Chapter 35
Xavier insisted on accompanying his brother, Nathaniel, and I, to the market hall.
I knew he couldn’t trust anyone else when it came to the protection of Carnivalland.
Malakai and Damien, on the other hand, were less thrilled to stay behind.
But Damien knew there were too many goblins connected to his father.
“I still think I should go as well,” Damien muttered, pressing soft kisses against my face. “But I’m afraid that my presence could endanger you…”
“That is exactly why you can’t come with us,” Xavier stated. “You draw too many eyes.”
Damien looked like he wanted to argue with him, but then his gaze drifted back to me. “It won’t take long, right?”
“I promise,” I said softly.
Before I could say anything else, Damien stepped forward and lifted me off the ground, brushing against my lips softly.
“When you come back,” he murmured against my mouth, “I want you to come to my room. It’s been too many days since we’ve been alone.” My heart stuttered at Damien’s comment. The way he just openly admitted to missing me made me feel so loved.
“Okay,” I replied softly, pressing a kiss on his scar. I loved kissing him there. He had seen it as a burden for too long, but it was my blessing. The reason he was able to save me, save his brother, save us.
Then Malakai moved closer, his soft wings brushing against my skin, causing a shiver to run down my entire body.
“Don’t talk with the goblins. Don’t fall for their tricks. Only get the Faerie Water, and then you’re back with us, again,” Malakai said, gently pressing his lips against each of my fingertips, a tender ritual that made my chest ache.
I nodded. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
He smiled. “I don’t want you to be careful. Be ruthless there. These are goblins, not noble men.”
Xavier’s hand found my back, as he pressed a soft kiss against my cheek. “We should leave now. It’s getting too late… my brother is already getting on a nerve.”
“If I really want to get on your nerves, then there are better options. I could dance with a feather boa around all the goblin men and women and seduce them with my beauty?” Sparrow offered, the amusement in his tone evident.
Xavier didn’t respond as he grabbed my waist, pulling me even tighter against him. With one last look over my shoulder, I waved goodbye to them, and we followed Sparrow and Nathaniel out of the castle.
The way to the market hall was longer than expected; we had to leave through the tunnels beneath the castle, and then go further west until we came across a forest with trees that seemed unreasonably close to us. It felt like someone was trying to play tricks with my perception.
Suddenly, our surroundings started changing around us.
As we entered the forest, the trees were sparkling like some faeries had thrown moondust over them.
Delicate wildflowers in hues of violets, golds, and blues peeked through the bushes, their sweet fragrances mingling in the cool, crisp air.
Tiny, incandescent fireflies danced among the ferns.
In the human world, I might have visited one or two beautiful forests, but nothing came close to this.
I felt excited… goblin markets had always been an enchanting idea. Something I had always dreamed of as a child, but was too far away in my fantasies.
“Do you remember what I said to you, Gwendolyn, at the Summer Masquerade Ball?” Xavier asked.
I looked up to him, although the cloak over my face was reducing my sight.
“Be aware of goblin men. You didn’t listen to me, and can you remember what happened?”
“Yes, when you made me come in the Halls of Illusions.”
“I meant that you drank faerie wine and let other men touch what is mine.”
“Oh.”
“Still nice to hear that my mouth on your pussy is your sweetest memory from that night.”
“Are Nathaniel and I interrupting the dirty thoughts you’re sharing with Gwendolyn in your head?” Sparrow asked, amused.
Xavier hissed and clapped Sparrow’s shoulder. “Don’t be jealous brother, it’ll come with Nathaniel when you least expect it…”
Sparrow grinned, taking Nathaniel’s hand, pressing a soft kiss on it. “You know… that as a siren… I can do so much more than that…”
Nathaniel blushed. “He means his magic.”
Sparrow chuckled at his boyfriend’s embarrassment, pressing a kiss on his forehead. “No, I mean ecstasy,” he replied with a wink, tossing a coin in his hand.
“Save the performance, brother. We aren’t here to compare our egos,” Xavier said, annoyed, as he stroked my hand.
And before Xavier and Sparrow could fight over which magical race was superior, the Veil shifted around us. We were no longer between two worlds, but in the middle of a market.
The smell of sweets and cooked apples lingered in the air. Pearly wagons, similar to the ones in the garden of Carnivalland, were traversing along the streets.
