Chapter Thirty-Five

With a yawn, I waved to Honour. “I’m going to retire for the night,” I said.

“Of course.” He smiled when I came to stand next to him. “I’m glad you’re safe, Ivy. I’ve spent so much time worrying.”

Worrying that I’d come back alive.

“I’ve missed you,” I said. “And I’ve had a lot of time to think about things. Mainly of what Father might say about me officially joining your crew. I mean…if the offer is still open.”

He stiffened under my gaze, and I bit my lip to keep from smiling. Let him squirm for a bit.

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to Archer yet. I promise to do so as soon as we arrive in Gob Hollow.”

If you make it to Gob Hollow. “If you’ve changed your mind, I’ll understand.”

His hand lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him. To stare into the face of a liar.

“I’ll never change my mind, sis. The offer still stands.”

“I’m glad.” I turned, then headed toward the cabin I shared with Pudge.

“Did you have to pour it on so thick?” Pudge said with irritation. “Acting like you want to be on his ship.”

I snorted. “Well, you said to make sure he didn’t suspect anything. And it’s not like I’m a good actor.”

“I don’t think you had to fawn all over him. A quick ‘good night’ would’ve sufficed.” He stood, arms crossed tight at his chest.

“Fine. Next time you pretend to dote on him, and I’ll sit in the cabin.”

“Ivy.” He caught my arm as I shoved by. “Sorry, I’m just anxious about whether or not this will work.”

“If it doesn’t, it’ll be a quick trip to the bottom of the sea.” I gave a bitter laugh, relaxing as Pudge’s hand loosened.

“Let’s just get the lantern off and wait for Thezriel.” He moved to his hammock.

We sat in the darkness for a couple of hours before we heard two knocks on the door, followed by three, then another two. Sliding my feet over the edge of the hammock, I prepared my sword and dagger.

“Honour is mine,” Pudge said from beside me.

“Are you sure?” This wasn’t some common criminal we talked about; this was his brother.

“Yes.”

Thezriel met us at the stairs. “There are four goblins on deck. The rest are asleep below. Wait for me to secure the trapdoor before moving in,” he said.

I crept up the stairs. Moonlight filtered along the masts and hull. Pressing myself against the railing, I stayed in the shadows, waiting for Thezriel.

A moment later, he whistled, and I sucked in a deep breath. Pudge came up behind one of the deckhands, striking him in the back of the head with a paddle. He sank to the floor, and Thezriel tied him up behind some barrels.

Thezriel and Pudge took down two more, then circled around to me.

I clapped my hands, the sound echoing in the night. Moving slowly, I made my way to Honour.

“Bravo, you really had us fooled.” I laughed, trying to control the rage that streamed in my veins. “And I almost believed you liked me.” I unsheathed my weapon.

He whipped around to face me, then went still. The point of my sword scratched his neck.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He gaped at me.

“Try again.” Pudge came up behind him, knocking him to his knees. “I’m your brother, and you would’ve let me die out there.”

“You chose her over us.” Honour’s face twisted in fury. “Always trailing after Ivy. But you never had a chance, brother.” He smirked. “The only thing you’re useful for is screwing things up. And you were helpful in keeping an eye on her, whether you knew it or not. Because you never could keep a secret.”

Pudge’s face hardened, his arms flexing as he hit Honour in the side of the head.

The last deckhand burst around the corner. “What’s going on?”

Thezriel went on the offensive, swiping the goblin’s feet from under him. He crashed to the floor, and Thezriel leaped on him.

“Hand me the rope,” he said.

Keeping my eyes on Honour, I shifted backward until my hand brushed the rope, and I tossed it to the elf.

“You never should’ve sent that idiot Vane to do your dirty work. You can thank him for our survival.” I lowered my sword, watching his lips purse in anger.

“Where is he?” he demanded.

“At the bottom of the river, where he belongs. And when my father finds out you’ve betrayed him, he’ll condemn you to the dungeons before slitting you open and feeding you to the buzzards.”

“Your father can’t do shite to me,” Honour snapped. “By the time we get home, the King’s Council will have done away with Archer.”

My stomach churned as my legs trembled.

“He’s not my father. The king is.” I forced a smile. “And my brother’s on the mend and will be to Gob Hollow shortly with reinforcements.”

