The Goblin's Heir

Chapter Seventy Four: Turn

The Hollow's power burned in my children's eyes. All evidence of themselves was gone. Their expressions held nothing but rage. They flashed their sharp teeth and and flexed their claws in fury. They pitched to one side in unison, turning their flyers around to go back in Magni and I's direction.  

Ari righted herself, shaking her head to clear it after my blow. Blood oozed from a busted nose. "Let him go!" She hissed, lifting a powerful taloned foot to kick me away.

"Sorry Ari," I stabbed Wingclipper into her thigh. She screamed in pain and let go of me. She writhed, holding her claws over the gushing wound and her flyer circled in place, confused by her movements.

Frit rose in his seat and lifted one arm, pointing his pistol at Magni's head. 

I grabbing hold of Magni's breastplate and tugged harshly, pulling him free of his harness and over onto Snorri's back, forcing him down beneath me as a bullet went whizzing by. I heard it scrape against the metal of his armor. The sound vibrated through my chest, rattling my already racing heart. It had come very close to striking the back of my head. As Frit reloaded his weapon, his face void of any emotion but wrath, I knew the very bitter truth. 

My children were gone.

Their god had taken them from me at last. 

Frit and Floki let go of the children they'd been carrying to safety and the others swiftly followed their lead, dropping them over the sides of their flyers. The children fluttered their tiny wings desperately trying to stay aloft while the older children scattered with terrified screams, diving to grab their younger siblings as the goblins that had been seemingly waiting for this took to the air and sped towards them with hungry mouths and vicious claws. Hawks swooping in on injured young birds. 

Augustus conjured fire in his hands and hurled it toward the attacking goblins before turning that hatred to my children. Rage lit his warm skin from within and turned his eyes to molten gold. Growling, he moved to rush at Odd, his mind rotted by the desire for revenge. 

"Augustus!" I shouted, lifting myself slightly from my bowed position over my youngest child. "Don't fight them! That's iron they're wearing! Your magic won't do much to them and they've been trained to fight their whole lives! They'll kill you before you can ever touch them!"

Breathing heavily, paniced and angry, the young Seelie hesitantly doused his flames and followed after me, flying as quickly as we could away from the others. "You said you'd take us to safety." There were tears in the young faerie's eyes as he looked at me. They turned to steam before they could fall.

"I'm sorry." I said, glaring at the ghostly branches lacing through the floating islands and the rubble of what the sea had already destroyed. "It isn't them. It's The Hollow throwing a tantrum."

His brows furrowed. "The what?"

"I don't have time to explain. Here, take Leo. Take him and lead your brothers and sisters to Thorns. The gate is still open." I said. He flew next to me, taking Leo gingerly into his arms. The terrified toddler looped his arms tightly around his brother's neck. "Just fly. Don't look back." Already I missed the weight of the toddler in my arms. "Find Ib and tell him what happened. He'll keep you all safe."

"What about Father and Herod?" Augusts asked. He glanced back into the sea of goblins crawling over every inch of the island where Liber and Herod had gone down. There was no sight of them.

"Matilda!" I heard Cerise scream.

Looking back over my shoulder, I saw the boys and Cat quickly gaining on us. Floki led the way. He'd discarded his shield at some point and now gripped his massive axe in two hands.