Apples and Ashes
Date: 2023-02-27 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy; Magic; Fae; Adult; Paranormal; dragons; Romance; Fairies; Shapeshifters
Description: Shade of bygone screams, Smite thy secret schemes. Sway ye watchful trees of Ancient, Wily roots bleed thee benevolent. Whilst crimson drips thy crime, ‘Tis sought by thee divine. Age bends thee Archive’s time, Devoted guardians, pry, deny. Yay oh, an old, vengeful Fae titters, contented. When the Fae steal my daughter from our realm, I am not a happy man. The woodland sprite, Mamue, shouldn't have taken her. She shouldn't have tested me. Rest assured, she'll find out exactly what I am capable of. But I need allies. Heading into Fairy alone is impossible. So I'll do what I need to. I'll beg. I

Apples & Ashes

A Trixie Towers Novel

Scarlett Dawn

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

APPLES & ASHES

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2023© Scarlett Dawn

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Format - Down Write Nuts Book Service

Editing - RMJ Editing and Manuscript Service

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

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Dedication

To my grandmother,

Another year has passed. I've grown. I feel more comfortable in my own skin than I have for a very long time. I feel more...confident. And I love myself again.

I'm sure you know.

You're watching down on me with a proud smile on your face.

Because your girl did it. She's free.

You taught me how to be strong when needed.

Thank you.

Love forever,

S.D.

Shade of bygone screams,

Smite thy secret schemes.

Sway ye watchful trees of Ancient,

Wily roots bleed thee benevolent.

Whilst crimson drips thy crime,

‘Tis sought by thee divine.

Age bends thee Archive’s time,

Devoted guardians, pry, deny.

Yay oh, an old, vengeful Fae titters, contented.

When the Fae steal my daughter from our realm, I am not a happy man. The woodland sprite, Mamue, shouldn't have taken her. She shouldn't have tested me. Rest assured, she'll find out exactly what I am capable of.

But I need allies. Heading into Fairy alone is impossible.

So I'll do what I need to. I'll beg. I'll lie.

I'll threaten and cheat.

And I'll bring my daughter and her soul mate home.

I just need to get to Fairy first...

My name is King Traevon Towers, King of Elves. I am not a nice man. I do the ugly work to get the job done. Don't be fooled by my polite disposition. I have fangs, and I will bite.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

About the Author

Thoughts of a father:

Pixies can go fuck themselves.

But I imagine their dicks are so small they can’t even find them to accomplish the task.

Useless wastes of shit.

The whole lot of them can rot—and their awful dust.

“Wake the Fae fuck up!” A slithering hiss punctuated the shout above me, followed by a hard shake of my shoulders. “Dammit, I wish I could kill you right now. It would be so easy.”

I groaned quietly and opened my eyes as I pressed my forehead against cold, hard tiling.

I moaned deeply from my throat, “What…”

The unkind awakening continued with a definite swat to the back of my head, jarring my face further into the floor. Then King Elon’s voice hissed brutally, “Get your senses about you, King Traevon. We have a problem.”

My blink was slow as I gradually put my hands flat on the floor, breathing hard to push myself up to a seated position. Wobbling slightly back and forth on my ass, I studied the room I was in, my vision blurry and unfocused.

It was High Pointe.

The main level.

Myriad colors rained down through the shaded glass, coating me in reds, blues, and yellows, where I sat in a state of confusion.

I turned my head slowly to the only other occupant of the room, a gorgon king who was a major pain in my ass—and an enemy I shouldn’t be this defenseless around. Cracking my mouth open, I mumbled almost drunkenly, “What in the realm did you do to me, asshole?”

With his knees bent, squatting directly next to me, his molten green reptilian eyes narrowed on mine. “I did nothing except watch over your reckless ass for the last hour. Don’t blame this problem on me.”

Huh.

The gorgon king actually appeared serious.

“All right. What has happened then?”

“The Fae happened.” King Elon snorted and rubbed at his chin. “I was saddling up my Fae-gift when a horde of Fae suddenly exited out the doors and into my kingdom.” His gaze turned wary—yet curious. “They were carrying two unconscious people.”

My mouth shut…as my mind started to clear. I touched my face and used one finger to wipe at the dusting on my skin. Blue tinged the pad of my finger—fucking pixie dust.

“Motherfucker,” I growled furiously and started scrubbing at my face quickly. “Mamue took King Athon and my daughter.”

The gorgon king’s eyebrows lifted. “A kidnapping?”

“Of a sort.” Getting my feet under me, I tried standing. I will never admit if the devious prick beside me had to aid my person to keep said feet under me until the room damned well stopped spinning. Taking a cautious—and finally steady—step back from him, I muttered, “Where are the Fae now?”

“I presume they were heading for the Blood Forest.” He shook his head. “I could not follow there, as you know.”

I arched a furious red brow. “And I imagine you did not try to stop them, either.”

“There were over a hundred Fae, King Traevon. It would have been unwise to attack them not knowing what they are exactly and what their power is.”

I sighed quietly and glared toward the Gorgon Kingdom, unable to fault him on his reasoning—and I really wished I could so I could punch his smug face. I mumbled absently, “They are woodland sprites from the dark forest.” I began pacing barefoot and agitatedly ran my fingers through my hair, still damp from the ocean. “I need to get to Fairy.”

King Elon tilted his head, trying to catch my eyes. “Why did they take them? This will not look good for their side if we’re truly in a competition of sorts with the Fae. It does not make sense.”

