Page 23 of Goblins Don't Count
Gabby was frowning at the paper with a distant look on her face, but then she blinked and shrugged. “It’s all green blobs to me. Green blobs swallowing her cells, green blobs paralyzing the spreading blobs, blocking the absorption. The transformation is paused, but it’ll likely continue when the hero green blobs dissolve. They should be different colors. How are you supposed to identify who is the hero and who is the villain if they’re all green?”
I rubbed my forehead and turned to look at Anna the Healer, who was also the world’s greatest sorcerer. “You couldn’t undo it?”
She put an arm around my shoulder and gave me a mothering smile that was seriously spoiled by the strands of black magic still trailing down her chin. “I’m sorry, Rynne, but no. I can’t undo it. The most you can hope for is that the green super blobs can last a long time.”
Gabby and I sighed at the same time.
“Sorry,” she muttered, squeezing my arm. “We can still ask Libby what she thinks. Do some research about goblins so you know what you’re turning into.”
I looked up at the large clock in the lobby and frowned. It was five to six. “Actually, I have to get to the bank. Supposedly, the Goblin Authority will be in his office today. Do you know what time Granite closes?”
“Don’t all banks close at six?” Anna asked.
Gabby started dragging me towards the tall double doors. “You’re meeting the Goblin Authority? Do you want me to come? We could bring the bodyguards.”
“No escort, but I would like a ride. It’ll be fine. You know where I’m going and can come rescue me if I disappear without a trace.”
She puffed a breath. “Don’t joke about that. You know the stories of goblins always include the goblin king stealing away some idiot girl that wishes to escape her life.”
“I don’t wish or want to escape my life.”
“Good thing. Still, don’t joke about disappearing. Maybe I should come with you.” She chewed on her bottom lip while I grabbed her in a quick hug.
“The odds of him talking while you’re there are zilch. At least alone he might tell me if there’s some way I can stop this goblin transformation. Although, it’s stopped. I just have to keep it stopped.”
I smiled at her, trying to look hopeful, and then we were running, taking the long steps two and three at a time, on it, like we were when we were skating. We should do that again some time. We both worked too hard. No, I worked too hard, and she had other people in her life. Like a husband that she spent quality time with.
We got in the car, and the door slammed behind us.
“How’s the husband?” I asked, trying not to feel awkward. She’d finally gotten with the idiot guy who had loved her forever, but had no idea how to express it. He had convinced me that all guys in love are idiots.
“Apples is bananas, and I mean that in the best way. I’m so glad you’re turning into a goblin instead of dating one. Men just make you insane. He’s always trying to get me to agree to more bodyguards. Do you not see the ogres I already have trailing me? And my own magic isn’t anything to sniff at. I’m really quite talented at defense and offense. Actually,” she said with a slow grin. “I’m really, really good at offense. Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you to talk to the Goblin Authority?”
I gave her a tight smile. “Actually, I’m going to try to get him to date me. I think that would probably work better without anyone else.”
Her smile vanished. “Oh. You’re going to try and date him? That seems unwise, and you are usually quite bright, except for the lying to your mother thing. But if it’s what you want. You do want to date the Goblin Authority?”
I groaned and put my head on my knees while life’s frustrations swallowed me. “I don’t know.”
“Okay. Well, maybe hold off on the dating until you’ve figured out the turning-into-a-goblin thing, okay?”
The car stopped and with that, we were there, parked in front of the largest, most solid building in all of Sing. Granite was the largest, most impervious stronghold in the country, possibly the world. And I was going to go inside of it and hope I came back out.
“The architecture’s incredibly boring. Why are goblin things always square little boxes? I mean, big boxes in this case. It looks so solid.”
I opened the door and slipped out before I changed my mind. I had to hurry. Actually, maybe it was already closed. Then I could talk to him tomorrow. Or the day after. Or next week. Or next month.
I steeled my nerves, took a deep breath, and ignored the acrobatics going on in my stomach as I marched up the steps and to the front door. It was locked. I checked my phone, and there was the time, 6:04 pm.
Gabby was at the bottom of the steps beside her car, frowning up at me. I could try again later. Or forget about it. It was a stupid idea to date the Goblin King. Sashimi was probably messing with me.
An elven woman slipped out of the door right in front of me and I stuck my foot in, keeping it from closing while she hurried down the stairs looking distraught, like they’d just foreclosed on her mansion.
Was I going to do this? My foot was in the door. Literally. I gritted my teeth and slipped the rest of me inside the cool lobby, vaulted ceiling full of chiseled curlicues and flourishes that could probably hide a dozen goblins. They could rain down on you.
I stood there staring at that ceiling until a goblin approached me, wearing a tidy gray business suit that went with his tidy bald head.
“The bank is closed. If you’d like to come back on Monday, I’m sure we can help you then.”
