Today’s excerpt comes from The Silver Stag.
Book Series Page for series information and pics of the characters: The Wild Hunt
Book Page for Buy links: The Silver Stag
“Oh, are you still here?”
I blinked. “Of course, I’m still here. I caught your chicken thief. Goblin.” I held up my cell phone to show her the picture I had snapped. “No doubt about it. One dead goblin.”
She stared at the picture, then started to shut the door on me. “Thanks. We appreciate it.”
I stuck my foot in the door, wedging it open before she shut it all the way.
“Hold on! You owe me for the rest of the job.” They had paid me half up front, with the promise of the rest of payment upon proof of job completion.
A sly smile stole over her face. “You can’t prove that you caught him on our land. That could be the picture of any goblin, anywhere. We won’t pay.”
“What the fuck?” I stared at her, trying to comprehend what she was saying. “You’re actually trying to stiff me? Lady, take a good look. That’s your shed in the corner of the picture, and one fucking dead goblin. I came all the way over from Seattle to help you. I saved your scrawny-assed chickens. I undercharged you. I sat in your backyard all night guarding your stupid birds. You are going to pay me for my work.” I glowered, leaning in.
She wrinkled her nose, trying to stare me down. “We never promised.”
“Like hell you didn’t.” I paused. “All right,” I said, turning back to the yard. “You want to do this the hard way? I notice you have a sprinkler system out there.”
I focused, searching through the moisture in the air until I touched on the lines running below the ground. Forcing as much energy as I could into my thoughts, I coaxed the water to pour through the system, faster and harder until there was a sudden “pop.” A geyser of water broke through the soil, fountaining into the yard.
