Dan lay there in the dark. Mitzi was curled up and he was curled around her. Neither of them slept, but neither of them had spoken for quite some time. They hadn’t needed to. He knew how she was feeling. She knew how he was feeling. The only thing Dan had to be careful about was her ears. He’d already made that “mistake” once. She seemed to not run out of energy. Ever.

  “I can’t thank you enough, Mitzi.” He said quietly. He felt like she’d helped break him out of some lingering trap that Bethella had left. He wasn’t cured. These things didn’t work like that. He just felt free to feel again. She snuggled back into him more.

  “Dan?” Mitzi whispered. She seemed hesitant to break silences. “Can we do the question game again?”

  “I hadn’t thought of it as a game, but sure.” He said. He squeezed her. She didn’t have to go home. He had to keep reminding himself of that, and he felt relief all over again.

  “Ok.” She said. “Me first. What is Dan short for?”

  “Who have you been talking to?” He asked in mock suspicion.

  “What?!” She yelped. “Is it Daniel? Danforth? Danton? What’s the big deal? I just know Dan is supposed to be short for something.”

  He sighed and looked at her. She’d turned her head and he saw one eye watching him.

  “If I tell you this,” he said, “you have to promise to tell no one. It’s become a thing with my friends. Henry is STILL texting me guesses.” He shrugged uncomfortably. “AND it’s embarrassing.”

  “I promise.” She said, and that was all he needed from her.

  “So my birth wasn’t easy.” He began. “Mom was in a lot of pain, so they gave her drugs, which was the only time she’d used them during a delivery. My dad had developed appendicitis at the same time so he couldn’t be there. He was in surgery.”

  God, he hated this story.

  “So after I was born they asked a highly medicated woman with no other family around what she wanted to name her child. My dad wanted to name me Daniel after his uncle. My mom wanted to name me Jonathan after her father.”

  “Noooooooo.” Mitzi said.

  “So this poor medicated woman tells them “Danathan”. My fucking name,” he sighed, “is Danathan.”

  Mitzi laughed. He honestly couldn’t blame her.

  “Ok. Is that out of your system now?” He asked.

  “I’m sorry. That’s just a funny story. You tell stories really well.” She said. “I don’t really see what the problem is with Danathan, though.”

  He raised an eyebrow. Mitzi rolled to face him and she was smiling at him. There was nothing mocking in that smile.

  “I think it’s a wonderful name.” She beamed at him and he realized she was completely serious. She kissed him suddenly and quickly, and he just laid there with his eyes wide. It had to be because of where she was from, but he didn’t care. NO ONE thought Danathan was a wonderful name. Not even his mom. But Mitzi did.

  “My turn.” He said. She kissed him several times on the face as he thought. It didn’t really help.

  “Is Mitzi your real name?” He finally asked. “Like, that IS a human name. I grew up with a Mitzi. I was wondering if it was a name you took when you came here, or if it was a translation, or if it was short for something else.”

  Her smile dropped and he grinned. Ah. Turn-a-bout.

  “Mitzi IS my real name. Part of it. Everyone in the brood has always called me Mitzi, but when I found out Mitzi was a human name too, I was ecstatic. Bandy and I have matched full names though.”

  “And that full name is. . .” He prompted and Mitzi sighed just as heavily as he had.

  “Mitzibah.”

  “Jesus. That’s beautiful, Mitzi.” He kept repeating it in his head. It sounded like a mystical princess or something. She was certainly pretty enough to be a Mitzibah.

  “Mitzibah,” she said flatly, “is a broodmare name. Mother had some very specific ideas bout my future role. Bandibah as well.”

  “I’m sorry.” He said. “If it means anything at all, it sounds like a lovely name to me, and if anyone could lift it above the traditional meaning, it’s you.” He booped her nose.

  She tried to hide her face from him.

  “Thank you, Danathan.” The smile turned a little malicious. But he just smiled back. He thought this was the first time anyone had called him that and he was fine hearing it. He leaned his head close to hers.

