They skipped demonology.

  Despite the speech that Cirdor had given, the moment they were out of enchanting, things settled back into the routine of the teachers giving the elf and centaur pairs the majority of the attention, then the other three races getting the next most attention and finally the trio getting whatever was left when the other ten didn’t need any help.

  With eighteen days left, the SUV took the trio into town instead of to the school. The black vehicle stopped in front of a large warehouse with a large sign that read CASINO in flourishing typography.

  This doesn’t look like any of the casinos from back home. Penelope looked over the bland structure. The shopping centers have more decorations than this.

  “The Goblins are thrifty; besides, there’s only two main sources of entertainment and gambling in the universe, so it’s not like they have to advertise to entice people to come into the building. If you want to gamble, this is where you have to go.”

  “This place gives me the creeps.” Rendhe shivered as she adjusted her skirt. She glanced over at Penelope. “You can deal with the Weres.”

  “Weres?” Penelope felt naked as the SUV drove away. She looked from Rendhe to Lanlo. “Like Werewolves?”

  “If we’re lucky.” The older man grumbled. “I don’t remember what they have on staff here at the moment.”

  Jeru…

  “The Goblins are short and weak, so they use Weres from the Were Guild as bouncers and enforcers.” The blue Elf shook his head. “Some places use cheap local labor, but most of the time they rely on mercenaries for protection.”

  Any surprises I need to worry about? Penelope hesitated in front of the double doors.

  “Weres like to bite people they think they can turn, though with the system, there have been very few times when they’ve bitten someone.”

  But it has happened.

  The blue man shrugged. “It does, and to answer your next question, yes, you’ve been bit in the past and no, you aren’t going to change if they do it again.” He smirked. “Actually, it could play to your benefit if you get bitten because then the Goblins would be on the hook to compensate you for the assault…” He paused. “Just don’t do something like dare them to bite you or offer to let them. If you do that, then it’s just your own stupidity that caused the bite, which makes it your fault, not theirs.”

  Let’s just not plan on getting bitten… Penelope rubbed the back of her neck. So is it Werewolves?

  “Nope, this place has a Werebear named Hugs and a couple Wereraccoons, but those tend to stay away from the customers, so you don’t have to worry about them too much.”

  Hugs?

  “It’s a nickname.” Jeru rubbed his chin. “I forget what his name really is or even what he was before he turned, but I can tell you that you don’t want to receive a hug from him.”

  Noted. Penelope pushed open the door and walked inside.

  The first thing she noticed was a dull ringing in her ears. It wasn’t coming from the ringing slots and bells that filled the air. Her arms felt heavier, her legs a little slower, and the air was difficult to breathe, like it was full of smoke, yet there wasn’t any indication of smoke. She formed the question in her mind but decided that if it was really important, Jeru would fill her in. Not that he had been doing a great job, but there was enough other things going on that she didn’t want to divert her attention if it wasn’t presently relevant.

  The handful of locals inside didn’t seem worried about the change in environment. Despite the urgency of the situation in the city, the modest group of locals seated around card tables and slot machines were laughing or staring intently at their hands or machines. It very much gave off the ‘everything is normal’ vibe, which helped to calm her nerves a little. A bar in the back was conspicuously empty, as were the tables in front of the screens scattered around the outer walls.

  “Does anyone remember where we’re supposed to go?” Penelope glanced at the two people behind her.

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  “Treq Noz was who we’re supposed to talk to.” Rendhe offered. “He’s probably in the office?”

  The trio wove their way through the machines and tables towards the back of the building. Once they passed the bar a pair of Wereraccoons in black suits stepped out from behind the bar to block them from getting any closer to the back doors.

  “Employees only.” The Wereraccoon on the left folded his arms across the black suit vest. “Turn around.”

  “We’ve got an appointment with Treq Noz.” Penelope tried not to look away from their beady eyes nestled in the strip of black fur across their gray face.

  “The Human thinks she deserves to speak with the boss?” The bouncer on the right sneered. “Too much fear in the air.”

  Penelope tilted her head to the side. “Just because I’m smart enough to recognize you’re dangerous doesn’t mean I won’t fight.”

  “HA!” The one on the left laughed. “The Human thinks she’s so tough.” He licked his lips. “I was Human once; maybe you’d like to know what true power tastes like.”

