Page 5 of The Goblin's Mine

Flynn speaks up. “You think we should kill her?”

Deirdre shrugs. “That’s rarely my first approach to a problem, but we can’t have her returning topside and exposing us, can we?”

“If we keep her here indefinitely, more humans are bound to come looking for her. That would be even worse,” I point out.

Flynn nods. I know he doesn’t completely agree with my position, but he’s also got my back. He knows I want this human alive for some reason, and instead of asking questions, he’s lending me his support. It’s what we’ve always done for each other.

Ronan speaks up again. “I say we kill her. Simplest answer. Dispose the body up somewhere higher and make it look like an accident, should anyone find her.”

A pretty, petite goblin named Sloane interjects. She’s been a good friend my whole life, so it’s not surprising when she takesmy side. “Kill has a point. We don’t need an influx of humans swarming us, especially if things with the lode are questionable.”

More goblins pipe up around the table, throwing out their opinions, until finally Deirdre raises a hand and retakes control.

“I believe it’s settled. The majority has spoken in favor of killing the human.”

My stomach drops, and everything inside me runs cold. I can’t let that happen.

“No!” I shout, banging my fist on the table as I leap to my feet. “I won’t let that happen. It’s too risky,” I add, trying to make my outburst make sense.

Deirdre also rises to her feet, which is a bad sign. She’s generally calm and steady, which is why she’s our chairperson. But it doesn’t go well if you piss her off.

“Killian, the matter is settled. Why are you so upset by this?”

“It’s a mistake.” Every part of me feels clenched, from my teeth to my fists. Adrenaline pumps through me, and I know if the choice comes, I’ll fight. I’ll have to.

Deirdre purses her lips, thinking. We wait in silence until she finally speaks.

“You are not a rash goblin, Kill, and you have earned my respect more than once. Therefore, I will make one concession here. But bear in mind, if you behave this way again, you forfeit your seat on this fainne. Are we clear?”

I nod.

“Good. Since you seem to be so invested in the human, I’m giving custody of her to you. We will reconvene in five days to revisit the situation. Until then, Kill, she is your complete responsibility.Do not let her out of your sight!” She dismisses the council, and one by one, they all leave, until I’m left with Flynn. He puts a hand on my shoulder.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you, but good luck. Babysitting a human and leading a scouting party is more than I’d want to take on.”

Dammit. In my fury, I’d forgotten all about the scouting thing. Now, instead of letting my friends kill my mate, I have to drag her into infested territory and somehow protect her while also doing my job.

I meet Flynn’s gaze. “Fuck.”

His hearty laughter follows me out of the room.

CHAPTER THREE

NATALIE

Brigid bringsme to a large hall that resembles nothing so much as a college cafeteria. Hand-carved wooden tables and chairs of various sizes are clustered in the middle, and along the walls are what look to be five different food stations. From afar, it seems like there’s whatever the goblin equivalent of a salad bar is—I see lots of roots and mushrooms—and another station seems to have stew. I think there’s a dessert bar, and I can’t make out the others.

The tables are all unoccupied, but there’s a goblin at each food station, manning the offerings. Each area appears to have sort of a grill built into the rock, with a low flame burning to cook the meals. The odd thing is, there’s absolutely no aroma in the room. Not of food, not the dankness of the cavern, not smoke from the various torches. I glance up. The ceiling is pocked with holes, most likely tubes like the one that brought me here. Maybe they work as a sort of natural ventilation.

Brigid ushers me to a small table off to one side. “Sit here,” she says.

While I wait, she bustles around, eventually returning with two bowls of stew and some crusty bread. When she sets my bowl in front of me, I give it a sniff to see what I can make out, but again, there’s nothing.

“What kind of stew is this?” I ask.

“Root and herb stobhach.”

I wait, but she doesn’t elaborate, so I shrug and take a bite. Whatever it is, it’s surprisingly flavorful. I can definitely sense carrots, potatoes, and rosemary, but the rest of the ingredients remain a mystery. Overall, though, it’s not bad, especially with the bread.

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