  “If you want to call me that, I’ll let you.” He said quietly. “In private.” It was a secret. Just for her. “You’re the only person who can. The only person I want to.”

  She kissed him for a long time after that. She finally stopped and looked at him in exasperation.

  “Of course you can call me Mitzibah after that, you giant goober. Same rule. Only when it’s us.” She looked at his ears.. “I really need to figure out a way to make these things bigger. I’m scared if I pinch them too hard they’ll pop off.”

  Dan laughed at that.

  “No no no no. I’m not giving you something you can nail to ANYTHING. Now, do you have another question? I believe we were playing questions.”

  “I do.” She said. She was oddly nervous.

  “Would you. . . Nevermind.” She said.

  “Nope. New rule. You have to finish the question.” He said.

  “You sure?” She asked. “It’s kind of a big one. Especially this early.”

  Dan stared at her.

  “I don’t think there’s anything you could say to make me leave.” He said.

  She took a deep breath.

  “Would you ever consider raising a family?” She said. She was already blushing.

  Dan blinked. Not the question he expected.

  “Like, us? Can we? There’s precious little info about human’s and goblins out there.” He said.

  “I have someone I can ask. But you’re dodging the question.” She said.

  “Eventually,” Dan said, “I think I would be happy to. But you’ve been very open with your disdain for the idea of being a parent, particularly a broodmare. And I don’t know that I’d be a good father. Not right now anyway.”

  Mitzi cupped his face with her hand. She seemed to like doing that. Dan wondered if it was a goblin thing or a Mitzi thing. There was sympathy in her. And a level of frustration.

  “Maybe. I need to get you to see what you are, though. You have so much strength in you.” She told him. He felt considerably less than strong.

  He opened his mouth to say something, but she stopped him with a finger on his lips.

  “No.” She said simply. “You’ll see it eventually.”

  He laughed as she pushed him on his back. Maybe he would, but he wasn’t going to worry about it. She curled up next to him under the covers and laid her head on his shoulder. She placed a hand on his chest and he covered it with his.

  “Now do you have a question?” She asked. That last question had thrown him off and he’d forgotten.

  “How long do goblins live?” It was something that had been in the back of his mind and he was frightened to hear the answer. He’d had the horrible thought that she might only have a couple of decades left. He knew in stories goblins didn’t live long at all.

  “Well, in the dungeon, the life expectancy was only about forty or fifty years.” She said, and he bit his lip. Not nearly long enough. She looked up at him in surprise at his sudden sadness.

  “Dan, you goober, you didn’t let me finish. That’s life expectancy. Not span. We can live for over a hundred years, Geraldine says. It was a big question when we came here.”

  “Oh thank GOD.” Dan said, taking a deep breath to try and forget the worry he’d felt. She cuddled closer.

  “Mitzi-Doodle, we should get some sleep. I have work in the morning. AND, Rob wants you and me at gaming after work, right?”

  Mitzi grumbled, but agreed.

  Dan slept better than he had in years that night.

  Mitzi woke up to an empty bed. She wasn’t worried. In fact, she smiled. Dan was in the next room. She could feel him there and it made her smile. Then her head shot up. FEEL him? Not just emotionally, but she KNEW where he was. It was like a little thing in her head that said “DAN: HERE”. What in the fuck was this thing? Was it getting stronger? If he could smell her scent, did that mean she’d caused it?

  Ice pierced her heart. Did Dan have a choice in this? Oh gods. What if he didn’t? Before she could climb out of the bed, the door opened and Dan was there with a plate of eggs and waffles in his hand, and a look of concern on his face.

  “Are you ok?” He asked, coming over with the plate and setting it on his nightstand. He sat next to her and touched her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

  “I. . . Dan, I need to talk to Geraldine today. I’m hoping she has answers about what’s happening to us. I’m worried I DID this to you.”

  “Ok.” He said, then smiled. “That’s fine, but first off, I am immune to mind control. It hasn’t worked once. So whatever this is? It hasn’t stolen my free will.”