“To use them as bait,” I snapped and glowered into his gaze. Then, keeping my words careful, I stated, “Two artifacts went missing from Fairy. They came looking for them right before our last challenge. I allowed them to stay in my own home while they searched. Apparently, they now know who stole the artifacts—but they believe taking King Athon and Princess Trixie will lead the thief to them.”

The gorgon king rolled that information around in his wily head, his eyes not even blinking once as the jackass held my gaze unwaveringly. “That…is interesting.” He hummed quietly inside his throat, sounding like a hissing snake. “And not entirely truthful, as it doesn’t make complete sense.”

“It’s all I can give right now,” I growled reluctantly, swiping my right hand through the air. “Do not ask any more questions. I don’t have time for this.”

King Elon crossed his arms and tapped two fingers against his lips, watching me closely. “I suppose, for now, that will suffice, considering the circumstances.” I seriously hated this bitch. “So we must go to Fairy to retrieve them.”

My head jerked back in surprise. “We?”

“Yes, we.” The asshole chuckled under his breath. “Unless you want to be eating the floor again soon. Which would you prefer? Another loss? Or assistance from me to track down the real enemy?”

“Neither sounds fucking great,” I grumbled and evaluated my options silently. I started pacing again, flicking my attention to his waist-length, thick shamrock green braids—unfortunately, he was formidable in the right situations. Finally, I asked guardedly, “What would you suggest?”

“There’s only one way for us to get to Fairy, and that is with the Fae.” King Elon cracked his neck and wrinkled his nose in revulsion. “But the only Fae we captured, we killed. So that leaves three Fae we know about and can contact.”

I sucked in a slow breath to steady my breathing while an idea progressively unfurled in my mind. “The dragons.”

He nodded once in agreement. “The dragons.”

“Shit.” I tilted my head back and stared up at the stained glass ceiling. “They aren’t going to like this. Not when they hate Fairy and don’t want to return there.”

“No, they won’t like it.” The gorgon hummed again, sending a slithering shiver down my back. “We will simply need to make them somehow. As much as it pains me to say, we need King Athon and Princess Trixie alive and well right now.”

My chuckle was ugly as shit. “Fucking Fae, I hate you.”

The jackass bowed elegantly at the waist. “I assure you, the feeling is entirely mutual.”

Blowing a heated breath between my lips, I instructed, “If we’re traveling to Trumbalay, we need to change our swimwear into warmer clothes.” I turned on my heel and stalked toward the private door leading upstairs to the rulers’ chambers, despising having the snake at my back. “Then we meet in the air.”

His footsteps dogged my heels. “Is it wise to fly in?”

“That’s the only option available to us currently.” I held the door open for him—and let him go up the stairs in front of me. “Time is of the essence.”

The gorgon king glared at me but didn’t hesitate to go first, hissing over his shoulder, “Let us hope it doesn’t end with our deaths.”

“Quite so, King Elon.”

The door clanged shut behind us, loud and ominous.

* * *

Locking my bedroom chamber’s door behind me, I stomped further into the bedroom and narrowed my eyes at the empty room. “Mother, what in the Fae fuck is happening over there?”

The soothsayer’s translucent body suddenly appeared sitting on my bed, wavering in and out of existence like the wraith she was. Mother sat cross-legged on the soft bed, no indention underneath her form on the mattress, as she cocked her head at me and muttered in disappointment, “You made a right mess with this one, son.”

“I know that already,” I griped and dropped my traveling bag beside her. Then, placing my hands on my hips, I questioned brutally, “Have they hurt her?”

“No…not yet.” Mother folded her fingers together on her lap. “But you are correct. Time is of the essence in this situation. Fairy is a damned mess right now. If they are taken from the woodland sprites, there will be a bloody issue.” Her silver eyes stared hard into mine. “And I do not want that to occur to my granddaughter.”

“She is my daughter,” I snarled, pointing hard at my heaving chest. “If they harm one precious hair on her head, I will annihilate all of them.”

The soothsayer’s lips curved into a wicked smile. “Aptly put, my son.” Mother quirked up one eyebrow. “But do stay away from the pixies.”

I snarled, showing all of my teeth. “That won’t happen again.”

“Make sure it doesn’t. Pixies can be tricky when they wish to be, so ensure you are on your guard for those tiny beasts.” She waved her see-through hand at my writing desk. “But first, write to your brother so he knows you won’t be coming home on time.”

“My brother,” I spat and snorted. Though I did stalk to the desk to do as told—I had learned long ago to listen when my mother spoke. Sitting heavily at the desk and lifting a sheet of paper, I grumbled peevishly, “I’m sure that man will enjoy my time away, spending it with my soul mate.”

Mother’s sigh was long and drawn out behind me. “Must we have this conversation all the time? It is getting rather old after five hundred years.

“Then he should quit flirting with her.”

“Marlon is not interested in Minnie. You should know this by now. He merely does it to poke at you.”

I chuckled softly under my breath—more than a little evilly. “Yes, I would cut off his poking tool if he ever tried to use it where it is unwanted.”

“As you have said…again and again.” Mother sounded horribly bored while I wrote my first correspondence. Two more needed to be written: one to my soul mate and one to Caspian. All would be sent by messenger once I changed into clothing fit for snow. “It has been five hundred years, son. Haven’t you learned to trust him by now?”

The fact I was sending Caspian to watch over the castle from afar proved I did not, in fact, trust Marlon completely. “One day, I might. But today is not that day.”

“You are an extremely vexing child.”

