Wraith(51)

A swarthy Filit lunged forward. ‘Arms down and shut up,’ he snarled.

Gabriel stiffened and I thought that he was about to argue or to attack the goblin head on. Gritting my teeth, I leaned over to him. ‘In case you haven’t noticed, we’re surrounded.’

His jaw tightened. ‘We can’t just give in,’ he muttered. ‘You’re a damned wraith. You do something.’

Like what exactly? Before I could snap a response, a loud echoing laugh came from high up on the rooftops. I craned my neck, my heart sinking when the owner of the laugh came into view, striding over the nearest tiled roof to grin down at us.

‘I was so sure that you would notice us before we managed to get close,’ Ghrashbreg said. ‘Dark Elves’ skills are supposed to be legendary. I mean, you single-handedly caught a wraith sneaking into your room. You have magic at your fingertips. You even escaped the effects of deadly poison.’ He leapt down, landing on the pavement in front of us with considerable agility. It was only a few metres but few goblins could manage such a feat due to their dense bone structure. I wondered whether Ghrashbreg did Pilates in his spare time to limber up.

‘Lord Ghrashbreg.’ There was no mistaking the venom in Gabriel’s voice. ‘What a pleasant surprise.’

Ghrashbreg’s smile grew. ‘Indeed. And how kind of you to retrieve my box.’ He reached for the trinket box.

Gabriel didn’t yield it. ‘It’s not yours.’

‘It’s from Stirling. Everything in this city belongs to us.’ He leered at me. ‘Even the people.’

A low growl emitted from Gabriel’s throat. ‘You go too far.’

Ghrashbreg painted on an innocent expression. ‘Do I? I think you’ll find the law is perfectly clear in this matter. It always has been. Stirling is a goblin protectorate. You have no rights here and neither does your Fior Ghal. In fact, as a citizen of Stirling, she belongs to me not you.’ He glanced at me. ‘Although given what a thorn in my side you appear to have become, Ms Buchanan, I should have done more than break your little fingers.’

Gabriel snarled and lunged forward. Ghrashbreg had obviously been hoping he would do that because he flicked his wrist and two more goblins peeled away and leapt towards me. While Gabriel wrapped one hand round Ghrashbreg’s throat, the two goblins grabbed my wrists and hauled me backwards.

Ghrashberg didn’t move a muscle. ‘I suggest you release me.’

The goblins tightened their grip on me and wrenched my wrists backwards with such violence that I cried out and tears of pain sprang to my eyes. They were hurting the wrong person if they thought this would make Gabriel hand over the box, however.

Blinking back the tears, I gazed at the little thing still clutched in Gabriel’s free hand. My vision was slightly blurred, making the bright lacquer surface swim. My unfocused vision allowed a totally different interpretation of the intricate designs on each side of it. I gasped and fell to my knees.

‘The love of your life is in agony,’ Ghrashbreg continued, arching an eyebrow towards Gabriel. ‘Don’t you want to help her?’

I moaned, briefly registering the smirk on the Filit goblin’s face. Most goblins were unlikeable but Ghrashbreg was psychotic. I could almost see his palms itching to reach over and snap my neck. I wondered what he was looking forward to more – my death or Gabriel’s reaction to it. He couldn’t know that I was less horrified by the pain and more by the continuing touch of the goblins’ skin on mine.

That answered one question at least: being with Gabriel and enjoying his touch was a one-off. I’d not been cured of my phobia because the sensation of being touched by others still gave me shudders. Gabriel was unique and special. But I already knew that.

Whatever Ghrashbreg’s true motivation was, I had to make a move before he did. It would be touch and go given all the witnesses surrounding us but I reckoned I was close enough to manage it. It helped that everyone here – Gabriel excluded – believed I was weak and inconsequential.

‘You can’t do this,’ Gabriel hissed.

‘Oh,’ Ghrashbreg replied, ‘I think you’ll find I can. Now kindly remove your hand from around my throat before…’

I snapped forward, releasing my shadow so it sprang towards Gabriel and slammed the trinket box out of his hands. I leapt back, returning my shadow to its natural place. Gabriel jumped, losing his grip on Ghrashbreg. That was probably for the best. As I moved, I kept my eyes on the spinning box, taking a mental snapshot of each lacquered side. A second later, it smashed to the ground, wood and glass splintering everywhere.

A tiny scroll rolled towards Ghrashbreg’s feet, coming to rest in front of his toes. Gabriel saw it too and went to snatch it up, a split second before the goblin Lord. He was too late; Ghrashbreg’s boot stomped down on the scroll.

