Page 57 of Goblins Don't Count
She frowned at me as her face soured further. “They’re to be avoided, like goblins, like werewolves, and all the dangerous creatures that you seem so fond of.”
“Point taken.”
“And discarded.”
It hadn’t been a very useful point. I turned to climb back over the tire and into the cockpit. I waved at my mom before the glass closed and we were once more jolting on our way, through the undercity and towards the circular road that wound around and around until we came out in Sing.
“You’re used to overprotective overlords. That’s good,” Sashimi’s sister said.
“Do you have a name? I keep thinking of you as Sashimi’s sister.”
She snorted. “You can call me whatever you want.Sashimicalls me Trata, which means?—”
“Mischief,” I said, cutting her off. I looked at her carefully. “Trata it is. Should I call him Corcarn? Is it disrespectful or something to call him sushi? It probably is, but it’s how I’ve thought of him for a decade.”
“You’re publicly declared as his girlfriend. You can call him whatever you like.”
“Mm hm. That wasn’t really an answer. What did you mean about overprotective overlords? You called his house a vault.”
“I did. Goblins are possessive and protective of what they consider theirs.”
“And he’s been my protector, so naturally he’d be overprotective. He isn’t, though. He didn’t stop me from anything I wanted to do, not like my mother would have tried to.”
“But he did put your life above his, or he wouldn’t be asleep while you’re awake.”
I frowned at her and absently touched my shoulder. “You’re saying that I should be more protective of him?”
“I’m saying that if you’re going to put yourself in danger, you’re putting him in double danger. Because he’ll take the brunt of the fallout. It’s fine. He’s practically indestructible, what with the curse.”
“The curse where he has to marry a human?”
“The curse where he has to have a son, and can’t die until that’s accomplished. So, maybe after you have a baby, you can be more careful with your life so you don’t end his. Changing goblin kings is a hassle.”
“I’m sure.” I felt my shoulders rise from her talking about such incredibly personal things, but it’s not like it was true. “I’m not going to have his baby. Wow, that’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever said. He’s using me to protect him from the curse, to keep from falling in love with a human.”
She made a weird gurgling sound. “Oh. That explains so much. You’ve known him for a decade. That means he’s known you for a decade, which means that he knows exactly what makes you tick. He manipulates his world. He can’t help it, it’s what he is.”
“Ergo, he’s manipulating me? I know. I just told you that I know.”
“Ah. But has he told you everything?”
“Of course not. He’s a goblin who doesn’t trust anyone. He can’t even trust dresses not to kill him. I don’t want or need him to tell me his ultimate secret plans. I’m not a goblin, and I don’t expect him to ever trust me.”
“Dresses? I have got to hear that story. No, pretty Rinny, he’s let you into his vault. He definitely trusts you the most. Well, he has this person he calls ‘uncle,’ who fathered his brother, his mother’s illegitimate child like I’m his father’s. How egalitarian, right?Sashimitrusts him way too much. When you have that family dinner, I should come. Mostly because I want to watch him try to look civilized. I adore watching him try to look civilized.”
“He is actually incredibly civilized.” I wouldn’t mention him eating the dress.
She snorted. “He’s a goblin.”
“He’s more than half human.”
“The goblin king doesn’t work that way. His half-brother, he’s half human, but Corcarn is entirely one hundred percent goblin.”
“Whatever that means.”
“It means that he was raised on a battlefield eating the bodies of his enemy. Sometimes his own men, when they irritated him. Am I not supposed to mention that? I wouldn’t want to put a fly in the ointment of your platonic love.” She batted her dark green lashes at me.
“Oh, yes, I can tell you’re very sensitive about my feelings. Pull up right here, please.” I pointed to the building across the street and down a ways from the police station.
