“What in the Above?” Marigold gasps.
A quick scan of the library shows no more flickers of flame, and I approach to see what exactly I shot.
It’s a goblin, but not like one I’ve ever seen before. It’s got the same rotten appearance as the ones that frequent the briars around Castletree, but veins of fluorescent green snake around its body. Dying flames curl over its hands and feet.
“What are you?” I gasp in horror.
The creature blinks its unnaturally green eyes. Black blood spews from its mouth, and it seems to notice my arrow piercing through its stomach for the first time. It doesn’t look afraid.
“So much more than before,” it says, words descending into a maddening laugh.
“How did you get into Castletree?” I snarl.
Its head flops to the ground. “Easy to infect something that’s already dying. Sick, so sick, from Brother Caspian’s magic.”
Brother? Even these goblins think Caspian is poisoning Castletree. I remember being so afraid of these things when they first ambushed me in the Briar. But now, all I feel is anger. I yank the arrow out of its stomach. “Leave and tell your kind anyone else who comes here will not be shown such mercy.”
But the creature does not try to move. It only smiles wider, showing rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth. “Death is the greatest gift one such as us can be given.” Then it takes its gnarled hands on either side of the belly wound and rips.
A terrible squelching sounds, as blood and guts gush out.
I clutch my own stomach in horror, but the creature only laughs. “My kin has already retrieved the gift for Sister.”
“There are more of them?” Astrid peeps, her little pink nose peering out from Marigold’s golden tresses.
Pushing back bile, I turn from the horrific sight before me. “Hurry, warn the rest of the staff. Tell them to barricade in the closest room. I’ll find Dayton.”
“No goblin is going to wreck my castle!” Marigold says, a ferocious glint in her eyes. With a horrible squelch, she drives her boot down upon the creature’s throat, putting it out of its misery.
“Be careful. These things are dangerous.”
Marigold only gives me a sly grin, then pulls up her skirt to reveal a dagger strapped to her thigh. “There isn’t a citizen of Spring that doesn’t know their way around a blade, girlie.”
I nod at her, and we rush toward the exit. The floor creaks behind me. I urge Astrid and Marigold on. Then I turn.
The goblin’s body has completely been consumed by green flame. And it’s catching the brittle leaves.
“No!” I scream. I will not let my favorite place in the entire world be taken from me. Salt tingles in my nose, and I throw my hands forward. A torrent of water erupts from my fingers.
It washes over the flames, dousing the fire and revealing a skeleton clawing out of the goblin’s body.
Just like the soldiers from the Autumn battlefield. A familiar wave of fear rises, but I don’t let it take over. If I do, I’ll never get to Dayton. The flames will return and the whole library will fall.
I can’t let that happen.
The goblin skeleton hobbles toward me just as I draw my bow. I shoot, guiding the arrow to strike its ribs. The sharp thorn pierces the bone, cracking it.
But the creature doesn’t stop moving.
“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.” How do you kill a creature who’s already dead? Farron needed a whole ancient ass death spell to do it.
A terrible howl sounds from the monster as it reaches its bony fingers toward me, green flames already beginning to flicker along the bone.
“No, no, no,” I stammer, trying to get out of its way. But its sharp claws rake across my chest.
I scream, scrambling back. It’s only nicked my leather covering. Thank goodness I was too eager to get to the library to change out of my training gear.
What do I do? I slide my bow on my back, and then, on instinct, grab the biggest tome I can see off a nearby shelf.
The goblin lunges, and I swing the book as hard as I can against its head. Its skull dislodges and breaks into a pile of ash as it hits the floor. The body follows suit.
I let out a gasping breath. All right, so my zombie reading phase wasn’t all for naught: a solid headshot will do the trick. It looks like these things aren’t as hard to kill as Perth’s undead soldiers.
I need to find Dayton.
I sprint out of the library. Where had Dayton said he was going after training? The hot springs? I rush into the muggy corridor but pause. He’s not here. Something tugs painfully in my chest, and I turn on my heels without even checking the springs. He’s in his room.