Of Shadows and Elves (Of Goblin Kings Book 2) by Emma Hamm

Author:Emma Hamm [Hamm, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see vague shadows and shapes around herself, although she had no idea what they were. They could be stones. They could have been armored fae watching her every move.

The compass had a small light within it. The needle glowed on its own and never wavered from the same direction it always seemed to point. So she used that as a guide to get through the tunnels of the cave until she burst out into an enormous cavern.

Sunlight speared from a slight crack at the top of the cave and illuminated the stones. Small mossy patches shone emerald green and were brighter than the sun itself. Or perhaps she was so starved for color, that anything looked vibrant.

Golden sun slashes caught on a stone giant embedded into the rock walls. Only his outstretched hand and bowed head poked through the mountain. The rest was hidden within the stone. Bald, with a polished skull, he stared down at the ground as though defeated in battle long ago.

She wondered what the giant’s story was. If the carving was created by an artist, then the emotion was so painful and pure it made her heart ache. But she had a feeling a person hadn’t created this masterpiece. This was the faerie realm, after all, and this giant was most likely an actual person who had once been alive.

Freya thought it possible that the Goblin Queen had turned this man into stone. Maybe it was the Goblin Queen’s parents, although a giant such as this would have been depicted in the tapestries.

He didn’t look like the kind of person who attacked villages or castles. The soft expression of sadness on his face was one she had only seen in the kindest of souls. He held out his hand as though waiting for something. Or someone.

She stepped down into the cave, remaining as quiet as possible because she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to talk yet. Could she speak to this creature? Or was that breaking the rules yet again?

She reached out and held onto his thumb that was as tall as Freya. Hauling herself up onto his palm, she walked forward and saw there was a small inscription in the center of his hand. Someone had carved into his stone flesh, “Warm the giant, and he shall provide all you seek.”

At least she knew she could talk to him.

Freya looked around for something that might heat this great being. There was a compact bundle of sticks where someone had once built a fire, not in the hand, but at least close enough. She hopped down and gathered it all up in her arms.

A flint laid nestled between stones, with a small leather thong attached to it. She tried very hard not to think about the people who had come here before her.

She stepped back up onto the hand and set her wood into a pattern that she knew would catch ablaze. Putting her hands on her hips, she surveyed her work and then nodded.

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