Free Ever Wrath by Alexia Purdy

is immune to iron, which he needed to deal in the city. He’s highly sensitive to iron.”
    “Crap, let’s go.”
    Before she could even pluck the summoning orb from her pocket, they were surrounded by exiled goblins, faeries and trolls.
    “Don’t even think about it.”
     

Chapter Nine
The Siphon Lord

     
    “WHAT DO WE have here? Teleen and… not sure what else you are.” One goblin wrinkled his snout at Nautilus, sniffing but not quite sure what he was smelling. “Doesn’t matter.” He stepped up to Shade and frowned, eyeing her up and down as if their vanishing spell had no effect on his eyesight. “Oh, a pretty one. M’Lord will be pleased. Take all three.” He waved his comrades over, and they disarmed Dylan almost immediately, already so close to him he didn’t have time to swing the sword. They began cackling together, amused by them as they clamped shackles to their wrists.
    “Get off me!” Shade yelled at the faery tugging at her arm to pull her along. He frowned and flicked his eyes to the short, squat goblin, whom was surely their leader.
    “Shut it, pretty. M’Lord don’t want the females ’urt. Don’t make me put you out, I don’t want to have to do the ’splaining about that.” He snorted and trotted ahead while the others dug their daggers into Dylan’s and Nautilus’s backs. They had no option but to follow, out into the open air and into full sight of the normal humans.
    But they were already cloaked. The goblin waved a diamond-tipped staff before exiting the alley, and the group disappeared from any human eyes. Shade gulped and wondered if hollering out to the normals would do any good. She flicked her eyes toward Dylan, who gave her a subtle shake of his head before looking forward.
    Damn. What now ?
    Whoever this Ferdinand was, she was desperate to not meet him.
     

     
    SHADE EYED THE dilapidated building that appeared to be this elusive Ferdinand’s fortress. It was nothing but an abandoned apartment building in several stages of decay. The outside was strung up with vines and moss growing on the sunless side of it. Bricks were missing in several areas, and many of the windows were shattered or bricked over. It looked desolate, and Shade could feel that it was protected by a spell designed to repel humans. It tickled her senses as they passed through the front door, dressed up in boards and bars. It opened to a tap from the goblin’s staff, creaking open into a dark hole.
    Shade gulped, afraid that if they stepped into the dank darkness, they’d never come out ever again.
    No, I can’t think that way. I have to think of a way out. I have to get back home.
    She still had her orb . They hadn’t stripped them of their things, except for the visible weapons. Maybe she could find a way to summon Camulus without them knowing.
    “Move it, pretty,” t he faery man behind her snarled. She sighed. Of course her perfectly relaxing day had gone down the chutes. Nothing like getting captured while on the way to save the world , she thought.
    Down the hall and up several flights of stairs, they arrived at one of the top floors. The lights flickered on and off down the dirtiest hallway Shade had ever seen. Trash littered the corners and stuck to the graffiti-marked walls. They marched through the filth until they came to the second to the last door on the left. Across the front, someone had painted, in awkward stick letters:
     
    The Siphon Lord
    Ferdinand
     
    Great, a self-proclaimed , exiled king. Just what we needed , thought Shade.
    The diamond -tipped staff tapped three times against the door, sending the locks on the other side whirling. They clicked, tapped and fluttered until the door finally swung open, and they were led inside.
    This room wasn’t dirty. In fact, it was immaculate, with red Persian carpets and sheer curtains draped along the sides and over every entryway. Lush couches lined the walls, and intricately carved wooden tables with swirling gold inlay made it