  “I still want to know.” She said.

  “Great. Me too.” He told her calmly. “Second, you woke up in time for breakfast and a shower. Your clothes are dry as well. Thirdly,” He picked up the plate and handed it to her. “I made you peanut butter and jelly waffles with your eggs.”

  Mitzi looked at him for a moment.

  “Regardless of what has caused this, you are now never getting rid of me.” She said and immediately launched herself into the PB&J waffles. Dan laughed, and left to bring his own plate in to eat with her.

  After they’d both gotten dressed, Dan reached into a drawer and came out with a key on a key chain advertising Natchez. He placed it on top of Mitzi’s new e-reader and handed both to her.

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  “That is yours for as long as I live here.” He said as he knelt in front of her. “I want you to think of this place as a second home. Anywhere I live, I want you to think of it as a second home.”

  She looked down at the e-reader and the key. He’d given her every book in the world, and a place to come read them. With everything else, she’d almost forgotten. She kissed him then stepped back.

  “I should probably get going.” She said. “I’ll see you tonight. Gaming?”

  Dan nodded.

  “Yeah. But, can I drive you home?”

  “Do you have time to do that? I know you normally walk.” She asked. Honestly, she’d LOVE for him to drive her home, but she didn’t want him to be late.

  He smiled at her.

  “I have time.” He said.

  The drive back to Goblin House was quiet, but not awkward. She found herself putting a hand on his leg absently, and he would take up her hand at stop lights and hold it. It also wasn’t a long drive. Fifteen minutes when the lights were kind.

  Dan parked the car and turned to her. She could tell he was amused at something.

  “What?” She said, looking up at him. He had that boyish grin again. She wondered if he realized he was so pretty. She realized she hadn’t told him once and vowed to correct that mistake.

  “I am about to do the most domestic, Brady Bunch thing I have ever done in my damned life.” He said, still grinning.

  She looked at him quizzically. The fuck was a Brady Bunch? As she wondered, he leaned in and gave her a slow kiss that made her forget whatever it was he’d been babbling about. He pulled away.

  “Have a good day, my Mitzi-Doodle.” He said.

  She felt the stupidest smile cross her face. She fumbled with the door handle a couple of times before getting it open. She couldn’t stop looking at him and giggling. She tried to get out of the car, but she forgot the seat belt. He laughed softly as he helped her get untangled. She didn’t care if he thought she was silly right then. She hadn’t known how wonderful this stuff would make her feel.

  Mitzi managed to remember to close the door on the car and waved as he drove off. Her head was tilted and she realized she could still feel where he was. It became more vague, but she could still feel him as he left. She shook her head. THAT was why she needed to talk to Geraldine!

  But first. . .

  Mitzi burst through the door into the usual morning chaos of her brood and was surprised and how much she loved it this morning. She saw Bandy walk out from near the bathroom with her clothes for the day already on, and Mitzi dashed across the house and nearly knocked her over with her hug.

  “HEY!” Bandy said. She sounded overjoyed to see Mitzi. “How was your little slumber party?”

  Mitzi pulled back and looked at Bandy. She suddenly wanted to tell her about all of it. Well, most of it.

  “Believe it or not, I have got so much to tell you about, Bandy. And I will! I have two things to do first. I need to see Talwick before he leaves and then Geraldine. I know she’s off today.”

  Bandy laughed, just looking at Mitzi. Bandy looked ecstatic. She pointed behind Mitzi, and there was Talwick with a mouthful of Pop Tart. She launched herself at him and snatched him up into a hug that took him completely off guard.

  “Mitz? You ok?” He asked her. She pulled back and looked at him.

  “Have I told you that I love you lately? Because I do. Mom would be so proud of you.” She said, she felt like she was going to get choked up. Talwick’s expression was equal parts sadness, hopefulness, and confusion.

  “She would?” He asked. Gods, the look in his eyes. She needed to be a better sister.

