Paper Moons Part 4 (Patreon)

“Wait!” My heart thudded in my chest as I stepped around Gabriel. There was a wildness to the goblins eyes. A sense of amusement at our predicament that I knew was only a mask for sinister intentions. “Just wait,” I said, placing my hand on Gabriel’s arm. It shook with the effort to keep the blade leveled at the intruder. “I will go with you.”

Gabriel’s arm faltered as he turned to look at me.  While the blade still hovering in the air, he blinked at me, confusion clearly filtering through the muzziness of his mind. He really shouldn’t have been out of bed. Not so soon and not with how sick he had been.

“Interesting,” the goblin said. “You would freely sacrifice yourself when this man so clearly wishes to sacrifice himself for you?”

Turning back to the goblin, I raised my chin. “It is my job as a Graceling to protect the children of the Knowing.”

“He is fallen,” the goblin pointed out.

“Yet he is no less deserving of care.” Stepping forward, I placed myself between the goblin and the blade. “You may take me. If this is to be my last act as a Graceling, then so be it.”

The goblin cackled loudly, not waiting for another opportunity before it lunged forward. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the rough embrace and when its glass nails scraped across my skin in razor edged lines, I felt myself cry out. Because even though I expected it, it still hurt and I was still terrified. But this was what was required of a Graceling. The Knowing had deemed me worthy and I did not want to disappoint.

My body was lurched forward, and I could smell the rotting scent of peaches upon the goblin's breath as it laughed in my ear.  “If I had known it would be this easy to catch a Graceling I would have volunteered to get one of you years ago.”

Opening my eyes, I looked towards Gabriel, trying to tell him how very sorry I was.  This was the last thing he needed to see and I could only hope that the grace I had given him was enough to ease his pain. At least for a while.  He had collapsed backwards against the night stand, holding his blade limply at his side while his other hand pressed against his chest. I could see his dark skin turning grey and cracked once more. Even this was exerting far too much energy.

“It’s okay,” I tried to assure him. I wanted to say something more, something to ease the guilt that I was sure would come with a child of the Knowing, but the goblin was already dragging me through the open window.  And really, what was I supposed to say to this man I had just met?

Out in the dew misted fields, I stumbled to keep up, the goblin dragging me with a bruising grip around my wrist. The cottage was shrinking on the horizon as I was taken from the small house, trying to keep our movements as quiet as possible. I wanted no trouble. With any luck, this little family would be able to find another Graceling within the Market. But when I fell, my feet stumbling on an odd rock, I cried out. The goblin sunk its claws into the locks of my hair, twisting gnarled hands into the unwashed strands and pulling me across the wet field. I clawed at their skin in hopes of making them release me or at the very least loosen their hold. Sticky wetness was gathering at my temple and I knew that chunks of hair were being torn from my scalp.

“Lord Taliesin will be most pleased,” the goblin said.  “He doesn’t have a Graceling in his collection.” They yanked hard and black dots began swarming my vision. “I’m sure he’ll put you up all pretty on his pedestals first. He does like looking at his wares.  You’ll do so nicely. That pretty silver glow of your hand will amuse him for years to come.”

My foot slipped in the mud beneath me as I tried to gain purchase, giving some relief to the grip they had on me as they continued to drag me across the field. I could feel my breath stuttering in my chest and tears streaking my cheeks as small whimpers escaped me. I wasn’t even going to die.  I didn’t know if that was something I should be relieved of or fear more than anything.

When the pressure released from my scalp I fell flat on my back. Above me, the goblin screamed. Blinking, I tipped my gaze upwards, seeing the creature holding his now bloody stump of a hand.  Frantically I searched my surroundings, wondering if the Knowing had seen fit to save me once more.

A bright light appeared though, bolting across the field and slashing across the goblins face.  Looking up, I watched as Gabriel tore from the cottage, his skin shifting in the moonlight as he held out his hand, a pulse of silver light emitting from him. His eyes were lit pewter, his steps even and sure, and I knew with a sinking feeling in my gut that this was going to be far too much for him.

When another bolt shot out, it tore the goblin in two, bisecting it in slow motion as it fell to the grass, its eyes wide and staring up at the sky above.

Scrambling away, I stared at the now dead creature. Blood clouded my vision and the pain that bloomed against my scalp left me dizzy. But as I turned to where Gabriel was, I watched him standing there, the light of the Knowing vibrating across him as he stared, unseeing, at where the goblin had been.

Then, as if a candle had been snuffed out, the light disappeared, and slowly, he fell to his knees.

Scrambling forward I maneuvered him, so his head laid in my lap.  The cracks in his skin were worse than before, ripping across him in a web of fissures.  The color drained from his lips and his eyes turned pale and milky as he began to crumble in my hands. Dying breathes rattled in his chest.

“Why did you do that?” I asked him frantically. He was going into shock. I could feel it in the rigidity of his body. In the way he felt brittle in my hands.

“Because it was the right thing to do,” he croaked back.

“I can’t heal you, though. I can’t…” The door to the cottage banged open and immediately I began to yell. “We’re here! We’re over here!”

Elias was the first to our side, dropping to his knees and staring at the man in my lap.  Skin began to peel away like beautiful fractals of light, dissipating on the wind.  I looked at Elias, the raw pain crashing against his eyes as he tried to gather the pieces to him and press them back to Gabriel’s dying form.  When Reese appeared behind him, he was nothing more than a shadow looming over the three of us.

“Heal him,” he told me.

“I don’t have enough grace for that,” I told him quickly. Tears tracked down my cheeks. How could I have failed so quickly?  “I used it already. I–”

Elias leaned forward, his eyes glowing in a flickering silver.

“Elias!” Reese snapped. “No!”

“It’s not her responsibility,” Elias whispered, brushing twisted locks of hair from Gabriel’s face.  “He’s our boy.  I’ll save him.”

[[Stop Elias and try to give Gabriel as much grace as you can]]

[[Combine your grace with Elias to hopefully heal Gabriel]]

[[Let Elias heal him with his own grace]]