eye I can see all manner of precious metals and gems glinting off him as they catch the glow from the overhead lighting. He has to be wearing a fortune in embellishments and jewelry. Even his headband is embroidered with threads of gold. No doubt he would be a fine target for a thief… well, one who is desperate. I can’t think of any other who would cross such a feral-looking being, armed to the teeth with weapons bristling from his boots and overcoat that currently hangs open over his tunic. From where I stand, I can see even more weapons tucked inside the coat. That’s not even counting the goblin’s own natural defenses. His sharp teeth can give a poisonous bite to any attacker, and his retractable claws when extended are hooked dangerously. Wearing all the wealth that he does invites an attack, but I imagine that’s the point.
I refrain from speaking in hope that he will not see it as an invitation to be friendly. It’s an odd quirk of nature that, despite their rather annoying habits, they are perhaps the most sociable among the fae. If given the opening, he would likely talk ceaselessly before arriving at the topic that has brought him here. Some mortals like to jest about kissing the Blarney Stone… I’m not entirely convinced that, in the old ages, the goblin race wasn’t conceived in a hollow beneath it.
He strolls casually through the door I hold open, his lip curling at the plain decor. The place that I chose isn’t the most lavish, but it is clean, has a decent menu for room service, and is one of the better lodgings in the fae district. I feel more comfortable—less exposed—being here among the others. Most adult humans seem to have no clue as to what I am, but the age-old instinct to flee far from a dense human population is deeply ingrained.
The goblin shakes his head and casts a look my way that I do not care to decipher.
“This place is nothing to brag about to begin with, but why not at least pay for one of the nicer rooms if you insist on staying here?” he asks.
“Because I like my privacy,” I answer as I close the door behind me and cross the room, leaving the goblin to follow me.
“Hmm, I do suppose you would draw a lot of attention in one of the swankier places, for sure. You can do a bit of illusion so they don’t notice your horn, ears or tail, just as my kind can downplay some of our more prominent features, but that only takes us so far. Unlike elves, unicorns stand out as much as a goblin does. I suppose it must be nice as a unicorn, though, because even with your illusion enchantments, you’re still extraordinarily attractive to humans.” He pauses for a moment, tapping a finger on his chin. “Like catnip. The females will always notice you—and not in an unpleasant way. All the enchantments in the world won’t keep them from running in the other direction from a goblin,” he chuckles.
I grunt in agreement, only half-listening to begin with, and settle into one of the high-backed chairs near the window. I let him wander around the room aimlessly as I picked up the phone to order room service. His order of a thick steak, a portion of both potatoes and fries, and a large salad sounds like a bad case of indigestion to me, but I order two for the sake of convenience and set the phone down just in time to see the male sprawl on my bed and pick up the remote to the TV.
“Absolutely not. Put down the remote and get off my bed,” I snap, my hand slapping hard on the table beside me.
He raises an eyebrow in my direction even as his eyes dance with merriment. He’s amusing himself at my expense. Normally, I would ignore such provocation, but when it comes to my ahandral, I am a bit… touchy. It’s little wonder that I feel an overwhelming urge to stomp him into dust when his lips curve in a smirk and he sets the remote down without any sense of urgency. He even takes his time sliding off the bed, one leg at a time.
A delighted little laugh escapes him as he drops into the chair across from me, his green eyes narrowing. Propping his elbows on the table, he brings his hands up in front of