Page 17 of Goblin Candy

CANDY

I’m still grinning like a fool when we arrive at the fall festival. Parking is tight, which is to be expected, but Grimsal is surprisingly quite happy to go along and meet with Lottie and her date.

“A draxalican,” he hums with interest as we pile out of the car. “How appropriate.”

I shoot him a curious look. “Appropriate? That’s not exactly a response that I expected. Why do you say that?”

He shrugs and grins over at me. “Many of them have a quiet patience for things that would drive others insane with boredom. Seems like the perfect pairing with a librarian who is so passionate for her duties.”

“Huh. I didn’t think of it that way. She really does seem to enjoy his company—in a disembodied sort of way since they just sent messages back and forth through the mirror. I guess he is perfect for her—if she weren’t arachnophobic,” I amend. “I’m not really sure how she’s going to get past that.”

He chuckles, and his arm catches me around the waist. “You would be surprised how easily a couple can overlook certain differences. It will just take a bit of time, patience, and understanding on both sides.”

I give him a doubtful look. “Do you really think it’s going to be that easy?”

“Fuck no. It won’t be easy at all. Nothing in what I said is in any shape or form easy.” His brow arches as he glances at me from the corner of his eye. “But a smart pair who recognizes their best possible mate in the other won’t let that stop them.”

“That is really sweet,” I reply, snuggling into the warmth of his side. “I didn’t realize that you’re such a romantic.”

“Goblins are a very romantic sort.”

He says it so seriously that I muffle my amused snort because I don’t think that everyone would see them quite that way given his own apparent nature to enjoy “the hunt” as he exhibited last night. Some might find it disconcerting despite the fact that I got a real thrill from it.

“Where are we meeting your friend and the draxalican?” he asks as he scans the busy crowd filling the open lot in front of us.

There are a few scattered carnival rides for the kids, but most of the festivities are focused on old-fashioned autumnal fun—and overshadowing it all, the haunted house stands just on its periphery. I tip my head toward the large pumpkin display that looks like little more than a mass of orange from where we stand.

“At the pumpkin stand. They’re going to make jack-o-lanterns together. A bonding activity,” I clarify when his eyebrows raise.

“Excellent. We should do it as well! We have a few hours yet until our reservation. Plenty of time to enjoy the festivities to be had—starting with your droll tradition of pumpkin lanterns.” He chuckles and shakes his head. “Not that it will do any good frightening away the fair folk’s hunt. A fairy would sooner laugh than run in terror from such a thing, but it should be great fun for us.”

I give him a perplexed smile and allow him to pull me along as he makes his way toward the entrance.

The pumpkin stand is close enough to the entrance that Lottie sees us almost instantly, and her face lights up as she waves at us. It seems that the draxalican has not yet arrived and part of me guiltily hopes that he doesn’t show just to spare my friend from what could be a potential disaster. Even though I’m thrilled that my best friend is putting herself out there despite some big obstacles, I am not as confident as Grimsal on the likelihood of this turning out well. Draxalicans, though they possess a potent venom and are capable of assassin-like strikes, are notoriously shy from what I recall. I’m not sure which of them would be more hesitant and nervous—Lottie or the male meeting her.

Two quiet, naturally reclusive individuals could be great together—if they ever get past the hurdle of the first meeting and the more significant one of Lottie’s arachnophobia. I keep that worry bottled up tightly as I throw my arms around my friend in a hug.

“I’m so glad you made it!” Lottie chuckles as she extricates herself from my grasp and includes Grimsal in her smile. “And you as well. It’s a pleasure seeing you again. I hope this didn’t disturb your plans too much.”

Grimsal tuts and waves a hand with a good-natured grin. He exudes friendliness that makes it all too easy to forget that goblins themselves are veritable chaos gremlins the moment one’s back is turned to them. I must be crazy to actually be considering jumping into a relationship with a goblin, but he’s difficult to not love.

“Candy explained the situation, and since we have reservations at the haunted house, it seemed like a great opportunity for some fun as well as lending a helping hand,” he explains cheerfully. “It has been some time since I’ve run across a draxalican, and I’m curious as to how the locals are going to react,” he adds.

I swallow back a groan. And there it is. The mischievous ulterior motive. I figure that Lottie will be horrified by the implication that her date may cause some of our community to bolt for cover, but to my surprise she laughs.

“I admit I’m a little curious about that too,” she says in a low voice with an impish smile of her own.

Well, well.I raise an eyebrow at her, but her smile simply widens but falters when she glances over my shoulder. I stiffen as the voice of someone I’d hoped not to run into washes over me. Forcing a tight smile to my lips, I turn to face the man standing behind me. Grimsal’s nostrils flare, and he apparently catches on that something is wrong because he crowds in close, his tail practically beating against my thigh.

“Candy? This is a surprise. I figured that you would still be holed up in your apartment with your ridiculous horror movie marathon.” Kyle’s gaze cuts to the goblin beside me and his lips turn down in a prissy pout. “Who’s this?”

“Grimsal,” my date says before I have the chance to say one of several rude options battling for position in my brain. “Candy is attending this event with me,” he adds as if that isn’t obvious, but I feel a stab of glee at the discomfort on Kyle’s face.

Perhaps I’ll get lucky, and he will take the cue and go away.

“I know we’re on a break, but do you really think that this is a good idea?” he replies after a long moment, shattering any hope of being saved from an uncomfortable conversation.

I stare openly at him, making an effort not to look pointedly at the petite woman crushed to his side, her eyes snapping back and forth between us in silent curiosity.None of my business but, boy, he’s got a lot of nerve.

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