Read Mother May I (Knight Games Book 4) for Free Online

of the cupboard. I popped the tin open, relieved the cookies weren’t stale, then filled the teakettle. Once I lit the stove under the teapot, I got down to the matter at hand.
    “The symbol seemed familiar to me, but I couldn’t remember where I’d seen it,” I said.
    “You’ll find it at the back of your spellbook and every Hecate grimoire. The circular symbol represents her labyrinth, her duties as the goddess of the crossroads, death, doorways, or change.” She traced the circular symbol. “There are three areas where the maze bubbles out. They represent her three aspects—maiden, mother, and crone. The star at the center is a depiction of the united elements, the source of her power.”
    I shook my head. “Why is Hecate’s symbol on a goblin arrow?”
    “Or more to the point, why does the Goblin Trinate want you dead?”
    “Goblin Trinate?”
    “All goblins are dangerous, but the one that shot you was the most dangerous type of all. Similar to the fae, there are many varieties of goblins. From an evolutionary standpoint, they are presumed to be cousins of the fae, actually. But only one type of goblin uses a bow and arrow like this. These goblins are organized and humanoid. You might think of them as the goblin equivalent of the mafia. They call themselves the Goblin Trinate, and—this is the important part, Grateful—they have a reputation as mercenaries.”
    “You think someone hired them to kill me?”
    “I don’t know. I’m simply saying it’s possible. The more likely scenario is you caught the goblin in the act of doing something else, and he felt threatened by your judgment.”
    I tapped my fingers near the arrow, trying to digest everything she’d said. I’d gone to Salem to judge and sentence a maleficent supernatural being. That being had turned on me. That wasn’t surprising. It happened almost every time I patrolled my ward. But this encounter was different.
    “My power faded when I tried to sentence him to the hellmouth. Nightshade just fizzled.”
    Polina looked at me out the corner of her eye. “Was your blade touching goblin blood? The blood has anti-magical properties, which is why it’s poisonous to witches.”
    “I don’t think so, but there was so much glass and spilled liquor. Maybe.”
    “There had to be blood. Hecates like us have power over all supernatural beings.”
    I tried to remember for sure, but I couldn’t. “There was something else. The goblin’s name was Tobias. I know this because his sister showed up as I was dying in the street. She congratulated him on killing me and said there would be much celebration among their kind.”
    This time Polina grabbed a cookie from the tin. “That sounds premeditated,” she said nervously before stuffing it into her mouth.
    “My thoughts exactly.” I rolled the base of the fletching between my fingers, the feathers revolving between us. “Maybe this is a clue. What does the symbol mean, anyway? Have they always used it? Or is this a calling card from the one who hired them? Is the symbol about me—an arrow with my name on it, so to speak?” I popped a cookie in my mouth and then another, hoping the sugar and fat would numb the anxiety snowballing within me.
    “I’m not sure. Trinate means ‘group of three,’ so the symbol is apropos for their organization. It could be a coincidence, or maybe it’s a form of goddess worship. I actually wish Fang Face had stayed. Julius has been around long enough to know for sure. I’m at a loss. My ward is rural. We have massive troll problems but no goblins.”
    “If they weren’t working for someone else, why might the Goblin Trinate want me dead?”
    Polina leaned against the counter, toying with the ends of her wild red hair. “I’m not sure, but no scenario I can think of bodes well for you.”
    “That’s comforting.” The teapot whistled. I turned the burner off and added the tea bags. “Just for kicks and giggles, what scenarios can you think