The ears, contrary to what most humans believed, could be explained away. Efse had cousins with round ears, too; it wasn’t a surprise to many that her child was the same way. It was the magic that couldn’t really be excused. She’d never been sick enough for her mother to claim that she’d lost it, and everyone would know if they lied about it. She couldn’t practice it, not without struggling, and risking someone else seeing it. The only thing they could do was hope that no one asked or realized how weak it was compared to all the other goblins in Ecale.

Kiah stayed quiet on most days. She didn’t draw attention to herself because Efse had told her that was bad. She minded her own business, did what she was told, and every night prayed that they could keep up this charade a little longer.

Efse was busily preparing for dinner. The priest would be coming over tonight, so she made sure that everything was perfect for him. Occasionally she mumbled praises or curses—though mostly curses, since she was never that good of a cook.

“Mom, what does ikretta look like?” Kiah called from her spot in the dining room, her schoolwork scattered in front of her. “This wants me to draw something I’ve never seen before!”

“You’ve seen it, dear,” Efse replied after a while. “They’re those flowers in front of the cathedral.”

“I thought those were weeds…”

There was a loud clattering sound and a defeated sigh. “Do you remember what they are?”

“Thalis created them and they became the gods’ lifeblood. Ambrosia…”

…

Efse was a seamstress by trade; it was what nearly every woman in her family did. Her business didn’t just come from Ecale, though. She often traveled to nearby villages. Some of the others didn’t like how she sometimes did business with humans. Really, about half of those “business trips” to human villages were actually to visit a specific human—Zadeer.

He seemed much bigger than either of them, but he was kind and always treated them well when they were with him. After all, he was Efse’s forbidden love and Kiah’s father. He never did a good job at hiding it, at least from the perspective of someone who knew what was going on. Most of the hiding came from Kiah: Efse had warned her to call him by name, whether they thought they were alone or not, and she could tell she kept her distance more than he wished she did.

It was the only time either of them spoke the modern language. Everyone in their village used the Old Tongue. In a few years Kiah was able to use it rather well, but Efse always struggled.

“Why don’t you two stay a little longer?” Zadeer offered with a smile. “I mean, you’ve still got a lot left to sell and I’m sure there’s someone here who will want it.”

“We really should go…” Efse mumbled. “I don’t want to miss service.”

“You can come to my church,” he offered. “No one’s going to judge. We’ve got a pretty sizable goblin population here.”

She shook her head slowly. “It will be odd for the three of us to come in together…”

“When are you going to accept that we can’t keep living this lie?” He lowered his voice but still remained as gentle as he could. “She shouldn’t have to live like this.”

“Zadeer…”

“What if we all left, together? We could actually be the family we are. It doesn’t even need to be big—we could just wander for a while until we find the perfect place to call home. Remember when you told me that Ecale never felt like home for you? Why do you keep going back there when things are only getting worse for both of you? Please, Efse, I only want what’s best for all of us…”

“When it’s time, I will tell you,” Efse finally decided. “But I don’t think it’s in Orestis’s plan to leave now.”

“Darkness’s voice can be just as convincing as His. Be sure to listen to Sachiel’s voice if you ever hear it.”

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…

However much they wanted to believe they didn’t gossip, there was hardly a way to avoid it. One group of the market talked about how someone’s brother—their twin that was in another town—had died the night before. Others whispered about how the pastor from last week’s service had a wife, yet came in with another young woman he seemed to have affection for. Another discussed a rumor regarding someone losing their magic and a slight panic that it was some kind of sickness that was going to spread through the goblin provinces. Kiah had learned a long time ago that they often didn’t hold very much truth to them, but there was one she knew was true.

That, somewhere in Ecale, there was a human child.

It seemed rampant everywhere. The adults talked about it as they walked through the streets and as they waited for service to start. The kids whispered about it in the back of class, and openly tested it during breaks when they took turns showing off their magic. She’d been able to avoid being a part of it for a couple of days, but when it was obvious that they were going to ask her about it, she started disappearing whenever they went to look. Once the teacher finally asked her why, she was able to say she didn’t feel well and was allowed to go home.

Kiah placed the note in front of Efse before she started freaking out. “I think they’re figuring it out.” Now, Kiah had always been someone who hardly ever showed fear. But she couldn’t help but show some of it, knowing that all of the things her mother had warned her about were coming true.

Efse hugged her. “It’s alright, dear. This doesn’t change anything, it just means we’re going to have to be a little more careful from now on… I promise nothing bad is going to happen. Soon they’re going to forget about it completely, like they do all other rumors. Until then, keep convincing them it’s just that: a rumor.”

…

It didn’t get better. Eventually Efse even told her to feign sickness so she didn’t go to school and no one could piece too many things together. Of course that itself was starting to become too conspicuous when it lasted too long.

Efse came home distraught. She sat down at the table and spent a couple of hours writing something, mumbling things to herself. When she finally finished and spelled it, she hugged Kiah.

“You’re going to be living with Zadeer for a little while,” she said shakily. “He’ll take care of you. I’ll still come to visit, but he might decide to move. If that happens, it’s going to be a while before you hear anything from me… they’ll know if you’re still sending letters. Zadeer can explain the rest when you get there.”

Kiah only nodded. She didn’t ask questions. She prepared her things and they left the next morning. Efse didn’t say much to either of them before leaving again.

Zadeer did his best to try to explain the stuff that was happening way too quickly to really understand.

“Efse decided it wouldn’t be safe for you,” he said as he helped put her things away in her new room. “This is pretty much like every other time you’re here, alright? Just call me by name and, if anyone asks, we’re just roommates and have no blood relation to each other at all.”

…

Efse never said what she told Ecale about Kiah. She assumed it was either claiming her dead or missing. Zadeer revealed his hidden talent of forgery that claimed her ten years older. The plan was that they’d move to Hyasari, she’d get a job (in hopes of eventually being able to pay for Efse to come over as well), and then continue her education at night. She could tell it wasn’t what they really wanted to do, but by now it seemed the lie they’ve been weaving since she was born was too knotted to get out of now.

Their house was between the goblin and fairy communities and a small band of shops. It was just a tiny bit of the much larger Hyasari, though it was the closest to what they were familiar with. They both pitched in to make it as much like home as they could, even if they didn’t have the spare funds for decorating and neither of them had much crafty talents.

Kiah was walking back with groceries when she noticed mumbling from their new neighbors. It didn’t sound like the whispering of the goblins in Ecale; more like they were trying to win a bet on something. That wasn’t enough to ease her anxiety and it only got worse when one of them finally walked up to her.

“I haven’t seen your face around here!” the goblin remarked with a smile, slightly assuring her a bit. “Did you just move in?”

She nodded. “A week ago.”

“How come I’m only just now talking to you, then?”

“I’ve only actually left the house for service…”

“If you don’t mind me asking, are you from True Qizar or somewhere here in Fleyw Bresh?” He paused. “It must be odd hearing a question like that from a stranger. Let me introduce myself. I’m Eesat, descendant of Lord-Troll Sleel.”

“Kiah Endove,” she returned slowly. Only her age and birthplace was changed in those documents. The names were common enough that adding another layer of lies was unnecessary. “I’m a goblin of Fleyw Bresh, across the mountains in one of the goblin provinces.”

He looked disappointed, but continued on with the conversation anyway. “You know what? You want some help carrying that back to your house? You’re an awfully tiny thing to be carrying that all on your own!”