‘Well, well, well,’ Ghrashbreg murmured with a nausea-inducing smile. ‘The box gives up its secrets.’ He raised his eyebrows at me. I was fairly certain that I’d moved quickly enough to avoid detection but there was no denying the sudden scepticism in his eyes. ‘You know, the wraith we captured earlier managed to escape without anyone noticing. The guard swears he didn’t fall asleep. In fact, even after having his left eyeball punctured, he promised he didn’t lose focus. It’s ironic that the only thing capable of slipping past him to rescue the wraith would be another wraith.’ He flicked his eyes from me to Gabriel and back again while I stopped breathing. ‘I don’t suppose it really matters now.’ He bent down and picked up the miniature scroll. ‘We have all we need.’ He gestured to the two goblins still holding me. ‘Take both them to the gallows. They can swing.’

I grimaced at Gabriel. This was not the time for elven heroics; I needed him to play prisoner. Unfortunately, he had other ideas. Straightening his posture, he beckoned to the goblins surrounding us. ‘Come on then,’ he taunted. ‘I’m looking forward to this.’

Ghrashbreg tsked. ‘You should take a leaf out of your Fior Ghal’s book. She understands that there are worse fates than death. You should be grateful that I’m granting you an easy way out, especially after you disdained my poison.’ His expression grew earnest. ‘I’m trying to be good to you. For a Dark Elf who works for the government, you’re a rather personable fellow. I don’t want to torture you.’

He raised his squat, hairy, index finger and another goblin moved. She didn’t advance on Gabriel but stepped towards me, removing a sharp, curved knife from the folds of her jacket. I made a show of struggling. I really didn’t want to end up with my intestines spilled across the cobbles.

‘Get away from her,’ Gabriel snarled.

The goblin raised the blade, brandishing it towards my left eye. I flinched without meaning to and her mouth split into an unpleasant smile.

‘This is going to end up with same result, de Florinville,’ Ghrashbreg purred. ‘It’s your choice whether you both die quickly.’ He paused. ‘Or slowly.’

Gabriel let out an inarticulate mutter. ‘Fine. I’ll go to your damned gallows.’

The goblin lord smiled. ‘Shame. Submit your hands then.’

For a moment, I thought Gabriel was going to refuse again but he lifted both hands reluctantly. The goblin by his side immediately bound them tightly with rope.

‘Make sure the knots are secure,’ Ghrashbreg advised. ‘His skills are not to be underestimated.’

I heard Gabriel’s sharp intake of breath as the ropes were tightened. Then I was shoved away from the group while Gabriel was dragged from in front.

‘If one of them does turn out to be a wraith,’ Ghrashbreg called after us, ‘or if another wraith shows up to mount a rescue, you have my permission to make all their deaths as unpleasant as possible.’

I rolled my eyes. It was obviously important to him to have the last word. I couldn’t have said anything in response even if I’d wanted to, however. I received a sharp blow in my back, making me double over and gasp for breath. The only saving grace was that I managed to catch Ghrashbreg’s muttered expletive when he unrolled the tiny scroll. ‘What the fuck is this supposed to say?’

Then Gabriel and I were pulled away, out of both sight and earshot.

***

We were dragged along several streets to Mercat Cross to the sinister and silent gallows. Or they would have been sinister if the nooses had been replaced. I guessed that Ghrashbreg had forgotten his fiction and this was now merely an auction block, rather than a site for swift executions. Gabriel and I were securely tied to a post while the Filits organised themselves.

My mind raced, analysing the possibilities. There had to be a way out of this. Stirling was depending on me and I wasn’t going to let my city down if I could help it.

‘Gabriel,’ I murmured under my breath when our captors started hastily repairing the gallows and re-knotting the nooses. ‘Do you have anything on you that can help us get out of this?’

He didn’t answer; his expression was blank with intense concentration. Huh. Maybe it was some kind of Dark Elf meditative state. So much for elven magic.

I cast around. Other than the goblins, there wasn’t a soul in sight. Everyone would know by now that something terrible was stirring and would be keeping well away from the Filits. I’d have to manage our escape on my own. Unfortunately, given the number of goblins Ghrashbreg had sent with us, that was easier said than done. Of course I could have detached my shadow again – it would be more convenient to attack the goblins that way. But they had hold of both my physical body and Gabriel. If these Filits had a single brain cell between them, they’d slaughter us both before I could damage any of them.