The Last Warrior (Shifters Unbound #13) - Jennifer Ashley Page 0,85

be beautiful. And eagles. Downy feathers, big eyes. In his sudden vision, one of the little eagle chicks had black eyes with a Ben-like glint in them.

He banished the vision with effort. “Your mom is looking for you,” he told the goblin brothers.

“She’s always looking for us,” Darren said without worry.

“Trying to keep you out of trouble?” Ben asked.

“Hell, no. We have to keep her out of trouble. No one notices a middle-aged woman, she says. She thinks that means she can do whatever the hell she wants.”

Ben raised his brows. “Like rush to Shiftertown after another goblin?”

“Goblin?” Cyril scrunched up his face. “Is that what you’re calling yourself?”

Ben fought down irritation. “What do you tell people you are?”

“Party animals,” Darren said. He and his brother laughed. “Seriously, dude. We don’t tell them anything. We let them assume we’re human.”

“That’s because you don’t hang out with Shifters who smell Faerie on you,” Ben said. “I had to give them a word for what I was to keep them from gutting me. Goblin is the closest human equivalent. I tried gnome, but they kept thinking of cute little bearded guys with pointed hats.”

Cyril snorted a laugh. “Okay, we’ll go with goblin. Better than troll.”

“Yeah, too many bad connotations with troll,” Darren agreed.

“Are you done?” Spike’s growl increased. “You all didn’t come here just to shoot the breeze.”

Ben shrugged. “No, but it makes a break from the constant danger and excitement.” Rhianne continued to scratch Jordan’s ears. He returned to full jaguar cub form and leaned against her legs.

“You two up for a trip to Faerie?” Ben asked the goblins. “To kick some Fae ass?”

“That would be cool,” Darren said immediately.

Rhianne snapped her head up. “No.”

Darren and Cyril regarded her in surprise. “It wouldn’t be cool to kick Fae ass?” Cyril asked.

“It wouldn’t be Fae you fought, but a Tuil Erdannan. One of the most powerful. Ben, you can’t ask them to go.”

Ben rocked on his heels. “Rhianne has this wild idea that she can go to Faerie, destroy a vicious Tuil Erdannan on her own, and waltz home in time for tea.”

“No, I don’t.” Rhianne’s mouth firmed. “But nor do I believe a small army of Shifters and goblins can defeat him. You’ll just get everyone killed. Including you.” Her glare cut to Ben.

“The alternative, having you go and confront your stepdad, even with your mother there, is nuts. If we have you, Lady Aisling, and a Shifter-goblin army that contains Tiger and an obnoxious polar bear healer, we might have a chance.”

Rhianne stared at Ben a long moment before Ben realized his slip. “You are saying I will go with you.”

“Not something I want,” Ben said quickly. “But I have to admit, you’re not feeble, you know Ivor well, and you’d understand his weaknesses.”

“He doesn’t have any weaknesses,” Rhianne answered.

Darren raised his hands. “Hold on, hold on. You’re saying you’re recruiting a force to go to Faerie and face one dude?”

“Yes,” Ben and Rhianne replied at the same time. Ben added, “One Tuil Erdannan. There’s a difference.”

“Never met a Tuil Erdannan,” Darren said. “That tough, are they?”

“Rhianne is one. Or half one. She could kick all your asses with her hand tied behind her back.”

Rhianne flushed, but she seemed pleased. “I doubt that.”

“Believe it.” Ben gave Darren and Cyril a pointed nod. “Don’t mess with my girl.”

Darren poked his brother in the arm. “Ooh, they’re an item. A ghallareknoiksnlealous and a Shifter-Tuil Erdannan. Match made in … a blender?”

“Watch your mouth,” Ben growled. “Nothing wrong with a blender. They make hella good frozen cocktails.”

Spike shook his head and turned his back on them. “Come on, Jordan.”

Jordan nuzzled Rhianne one last time and scampered after his father, changing into his Shifter half-beast as he went. “Will you let her take me flying, Dad? Please?”

“Did we piss him off?” Cyril watched Spike lead Jordan into the house. “He doesn’t seem like a guy we should piss off.”

“Spike is good.” Ben found himself drifting toward Rhianne, as though he couldn’t keep away from her. “He’ll pass the word on that we need help. He doesn’t say much, but he’s a terrific tracker. A tracker is a Shifter who can scout, report, and kick serious butt.”

“What now?” Rhianne asked. “My mother is used to handling my father—my stepfather—but I don’t want to leave her to his mercy too long.”

“We also have to deal with the time difference,” Ben reminded her. “Time doesn’t move at the same pace in Faerie as it does in the