  Lanlo tensed before she could respond.

  “If you say ‘try me’, he’s going to take that as permission.” Jeru warned. “And that pressure you felt earlier was your mana being suppressed. You might be able to cast a spell, but it’ll feel like using mud instead of water if you do.”

  You’re telling me that if I fight them, I’m going to lose. She shook her head as some of the confidence she’d felt earlier drained away.

  “Technically, you never really lose.” He chuckled. “It’s just a temporary setback.”

  I don’t feel like wasting these last few days just because I picked a fight I couldn’t win. Penelope sighed. “Just take us to your boss.”

  “You don’t give the orders here, girlie.” The gray Were straightened to his full height, just a few inches taller than her. He cracked his knuckles as he stepped closer to her.

  “I’m not fighting you just to prove I can win.” Penelope didn’t bother to try to hold his gaze. She knew she wouldn’t be able to anyway. Instead, she decided to treat him like he wasn’t a threat at all. “Where’s Hugs?”

  The hostile Were froze at the mention of his supervisor.

  “He doesn’t come out for lowlifes.” The other Were put a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “But we don’t get many fish in here. Maybe they’re royalty or something.”

  “Whatever.” The left one pulled his shoulder away from the other. “You go get the alpha if you think it’s worth his time.”

  The other one ran towards the double doors on the back wall and was almost hit with the metal door as it swung open.

  Hugs was easy to spot as the black-furred man towered over everyone else. He was over seven feet tall and his shoulders were broad enough that both Penelope and Rendhe could have hidden behind him. His white suit was spotless and contrasted against his dark fur.

  In front of him strutted a green Goblin in a golden suit. The three-foot-tall man puffed out his chest as he marched towards the trio.

  The Wereraccoon sidestepped out of their path and fell into step behind the pair once they passed him. The aggressive one in front of Penelope lowered his ears and moved to the side.

  “WELCOME!” The Goblin spread his arms wide. “Friends of the Nobles are always friends of mine!” He winked at Penelope. “Perhaps you’d like to try your hand at a few games?” He snapped his fingers. “Larry, start the lovely lady with a thousand-credit tab.” He bounced his eyebrows. “On the house, of course.”

  The Wereraccoon to the side bowed and backed up.

  “That won’t be necessary.” Penelope held up her hand. “We’re just here to increase our levels as fast as we can.”

  “A true farmer.” The Goblin nodded, then stuck out his hand. “I have many titles, but the one I like the most is Prince Treq Noz of the Swamp Goblins.”

  “Prince?” Penelope took his hand and shook it but pulled it back when he stepped forward to kiss the back of her hand.

  “Forgive me.” Treq held up his hands and took a step back. “I forget that not all species have the same rituals.” He flashed her a smile. “As your host, I hope I have not made you too uncomfortable.”

  “It’s okay…” Penelope tucked both of her hands behind her back. “I’m Penelope Flynn and this is…”

  “Rendhe Betwsy and Lanlo Chillau.” The Goblin nodded, a smirk tugging at his lips. “I know who you are. Lady Husley and I are very well acquainted.”

  “Okay…” Penelope swallowed. “I don’t want to be rude, but we’re on kind of a time crunch.”

  “Ah, yes, the countdown and you want to be ready for the next floor. It’s been a pleasure to meet you and I do hope you have time for us to get better acquainted before you have to go back to protecting us all from the incursion.” Treq raised his hand and patted the Werebear’s hip. “Hugs, take them to the back so they can focus in peace.”

  The large man-bear grunted, then nodded his head towards the back doors. The two other Weres split on either side. They both stayed behind as the trio followed the larger Were through the double doors.

  The back was a maze of hallways, but it was laid out in a grid pattern that made it easy to keep up with where they were. Hugs stopped in front of one of the plain, metal doors and pushed it open.

  His voice came out in a low growl. “Krek can get you anything you need.”

  Penelope looked inside the room. A single table sat in the middle of the small space. Stacks of magic paper were in the middle of the table along with piles of jewelry and various types of gear. Three chairs were positioned around the circular table, with a yellow Goblin in dirty jeans and a greasy shirt waiting for them in front of the table.

  “I’m Kreklash Razpan and it’s a pleasure to be your teacher.” The yellow man gave a slight bow. “If you’ll take a seat, we can start with how to salvage enchantments from magical items.”

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