Shona Husk - Summons: A Goblin King Prequel

The kiss tasted like beer. And his hands were sliding under the edge of her top. Elizas stomach turned and she pushed the guy away.

He stumbled back. What? You wanted it.

She wiped her mouth. No. All shed wanted to do was kiss a guy without her braces on. Turns out they didnt make much difference. She certainly didnt want what he was offering. Ew. He was one of her brothers friends and she hardly knew him.

Dont be a tease. He ran his finger along the strap of her top, then hooked his finger underneath. No one likes a tease.

Her heart gave a sudden squeeze of panic and began sprinting even though she wasnt moving. He leaned closer and she froze. The two bottles of beer shed drank churned in her stomach like on off-balance washing machine. The kitchen gave a little twirl. She put her hand on the counter to steady herself. The noise from the music pumped through the air. She needed to get away, get some fresh air.

His hand tightened on the strap. He tugged her closer as she pulled back and the delicate fabric snapped. Backed against the counter she had nowhere left to go. None of her brothers other friends came in, and if she yelled, no one would hear her over the music. She had to get rid of him.

Why dont you get me another beer? She forced a smile while her hand was making sure she was still decent. The top stayed up, held by one equally flimsy strap on the other side.

Thats more like it. He stepped back. Ill be back in a minute.

She waited until hed left the kitchen, counted to ten for him to get to the laundry where the beer was sitting the trough full of ice, then she slipped out of the kitchen. The lounge room was full of people dancing, kissingshe averted her eyesand doing possibly more. Matts university friends filled their parents house, and he was nowhere to be seen. No doubt he was upstairs in his room with his girlfriend. If Dad was here, hed have a heart attack. Hed said no parties, and usually Matt listened. This was the first time hed broken the no-party rule. And shed been keen to join in and act older than her sixteen years.

It had been fun at first, drinking beer and dancing. Catching a boys eye and getting kissedright up until hed thought she was going to put out and the beer hit her stomach like a kick so all she wanted to do was lie down or throw up. She still wasnt sure which one would happen first.

With one hand on the wall for balance, Eliza stuck to the edge of the crowd. She didnt relax until she reached the stairs. Shed had enough of the party, the music pounded too loud in her head, and the crush of bodies made her claustrophobic. Her foot slipped on the stair. She grabbed the rail and pulled herself up. When she got to her room, she was going to lie down. But there were more stairs than she remembered, and her legs didnt want to obey. Maybe she should sit down for a moment? Halfway up she saw the guy coming back with the beer. And he saw her.

Shit. She ran up the rest of the stairs even though they were jumping around beneath her feet. She looked over her shoulder. He was following and getting closer.

She needed somewhere to hide. Bathroom? She tried the handle but it was locked. Her bedroom was at the end of the corridor, opposite Matts. The guy was almost up the stairs. She wasnt going to lead him to her bedroom. The nearest room was her parents. She opened the door and shut it behind her with her back against the wood. Had he seen?

I know where you are, he sung out.

The door rattled against her back. Oh God. She held her breath, but her heartbeat drowned out all other noise. Her gaze darted around the dark room for places to hide. Under the bed? Wardrobe? Beer climbed up her throat. No.

He gave the door a shove and she ran, crossing the carpet in unsteady steps made worse by the heels. She went into the bathroom, closed the door on him, and turned the lock. He knew where she was, but he couldnt get in. Eliza slid down the door, her legs unable to stand.

He knocked on the door. Shit. It was only a privacy lock and easily opened from the other side. Could he not take the hint and find some other half-drunk girl to pursue?

She glanced up at the bathroom window. Too high and too small. She was trapped. Her stomach bottomed out.

Open the door and well have some fun. The handle jiggled. I got your beer.

No. No. No. Why hadnt she gone to a friends place for the night instead of trying to be cool? Why hadnt Matt made her go? Why did her father have to go east for work? Tears welled in her eyes. She wished he was home, that he would come home early and would see what was going on. She wished her mother were alive. She would know what to do, she always knew what to do. Why couldnt her mother be here? The tears trickled down her cheeks, but she kept the sobs locked in her chest. She didnt want to be heard. What she needed was to get away.

The lock scraped. She lifted her gaze and watched it turn. He would force the door open and thenHer eyes widened as the handle moved.

I wish She hiccupped and it echoed around the bathroom. Her mother had said always be careful what you wish for as shed told stories about a man whod been cursed for loving gold and had been given a heart of gold as punishment. Damned to be goblin, now he was forced to answer other peoples wishes. She closed her eyes. He had to answer hers. I wish the Goblin King would take me away from here.

***

The summons pulled tight on his gray skin, dragging his attention from the on-screen violence as machine tore through man. He ignored the magical call that wanted to drag him away from the movie and ate another mouthful of popcorn loaded with butter and salt. It was pointless trying to resist, but he did it anyway, because he couldif only for a few moments.

The cry reverberated through his body again, but Roan held out a moment longer almost enjoying pain as his body prepared to fracture and split with the effort of obeying the compulsion. He glanced once more at the screen. He was going to miss the ending by about ten minutes, but hed never been able to resist a direct summons for any length of time.

Hed tried. His body had peeled apart and obeyed while his mind resisted. Arriving in front of his summoner wounded and in agony had never served him well. He would attend and then leave. Its not like he was damn geniehe had to answer the call but could choose for himself whether he granted the wish. Maybe, if he were quick, hed make it back in time to see the end of the film.