NIGHT by I Rin (best books to read .TXT) 📕

to you. And, Angelica, could you find the Goblins’ King, please!”

She nodded and, with a sigh of relief, left the hall.

In the first room she met Elsa.

“Elsa, the witch asked me to find the Goblins’ King. Have you seen him?”

“Yes, I have! He swept past me and ran out of the cave. He looked shot and killed! Is anything wrong?”

“I don’t know,” answered the girl. “I'll find the King and ask him!”

“Shall I go with you?”

“No, thank you! I know this place very well!”

And Angelica resolutely left the cave. It was a beautiful night. The sky was cloudless. The full moon lit up all around, and the stars were jolly twinkling.

Lica looked around, but couldn’t see Swein anywhere. She went to the tree where their horses were, and found that the Goblins’ King’s horse wasn’t there.

Without hesitation, she untied her horse, leaped into the saddle and rode toward the city of goblins. She raced down the road like a wind.

After some time she saw Swein’s damaged crypt in front. Suddenly the girl’s horse lifted its face, sniffed and whinnied. And soon another neighing was heard afar.

“So that’s the man my horse always reacts!” Lica grinned, remembering her horse was neighing when she and the Vampires’ Prince were approaching the King of Goblins last time. “My horse can feel the horse of Swein!”

And the girl turned to the ruins of the crypt. From afar Lica noticed his horse tied to the fence. Angelica jumped to the ground and tied her horse there.

Lica gently passed under the archway into the tumble - down tomb. Gently jumping from stone to stone, she finally made her way into the room. When she was here last time, she did not notice all this chaos. Now she could see that the tomb remained almost untouched. Only a big slab had crushed the coffin where the King’s body had been before. However, Angelica was more surprised seeing that the wall with the portrait of a young man wasn’t harmed at all. Painted Swein was looking at her with his big mysterious eyes. Lica was admiring his beauty.

“Are you admiring the mess that you have done here?” suddenly she heard a familiar voice behind her.

When the girl's eyes adjusted to the darkness a little, and only then could she see the Goblins’ King, sitting on a large stone opposite the wreck.

“How did you find me?” he asked coldly.

“Intuition!” said Lica. “Honestly, I wanted to talk to you, Swein! I must apologize for my behavior last time.”

“Oh, quit playing games!” the Goblins’ King exclaimed irritably.

He shook his head and leaned against the wall.

“I do not know how I could fall into your trap! From the beginning it was clear who you were!”

Angelica flushed with indignation.

“Well who am I?” she said angrily.

“You are? Courtesan!” said the Goblins’ King pointedly. “You kissed Edward, and me, and perhaps, with the Prince of Vampires! Or maybe you've slept with him last night? I'm sorry for Edward! He cannot see your ‘true colours’!”

He stood up and walked slowly to Lica, smiling maliciously. Blood rushed to the girl’s head.

“Ah, the ‘true colours’,” choking with indignation, she said, “ah, ‘courtesan’!”

She stepped forward and fetched a slap across his face. Wicked spark flashed in Swein’s eyes.

“Never, you will never do it again!” he said sharply. “If you were not a girl, I would give you back!”

“So, that’s what you’re up to!” Angelica hit at Swein again.

The Goblins’ King caught her hand. They stood facing each other and gazing into each other's eyes. Swein was nervously biting his lips. Suddenly Lica somehow twisted and struck Swein’s shoulder.

“I thought you were an ordinary cad!” she shouted. “But you have overstepped the bounds of decency! You have insulted me, not knowing anything you are throwing mud on me. I cannot stand it anymore. I challenge you to a duel with swords!”

“Duel! Perfect!” said Swein. “I'll kill you here in my crypt, and then I'll build a new headstone, next to my old one. Although you do not deserve that! Here you are!”

And the Goblins’ King threw a sword to the girl. Lica caught it and was ready to fight. Swein burst of laughing.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” he said.

“You are a stupid fool!” Lica said quietly. “You judge by appearance and do not go into the essence.”

She stepped forward and struck her sword to the sword of the King.

“Oh,” Swein grinned. “And where have I mistaken?”

He parried and lunged at the girl. Angelica dodged the blade as she was taught at school of fencing.

“Wow!” the Goblins’ King was surprised. “Have you really learned anything?”

“And not only that,” the girl said shortly.

She quickly jumped from stone to stone and struck a blow on Swein coat, cutting it from the waist to shoulder. Swein kindled.

“It’s the luck of the draw!” he said. “You are a lady and I gave you a head start!”

He lunged toward Lica and struck on her left hand. It started bleeding.

“Well, you have had enough?” the Goblins’ King laughed. “Beg me, and I may take pity and won’t kill you!”

“Fortunately, I'm not a lefty!” Angelica retorted.

Ignoring the blood, she continued fighting.

“Well, you are stronger than I thought!” Swein was genuinely surprised. “Okay, you asked for it! I'll kill you!”

And he again threw himself on the girl.

Lica began jumping from rock to rock, barely managing to dodge the King’s sword. At one moment she was able to make a well-directed attack and wounded the Goblin’s shoulder.

“This is for a courtesan!” she said.

Swein contrived and knocked the sword out of the girl's hands. Angelica now was weaponless against the King.

“I do not kill defenseless!” said Swein.

He jumped from stone to stone to get the fallen sword how then something unexpected happened. A huge chunk of the dilapidated walls fell covering the Goblins’ King...

