Page 39 of Ogres Don't Play

“Don’t forget the purple yams.”

He smiled, showing his broken tusk. “Not forget.”

After we’d gotten brains, yams, and a variety of other strange vegetables as well as the side of lamb, and were on our way back from the dock, I spied a flash of platinum in my periphery, in a small boat that looked a little faster than the others, sleek, like it could get away quickly if necessary.

I’d had various jewelry when I ran away from my dad, because my elven blood brought enspelled objects to life. Elves wore a lot of jewelry as a race, and I’d worn my mother’s jewelry as a matter of course. I’d had to sell off everything I’d taken with me, piece by piece, except for my favorite bracelet. That was stolen. It had been such an excellent bracelet, with a spell of strength and focus that I definitely could have used as Music Master.

“You have elven jewelry?” I asked, crouching down on the dock’s edge so I could peer into the box that I’d seen the flash of silver from.

“You have a keen eye,” the man said with a charming smile, showing serrated teeth. Goblin.

I smiled back at him. “Do you sing?”

For a beat, his smile was frozen before he inhaled sharply, as sharp as those teeth. “You’re the music master. I have avoided recruitment so far.”

His voice was more than passable, a persuasive voice, which is no doubt why he was here, selling elven jewelry he’d gotten from stealing, or grave robbing, most likely. “I’ll take the entire lot.” I held out my card, but he hesitated.

“I didn’t tell you the price.”

“I’m sure the deal will be reasonable.”

“How are you so sure?”

I smiled at him. “If I have to find you because the price was not reasonable, we’ll have our first rehearsal then.”

He pursed his lips in thought. “What would you consider reasonable?”

“Stolen goods are always much less valuable than legal ones.”

His eyes narrowed. “You drive a mean bargain.”

“It’s the elf in me.”

“I would have pegged you for an angel.”

“Angels can be the most brutal of them all.”

His eyes widened, and he ran the card, for a price that wasn’t nearly as high as I expected. He really had given me a reasonable bargain, and then handed up the box with a smile. “You’re truly getting the Goblin Authority to sing?”

“Truly. One way or another.”

“You have a great deal of courage.”

Or stupidity, but I only smiled, took my box, and turned to rejoin Driver and Lanise.

“No spells on them,” Driver said, when he saw what I was carrying.

“I know. The spells could be tracked. They strip them first thing.”

“You like pretty?”

“I like to return things that were stolen. Someone who’s missing their mother’s bracelet would be very happy to get it back.”

He was quiet for a moment before he murmured. “Ah. I forgot you angel. Honor expensive.”

“Yes, honor is expensive, but it can buy peace of mind, which is priceless.”

“You sleep well now?”