“Come buy, come buy,” men in the wildest clothes yelled, as some of them even held coins in their hands.
Xavier pulled my cloak tighter over my head and hugged my body close to his.
“Stay with me, and don’t eat anything they are offering you.
Goblins give nothing away without a price,” Xavier warned, tucking me tightly against his chest, almost like he was afraid of something happening to me.
As we wandered hand in hand, we came across different stands; some of them with fruits and wine, others with jewelry and the weirdest things I’ve ever seen.
There was even a man offering to sell a dragon egg, although Sparrow had insisted that it was usual for goblins to use tricks and lies to get what they want.
Nathaniel was some steps ahead of us, his face buried deeply in a bouquet of roses.
Sparrow had to gently tug him back before he would have bought every single flower on the market stand.
The way Nathaniel lit up for something as simple as flowers made me smile.
There was a softness about him that was so rare in this world.
And Sparrow, usually so cocky and sharp-tongued, seemed so soft around him.
A form of gentleness, almost like he was the only person grounding him.
I realized, with a slight pang of guilt, that I’d barely had time to get to know him. There had been too many distractions—first, Damien revealing that I was his mate, and then finding Malakai trapped beneath the Ancient Springs.
“We are here,” Sparrow said, and we all gazed up to a huge tree with an immense knothole in it, wide enough that more than ten people could walk side by side through it. Behind the knothole, however, was nothing. It showed the same forest we found ourselves in already.
“The entry is only an illusion, don’t worry,” he added, before he took Nathaniel’s hand, vanishing through the knothole.
Xavier’s grip on my hand got stronger as we both followed them.
What I saw was probably one of the most mesmerizing things I have ever seen; different stands with flickering lights and lanterns were set up. People with all different skin colors, outfits and hair styles filled the streets.
This place right here looked like the ideal imaginary world.
The air was filled with a sweet scent of exotic fruits and caramel.
The twisted branches of the trees were adorned with shimmering trinkets and lights.
The grass grew with glowing mushrooms, illuminating the pathways as twilight descended.
Elves, goblins and magicians were selling all sorts of different things, from whimsical handcrafted jewelry to delicious treats.
Although I didn’t see any people playing music, the laughter of everyone around us seemed to mingle with lively melodies.
It was truly an enchanting place. I wished Malakai and Damien were here so we all could experience it together.
We stepped inside a strange-looking ship, its walls made entirely out of glass and huge changing rooms covered with silver shimmering silk curtains.
“This is where we get the Faerie Water? In a tailor shop?” Xavier asked skeptically as he looked around the room, my hand still tightly tucked in his.
“Relax, trust me brother. This isn’t just a tailor shop…” Sparrow said, brushing along the silky gowns, one shimmering more than the other.
“This place is only the front… some goblin is the owner of it and let’s just stay… he doesn’t only sell garments,” Sparrow stated, smirking.
“How do you know that?” Xavier asked, his eyes narrowing at his brother.
“Well, I’ve been here many times before…”
For the first time, Nathaniel seemed annoyed at Sparrow’s behavior, rolling his eyes. Before Xavier could question him any further, a beautiful man with short brown hair appeared from behind one of the silk curtains, his grey eyes glowing unnaturally.
Was this really a goblin man? He looked so human.
“You’ve brought friends this time, Sparrow? Why are you here?” he asked, annoyed. “I suppose it is not for a fitting...” His voice became serious.
Sparrow chuckled, his presence alluring as it was intimidating. Then I noticed how his usual blue eyes turned purple-green, and his ears started to show scales. He was using his siren powers, and it seemed to be completely imperceptible to the goblin man.
“My friends and I need a favor. We’re searching for Faerie Water…
and I know you still owe me something for covering up your theft at Merilda’s, who I hope I didn’t forget to mention is also very close with our siren queen Lilith,” Sparrow voiced, stressing the last part.
And I couldn’t help but wonder who exactly was Lilith?
The goblin man looked bewildered, his gaze wandering over each one of us before they came back to Sparrow.
“Follow me,” he said, opening the curtain.
Suddenly, the room started shifting from gowns and fabrics into something resembling the inside of a huge, ancient tree, with flickering green fireflies in globes as the only light source.