Free Catching Temptation (In Darkness She Fades (Book 1) by Sarah Erber

erect. Everything about his body language screams he is
on full alert.
    “Not where I come from.”
    Herald grins. “Come on. We’re
going inside.”
    “Hold on a minute!” I block the
stone archway with my extended arms. “I’m all for seeing the goblins from a
distance, but if what you’re saying is true about this being their – kingdom or
whatever – then I’d rather not go.”
    “We’ll protect you. Besides,
they’ll be asleep.”
    “Most of them.” Herald’s dark
chuckle does not help my nerves.
    The woods appear calm and
pleasant beyond the archway. “I still don’t think–”
    “Good idea! Don’t think about
it,” says Chevy. Bounding forward they grab my arms and pulled me under the
archway.
    Crap. I feel as safe as a mouse
forced into a snake’s cage.
    Past the stone arch, everything
changes. The woods become darker. The wind howls through the trees and blows my
long hair backward. I trip over a stick.
    Herald grabs my arm and pulls me
closer to him. “Look down.”
    A stone pathway starts under my
boots. It leads further into the foreboding forest. “What’s this?”
    “It leads into the goblins’
cove.” Chevy winks and scoops up my limp arm. The more we travel down the stone
pathway, the thicker the bushes and trees become. We do not speak to each
other. Instead, we all strain our ears for the tiniest sound of dangerous
strangers.
    “Slow down,” Herald says, holding
me back. “Chevy, go ahead and check things out.”
    Chevy takes off and disappears over
the small hill. The thick shadows cast from the maple and oak trees darken the
forest.
    I lean against Herald and shiver.
Squinting to get a better look at the treetops, I say, “Herald. The trees.
They’re bending inward.” I back up.
    Herald positions himself behind
me and wraps his arms around my shoulders. “ Shh ... They’re here.”
    A high cackling erupts through
the wind, making a shrieking sound that mimics nails scrapping against a
chalkboard. The bushes along the stone path shake. Gruff laughter echoes through
hollow logs and trees.
    “Gods, let’s get out of here!” I
attempt to run back to the wall, but Herald holds me firmly against himself.
    “Not until you’ve seen them up
close.”
    “Are you insane?” I am struggling
to break free from Herald.
    He jerks me hard. “Temptation,”
Herald lifts my chin, “you need to see how dangerous goblins are. I want you to
drop your interest in these creatures.”
    My eyes lock onto his face. There
is something out of place about his smile. “Your teeth. They’re changing.”
    Herald grins. “These are the laws
of Rosewood – Never enter the Goblin Kingdom. Don’t consort with the goblins.
Never disobey me. If you break these rules, you die.”
    “What in the name of everything
unholy are you?”
    Herald bends down. The breeze
spikes his neon hair and his eyes swirl crimson. “Demon.”
    My blood surges. I will myself to
breathe.
    Goblins pop their massive heads
out from behind thorny bushes and trees. Curvy sneers and bat-like ears poke
out from around the edges of their skeleton masks. The goblins surround us,
blocking our only exit. Chevy bounds over the hill and then skids to a halt on
my other side. He grabs my arm and wraps his other arm around my waist. His
features are still normal. “The Goblin King is coming. If you think the goblins
are frightening, they’re nothing compared to their king. Listen to us,
Temptation.” He leans forward until our noses stop an inch of each other. “If
you tell anyone what you’ve seen here, we’ll be forced to hand you over to the
goblins along with the people you told.”
    “You don’t want to be the cause
of someone else’s death.” Herald stokes my arm like a child stroking a pet’s
hair. “Especially after your parents’ deaths are already your fault.”
    Herald’s words sting my heart. I
put some space between us. Smothering the urge to lash out at him, I say, “Let
me go.”
    “You heard the