Page 53 of Goblins Don't Count
The hatred in its eyes wasn’t surprising, and I tried not to take it personally. I was in its way. It smiled a creepy smile. But I wouldn’t be in its way for long. In the middle of that struggle of energy, it slipped something out of Sashimi’s suit and then tossed it my way. An explosive probably.
Sashimi released the creature and threw himself at me, so fast he hit me before the explosive. Everything went white hot and smelled like burning rubber. Then it was ringing ears and Sashimi’s weight over me who was over Joss. It was one of those hug sandwiches my parents used to give me when I was a kid. Only not remotely like that.
I struggled up, but Sashimi wasn’t moving. Perfect. Not perfect. This was a disaster, even worse than our first date.
I wriggled out from under him and touched his shoulder. His suit was shredded, along with most of his back. This hadn’t been a quiet cute bomb. His mask was open so I could see how still and pale his face was.
“Sashimi?” I whispered, while panic flooded through me. I grabbed his shoulder and shook him hard. “Sashimi! You aren’t allowed to die!”
His eyes flickered, then opened as he stared at me. “I’m not allowed to die? Such an imperious tone, like you’re the goblin queen already.” He narrowed his eyes like he was concentrating, then blue light sparked over him and he rolled to his feet, taking my shoulders while he turned me, examining me for injuries.
“I’m fine. You’re the one who took the whole force of the thing.”
“No. You got hit with a smattering of shrapnel here.” He brushed my shoulder, and I gasped at the pain. “We’ll need to get that out of you. Sounds like the perfect end to our perfect date.”
“Perfect?” I stared at him like he was a lunatic, because he was. But maybe he’d had some brain trauma from that last explosion.
He smiled and brushed my cheek. “According to my sister’s specs, absolutely. And you saved a victim and saw the killer. He escaped, but that’s for the good, so that we can have another exciting date.”
The door burst open—strange that there was still a door—and the guard held his gun at us, eyes big.
“Put down the gun!” I snapped, gesturing at Joss. “I’ve already called for an ambulance. We saw the killer, but he got away. It’s me, detective Sato. Get over here and put pressure on Joss’s neck wound.”
“Oh.” He blinked a few times then slowly lowered his gun and walked towards Joss, although he kept glancing at Sashimi, who was fussing with my shoulder.
I winced as he pulled out a sliver of metal. “Ow.”
Sashimi murmured, “Yes, it’s going to hurt a lot more before it feels better. Hm. I’m going to lose consciousness fairly soon, so we should get back home, don’t you think?”
I looked at him. He looked fine, on his feet, expression slightly pleasant, but his eyes were overbright, glazed. His back was shredded with goblin shrapnel.
I grabbed his shoulders. “You’re not okay?”
He responded by grabbing my shoulders and bumping my helmet with his. “No. But I’m sure I will be. Eventually.”
The disks came through the doors, clipping the officers, and then Sashimi pulled me close and sat down on the disk, pulling me down on his lap.
“What are you doing?” I asked, but the electronic vines were already growing over his legs, and mine, even in that awkward position.
“Taking you home, Lady Justice.” He smiled a sleepy smile and brushed my cheek. “I almost forgot. Every date ends with a kiss.” He leaned forward, brushing my lips with his.
The guard made a weird sound, but I ignored him. I closed my eyes and kissed him, barely aware of the world rushing around us as his lips parted and he let me devour him. My panic mingled with my craving for him, so I pressed too hard against him, wrapped my arms around him over the wounds. I was starting to really freak out, but I couldn’t seem to let him go, or break the connection with our mouths until he went limp.
I broke away, staring at him in panic. Of course, we were also flying through the night at a speed that ripped the breath from my throat. Were we going to die? No one was steering anything, and the two disks were stacked. The disks maneuvered intelligently, dodging buildings and trees, headed back to where we’d come from, the gated park and the grass that looked so smooth and real, but opened to swallow us into the tunnel.
In the dark, I forced myself to focus. I had big magic these days. I needed to do something with it. I ripped off the suit’s glove with my teeth, and put my hand on Sashimi’s back, then winced at the prick of metal in my finger. I carefully pulled it out and dropped it, then felt out another one, and another, and another.
Finally, the disks slowed, the tunnel opened, and then the disks lowered themselves to park on the floor, withdrawing the vines that had held us in place. Perfect.
Mr. Raccoon came bounding over to me, followed by a stream of spider bots.
Did you bring snacks? I’ve eaten all the toilet paper.
Come to think of it, a trail of toilet paper was fluttering behind him. That’s what I needed. Raccoon fur in this ointment.
“Spider bots, listen to me!” I felt like a lunatic saying something like that, but they all stopped and turned to me, like they were listening. I gestured at Sashimi. “I need you to carry him to his bed. Face-down. Do you understand?”
They seemed to stare at me, creepy limbs twitching until, as one unit, they clicked over to Sashimi and then slowly pressed in on him, lifting him with their bodies until he was supported by thousands of the things. He took off, looking like he was hovering at a brisk pace. I followed, limping, but trying my best to hurry.
