“Cry.”
“Surrender.”
“Bleed.”
“Die.”
Other voices echoed as they threw out their guesses.
“Perhaps we should put her out of her misery,” another voice suggested.
The theatrics were meant to be ominous, to inspire dread and fear. I remained unmoved, my expression unchanged. It seemed my tormentors had decided to make themselves known. Finally.
It was all very dramatic and might have worked had I not known an expert at this type of intimidation. The sorcerer was many things, showman included. Now there was a guy who could work a room. These punks were amateurs compared to him.
I focused, taking a look at the magic around me. Sure enough, the sign had little red prints all over it. Ones that appeared to be a cross between a small animal’s paw and a hand. That at least was vaguely creepy.
In the aisle, the shadows under the shelves deepened, becoming more dense than they should be under the fluorescent light. A normal would ascribe the shadows to a trick of the light. I knew better. Especially since I caught the impression of eyes and pointed teeth in the depths of some of those shadows.
Goblins.
I suppose it could be worse. Goblins weren’t typically considered dangerous, not unless they were part of a swarm or one of the higher goblins. These weren’t.
Thank all the gods.
I counted only five, three of whom were no bigger than my hand. Annoying but not deadly.
Sometimes it was the small wins that kept me going.
“I suggest you move along,” I told them, my smile widening to show my fangs.“My patience with your antics is fast disappearing.”
“Stupid vampire. We know you’re bluffing. You’re too weak to scare us.”
One goblin grew bold, drifting out from under the shelf and dropping some of its glamour.
The creature was no bigger than a house cat, slinking forward on all fours, its back rounded. Its skin had a dark green bordering on black tint to it.
I expected its form to be grotesque, as many folktales depicted it, but the little goblin wasn’t. It was sleek and streamlined, its face containing some human characteristics as well as something alien—something that made it all the more interesting to look at.
Its eyes were large pools of black, and sticking out of its forehead were tiny protrusions that might have been considered horns had they been a bit longer.
Like me, goblins were denizens of the night, even more susceptible to damage from the sun than a vampire.
There were many types of goblins, some powerful, some not. These looked to be minor goblins, the kind that could irritate and annoy but weren’t really dangerous.
I had to wonder if their presence here was a crime of opportunity or if someone had pointed the little assholes my way. Vampires weren’t really their preferred targets and I hadn’t done anything to draw their ire that I knew of.
“Are you sure about that?” I asked with a bravado I didn’t necessarily feel.“Because I know a couple of harpies who enjoy trying adventurous new foods.I’ve heard goblin blood is considered a delicacy among some circles.”
The goblin reared back as cries of“monster” echoed from the rest.
I leaned forward and gave them a sinister smile.“You leave me alone, andI’ll do the same for you.”
There was a dry rattling hiss as the goblins slunk away, the shadows they’d used for cover fading, until only the one who’d dropped his glamour remained.
“You’re more like your kind than you pretend.” The words were not a compliment.
“You think so?” I asked.“I don’t. Had another vampire been here, they would have killed you all without giving you the nice warning, just because you irritated them.”
