HIDE! 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

OOF!

Lobo smacks into me as we hide behind Lamant’s desk in his study. It is in the back, behind the laboratory worktable. The desk is one of those behemoth wooden creatures that gives off the impression that the person who sits behind it is Serious and Not To Be Messed With. Now, whether or not it can safely conceal a newly adult tiger and wolf is a gamble we must take.

Kasz hides underneath the table. A small goblin can conceal himself anywhere.

Boots clomp on the tile, and goblins’ voices mutter in Goblinese. I have no idea what they are saying, and I’m not going to consult System. Chances are that, even if it doesn’t know precisely what Lobo and I are doing, it wants to interfere with us. It knows that all bets are off.

Of course, Kasz will take a dim view of his people wandering around the villa by themselves. He promised Lamant and Minette that the goblins wouldn’t be up to their old tricks while living here. He gave his word, and the family believed him.

I believe him. He is honorable.

[Goblins?] Lobo is incredulous. [Whatever are they doing here? Kasz said--]

[I know. I know. Maybe they think that because he spends all his time in the Tiger Den that they can do whatever they want.]

Lobo winces. [Like us when we thought Mom and Dad were distracted.]

[Exactly. Oh, Kasz is going to have a fit. He’s probably planning a nice surprise for them.]

The goblins grunt, and I hear rattling around, and picking up something. A book. I hope it’s not our book! Please, let them put it back.

They drop it with a clatter. Hardly stealth experts.

Jabbering in guttural voices, they rifle through the other books. I can hear them taking books out and putting them back sometimes, but mostly not. Also, their boots clomp closer to the worktable. Cackling ensues from that general location. Obviously they’ve found something good. I hear clinking and clanking, and then someone drinking a potion. Oh no.

"GAAAH!"

One of the goblins screams in abject pain and disgust.

Lobo is triumphant. [Serves them right.]

I hear Kasz leap out and scold the goblins in sharp Goblinese. He doesn’t use Common, which would be a giveaway. As well, they would be confused. They might even wonder if humans are lurking somewhere.

The goblins moan and groan, bemoaning their misfortune. Kasz’s tone is a sharp, merciless blade cutting through their whining. I don’t know what he’s saying, but I can guess. He’s calling them out for their foolishness. He snarls, and I hear them clomping towards the door.

"KASZ!"

Roon Maartenwitz’s voice echoes in the room, low and discreet.

"Maartenwitz." Kasz switches to Common. "I tracked these troublemakers here."

Maartenwitz’s voice is starched, but brutal. "And what were they doing poking around in Master Riddlehoeven’s study? If they wanted a book, they could have asked."

I nudge Lobo. [I love Maartenwitz as a NPC.]

Lobo agrees. [He’s the GOAT. Greatest of all time. Kasz is a close second.]

Kasz coughs. "They’re not readers, Ser Maartenwitz. Likely they were up to no good. Habits. But they are very sorry."

KLONK. AUGH.

Kasz just hit one of the goblins, who gave a cry of pain and humiliation.

"They are VERY sorry," Kasz repeats.

"Sorry," the goblins whine.

Maartenwitz sounds full of righteous indignation. "I should hope so! Now, off with you, and go back to your cavern. I will be informing the Master and Mistress."

Kasz coughs. "Now, now, let’s not be hasty, they said sorry..."

"That doesn’t excuse their actions." Maartenwitz makes a great show of shooing them all out. The door clicks shut behind them.

Lobo and I stay put, scarcely breathing, until we think the coast is clear. We venture out from behind the desk. Other than a couple of books out of place, everything is just as it was when we snuck in this inner sanctum. We leave the books where we are, especially Ancient Artifacts, which the goblins didn’t mutilate or steal.

I nudge Lobo. [Back to the den.]

[You don’t have to tell me twice.]

The silence and darkness wrap around us. Even going slowly and silently, we make it back to the den in record time, undetected by anyone in the house.

But Lightning is in a tizzy when we get back. Our lovely den looks all ripped up! Grass flung all around like a giant did the gardening. The pool and stream waters churning. Agitated, Lightning prowls around.

