Claudette watched the little goblin wander around and help with the plants. Ratface grinned as she interacted with her friends. It was odd, the spell was a big change and yet the girl didn’t seem any different. At least on the outside.

She reeked of opportunity now. The demon part of her screamed that she was dangerous. That she should make a deal with her, or she should kill her.

She felt Abigail squeeze her hand and she shook her head and leaned down to kiss her knight. She didn’t need to listen to that part of her anymore. That part had never really escaped the demon plane, still scrabbling for power that would only let it be on top of the pile. She had to remember she’d escaped.

Still, it was hard not to watch Ratface. The other goblins were always watching her when she wasn’t looking. They looked at her like a hero. She’d never seen a goblin look at anyone that way.

“You’re going to have to go with her when she leaves,” she told Abigail. Abigail snorted.

“I wouldn’t let a kid out on their own yet anyway, but I see your point.”

The knight watched the girl too. Claudette could practically hear her mind whirring. She could see the excitement in Abigail’s eyes. A little girl to train, to nurture. No doubt she thought she could do it right this time. As if what had happened had been her fault.

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Claudette pulled Abigail into a hug. That was a problem for later. Right now, they could enjoy the sun.

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The ‘elf’, for that was how he thought of himself in this form, was still trudging back from the Redwood Forest. It had nearly been a coup. Catching a goblin with magic and killing the rogue demon. He’d thought it was too good to be true.

Turned out he was right. He’d nearly died and only his glamours timely return had saved him. A little later and this version of him would be dead. It was a dangerous area for him to be anything but an elf.

Next to him, his glamour stalked with a grumpy face. He’d left the few monsters they’d encountered to his glamour and the thing had been taking his fury out on them. He almost felt sorry for them. The goblin glamour hadn’t lost a fight before and to lose to children had been particularly galling. The ‘elf’ admired the girl’s cleverness. She’d quickly worked out how to get rid of the only way to deal with his glamour. They would have never stood a chance if she hadn’t found the loophole.

His traitorous heart told him that he should find her, teach her his ways so that he could finally be free. The shackle around it gave a quick tug at the errant thought and he brushed it aside. She wasn’t the first goblin to show aptitude. She wouldn’t be the last.

“If she saw my face, she’d kill me anyway,” he said to himself. He shrugged and moved away from the Redwood and the bog. Nothing good waited for him here.

He’d just have to find one of the other goblins that had gone missing first. They too might have some ability.

“What was her name again?” He asked his glamour.

“Ratface,” it spat out.

Ah. Then not all was lost. He just had to find the other children and eventually she’d come to him. It was inevitable.

Afterall, a rat couldn’t help but meddle.

End of Book One