“No.” Honour tried to stand, but Pudge shoved him down again, this time holding him in place with his knee. “Your father is a fool. He lets others come in and take what’s ours. He wants to make treaties with the elves. Soon he’ll have the whole kingdom bowing to those heathens.”

I leaned down. “My father is brilliant. It’s because of him we’ve enjoyed peace for so long,” I said. “While you and your father betrayed our kingdom.”

He spat at me, and the next thing I knew, Pudge punched him square in the jaw. “Is that how you want to do this?” Pudge’s voice went cold, nearly frosting the air around us. “Fine. We’ll tie you up and gag you.”

Thezriel brought him rope, and they secured him, then moved him to the cabin. From below deck, we heard shouting from the deckhands, who’d discovered they’d been locked in.

As I looked around the empty deck, I realized a flaw in our plan.

“I hope one of you knows how to sail this blasted ship,” Pudge said, echoing my thoughts.

“Why else do you think I took a job working for a goblin?” Thezriel grinned.

Somehow this didn’t make me feel any better. “Well, I might be wrong, but I think it’ll take more than just the three of us to sail this thing,” I said.

“Don’t worry. We’ll have help.” He gestured toward the railing.

Giving him a quizzical brow, I hurried to the side, and there, emerging from the fog, was a ship. It came up alongside us, and within minutes, elves boarded the Moaning Mermaid, swinging from ropes and landing on our deck.

“I see you’ve got things handled,” Roland said after he landed next to me.

“Nice of you to help.” I grinned.

He held a hand to his heart. “You wound me with your words, goblin.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, I suppose better late than never.”

“So, I think we still need to anchor in the Route of Skulls. Or at least on the outskirts. If we land in Gob Harbor right away, the council will know something’s not right, especially since they’re the ones directing Honour’s moves. I need to try to get word to my father or Archer and warn them about the Council, and it’ll be easier for us to sneak around in the Route of Skulls and come in that way. Because if what Honour says is true, they could be in serious danger.”

“Very well. We’ll stay offshore and let you and Pudge row in. We’ll then take the ship up the coast and wait for your signal to pick you back up.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I hope we get there in time.”

“We will. Have faith.”

…

Thezriel anchored Honour’s ship in the harbor in the Route of Skulls long enough for us to be lowered in a rowboat over the side. Taking a deep breath, I glanced at Pudge. I sure hoped we knew what in the Hag we were doing. The Route of Skulls wasn’t a place nice people hung out. In fact, most of the criminals in Gob Hollow spent time in this place.

Already I worried about whether or not we’d make it in time.

Pudge and I managed to get the boat to shore. We didn’t dare tie it down at the docks. Instead, we opted to pull it up onto the stony beach.

“Whatever you do, keep your cloak tight about you and your hood pulled up so no one recognizes you,” I said. Although with how much his appearance had changed while we were gone, I wasn’t so sure people would recognize him.

We climbed up the small incline until we reached the dirty cobblestone streets of the Route of Skulls. Oil lamps burned, sending up plumes of smoke. As we left the docks behind, I caught sight of a familiar form.

“Shit. Is that Councilor Dundry?” I caught Pudge’s arm, narrowing my eyes at Birdie and Barthe’s father. He was a traitor—one of the people who had helped set this whole thing in motion.

“Yes. I can tell by his weasellike face.”

“C’mon. Let’s see where he’s going.” Soon he veered down the Alley of the Slain.

“We’re not going down there, are we? People go that way and don’t come back, Ivy.”

A nauseous wave tossed in my stomach, and we ducked behind a row of stones.

“I’ve got to go, but you can stay here and make sure no one follows me, if you’d like.”

Pudge sighed, shaking his head. “Do you honestly think I’m going to let you go anywhere here by yourself? Besides, your brother and father, not to mention Archer, would kick my arse.”

The silhouettes oozed from the alley like creatures from the black abyss. The dank scents of tobacco and piss filled the air. Two female goblins giggled, staggering from behind a curtained door that led into one of the more dilapidated buildings. A soldier came out a moment later, tightening his belt.

My face went warm, and I glanced away. The farther away from the beach we went, the more run-down the shops became, and the goblins more dangerous.

“Care to buy a blade,” a raspy voice asked as a shadow stepped in front of us. He held out a dagger that could only have belonged to a palace guard.