  “Yes.” She couldn’t stop a couple of tears as she said it. “Yes she would. I’M proud of you.” She snatched him back into that hug and this time he hugged her back.

  Runt came in and she even hugged him. He gave her a hug back, which was unheard of in the dungeon days. She wanted to tell him how she felt about him but she was afraid she wouldn’t get it out. Not today. Instead she kissed her uncle on the cheek and looked at him with a giant grin.

  “Have a good day, Uncle Runt. I love you.”

  The best Runt could manage in front of everyone was a squeeze on Mitzi’s shoulder and a nod. She’d talk to him later. He herded the Tuesday crew out the door and to Larry’s waiting van after that, and was gone. Mitzi set her new e-book on her stack of her books on the shelf in the front room. She wanted to change clothes.

  As she did, Mitzi told Bandy as much as she felt she safely could. That included how serious the relationship had become.

  “Do WHAT?!” Bandy said. “I didn’t really want to have to be second prize so that’s great! Does he have a brother?”

  “Let’s just go with no.” Mitzi said. She was back in her new sun dress. She looked at herself in the mirror on the back of the girls room door and did a little twirl again. She looked at herself.

  “MAKE-UP!” She yelped. “I have a. . .holy shit. I actually have a date tonight.”

  Bandy clapped her hands together.

  “I’m doing the make-up after you talk to Geraldine, Mitz.”

  Mitzi gave her a doubtful look.

  “Ok. But don’t you make me look like one of those western goblin whores.” She smiled as she said it though. Holy crap, was she in a good mood. “Geraldine’s in her usual spot?”

  “Yep!” Bandy chirped. She ran to the bathroom looking for make-up.

  Geraldine, Geharadeen being her goblin name, sat in the garden that she, Mitzi, Lexi, and Bandy had fought back and tamed behind the house. The Errant Apprentice told them it could be beautiful. He had been right.

  Runt may have been King, but King of Blame. He was the sacrifice. He would be the one to pay the price to protect Geraldine. She was their heritage. Mitzi was constantly confused by her hatred of Runt, even after four broods. She was too frightened of Geraldine to ask.

  Mitzi checked her enthusiasm as she descended the back steps and approached the old woman. She was the oldest goblinette Mitzi had known. At least sixty years old. She was known for her patience. Mostly because she could have precious little of it.

  “I was wondering when you’d get home, Mitzibah.” She’d shouted as soon as Mitzi appeared on the porch. “I wanted to get this talk over with. It’s my day off. I want to keep this chair from wandering off.”

  “You knew I wanted to talk?” Mitzi was shocked. Then she wasn’t. Her expression dropped. “Bandy.”

  “Don’t be mad at your sister. She only told me because I asked. Now take a seat and let’s get to jawin’.” She had a vicious smile.

  Mitzi walked over and sat down in one of the large wooden deck chairs they’d salvaged.

  “First, thanks for this, Geraldine.” She frowned. “This shouldn’t have to be your responsibility.”

  “Your mother was a lovely woman and she would have been there if she could have.” The old woman said simply. “I’m guessing you want to know if humans and goblins can interbreed?”

  Mitzi nodded and watched the old goblinette. She reached into her apron pouch and pulled out a small jar full of what looked like rough, homemade tablets. She handed it to Mitzi.

  “What’s this?” Mitzi asked as she looked at them through the glass. They appeared to be covered in chocolate.

  “Contraceptives. You’ll probably want one. JUST ONE, mind. I know they taste like candy.”

  Mitzi had to stop herself from downing them like Reece’s Pieces. They could have tasted like shit. The fact that she’d given her a jar of them told her what she needed to know. Geraldine laughed at Mitzi’s expression.

  “HA! That’s what I thought. Less rude than askin’. I just hand girls the jar and if they take one, I know. And they won’t hurt as long as it’s one a day.” Mitzi scowled. The old woman continued. “Honestly, there’s only a few very specific situations where a goblin can or will be able to interbreed with a human, Mitzibah.”