“Swein!” cried Angelica hysterically. “It cannot be true, Swein!”

She rushed to the stone and began to drag it away. She couldn’t understand how but she managed to do it. Goblin was lying next to the fallen sword, heaped with plaster. Long blonde hair was mussed covering his face.

“Swein, what have you done, Swein!” Lica sobbed. “What a fool you are if you couldn’t see how much I love you!”

She brushed the hair from his face, and put her ear to his chest to hear his heart beating or not?

“Hooray!” cried the girl. “He is alive! He is alive! I will help him!”

And she gave him a kiss of life. A few minutes later the Goblins’ King took a deep breath, coughed and opened his eyes.

“What are you doing?” he asked in surprise, trying to move away from Lica.

However, it wasn’t so easy. He groaned again and fell down to the floor.

“Don’t move, I beg you,” said the girl. “You must have broken something!”

“Yes... I even can guess - what! First- my leg and second - a left rib... are you crying?”

Angelica turned and quietly dried her eyes.

“Well, if you are such a quick-witted,” she said, “stay here and wait unless I take your horse closer and help you to get on it.”

“Why are you doing that?” the Goblin’ King laughed. “Only five minutes ago you were ready to kill me!”

“I didn’t, but you did want to kill me!” the girl retorted. “And I was just going to teach a jumped-up young man.”

“Help me up,” asked Swein.

Lica leaned over him and girdled Swein’s waist. His face crumpled with pain but he said nothing. Then, with Lica’s help, the Goblin sat up on a nearby stone.

“Thank you,” he nodded. “But you did not answer me, why you were crying?”

Angelica was angry.

“Swein!” she said sharply. “How do you think I should feel if I was absolutely sure that that wall has hammered you out into a pancake? You are the only link of goblins with the outside world! You have not finished your mission yet! And what would have happened to them if you had died because of me! I would never forgive myself!”

“Is that all?” muttered the Goblins’ King. “And I have heard that you love me, haven’t I? And you called me a fool...”

“Well, you weren’t unconscious, were you?” Lica gasped.

She was confused and did not know what to say. Swein smiled.

“Hoot!” Angelica cried and ran at him with her fists.

“Well where is your broken rib?” she cried. “I’ll break you another one!”

Goblin grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. It looked that it wasn’t easy for him. He grew pale; drops of sweat had come out on his high forehead.

“Why are you so bad-tempered?” he whispered and kissed her passionately.

Then he pulled back and bit his lip in pain. Angelica realized that Swein felt very bad.

“Wait,” she said shortly.

The girl immediately went out of the tomb and ran to the fence to Swein’s horse. Then she led it through the ruins to the, sitting on the stone, young man, and said:

“Swein, hang on me and try to climb into the saddle.”

The Goblin nodded, threw his hands over Lica’s waist and stood up. Then he carefully climbed into the saddle, although it was a great effort for him.

“Now hold on!” the girl said, and led the horse by the bridle to the exit from the ruins of the crypt.

Swein was silent, but Angelica guessed that he was very bad. The Goblin’s King was pale, the sweat rolled down his face, and his eyes closed time to time.

“Offer it up,” Lica whispered to her. “I nearly killed you and I will save you!”

When they got to the fence, she untied her horse, sat in the saddle and said:

“Swein, only hold on! I will ride horses.”

The King nodded. Angelica went forward, leading Swein’s horse behind.

On the road she spurred her horse and they raced in the light of the bright moon towards the cave of the witch. Lica was constantly looking back, fearing that the King would get worse or he would fall down. But he kept a stiff upper lip. Only when they were at the foot of the mountains, Swein lied down throwing his arms around the horse’s neck.

“Darling, wait a little more,” the girl said quietly to herself.

Soon she saw Margo, Elsa and Edward running towards them.

Part 7

Margo’s plan

“Gosh!” Margo exclaimed. “What happened? What happened to Swein?”

“He's been injured,” said Lica, jumping to the ground. “The wall in the crypt came upon him. His leg and rib have been broken.”

“My poor boy!” the witch gasped. “Edward, Elsa, help me to get him to the cave. I will examine him immediately!”

The Prince Night and the maid rushed to help Swein; Angelica took horses and tied them to a tree. Five minutes later, the Goblins’ King had been taken to his room. The witch and Elsa stayed with him, and Prince went to Lica.

“What happened?” he turned to the girl. “You only had to find Swein but you disappeared for a few hours! What happened to the King?”

“I had found him in the crypt,” Angelica said wearily. “We had just started talking, as the wall went upon the King. I thought he was killed, but fortunately, Swein was alive. And then as soon as possible, I tried to take him here - to Margo’s. That's my story.”

“But you have been injured too. You are covered with blood!”

“Don’t be so tragic about it! I need to wash my face…”

The girl went to the bathroom. She washed and tidied herself. When Angelica came back into the room, the witch had been waiting for her. Edward was not there.

“Sit down,” Margo pointed. “We need to talk.”

The girl obediently sat down on the sofa.

“Tell me what really happened to you? Have you got into hot water?”

“No,” Angelica shook her head. “It was an accident.”

“Edward has told me your story. But I was not born yesterday, and I can distinguish fact from fiction... For example, I can see the difference between the sword wound and the wounds left by the falling stone. The Goblins’ King has two sword wounds, one is on the shoulder and the second is from the shoulder to the waist.