I stepped in front of her and did my level best to keep any beast, man or goblin, from touching the woman I was quickly coming to care for.
More goblins evolved out of the shadows like a never-ending stream. I had no idea where they were coming from, but it didn't matter. I was getting tired, and they just kept arriving. Well, I knew their source. Dream. Why and how they found the barrier so easy to penetrate was the pressing question.
A fireball exploded near me, and I turned to see Andromeda standing close, looking as surprised as I felt.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"I don't know," she said breathlessly. "It just came out."
Grinning from ear to ear, as proud of her as I could've been, I had to end this. Enough was enough. If we weren't here, the goblins would dissipate. It was time to take the objects of their desire out of the equation. I lifted my sword and brought it down in a two-handed arc, beheading the nearest goblin. It turned to dust before it hit the ground. "Let's go," I growled, grabbing Andromeda's arm and using my magic to launch us across the miles straight to my home. For a moment, I considered going to Andromeda's, but they'd know to look for us there. And the cat was definitely out of the... what was the Gaian expression? Sack? The cat was out of the sack now. Franklin had seen Andromeda with me. There was no denying now that she knew about the goblins.
When the magic calmed around us, the area coming into focus as we arrived, rather than the blur of motion from the seven league strides, Andromeda sucked in a deep breath and whirled around. "What was that?" she said in a loud, near-shriek.
Oh, she was furious. But why? I killed many of our enemies and delivered her safely from harm. "What is wrong?" I asked. "Why are you angry?"
"Franklin! You!" She growled low in her throat, and it was absolutely adorable. The fiercess was perfect, combined with power and beauty. This woman was everything I'd hoped to meet here in Gaia. Striding forward, she poked me in the chest. "I'm going to help you, but it's on one condition."
"What? Anything?" I'd give her my kingdom if she wanted it.
"You will tell me the whole and complete truth. I need to know everything. I’ve never had a client yet who gave full disclosure, and it has bitten me in the butt so often I have scars." With a quick step back, she folded her arms. Bits of hair had fallen out of the sleek hairstyle and hung around her face, softening its elegant lines. "Are you willing to do that?"
Perhaps this was not the best time to point out I’d seen the scarring on the dimpled curves of her butt. I bowed my head in acquiescence. "I am."
Since that was part of the plan anyway, it was a simple demand to meet.
"Fine."
Before I could continue and give her the promised truth, she threw up her hands and began ranting again.
Gods, she was magnificent. A never ending flame that rekindled my heart and soul after the long weariness of exile.
11
ANDROMEDA
"I amnota fan of illusions."I pointed at Bran again then turned in another circle. One heel sank into the moist dirt and I snarled to myself, righting myself and looking for more solid ground. This manicured green damp lawn did not belong in southern California. ,
Anger and reaction from the fight we’d just escaped swirled in me, filling me such strong emotions I didn't know what to do with myself. "Fibs. People trying to kill me. I really don't like any of that."
"I agree." Bran's voice was low and filled with weariness. "It does suck."
"And the dry cleaning bills." After pacing to the edge of the yard, yanking my feet each time my heels tried to sink in the dirt, I turned to glare at him. "Don't even get me started on those."
He looked confused. "I, um, what?"
"All the blood," I pointed out, stalking back to him. "It's not going to come out of those people's clothes easily." Or their psyches, but the therapy bills wereanotherstory.
“But…” he let the word trail off, shaking his head. He gestured to the door of the house we stood in front of. “Perhaps in private? You are leaving little holes in the yard, and I am afraid you will stumble.”
“Where are we?”
“This is the home I bought when I came to this world. My home, now.” He smiled at me. “It would be nice to hear your opinion of it.”
If he could afford to get a house in this market, he scored points on the able-to-support-himself scale at least. And my knees had started to shake a bit as the realization that we could have died started sinking in harder.
I nodded, following him to the door. It was a sprawling storybook ranch style, with dark wooden trim, exposed rafters, diamond-shaped panes in the windows. Very old fashioned, but it suited him.
Bran opened the door and lifted his hand toward a short hallway. "Please, let us sit down."
