The Goblin's Heir

Chapter Eighteen: What is Dead

I clutched Magni to me, my fingers digging into his skin. He was so warm. For a goblin, at least. Their blood ran colder than mine, but he felt alive. In the last of my memories of him he'd felt like ice in my arms. He was frighteningly light. I could've cradled him like a baby without any trouble, but my own legs betrayed me. I slumped down onto my knees with him, rocking back and forth as I stroked his dirty hair from his face. 

My son. My Magni. He was alive!

"It's him." I chattered, shivering with shock as I peered up at Knut. "It's really him. Magni...The Hollow gave him back to us."

Knut stared at me. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came. He fell heavily onto his own knees beside me and with a shaking hand touched Magni's cheek. "It can't be...how...I don't understand." His eye grew slick with tears, though I wasn't sure if they were happy or fearful ones.  "I saw him burn."

"It doesn't matter." I laughed, half delirious. "He's whole now." I leaned down and kissed Magni's forehead, his cheeks. So warm and alive. 

"What the flying shit just happened?" Odd growled from above me. I finally noticed that Knut and I were not alone, that he was standing there, half hunched over as his broken ribs flexed outward awkwardly with each wheezing breath. Frit and Floki huddled on the ground by the arena's edge behind him. The brides had all come to their aid, Cerise and the others were helping Floki try to keep Frit calm so he wouldn't hurt himself worse than he already was. Floki's own blood was pouring from beneath his ribs. Frit thrashed around, his spine bending off the ground as he groaned and cried out. He was so loud, yet I hadn't heard him since I saw Magni's face. Guilt hit me in the gut. My other sons needed me as much as Magni did. 

"We should get inside." Magni was as naked as the day he was born. I wanted to get him warm and fill his emaciated stomach with food until he popped. I looked out at the crowd slowly making their way to where we were, every face frozen in a mixture of shock and horror. "The coronation is canceled! Someone help us take the boys home! See to their wounds!" I commanded. 

"What?" Odd's eyes narrowed. "No, we're not done yet! I was about to win!" He snarled at me.

"It's Magni, Odd." Knut grabbed at Frit's wrist, yanking him back from me. "I'm sorry, but we can't continue now..not today.

"Magni is dead!" Odd roared, his voice rumbling in a way I had never heard from him before. 

Knut stood and faced Odd, drawing himself to his full height. "He's alive now. I don't know how, but he is, which means he has the right to try to claim the throne. We have to wait for him." 

Odd snarled into Knut's face. "He's already a failed prince! He's got no claim on my crown!"

"It isn't your crown yet, boy," Knut growled back, his lips curling back from his teeth threateningly.

"You would've won today, there is no denying that," I said calmly, attempting to douse their rising tempers, "but we must figure out what is happening now. You'll have another chance and if it is your destiny to be goblin king, you will win again."

"This isn't right." Odd shook his head, stepping back from his father and down from his challenge. "It's unnatural. What is dead should stay dead." Odd snarled lowly, his fists so tight at his sides I feared he'd cut himself with his own claws. 

"You wouldn't be here if I had left the dead be," I said.

Odd's head snapped up in a startled reaction as if to dodge a sudden blow. He glowered down at me, his teeth peeking from beneath a curling lip. "Do what  you want, but don't say I didn't warn you when he turns out to be some kind of demon and bites you in the ass." With a dismissive gesture, he turned from me, shoving his way through the crowd and out of The Hollow.