Black-market specials. Not my thing.

Moonlight illuminated him, his dirtied tunic and ripped breeches, and the patch that hung over his left eye. My gaze drifted to his missing teeth.

“No thanks.” I wrinkled my nose and pushed around him. But he caught my arm and jerked me to a stop.

“I asked if you wanted a blade.” He pressed the dagger against my throat.

I took a staggered breath, fear gripping hold of me. “I’ll say this once and only once. Get your hands off me.”

He grinned. “We’ve got ourselves a feisty one, lads.”

That was when I noticed two other goblins slinking out of the gloom.

Pudge stepped forward, his fist clenched. “How about you back off.”

The man snorted.

Did trouble always follow me? Slipping my hand down my waist, I freed my dagger from its holster. Moving fast, I kicked him in the shin, and he released me. But his surprise didn’t last long, and soon he launched himself at me, blade pointed at my throat.

I dodged to the right, and he missed me. Instead, he staggered into Pudge, who latched onto the back of his shirt.

“Let go!” the man shouted. He swiped his knife at Pudge, and I rushed forward. My fist raised, I punched the man in the face, knocking him to the ground. By now the other two goblins had pulled out their own weapons. More blades.

“Pudge, look out!” I said, right before I got slammed into the side of a cart. Pain shot up my spine, and I cried out.

The goblin smiled. “Didn’t your father ever tell you the alley is no place for a youngling?”

Clasping my dagger tight, I twisted to the side as he tried to strike another blow, and he hit rock instead.

“Damn it!” His lips pulled back, revealing jagged teeth when he hollered. Eyes fixed on mine, he rushed at me and caught hold of my cloak. He used it to drag me closer, and I knew if I didn’t take him down, he’d do something awful to me.

For a moment, I let him bring me in, then, with a quick thrust, I jabbed my weapon between his ribs. “Didn’t your father teach you it isn’t nice to pick on girls?” I said.

His mouth formed an O, surprise registering on his face as I stepped back. The goblin touched his chest and came away with blood.

“Y-you stabbed me.” He staggered, then fell to the ground.

By now, Pudge had taken down our other pursuer with a dagger to the heart. He wiped the blade on the man’s shirt.

“Hurry,” I called over my shoulder. I should’ve felt guilt or something after the stabbing. But I didn’t; I felt relieved. It was either him or me, and I’d chosen me—or, rather, chosen our kingdom. Because right now, I had to figure out how deep the treachery in Gob Hollow went.

“Wait, what are we going to do when we find Dundry?” Pudge asked.

“We’ll just see what he’s doing down here. Then we’re heading to Archer’s. It’s closer than the palace, and I’ll be less likely to be spotted going there.”

We moved around the fallen bodies and rushed ahead.

When we got to the end of the alley, I stiffened. We’d entered the one place I never thought I’d step foot. The heart of the Route of Skulls, aptly named for all the dead bodies that had been dumped in the port area of Gob Hollow. A few carts rolled past while raucous laughter filled the night air. There were only three things over here: the seaway, a brothel, and a tavern.

“How do you feel about grabbing a pint?” I nudged Pudge, then pulled the hood of my cloak up over my head.

“How’d I know you were going to say that? The shite I do for you…” He followed me.

The stench of smoke and ale practically slapped me in the face as we pushed through the doors. The toughest of tough goblins threw back pints and played cards while the barmaids sashayed around the room, giving them great views of cleavage and other body parts.

Suddenly ill, I froze as my pulse quickened and my mouth went dry. Okay, I needed to stay calm. I could do this. I’d survived the human world; I could survive a few minutes in the Route of Skulls.

At the back of the tavern, I spotted Dundry along with several other members of the King’s Council. Wouldn’t the king be surprised to find they, too, were holding secret gatherings? However, I was sure he already knew about them. Even if he didn’t know their ultimate scheme.

Pudge and I plopped down at a table close enough to hear what they talked about.

“So what can I be getting ye?” A barmaid leaned over, her breasts almost taking out my eye.

“We’ll have a pint,” I said, deepening my voice.

I watched as she rubbed a hand down Pudge’s chest. “Ooh, I like a tall man with big muscles.”

Beneath his hood, I saw Pudge give me a startled glance. When he didn’t answer, she giggled and moved away.