  Mitzi’s scowl continued, unabated.

  “That rare?” She asked.

  “Yeah. Gotta get them to be part of a bonded pair, and the situation for a human to be OPEN and ABLE to being in a bonded pair? HA! I think it happened once a few centuries ago with our clans.”

  Mitzi sat there, stunned.

  “What’s a bonded pair?” She asked, entirely too casually.

  “Oh. Right. You don’t know ANY of it, poor thing.” The old woman shook her head sadly. “Goblins can pair off. It’s an emotional link. It helps you to connect with your partner. You understand each other more. You FEEL each other. You can find each other. We didn’t do that in the dungeons though.”

  “Why?” Mitzi asked, suddenly curious.

  “No one wants to bond with someone that could be dead tomorrow. Nobody wants to feel like half of their soul died. You carry that pain, Mitzibah. You carry it forever. Believe me.”

  Runt and her suddenly made a little more sense.

  “Hypothetically,” Mitzi said carefully, “what situation would let a human be open to a bonding?”

  Geraldine raised an eyebrow.

  “Making plans?” The old woman chuckled. “Well it’s not something you can just do. The human has to be extremely unique. Here in the wide world you probably wouldn’t find one. They’d have to have a unique mental make up. Strong AND open. And humans are usually one or the other. And there's some other thing we've never figured out, so I've been told”

  “How unique?” She asked quietly. Ah shit.

  “Hypothetically?”

  “Fuck hypotheticals, Geraldine. I met a guy and we bonded.”

  Geraldine stared at her hard.

  “You sure about that, girl?” She said.

  Mitzi held her hand out and pointed in a direction.

  “He’s over there. He’s frustrated about something stupid, and his feelings for me feel like the damned sun.”

  Geraldine stood carefully, never taking her eyes of Mitzi. She looked surprised. Not angry, but surprised. She walked over and put her hands on the arms of Mitzi’s chair and leaned forward, forcing Mitzi back.

  “Why don’t you tell me about this guy. Not the fun, sexy stuff, mind you. Tell me why he’s unique upstairs.” She said. She said it very calmly, and very quietly, and left no room for Mitzi to get out of this. Mitzi swallowed hard.

  “He was a thrall to some elven witch for months.” She remembered that pain so vividly. “I felt it, Geraldine.” Mitzi started when Geraldine reached out and brushed her cheek with a finger. When Mitzi looked, there was a single tear on the old goblinette’s finger. The woman had nothing by sympathy in her eyes all of a sudden.

  “Who freed him, Mitzibah. I don’t know that that’s enough to do it, but it might be.” The old woman’s voice took on a softness. This woman knew that kind of shared pain.

  “No one.” She said, and she couldn’t keep a level of pride out of her voice. “He freed himself, Geraldine. Dan, MY Dan, broke free on his own. He says mind control doesn’t work on him now.”

  Geraldine stood there without moving or blinking so long that Mitzi began to worry that something had happened to the old woman. Finally, she straightened and rubbed her temples.

  “There shouldn’t have been a way.” Was all Geraldine said.

  “I told him that.” Mitzi added.

  “And how did he respond?”

  “He thinks he’s broken.” Mitzi said, sadly.

  Geraldine paced slowly for several minutes, leaving Mitzi to stew in her own thoughts. She rolled the bottle of tablets between her fingers. Geraldine finally sighed.

  “I have no answers for you on how your human may have broken free, Mitzibah. But someone that could do that would be open to a bonding and strong enough to reach out for one. His brain is weird.”

  “Did. . .” She was terrified of the answer to this question. “Did I make him love me? Did he have a choice?” Wait, why had she said that?!

  “Love?! Already? You’re sure?” Geraldine looked as shocked as she had with anything else they’d discussed so far.

  “Maybe? I don’t know. If I made him do this, is there a way to undo it? I don’t care if it hurts, I won’t put him through some kind of mental bullshit again. He. . .he doesn’t deserve that.” She felt miserable.