“Thank you ever so much, Mother. That is the highest compliment coming from a wraith who simply adores twisting her words to make anyone crazy.” I shook my head and folded up the first letter. “And, if you’ve forgotten, I am no longer a child.”

The soothsayer sniffed snootily from the bed. “You will always be my child, no matter your age.” She listened as I started my second letter, the pencil scratching loudly on the paper, before she asked solemnly, “What are your plans for the dragons and Fairy?”

“I will talk sensibly to the dragons. If that doesn’t work, I’m prepared to use every asset available to me.”

Mother stated calmly, “You mean me.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Yes, if it is needed.” I tapped the end of my pencil on the paper, thinking silently for a long moment. The quietness of the room wasn’t soothing, though. I cleared my throat and whispered, “I am sorry, Mother. But your unique brand of vengeance will likely be used on this trip at some point.”

Mother stayed mute until I was done with all three letters. Then she said just as quietly, “Then so it shall be. Even if I don’t enjoy it…I’ll do anything for my Trixie.”

Confession of a king:

For once in my life, I’d simply like to have something good happen to me without the coming of the bad directly afterward.

But I’ve lived enough years in this realm to know that’s not my journey.

For others, yes. Never for me.

So when I do manage to take one step forward…

I brace for impact.

“King Traevon!” Mother shouted from outside my bedroom, banging like a brute on the door, shaking the whole thing. “You are needed out here now.”

I sucked in a harsh breath and sat up quickly in bed, squinting through the darkness. My attention caught on the woman in bed with me. Her long hair was a tumble of seafoam green curls over the pillow where her head lay, with ruby-colored flower petals covering the entire bed, having dropped from those locks during our sexual activities. Sweet golden eyes were hidden behind her closed lids while her lips were parted gently in her slumber—the quietest snore I’d ever heard whispering past her delicious lips. The blanket was crumpled at our feet, long since kicked aside, showing all her sexy curves.

My soul mate.

I lifted my right hand and rubbed it against my bare chest, where I could feel her presence inside my Fae-spark.

I had a soul mate now.

Finally.

My hand trembled as I leaned over and brushed her soft as silk hair off her cheek, only able to stare down at her beauty, at the woman who had charged right into my life last night and taken ahold of my thoughts like no one before had ever done—I should have known then something was different with her. She would not be a simple pleasure between the sheets. She was more. And she was mine. But now I was left valiantly trying not to Fae fucking cry—tears of happiness and pride. Looking down at her sleeping loveliness, I wouldn’t want her to awaken with her new soul mate and resilient king…bawling like a wee one down onto her pretty face.

That would just not do.

Especially upon waking. Definitely so.

I inhaled deeply and repeatedly blinked, pushing the wetness away from my eyes. I would not let one tear slip right now. My soul mate would not be frightened when I woke her. I never wanted this woman scared in my presence—while other people could be scared down to their Fae-spark.

But my mother was still banging on the Fae damned door, half sounding like she was ready to beat the solid wood to splinters.

“Minnie,” I stated softly and cupped her cheek gently. And….fuck…I didn’t know her last name. There hadn’t been much talking when we’d literally crashed into one another at my party. The urge had taken us for a wild ride. Our clothes had come off far too quickly—and all the weapons she’d had on her person—for mere words to get in the way. “Minnie, love.”

Precious golden eyes blinked open slowly, hazed slightly from sleep. Her cute eyebrows puckered in confusion as she stared up at me. She blinked once. And then twice. Then she mumbled in horror, “Well, fuck me. I can’t kill you now, you bastard.”

I stared for a solid minute.

That was fairly interesting.

It could be a complication.

I cocked my head and questioned gently, “You were planning to assassinate me?”

“Yes,” she stated simply. And without remorse. Her adorable nose wrinkled, and she griped, “I’ve been training forever for this. What a Fae fucking waste of my time.”

“Hm.” I ran the pad of my pointer finger down the delicate line of her chin. “I think you should probably explain, soul mate.”

Minnie bit her lower lip and pointed absently at the door—where the pounding still hadn’t stopped. Then, attempting to distract me from this line of questioning, she stated hurriedly, “But I think someone wants in.”

“That can wait.” I bent down and placed my face directly in front of hers, feeling absolutely no anxiety inside my Fae-spark from her. This woman was just as fearless as she was beautiful. “Explain, please.”

She huffed quietly and nibbled on her lower lip once more before eventually grousing, “I suppose I need to now. There’s a small contingent of unrest. It’s in Jarisbur. That’s where I’m from. I was raised in that mess and hatred. Many are being trained to rise above you right now.”

My blink was slow in light of this new information. “And what do my people believe I have done to warrant this?”

“They wish for higher wages. The pay scale has not been increased in far too long for them, considering the cost of inflation.”

“Interesting.” I lifted both of my eyebrows mockingly. “And tell me. Why did they turn to bloodshed instead of seeking my assistance first?”

Minnie’s mouth opened…and then closed just as silently. “That is an excellent question, indeed.”

I snorted quietly. “I will ignore the fact you did not do that either. If you do me one favor.”

Shrewd golden eyes peered straight into my emerald gaze. The beauty beneath me asked sardonically, “Life always comes with a cost, doesn’t it?” She didn’t wait for me to answer her rhetorical question, instead pushing forward. “What would that favor be, my soul mate?”

“Turn the tides in Jarisbur. That little rebellion there? Harness it. Keep it safe and a secret for me to use when I need it.” Removing the last bit of space between us, I kissed her lips softly, whispering, “And, in return, I will forgive your transgression and do whatever you want me to do to help your town.”

