Another pair of goblin eyes scanned me up and down, followed by a grimace. I did not care.

In fact, I re-affixed my kilt and held out my hand, more than bold. "Yes, yes, I know. A fine specimen. My hearthstone if you please."

This goblin slapped the stone in my hand with a grumble before walking by with a cage on wheels.

"That, children, is why you never trust a rotten fairy."

I turned and called after them, "I heard that."

Off to the side, the princess stood, arms crossed. I was surprised to see her so pensive when I pulled the top of her dress open and replaced yet another stone.

"The last one kept longer than expected," I assured her but this time she did not give me that weak, polite smile of hers. "What?"

She stared after the goblin then said to me, "It's awful what I'm asking of you."

"Nonsense. I'm a fairy. I've been naked longer than clothed. Besides, as we Fae do love a good double cross, this is becoming somewhat fun."

My words didn't convince her. I was certain she noticed. The deeper we went into the tunnels, the meaner, stingier the goblin.

As I patted the stone in place, she caught my hand. Brows knitted together, she begged, "Let's stop. Let's go back. I've never met a goblin before now. And if it's truly as dangerous as you say, which I now believe, then let's go back."

But I didn't think that were possible. It wasn't just that the stones were fading faster, her ability to endure the cold when they lost power was unbearable to watch. The last time, I feared she would faint.

Besides, we were so close.

I pointed, "Beyond there is the elf enclave. Look how many stones we have. Seven of them. Even three fully charged with elfin magic would suit us just fine." I opened the pocket of the kilt and showed her. "Is it really all right to turn back?"

When she'd said there was a front to this blasted skirt, I hadn't believed it. The fact that it had a pocket had made me laugh upon discovering it. No laughter left me now, not with everything being so close in reach.

"The elfin king is a captured fairy who I'd tricked into bedding an elf." The amusement in my voice made her raise an eyebrow at me. I cleared my throat and boasted, "Come. It was rather clever of me. You see, he had tried to challenge me for your hand—for a fairy queen's hand—but didn't have the power."

A light went on in her eyes. "So turning into an elf would put him on par with you?"

This time I let the laughter come. "So he'd thought. You see, it's rare few who can gain my power. And fewer still who'd have the sense of how to use non-fairy magic to make a proper impact. Ha! But I let him believe he had a chance. The fool realized it too late. As soon as the elf got a hold of him, it was instantly over."

Speaking of over. I held my knees to keep from doubling over in my laughter.

Those big brown eyes on me got wider and wider, horrified. Now, I regretted unearthing these glow stones as we walked. Better to not witness her disapproval.

"We're dead," she muttered, turning to face the wall. "We're simply dead."

And then she threw up her arms, determined to carry on with her lament if not for my leaning back against the wall, watching her.

"How are you so calm?" She reminded me, "You have no magic, nor do I. And we're who knows where. In a tunnel—"

"Robbing poor, naïve goblins. Yes. I am aware of that."

The fear in her eyes didn't dull. "And you're not worried."

"Worried? No. Terrified? Yes. But only that I would one day lose Manoj's favor and by extension, my life." She didn't understand so I smiled. "Majesty, our titles aren't decorations. Look around you. We are underground, in the very forest that nourishes Manoj. This is his world, and he extends farther than you can imagine. Our immortality is a gift and until I see any signs that either of us have lost this, I will not worry. And I will not doubt my success forever more."

Watching the tension from her body slowly recede was a thing of beauty. Now, when her hand went to her chest, tracing the hearthstone, that small smile came back. But not only that; there was a hint of daring in her eyes.

"So we need only give them payment then take extra magic without saying?"

I stood to my full height. "The stones themselves are the payment. We'll simply keep a good three our four fully charged ones. The elf king's arrogance knows no bounds and he loves to talk. Allow him that."

"An arrogant king? That, I can certainly believe." But rather than take a step after me, she froze, hand at her heart. When she caught my scrutiny, she tried to laugh off her behavior. "Just...just readjusting to the sudden heat. It's so warm, you know."