  Geraldine put her hands on her hips and glared at Mitzi, which made the younger goblin shrink back into the chair.

  “CHOICE?! Of course he had a choice! Do you think goblins can practice mind control? We’d never be minions if we could, girl! Don’t be stupid!”

  “Now wait a minute!” Mitzi shouted back.

  “NO! You wait a minute!” The old woman shot back and Mitzi suddenly remembered who she was talking to.

  “Sorry.”

  “Damned right you are.” Geraldine said with a snort. “There is nothing bonding does other than make it easier to know someone on a fundamental level. If. . . Jack-in-the-Leaves, I can’t believe I’m saying this. If it’s love, it was something stupid like love at first sight. Some kind of Everywhen fairy tale bullshit.”

  Mitzi remembered the previous night. Dan had said he’d been taken with her before she even kissed him. It was comforting, but the implications? That was worrying.

  “I thought we got out of the narratives when we came here.” Mitzi said quietly. Geraldine smiled.

  “You never escape stories, girl. You can just fuck them up here. Or make them better.”

  The old goblinette walked over and took her seat again. She picked up an opened beer can from the ground and took a long pull.

  “All lives are stories, Mitzibah. It doesn't matter where those lives are. All of them are stories. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Stories teach. They comfort. Sometimes they have happy endings. Enjoy this one. I hope it’s longer than mine was.”

  Mitzi stood.

  “And tell that sister of yours to stop spying on people from the back window. There’s a good girl. Off with you. Oh, and keep that bottle for now. One on any day you fuck.”

  Mitzi was halfway up the back steps when Geraldine called out to her.

  “OH! Almost forgot. There’s two things you didn’t ask.” She said.

  Mitzi froze in place. She turned slowly.

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  Geraldine took her time draining her beer can before crushing it against her head, then answering.

  “First, you didn’t ask how you did it?” The old goblinette smiled.

  Mitzi slapped her forehead.

  “How did-”

  “Kissing, girl.” She interrupted. “It’s a psychic bond through kissing. You wanted something that equated to him. Maybe it was a change. Maybe it was an adventure. Maybe you were really, really horny. I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. Your minds touched. You reached out, he reached out and closed the gap. Its why goblins don’t kiss. Our bunch have forgotten the reason, though.”

  Mitzi didn’t think she could forget that kiss, anyway. It made sense. She’d felt trapped and alone in a room full of humans AND goblins. Then suddenly there was a cute guy that looked mortified. She HAD reached out, whether she’d meant to or not.

  “Ok.” Mitzi said, coming back to herself. “What’s the other question I’m forgetting?”

  “Will you keep doing it. You normally only get to do this once. Maybe twice if you’re lucky, but it’s a safe bet you get at least the one.” Geraldine said. She looked sad. “If, and this is a big IF, for some reason he’s a terrible person, there’s a potion. It’ll make your scent the most off-putting thing in the world to him. It’ll break the bond. He will NOT like you afterwards. It’s dangerous so I don’t keep it around. It’s a brew as needed thing.”

  Mitzi just stared at Geraldine.

  “But again,” the old woman continued, “You’ve probably only got one, Mitzibah. Treasure it. When it’s gone it’s gonna hurt like a mother fucker.”

  “Thank you.” Mitzi said quietly. She curtsied, which she had never done to Geraldine before. The old goblinette chuckled. Mitzi finished climbing the steps and went inside.

  Bandy was already waiting.

  “So?” Bandy asked, trying to reign in her excitement and her curiosity.

  “So,” Mitzi said, feeling a little dazed by that last bit of discussion, “I think I’m very lucky. Bandy, can you do my make-up a little later? I want us to run to the boutique and grab some things and then I want to read till tonight.”

  Bandy hopped up and down clapping. Mitzi could never get over her sister being girly AND a punk. By all rights, Mitzi should have those teeth. She shook her head and smiled.

  “C’mon. You're gonna do me up like someone proper.” She grabbed Bandy by the wrist and went in search of some accessories.