Instant. “Your word on that?”

“Yes, anything you want me to do to assist them, I will.” I teased her lips gently and murmured, “Do we have an agreement, love?”

Her golden eyes narrowed on mine. “Have you ever called anyone else that?”

“No.”

“Then we have an agreement.”

I chuckled softly against her plush mouth and whispered, “I think you and I will get along just fine.”

Suddenly, the door smashed open, swinging brutally and bashing against the wall. Then, glaring daggers straight at me, the soothsayer snarled, “King Traevon, I know you heard me this entire time!”

“Perfect timing, as usual, Mother,” I groaned drolly.

“Mother…” Minnie mumbled, her eyes widening in horror. She shoved me aside with more strength than I thought capable of her shorter stature and dove for the blanket at the end of the bed, holding the material tight against her naked chest and nether region. And for the first time since I’d met her, she rambled and sputtered in full-blown embarrassment, “I am so sorry, ma’am. If I’d known it was his mother—”

“Enough,” Mother grumbled and lifted a quick hand, cutting my soul mate off. “You’ll get used to me eventually—since you’re sticking around longer than I am.” Her hand jerked in my direction, but her silver eyes stayed locked on the assassin beside me. “Get him dressed and downstairs. The back entrance. We’ve got company.” Then she pivoted and grumbled curses as she stalked away from my bedroom door. She was so aggravated that her stomping, irritated footsteps were heard far down the hallway.

“Well. That went splendidly,” Minnie mumbled, staring wide-eyed at the doorway. “I’ve heard she’s a soothsayer.”

My lips trembled in amusement, her expression tickling me just right. “You’ve heard correctly.”

“Fuck.”

“Quite so.” I tugged on the blanket she had pressed against her ample chest. “I would like to fuck.”

Minnie’s attention snapped in my direction. “Are you crazy? I don’t want to piss her off more than we already have!” My lovely soul mate waggled a pointed finger at me. “Get your ass up. I’ll help you find something to wear—as she said. I’m actually fairly decent at that. I have a bit of a creative streak in me.”

I positively leered at what was mine; it couldn’t be helped. “What can you imagine with us naked, I wonder? Silk against the skin? A tie around the wrist? I can use those now if you prefer. I’m sure whoever has come to visit can wait.”

The exquisiteness in front of me watched my eyes for a long time—noting I was utterly serious—before grumbling, “Fucking Fae, you’re going to be a handful.”

Damn. I was going to cherish this woman.

* * *

“Mother,” I stated dryly—but I did not move my gaze from the problem before me. Under the star-filled shimmering sky was a vision I loathed to deal with this evening. With much more pleasurable aspects to be had, this was not currently ideal. “I believe you forgot to mention who had come calling.” Understatement.

Minnie instantly slid to the side, sidling closer to me and, smartly, half a step behind me. Although, my cutthroat soul mate did suddenly have two blades in her hands, hiding them slightly behind her back.

I did hope she wouldn’t put one in my back.

My soul mate would be one to watch.

Absolutely so.

“Yes, well. I am fairly sure I made my point on how important this was,” Mother murmured softly, her silver gaze also on the problem before us. “I barely managed to keep the guards away.”

“What? Why would you keep the guards away?” I hissed incredulously. “One would think a giant Fae beast in the backyard would warrant added protection. Or is my own mother trying to have me killed now? I daresay there’s much of that going around lately.”

Minnie grunted softly behind me.

She still hadn’t put a blade in me yet—thankfully.

The Fae in question placed a massive, furry white paw forward, stepping closer, its fur so pure white in color it shimmered under the moon’s glow with an eerie luster. The winged wolf stood far above my head, making the white feathers on its wings ruffle from the movement. The grand beast opened its large maw, flashing black, sharp teeth…and spoke clearly enough for me to understand the blasted creature, “Your mother knows I mean you no harm, King Traevon.”

“Is that so?” I raised my red brows slightly. “I think I will decide that for myself, seeing as Fae are not supposed to be in this realm. As far as I know, it is still illegal. So please, quickly state your business so I may decide if you need to be killed or not.”

The winged wolf laughed softly, tilting its large furry head back as if it were howling at the moon. “I have chosen right. You will be utterly perfect, King of Elves.”

I clenched my jaws together and allowed a dash of my royal firepower to enter my gaze, letting the flames dance in my eyes. I knew how good I was, how powerful I was. And I rarely allowed it to show, not needing to flaunt it like a peacock. But right now? Of all nights when I had just found my soul mate after hundreds of years alone? I most definitely wished to be somewhere else with someone else—privately.

“Tell me why you’ve come here,” I whispered ominously. “Or I will end you, Fae.”

Black-dagger teeth gleamed in the night. “My name is Ruiuen. And I have come bearing gifts.” Her back left leg moved, plainly revealing…a shifter woman holding a shifter babe in her arms, the child so small it had to be a newborn. “The first gift.”

I cocked my head at the two newcomers. “What in the Fae fuck is happening here?” I squinted at the child. “Please tell me that’s not the shifter king’s new heir. While it would be somewhat humorous to steal the babe, it wasn’t exactly in my plans this eve.”

Ruiuen snickered softly again. “No, that isn’t the bastard’s heir.” Then she moved her back right leg, revealing an elf man holding an elf newborn in his arms. “This is my second gift.”

I grunted quietly, studying the elves in front of me. Somehow this man, one of my own people, had gotten mixed up with this criminal Fae.

Crossing my arms, I rocked back on my heels and stated solemnly, “I’ll take the second gift. You can keep the first.”