She was a terrible liar. I marched to her and pulled the top open. What I found made my blood run cold.

And not just my blood. "The magic is empty?" I took the frigid onyx stone and hurried closer to the light. This was impossible. I'd held it in my grip and the power was strong. We should have had at least an hour's worth.

Worry.

Because I hadn't lost Manoj's favor but now I understood what the matter was with the princess. She had.

And she'd not only displeased Manoj somehow but angered him.

He was eating the magic of the stones. And he'd continue to do so until she froze from within. That made the solution easy—head towards Manoj and follow that warmth. But at the end of that travel, there was no telling if she'd find forgiveness or death.

Now we needed the elves more than ever. Goblin magic ate from the land, elves from the sun.

But Manoj might not like that.

A light touch to the back of my right shoulder had me plastering on a smile.

"Ah. We were properly cheated this time. Let us track down one more goblin before we go."

"What? But why? We're so close. If—"

"Princess."

She felt silent and I tried to be direct. Till now, she'd struggled, so to see her so amicable was probably why I sought appeasement over control.

"Please trust me."

At her nod, I grabbed her hand. I wouldn't waste time in activating glow stones. We had to hurry. A few twists and turns found us in front of yet another goblin, the biggest and roundest one yet.

With this trick, however, the goblin didn't simply move on, it looked fit to kill.

"We, we can of course pay, too." The princess hurried to rummage through my pocket. As she dug around, I took insult.

"Do you mind?"

She presented the goblin with one used up stone. It was still cross, but it took it and walked on with its far smaller cage despite its larger body size.

I turned to yell but she said, "That one was really angry because of how you presented yourself. Carrying on like that was wrong of you. And the limp! Did you have to limp?" She snatched the new stone from my hand and put it at her bosom, disgusted. "Lost it in a fight with a griffin, indeed." When I did not follow, she turned and called back to me. "Well, come then. Aren't we looking for some more mischief with some elves?"

A scoff left me despite my anger, and I found myself running to catch up. I was more than tempting fate when I clapped my hand against her backside.

"That show was brilliant and never you forget it."

Her right knee buckled then her left, but I caught her in time.

"Majesty!"

"I'm all right. I'm all right. I...I must only sit for a moment."

No. She most certainly shouldn't. More dirt meant more power from Manoj. Now, instead of soldiering on, my mind went to turning back as she'd requested.

We should find Manoj. The throne room. That would have been enough.

"Ahoy," the trembling princess called out to a goblin that slowed "Would you like to see below my dress? Do you have a hearthstone? Surely, you have one. Even one!"

Before I could close my grip, the princess slipped away, chasing after the goblin full tilt.

Nothing was quite as pathetic as the transactions of someone desperate. And she was that.

I'd meant to come to her rescue faster, but shock robbed me of the power of motion. When I'd finally remembered how to walk, how to speak, and closed the space between us, she clutched the new hearthstone with both hands.

"And of course, you can have this old one," she hurried to add.

The goblin smiled at her and said, "No need. Seeing you was enough."

Wooden lamps swung and uneven wheels rolled on, leaving a stunned princess in their wake.

Body hunched, the princess still watched the goblin's retreat.

"I suppose he means I'm pathetic. Since they like witnessing such morbid things."

I caught her hand before she could throw the stone down. "Nonsense. A goblin paid you a compliment. You promised something of beauty and gave it."

Despite my words of assurance, she shed a tear.

"Majesty, I speak truth." She turned away and I hurried to face her. "Honest. Look at me and look at you. My expression does not promise something of wonder."

Though she risked glancing at me once, another tear hanging from her lashes fell when she lowered her gaze yet again.

"Come. Why waste that fine hearthstone here when our mission is nearly at an end? I need a steady partner to pull off some proper mischief." Because she would not acknowledge me, I pressed our foreheads together. "Can I count on you for that?"

Her nodding against me brought relief but a pit formed in my gut.

I wasn't taking her back to the throne room—back to Manoj.

So what did that mean for me?