Free The Goblin Gate by Hilari Bell Page A

either.
    “All right.” Senna sighed. “You can keep your secrets. Just like Moth—Oh, that reminds me; I’m supposed to tell you that Mother needs you to go back to being Master Lazur’s assistant as soon as you can, and if you can’t manage it yourself, she’ll have to—”
    Jeriah choked on a mouthful of pie. “Stop her! Whatever she’s doing, I…ah…Tell her I can manage that myself. What’s Mother up to? Do you know?”
    “Not very much. She says she may have to use leverage, and that she’ll tell me all I need to know when my part comes.”
    “Wonderful.” At least his mother didn’t consider him a complete incompetent. Still…“I’m counting on you to stop her from doing anything stupid,” Jeriah said firmly.
    “I’m more worried about stopping you.” Senna put her apple core back in the basket. “Where are you going every night? And don’t spin me tales about a girl—you haven’t been home for a week, and Father’s taking up all your time.”
    “If you can see that, why doesn’t he?” Jeriah asked bitterly.
    “Mostly,” said Senna, “it’s because plain men are always suspicious of the handsome ones. Haven’t you noticed that?”
    Jeriah chewed and swallowed as he thought about it. “Maybe. Sometimes. But I’m his son.”
    Senna shrugged. “You’re both men.”
    “Humph. Aren’t women suspicious of beautiful women?”
    “No. Jealous, catty, and shrewish, but not suspicious. And you’re not going to distract me. If…if you’re meeting the conspirators…Please, it’s so dangerous.” Her voice quivered. “If the authorities get even a hint that you were involved, they’ll—”
    “It’s not the conspiracy. I haven’t heard a word, not a whisper, from any of them since they were exposed. I think most of them are dead. By St. Spiratu’s voice, I’m not involved anymore.”
    “Then what are you doing?”
    He hesitated, but why not? “I’m trying to meet someone, but they…they aren’t coming to the rendezvous. It’s not conspirators, truly. But I have to keep showing up till they arrive.”
    Senna waited until it was clear that he wouldn’t say more. “Why don’t you write them a note and leave it at your rendezvous? Then you could get some sleep.”
    She packed the remains of their breakfast and prepared to descend. Jeriah stared at her with his mouth open.
    He didn’t even know if they could read. But he didn’t know that they couldn’t, either!
    I need to speak to someone who knew Makenna of the Goblin Wood. Please have them contact me.
    Jeriah smiled grimly and laid stones on the corners of the paper to hold it flat beside the bowl. Short and sweet. He had no idea who to address it to, but the goblins certainly knew who he was. He’d pushed the bowl deeper into the bushes, where they’d be able to find it but the gardeners wouldn’t. Jeriah intended to sleep late tomorrow morning.
     
    His father was carefully polite over the next few days. Neither of them mentioned the argument, which suited Jeriah fine, but the tension was still there. So Jeriah wasn’t surprised to find himself dreaming that his father was tying down his blankets, holding him to the bed.
    “What are you doing?” If he hadn’t known he was dreaming it might have been frightening, but since he was almost awake anyway, Jeriah decided to let the dream run its course.
    “We have to tie you down,” his father said sadly. “I’m sorry, son, but they found out about the girl. Now they’re going to drown you.”
    “What girl?” Jeriah demanded, trying to free his arms. But there was a girl, he dimly remembered, a beautiful blond girl and he was in love with her. She smiled gloriously at him and he smiled back. Why was she helping his father with the blankets?
    Jeriah’s mind struggled for wakefulness and finally broke through.
    “Ugh.” His skin was sticky with sweat. He started to sit up, but his blankets were stretched tight across the bed, holding him down.