“Oh no.” Ruiuen shook her furry head from side to side. “You must take both, King Traevon. Do what you wish with them—as long as they are kept safe—but you must take both.”

I tipped my head back to stare directly into her wolf eyes. “I don’t have to do anything, Fae. You brought me two gifts. I’ve stated what I will accept.”

The beast turned her attention to my mother. “Is he always this difficult, soothsayer?”

Mother winked at the bloody creature. “Worse.”

Ruiuen sighed heavily and swung her vast head back in my direction. “Listen, elf king. The babes are without parents, so I have given you help in that form. The individuals holding them will love them and take care of them. But they belong in this realm, and that is where they shall stay.” This time when her teeth flashed, it was a clear warning of danger lurking behind her polite façade. “And you will make sure the children stay safe.”

The royal firepower in my eyes flared brighter. “Threats are unwelcome here, Ruiuen. Do not upset me.”

The Fae slowly dipped her head down until she was eye-level with me, looking deeply into my formidable eyes. After a long, quiet moment, she whispered, “All right, elf king. If I give you dire information on your own heir-to-be, would that be a favorable trade?”

I froze in place. My heart started pounding furiously inside my chest, even as my new soul mate made the quietest of whimpers in her throat. Breathing soundlessly, I snarled honestly, “As long as it’s the truth, it would be a fair trade.”

“That is agreeable. Simply ask your mother if I lie.” Ruiuen straightened to her full height—and then her tone softened almost kindly. “Your heir’s heart will be cradled in your enemy’s hands, and no matter what you do, how hard you try to protect her, you cannot stop it. It is to be. But rest assured, your heir will grasp that same power. You’ll raise an amazing individual capable of true greatness.”

Swallowing on a dry throat, I asked hoarsely, “Mother?”

“She speaks the truth, my son.” Her silver eyes lingered on the Fae. “I will accept my blessing, Ruiuen. Without a trade.”

I snapped my attention to my mother. “What are you doing?”

“What needs to be done, as I always do.” The soothsayer stepped forward as the Fae bent her large furry head down once more. No fear showed on my mother’s thin face or in her form. Even as the Fae touched the tip of her nose to my mother’s forehead, the soothsayer merely closed her eyes and exhaled hard—as if she had been jolted from the inside. Mother wavered slightly on her feet before pulling back, shaking her hands by her sides. “It is done.”

“So it is.” Ruiuen’s furry face smiled. “Until we meet again.”

Then the winged wolf fucking winked at my ass and turned away, trotting off into the night with a reckless prance like the Fae had not a care in the realm.

I watched her fluffy tail as it wagged back and forth until she disappeared entirely from sight. “This realm…has had a busy day.” Allowing the fire to burn out in my eyes, returning my gaze to its normal emerald shine, I flicked my attention between the shifter woman and the elf man. “So who in the Fae fuck are you two exactly?”

The shifter woman stepped on silent feet until she was before me, the newborn shifter in her arms. “I am Lola.” Her smile was serene as she stared down at the babe in her arms. “And this is Bishop.”

I hummed quietly in my throat. “I’ve heard the shifter king’s soul mate requires a new assistant. Her previous one was…killed.”

“By that bastard.” Lola nodded once. “I know how awful he is, but I do prefer keeping my enemies close.”

“I thought you might say that.” It was in the way she walked. The way she moved. It…reminded me of stories I’d once heard from my mother. My attention turned to the elves. “And you would be?”

“Marlon.” The elf closed the distance between us with the same grace as any trained killer. “And this little one is Caspian. I’m to be his father.”

Mother’s lips twitched. “And I will say you’re my missing second son that was thieved away in the night as a babe and presumed dead, miraculously found by the King of Elves himself.”

“What in the Fae fuck, Mother!” My wide eyes crashed on her, greatly disturbed by her declaration. “That isn’t something to make light of. That is outrageously dreadful.”

“Marlon will be by your side, as he needs to be.” Silver eyes stared brutally into mine. “You can try to fight me on this, but you will not win this battle, King Traevon. I will make it so.”

I inhaled a grand breath in perturbed shock.

This…was the worst night of my life.

And the best night of my life.

Huh.

Well. That sounded about right.

Quite so.

So much fuckery that you slipped in the shit.

“I need a drink,” I muttered distractedly.

“Hear, hear,” Minnie mumbled, placing a steadying hand on my back—sans blade. “Let us all go inside for a nightcap and discuss…business…more privately.”

“But who are you?” Marlon smiled prettily at my damned soul mate. “Mayhap my time here won’t be—”

“No,” I snarled fiercely, cutting that shit off fast. “That is my soul mate. Stay the Fae fuck away from her.”

“Well, now.” He slowly lifted a brow. “That’s boring.”

“Fucking good. Keep it boring, motherfucker.” I leaned in his direction and stared into his sharp gaze, whispering too quietly for anyone else to hear, “If you’d like to keep your Fae damned cock, you’ll heed my warning.”

His violet eyes sparkled in the moonlight—if you looked closely enough. “Ah…not so boring then.” His smile was purely naughty in nature as he grinned. “I won’t touch. Promise.”

“Exactly so. Keep it that way, and you’ll keep your dick.” I held that gaze one moment longer before pulling away from him. Then I calmed myself before speaking to the entire group at large, “Let us do as my lovely soul mate has suggested. I believe there is still much to discuss this night.”

Love of a father:

I will do anything to protect my child.

Anything.

I’ll even give up my advantage.