Uh oh.

I rush over to her and nuzzle her. [Hey. Calm down, my mate.]

[He’s gone...it’s not him.]

A chill sweeps through me, but I remain cool, calm, and collected. [Who?]

[Gone. My mate. It’s not him.]

Her hazy eyes indicate she’s still asleep. Having a nightmare.

[SYSTEM! WHAT DID YOU DO?]

I am furious, but at the same time, I soothe Lightning.

System’s voice is cold. [You need to see the consequences of your behavior, planning to defy me at the tournament. Now look at what you’ve done to Lightning.]

I lick Lightning’s face. [Awaken, my love.]

System keeps up a steady monologue about how I don’t love Lightning, my parents, Damon, or anyone. Irrelevant. It’s background noise.

Luckily, it shuts up the minute Lightning awakens. I bump her nose with mine. [Welcome back.]

She curls around me. [Oh, Blaze. I was having the most horrible nightmare.]

[SHHH. You are safe. I am here.]

She melts against me. [And it’s YOU, not some strange creature.]

I smile tenderly. [That must have been some nightmare.]

[It was! You were not you. You were a creature connected to some strange device, like a tablet. I could not see its face. The room was darkened.]

WHAT? System fights dirty! It showed Lightning a distorted image of me on my computer. It can’t reveal everything or risk exposing itself, so it’s showing her a half-truth. Diabolical. Well, I am not going to let System hurt Lightning. However, I’m not going to reveal myself, either. And it saddens me that this nightmare hasn’t jolted Amber from her hyperfocus on the game.

[Maybe you were more affected by catching our kidnappers than I realized.] I snuggle with her, a living heating pad. [Or maybe the pregnancy is making you emotional?]

[Of course! That makes sense. I am so happy you are here. Stay wrapped around me.]

How can I say no? I feel so many qualms, and they form a hard knot in my stomach. I hate pretending with Lightning, but then, I have done it ever since we met. I have done it with everyone. Of course, it’s ten times worse when you love someone. Like Kaline. I would feel her distress through the bond.

Hans! Did he have the same dream?

[Lightning?]

[Yes?]

[Maybe see if Hans is asleep? He might have had the same dream.]

[Oh yes, good idea. That is very thoughtful of you.] She sounds happy to have something else to focus on. [Talking to him now...He is asleep. I can feel it. Deeply asleep. Or rather, in a trance. Elves sometimes do not sleep the way humans do and the way we do.]

I coil more closely around her, not letting even an inch between us. [That’s right. But awake, asleep, or in a trance, at least he is peaceful.]

[Yes. Oh, Blaze. I feel so safe with you here.]

I nuzzle her. [I will always keep you safe. That’s a promise.]

I talk quietly to her, snuggling with her, savoring our closeness. After such an eventful, emotional day, we need each other. I’m only grateful that she didn’t wake up and find me gone. System sent the goblins and brought me back here just in time.

When Lightning’s breathing evens out and she relaxes into sleep, I stay awake despite my exhaustion. [Lobo?]

[Already with Minette. Figured you had everything handled with Lightning’s nightmare. System isn’t playing around. We should have anticipated this.]

[I know. Going forward, that is what we need to do. Think a hundred moves ahead.]

A smile in Lobo’s voice. [It may own the game, but we are the players, and we can shape it in ways that System never expected. Get some sleep, big brother.]

I let out a delicate purr. [You, too. Tomorrow or in the next few days, we’ll arrange to be in Lamant’s study and learn the secret of his cryptic notes. Goodnight.]

[Goodnight...]

I drift towards sleep. Even though the knowledge of the Amulet of Beast Power swims in my brain, I am too tired to focus on it. Before I fall asleep, though, I have a few choice words for the omniscient (or nearly) System.

[You tried to sabotage me repeatedly today. It didn’t work. Nothing will. Nothing you do will stop me. I will defeat you, and I will free all those that you and the algorithms have enslaved.]

System taunts me before I fade out. [Game on.]