"What the hell happened?" I pulled her into my arms, inhaling deeply. The scent of her skin, fragrant with the accustomed floral notes of her soap and shampoo helped soothe the raging fear and helplessness that had been riding me. The reality of her body against mine took care of the rest.
She pushed gently on my shoulders. “Need to breathe.”
I loosened my embrace.
Leaning against me, she said, “I sent Franklin to another world. With the help of my stolen magic and a chair."
I frowned. The stolen magic I understood, but the chair part confused me. "Okay, you're going to have to start from the beginning."
She nodded. Then raised her voice. “Reynard. I know foxes have a reputation as tricksters. If there’s anything out of place or booby trapped as a practical joke, there will be words!”
Reynard looked injured. “I had no intention of doing anything like that.”
I bit back a laugh. He was an excellent liar, but my Andromeda wasn’t willing to be fooled. She glared at him until he moved to a place where she could keep her eyes on him, his hands upraised. Then she launched into the story. "Franklin built this chair that anyone who sits in it gets transported to another world. I don't know how it works, but it does. He wanted to partner with the bad goblins to basically eradicate half the Earth's population, then I don't know what once all the people were dead. Maybe he was going to send the goblins all through the chair at that point. With him, deceit is likely."
"Do you think your sister was in on it?" Reynard asked.
Andromeda shook her head vehemently, loose hair flying. "No. Franklin tried to convince me to enter some sort of trio relationship with him and my sister. She'd never go for that in a million years."
She patted her butt. "Ugh, I keep looking for my phone. Franklin had it in his hand when he went through the portal."
"Did he say anything about the twisted goblins? Where they are or what are their plans?"
She shook her head and tugged on my hand. "Let me show you the chair. I felt my own stolen magic in it. At first, I was just going to steal it back, but then I realized that I could use the chair to my advantage."
I raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"When he was distracted I shoved him into it. Now he's gone. Hopefully for good. He said he didn't think there was a way for anyone to claw their way out of that world. Hopefully he's right."
I studied the chair. While I could sense that it was magical, my ability stopped there. An artificer would need to examine it, to find its purpose and what abilities it had been created with. "Get that thing to our safe house. Cover it with something so it doesn’t get sat on by accident. We'll have Christian contact some trolls to look at it."
Trolls were the great creators, skilled craftsmen. There were only a few of them now, but this was a dangerous enough creation I wanted an expert’s opinion.
Reynard nodded. "I will do that."
He didn't get the chance, however. A door opened down the hall and the room behind it was dark and shadowy. Mort Erikson and Bjorn Thomkins stepped out. My biggest enemies, and the two leaders of the goblins who wanted to subjugate this world. Both of them had fallen victim to the virus physically, though their minds remained whole and focused on their rage at humanity and their desire to rule.
Shoving Andromeda behind me, I drew my sword and adopted a defensive stance. "I will not let you take over this world."
Mort's grin split his haggard face. "There doesn't seem to be much you can do to stop us."
At last, we could meet in the dance we’d been moving toward for centuries. I welcomed the chance; it would clean up loose ends.
"I can kill you." I smiled back. "Should be easy enough."
They both launched themselves at me and I strode forward, eager to meet them. Then Andromeda yelled out, and her voice was full of magic. "Stop!"
To my astonishment, I did. So did Reynard, Bjorn, and Mort. If the air could have stopped moving, I believe it would have too.
Backing away and to the side, I turned so I could see Andromeda while keeping my enemies in my sights.
"Give us a chance to try to make this right," she said. She moved forward, her attention on our adversaries.
Bjorn and Mort exchanged a look, blades easing to a rest position. "How?"
What in the worlds? They were listening? Those two had never listened to anything in their lives. I had to make this remarkable woman my queen. Her powers of persuasion were both innate and magical. With her by my side, we could take down the goblin threat of invasion for good. Could persuade those who had been twisted to peacefully seek treatment. The possibilities were endless.
"I've started contact with a friend. If we can get her help, she might be able to find a cure to the virus that causes your looks and minds to change. Once a cure is in place, we could try a little matchmaking," she said. "If you're willing to try it, that is. If human women are interesting to you."