Within the Shifter Kingdom, Javon crested the icy city of Trumbalay, with the gorgon king flanking us on his own Fae-gift. The frigid wind bit at my body, and no amount of warm layers would protect from it. I had my royal firepower on a low simmer to keep the worst of the chill at bay, but the snake beside me wasn’t that fortunate.

I chuckled softly under my breath, greatly amused by his shivering discomfort. The king from the desert lands was significantly out of his element. But I kept my attention on a swivel, searching for any Fae damned dragons ready to take us down.

“Where should we head first?” King Elon shouted over the biting wind. “Their lair or that eatery they favor?”

“It’s far too early for supper.” I pointed to the northwest. “Let us head toward their lair. We may catch them unawares.”

The gorgon king nodded in agreement, directing his Fae-gift with his knees in the correct direction. I followed his lead, allowing him in front of me while I watched our rear.

We both noticed the darkness in the sky to our right at precisely the same time—fucking Fae. This…was a dragon of darkness, its outline barely visible from the sky. From the ground, I imagined it merely looked like a gloomy dark cloud passing by.

And the bastard was getting closer.

“How do you want to handle this?” King Elon bellowed over his shoulder. “This is your shitshow to fix.”

I grunted and sighed quietly. Then I merely lifted my right arm high into the air…and waved…at the dragon, who was almost on us. “Hello there, dear dragon friend! We’ve come in peace. We wish to discuss an issue with your king.” Because this certainly was not the dragon king. My daughter had remarked on his “delicate” beauty—and this dragon most assuredly was not shimmering in the sky like a diamond. This was one of the King of Dragons’ henchmen. “We would greatly appreciate it…if you didn’t try to kill us right now. We wouldn’t want to harm you, after all.”

Even with the wind whipping my face, I still heard the jackass flying in front of me snort in amusement.

The dragon of darkness hovered directly next to us until two eyes like onyx appeared and glared at me.

“Well, you know what I mean.” I shrugged and pointed in the direction of their lair. “King Elon and I were headed to your humble abode. You’re more than welcome to follow us. We’re truly here for a dialogue with King Ula. Not a fight.”

The dragon…huffed.

And a shadow slithered from his massive jaws before disappearing as if it never were—a truthfully spine-chilling sight to behold. I didn’t particularly wish to find out what that shadow could do to someone if touched by its oddness.

“Was that a yes?” I hedged carefully, lifting a finger once again to their lair. “Would you like to escort us?”

Another shadow escaped its mouth.

But the dragon did turn and start flying in the right direction—and didn’t instantly unalive us.

“Well, now.” King Elon peered over his shoulder and stared into my emerald gaze. “We aren’t dead.”

“Yet. We aren’t dead yet.” I shook my head. “But let us see how fast he can really fly.”

The King of Gorgons grinned and urged his wary Fae-gift to fly after the dragon. “That is a splendid plan indeed, King Traevon.”

Bending down, I hovered over Javon’s loyal head and whispered, “Try to beat those bastards.” My grin turned evil as we outpaced the snake and pulled to a head with the dragon. I winked at onyx black eyes that squinted at me and shouted over the rushing wind, “Can you not go faster?”

There was more huffing of shadows.

And the race was on.

I pulled Javon below the great flying beast to avoid its flapping air currents that wanted to toss us off course, and then I hunkered down and enjoyed the crazy ride for a few minutes.

Anytime you can find a single moment of peace? I have learned you seize it without remorse.

Never be ashamed of smiling. You never know when you’ll be able to again.

Javon’s blood-red hooves touched down a single second before the dragon’s feet rattled the ground beneath us, with the gorgon king, surprisingly, landing a mere moment later. I nodded approvingly at the prick and stated clearly, “I didn’t know you had that in you, King Elon.”

He eyed me in a bored manner. “And you still don’t know what I can do.”

Those words made me pause for all of a moment, wondering if the bastard had let me win. Because, perhaps, he had. That was the difficulty with the man. He was old as fuck, and even more devious—without his power rivaling my own. This bastard would always be a thorn in my side as long as he remained breathing.

Although, bizarrely enough, I did respect the fucker for how he ruled his people. He managed to keep all the snakes from slithering away to places they shouldn’t be.

I would never tell him that, though.

With the straps removed, I jumped down from Javon’s back and petted his flank, ordering quietly, “You stay here while I trudge inside the creepy dragon hidey-hole.”

Javon bumped his head softly against mine, his own way of showing that he thought I was ridiculous.

“It isn’t creepy, asshole,” a deep voice growled from my left. “If our home bothers your gentle sensibilities, feel free to leave.”

I jerked around to the dragon, who had obviously shifted. But I stopped solid in my tracks. I blinked slowly and mumbled, “Why in the Fae fuck are you naked, man? I don’t need to see your dick waving around.”

The dragon peered at me with an unamused expression. “Unlike your shifters in this realm, we are full-blooded Fae. We must remove our clothes before shifting or risk ruining our attire.”

King Elon slid down from his Fae-gift, mumbling happily, “I certainly don’t mind the view. You may stay naked if it makes you feel more comfortable.”

“Bloody Fairy.” I dropped my head back and stared at the sky, politely keeping my regard off the dick and balls dangling in the breeze. “King Elon, I know what I’m about to say is utterly peculiar. But anytime I see you flirt with someone, it just…” I waved a hand in the air flagrantly. “Turns my stomach in the most unpleasant ways. Please refrain from doing it again in my presence.”

The dragon ignored me and purred with interest, “So you swing my way, stone man?”

