Free Goblin Ball by L. K. Rigel

I’m going to go find some champagne.”
    Cammy stood up and, her hands covered in fingerless lace gloves, brushed errant sparkles from her shoulders. She smoothed the skirt of her Belle Epoch gown and inwardly smiled. The pale green brocade was perfect for the occasion, as were the button-up, fawn-colored boots, but the peacock feathers in her hair were the pièce de résistance . Whether or not anyone recognized who she was supposed to be, in her own mind the costume was a success.
    She headed toward the Grecian temple. Her eyes drinking in the feast of it all, she glanced back to check on Bella and promptly bumped into someone.
    “Oh, excuse moi !” the man said. His hand went reflexively to his macramé choker and the bright-cut jewel at his throat. “On a day like today, I should have watched where I was popping into.”
    He looked like a golden god. There was no other way to say it. His loose, curly hair was like spun gold out of a fairy tale, and his skin was smooth, perfect, and had a bronzish-gold tint. His eyes were bright green, the only thing about him not golden.
    “Well, aren’t you a picture.” His wings contracted and disappeared as he admired Cammy’s costume, his smile bright, as if she was the most interesting person he’d ever encountered. “For a moment, I thought I’d gone through Morning Glory’s time portal back to 1876 again. You’re the image of Lydia Pengrith.”
    “You’re right, I am.” Her costume really was a success!
    “But darling, where is your adult beverage?” The golden man clapped his hands. “More importantly, where is mine?”
    A little creature appeared in the air between them with a tray and three flutes of pink bubbly liquid.
    “Have a drink! It’s good and pink!” the creature said.
    Cammy accepted a flute, and as the golden man also took one, an arm covered in sparkles reached out from behind him for the third, just as the creature and tray disappeared.
    “Hello, hello! I’m here!” Her ladyship’s mother stepped out of nowhere. She took a sip of champagne and said, “Goldy, come on. Let’s go see Lexi.”
    Goldy. Of course that would be his name. He grinned and waggled his eyebrows at Cammy in farewell, then followed Morning Glory over to what looked like a giant walnut shell which served as a child’s cot. Lady Lexi held on to its edge and brightened as Goldy called out to her.
    More proof she’s faeling, Cammy thought as she put the pink liquid to her lips . According to Lydia Pengrith, fairies developed extremely quickly, and faelings—human children who had fae blood—grew faster than usual when they were in touch with their fae nature. The baby wasn’t four months old, yet she was standing.
    Cammy’s wine was only half gone, and a wonderful feeling came over her. Everything was fine. Everyone was beautiful. Lovely. The world could not possibly be a better place. She took another sip. As the liquid surged through her, she saw every creature for its true self.
    There were fairies and brownies, leprechauns and pixies, humans, and—if she wasn’t mistaken—not twenty feet away from her, the ugliest creature in the world, engaged in a perfectly matter-of-fact conversation with the countess, was a goblin.
    Lovely, lovely. She twirled in the sunshine. That is just as it should be.
    She finished the champagne, and a pixie popped in to take her glass and offer a fresh one. Cammy lifted the glass from the tray, another crystal flute rimmed in gold, and the pixie popped out. She lazily continued creature watching, until she saw someone who took her breath away.
    A man had just come over the hill from the direction of the car park and stood at the edge of the gathering, looking from group to group as if searching for someone in particular. Cammy’s heart pounded as she watched him, waiting for him to find her.
    But he stopped too soon. He fixed on Cade and headed in the earl’s direction.
    No! Cammy wanted to cry out. You’re supposed to come to