblin. “Fromeither of you."
"The suckhead started it,” Karl protested. Toby folded his arms across his chest. “I'm paying you, right?" Karl nodded.
"Then I don't want to hear it.” His eyes flashed solid yellow. “Understand?" There were many things Goblins were capable of. Outrunning a pissed off Werewolf was not one of them. Karl acquiesced. “Fine.” He took a breath into his little lungs. “Let's get this over with.” He turned and started climbing back onto the crates. Goblins were experts at finding “alternate” ways into just about anything. Their tiny stature allowed them into places other Inhumans couldn't get to, and they were devious. Always thinking, their minds presented them with ideas others wouldn't even consider. In ancient times, it was not unheard of for a family's baby to vanish without a trace from a completely sealed room. No one was really sure what the Goblins did with the babies, and they certainly weren't telling. One myth had them eating the children, while another had them selling the babies into slavery. Still, some felt Goblins weren't responsible at all, but because of their unique skill set, and inhuman appearance, they were blamed for the disappearance of children. No one had actually ever caught a Goblin with a stolen baby. Still, I didn't trust them. “Why are you living in Brimstone? Shouldn't you be under a bridge or something?"
"Damned trolls took all the good bridge spots,” Karl grumbled as he neared the top of the crates. It would have been easy for me to lift him up to the top, but I would rather watch him climb. “Ever try to raise a family under a bridge, suckhead?” He stopped and peered over his shoulder. “No, I guess not." The obvious shot at my barren Vampiric womb sent a shock of rage down my spine. It wasn't my fault I couldn't have children, rather a quirk of my adopted species. I looked back at Toby and bit my tongue. Another remark like that and I would bite Karl's.
Karl balled his fists and kicked me hard in the shin with his tiny black boots. With a yelp, I felt my eyes go black. “You're a filthy little beast." "You're a leech,” came Karl's shrill reply. "Knock it off,” Toby growled. I saw his eyes flash yellow for a moment. “Karl's here to help.” He stepped close, dwarfing me. “If you can't deal with that, I suggest you leave." I couldn't help but step back from Toby's anger. He had never before rebuked me. I felt a flash of fright. It occurred to me in that moment why he kept his distance from me most of the time. Beneath his human exterior, he was a raging monster ... just like I was. I couldn't get any words past the lump of fear in my throat.
Toby shook his head and lowered his voice. “I don't want to hear anymore of this.” He glared down at the Goblin. “Fromeither of you."
"The suckhead started it,” Karl protested. Toby folded his arms across his chest. “I'm paying you, right?" Karl nodded.
"Then I don't want to hear it.” His eyes flashed solid yellow. “Understand?" There were many things Goblins were capable of. Outrunning a pissed off Werewolf was not one of them. Karl acquiesced. “Fine.” He took a breath into his little lungs. “Let's get this over with.” He turned and started climbing back onto the crates. Goblins were experts at finding “alternate” ways into just about anything. Their tiny stature allowed them into places other Inhumans couldn't get to, and they were devious. Always thinking, their minds presented them with ideas others wouldn't even consider. In ancient times, it was not unheard of for a family's baby to vanish without a trace from a completely sealed room. No one was really sure what the Goblins did with the babies, and they certainly weren't telling. One myth had them eating the children, while another had them selling the babies into slavery. Still, some felt Goblins weren't responsible at all, but because of their unique skill set, and inhuman appearance, they were blamed for the disappearance of children. No one had actually ever caught a Goblin with a stolen baby. Still, I didn't trust them. “Why are you living in Brimstone? Shouldn't you be under a bridge or something?"
"Damned trolls took all the good bridge spots,” Karl grumbled as he neared the top of the crates. It would have been easy for me to lift him up to the top, but I would rather watch him climb. “Ever try to raise a family under a bridge, suckhead?” He stopped and peered over his shoulder. “No, I guess not." The obvious shot at my barren Vampiric womb sent a shock of rage down my spine. It wasn't my fault I couldn't have children, rather a quirk of my adopted species. I looked back at Toby and bit my tongue. Another remark like that and I would bite Karl's.