“I swing every which way,” King Elon hissed quietly—while I groaned and attempted not to lose my breakfast on the snow. He sniffed the air and mumbled hurriedly, “But I am recently taken. I do apologize for leading you on, especially considering you’re Fae. That was highly inappropriate of me.” The snake cleared his throat delicately, sounding mildly ashamed.

That caught my attention. My head snapped down, and I stared in shock at the King of Gorgons—because the man…was serious. “I can’t bloody believe it. Who’s managed to capture your rakish heart? That guard Raoul I’ve heard so much about?”

“King Traevon, this is not the time for that,” King Elon sneered. The jackass flashed his teeth at me—and there was even a slight loss of control as his shamrock green braids twitched up in the air. “But no. I’ve ended my arrangement with Raoul. Leave him be. I do not want you harming him—especially for no reason at all.”

I held my hands up innocently. “You may not believe me, but I never planned to harm him. By all accounts, he’s a kind and generous man.”

“Once and for all, stay the Fae fuck out of my kingdom’s affairs. It is not yours to play with.”

“But…the entire realm is so much fun to push around like chess pieces, don’t you think?” I teased quietly, immensely enjoying his instantly furious stare. “Your kingdom’s filled with so many little snakes. It’s hard to pick which one deserves its head cut off first.”

King Elon’s chest heaved, breathing raggedly. “One day, I will deem you useless.” The smile that curved his lips was absolutely heinous. “It will surely be a glorious day when that time comes.”

The dragon glanced back and forth between us, his squinted gaze hard and thoughtful as he studied our persons. “I can’t decide if you two are fucking each other on the sly, and this is twisted foreplay, or if you’re truly this bad at being cohesive rulers together.”

The gorgon king’s reptilian eyes rounded in outrage, and he thrust a pointed finger in my direction. “That man slaughtered my kin!” More hard jarring of his finger toward my chest. “In cold blood! There are reasons for our animosity.”

I smiled politely. “Come now, there was no proof of that.” I canted toward him like a taunt. “And not all of your kin is dead. You have one brother left.”

“You…are a real piece of Fae shit.”

The dragon’s gaze still leapt between us. Finally, he scratched at his bare chest and shrugged. “I’m going with screwing behind closed doors. That’s rather deliciously entertaining.” His dark eyes twinkled. “Yes, I think that’s it.”

King Elon and I cast each other looks.

I shuddered.

Fuck…and…no.

The King of Gorgons gagged somewhat in his throat, his silver-skinned complexion paling sickly. He did manage to tip his head toward their lair’s entrance. “May we go inside now? Or will we be attacked if we step in?”

The dragon smirked. “They know you’re here. They’ve been listening in to this stimulating conversation.” He waved grandly toward the dark entrance. “Enter if you wish.”

“That is appreciated,” I offered nobly.

It was much easier than fighting.

Definitely so.

Then his head tilted oddly as if he were listening to something unknown. “Duty calls.”

Suddenly, he jumped far higher than anyone I’d ever seen, soaring up into the frigid air. The dragon shifted above us, scattering snow in our direction with each heavy beat of his dark wings.

My red brows gradually puckered as he flew away. “I hope they aren’t killing shifters again. King Athon would disapprove.”

“If we don’t fix this, King Athon may never live to find out what they’re doing.” The King of Gorgons grabbed my shoulders and shoved me toward the entrance, smirking maliciously. “You first, this time.”

“I fucking hate you.” I stomped through the snow, storming inside the entrance to the cave.

The prick followed hot on my heels. “Back at you, murderer.”

“Eat shit, hiss-and-twitch.”

“Bite me, itty-bitty-fang-bitch.”

I snorted hard. “You’d probably like that, stoner-eyes.”

“Actually, I would love to see them break against stone, you short-and-stubby-pissant. That paints a marvelous picture, indeed.”

“Holy witch of Fairy. Shut up!” King Ula bellowed from further inside the cavern. “I swear on my honor, something is seriously wrong with you two.”

“Wait. I bet twenty coins they are fucking.” His other henchman’s voice crept down the cave’s walls. “It has to be.”

“Do not start that bullshit again. No more gambling,” King Ula snapped furiously. “Are you hearing what I’m saying? I do not want to deal with those ruffians again.”

“Quite so.” The dragon sighed grumpily.

Silently sucking in the chilly air, I barely breathed, “If people think we’re Fae damned flirting, then they have something seriously wrong with them.”

King Elon soundly grunted behind me.

* * *

I stood before the King of Dragons and his henchman—the dragon shifter who had killed the original shifter. Neither man was to be trifled with lightly. I placed my hands behind my back, bowed my crowned head respectfully, and stated cordially, “King Ula, I appreciate you taking a moment to speak with me.”

The dragon king’s solid golden eyes held my emerald gaze regally, despite his simple barbarian clothing worthy of the frigid temperatures inside their lair. He may be a fallen and disgraced king, but his stature and arrogance bespoke his royal lineage down to his strong bones and clever regard.

His lips curved harshly as he responded, “You must be desperate if you’ve come knocking on my door again, King Traevon.”

I hedged, “Not desperate, per se.”

King Ula chuckled. “You haven’t even looked at our lovely décor since you walked inside. An action on our part that could be perceived as breaking the pact we made with you and the other royals.”

Correctly so, I was ignoring the new skeletons lying about inside this pit of ruin—for now. “I assure you, King Ula, I don’t know what you’re talking about. But if there is an issue, I’m sure you’ll have it cleared up shortly with the King of Shifters.” Standing next to me, the gorgon king hissed softly in his throat, not agreeing with my swerve around the obvious. But I pushed forward nonetheless. “I have come to ask a favor.”