“I don’t like this place,” he hissed.

Neither did I. Tattooed sailors and thieves and murderers and prostitutes—not exactly what I’d call a party. Or at least not my kind of party.

The barmaid delivered frothy steins of ale, and I pretended to take a drink while leaning back in my chair to listen to the conversations at Dundry’s table.

“We’ve got enough funds now,” Councilor Girt said. “My contacts have already put in a bid for the trolls. And with the prince still missing and Ivy Archer likely dead by now, we should be able to make our move soon. We’re just waiting on Honour to get back. Should be any day now.”

“And are you sure we can trust the trolls? There’s been a lot of bad blood between us,” Dundry said.

“Aye, they’ll get the job done. I’d rather deal with them than with the elves. Starshooter’s a fool if he thinks we will agree to any treaties. Now all we need to do is take care of a few council problems.”

“Archer will never go along with us,” one of the others said.

Pudge leaned closer and whispered, “Shit cakes, what do they mean by that?”

Lifting a finger to my lips, I shook my head. I tried to catch the rest of the conversation, but the barmaid had come back.

“You lads aren’t drinking much. Perhaps you were looking for something more adventurous?” She licked her lips, and I almost choked.

Just then, a goblin crashed into a nearby table as a fight broke out.

With a look over my shoulder, I noticed the council leaving.

“We need to get out of here. Now,” I said. My chair fell when I leaped to my feet. Two goblins slammed into our table, knocking over our drinks.

A hand slapped my butt, and I turned to see the barmaid grinning. “Come back soon.”

Heat raced to my cheeks, and Pudge gave a nervous laugh. “I think I’ve had my fill of this place.”

Pudge reached back and clamped hold of my hand, dragging me down the alley like demons were on our heels. And when we turned around, I noticed Councilors Dundry and Girt glancing our way.

“If there was ever a time to run like your life depended on it, this is it,” I said under my breath.

Pudge glanced back. “Good idea.”

We bounded into the dark, our feet pounding the cobblestone like a stampede of horses. The bodies of the goblins we took down earlier still sat where we’d left them.

Once we stumbled into the main marketplace of Gob Hollow, Pudge and I lost ourselves in between carts.

“Do you think they recognized us?” Pudge asked when we stopped to catch our breath.

“I don’t think so. If they had, I think they would’ve fought harder to catch us. No, I think they believe their sons have already taken care of us.” I found the nearest vendor selling food and bought Pudge a smoked mutton leg, which he took a couple of bites of, then handed over to me.

“Here, have some. You’ve barely eaten today,” he said.

I took a couple of bites as well, then gave it back. Hag, he’d changed so much. But I liked this Pudge a lot. He was brave and smart, and I couldn’t imagine ever getting through this without him. Even though he’d changed, deep down I also knew he was still the same loyal, kind, and loving Pudge. The one who’d started giving me flutters in my belly way before we’d left on our Mission.

We attempted to blend in with the other goblins as we made our way to my place. Or, I guess, Archer’s place. Not bothering to knock, I swung the door open.

“Archer? Cook? Are you home?”

No one answered.

“Piss, I thought they’d be here. We can’t risk going to the palace. Not now.”

“Maybe Gob Benchley’s around,” Pudge said. “We could see if he could deliver a message for us.”

“Good thinking.” We hurried out of the house and down the narrow lane to Gob Benchley’s.

When we got to the door, I noticed the lights were off, which was strange. Gob Benchley was always open this time of night.

“Pudge, something’s not right.”

He pulled me back and proceeded to push the door open. “Gob Benchley?” Pudge called out.

It was then that I saw the body on the floor. “Oh, Hag.”

Pudge knelt down and flipped it over. It was Gob Benchley all right. Someone had slit his throat. But why? Unless he knew something he wasn’t supposed to.

“Maybe Cook’s at the tavern. We could try there,” I said.

“No. We don’t know who we can trust, and if someone else sees us in the tavern, it might not go well. We need to get back to the ship, Ivy.”

“But what about warning the others?”

“We’ll have to go with plan B,” Pudge said.

Plan B. I only hoped we had enough time. With our cloaks tugged back into place, we hurried back toward the Route of Skulls, but this time we climbed to the hill overlooking the small port and lit a fire, signaling to Thezriel that we were coming back aboard.