King Ula cocked his head in a distinct shifter way, studying my features almost casually. If I had surprised him, he wasn’t showing it outwardly.

“What is the favor?” he asked calmly.

It…was now or never. I knew perfectly well he wouldn’t like what I had to say. He had escaped Fairy for a solid reason. This would not be easy. I cleared my throat and explained, “I would like you to transport King Elon and me to Fairy. Specifically, the Ancient Archive. King Athon and Princess Trixie have been taken there. Once King Elon and I retrieve them, we’ll need prompt, safe passage home.”

A quietness descended on our group of four.

Only the slowly dripping icicles hanging from the ceiling could be heard as each drop splattered onto the stone floor.

Tension warped the room in a heady cloud.

The dragon who’d killed the original shifter stared bloody murder in our direction while the King of Dragons held perfectly still, his solid golden gaze roving over my features.

“Your daughter has been taken to Fairy?” King Ula asked so, so softly. “By whom?”

“Mamue.”

“Interesting… Why?”

“Artifacts were stolen. They’re using King Athon and my heir as bait to capture the culprit.”

The King of Dragons barely blinked. “Mamue is a fucking asshole and, apparently, also stupid as fuck to get caught up in that mess.”

My eyes narrowed on his. “You know of it?”

“I know the witch has her plans, and it’s best not to stand between her wrath and her target,” he murmured offhandedly, not truly answering my question at all—and, yet, he was telling me he knew more than he was willing to say.

“Hm.” I didn’t look away, keeping my attention on this mysterious killer. “Will you afford me the boon?”

“King Traevon, why would I want to help you?” the dragon king purred, leaning into my personal space. “What’s in it for me?”

I stared into the eyes of the beast and straightened my spine, knowing I would have to bend. “What is your price?”

Cruelty danced in this Fae damned prick’s gaze. Finally, a slow smile curved his lips, and he stated quite simply, “I want Princess Trixie’s firstborn daughter.”

My body stilled in shock. “Pardon?” I barely breathed. “I don’t think I heard you correctly. Would you care to repeat that?”

“Her daughter. Your granddaughter.” King Ula stepped even closer. “When she’s eventually born and comes into her majority, I want her.”

In the stunning silence that instantly hung in the air, King Elon whistled quietly at this jackass’s audacity. “I would kindly suggest asking for something different, King Ula.”

“No, I think not. That is my set price.”

My fangs quickly flashed at this daring bastard. “Not happening.”

“King Traevon, if you want my help, you will give me what I want.” He lifted an eyebrow condescendingly. “You are out of options.” The King of Dragons waved his hand behind me toward the exit of this cavern of horrors. “Unless you have another Fae powerful enough to take you over? But I’m guessing not.”

This…motherfucker.

Grinding my jaws together, I did the only thing I could. Because he was correct. There were no other options except him.

I showed my perfect weapon to save my child—and her eventual child. My smile was deadly as I whispered, “Mother, you are needed.”

Ponderings of a father:

We learn from those around us.

Our life experiences.

We grow. We evolve.

Parents play a vital role in this from a young age, and I wonder who my daughter will be in the future.

Because I know who I am.

I am my mother’s son.

Mother’s translucent form suddenly shone directly in front of me, innocent and kind in appearance, her stature just as short as she always had been, thin and pale, with silver eyes looking serenely at the dragons.

And the beasts screamed.

The King of Dragons bellowed so loudly my eardrums nearly burst—a dragon’s shout was nothing to sniff at—as he stumbled backward four giant steps while his henchman, quite literally, ducked behind his own king, using him as a shield.

King Elon jolted in place from the ruckus, his reptilian eyes enormous on my mother’s shining form, bouncing in shock between her and the powerful dragons’ terrified reactions. The gorgon king blinked slowly in stunned silence, taking in the entire scene, his mind obviously whirling with the information.

Then he turned in my direction, hissing softly, “A little heads up that you had a wraith at your disposal would have been nice to know…years ago.”

I pinched my lips together to keep from laughing, fairly comforted that he knew exactly what she was. At least he wouldn’t rush away crying.

“My apologies.”

The King of Gorgons flat-out hissed at me in annoyance before clearing the furious expression from his face. He dipped his head forward, making his long braids sway before him and stating respectfully, “Isabella, it’s lovely to see you again.”

“Oh, do be quiet, King Elon. You didn’t like me when I was alive, and you certainly don’t like me now.” She grunted and crossed her skinny arms, keeping her calm regard on the dragons. “Also, I prefer the term Fae blessed. It’s much prettier than wraith.”

I peered over her head and winked at the lethal expression the dragon king was throwing in my direction. “While I prefer the more primal version: Fae killer.” An individual of this realm was only blessed by a Fae to return in this form when another Fae needed to permanently be eliminated. Of course, it was dangerous to make one since the wraith could turn on its maker—but sometimes that Fae didn’t fucking care, their need too great. “It has a certain ring to it that makes me smile.”

King Ula’s solid golden eyes boiled with his ire. “So this is how it’s going to be.”

“I suppose, for now, it is.” I rocked back on my heels and grinned like the winner I was. “But please remember, I did try to be cordial. You were the one who demanded too much.”

His lips peeled back from his teeth in an ugly sneer. “Tell me, King Traevon. Do you know how to kill a wraith?”

Mother had explained it to me plainly. “I do.”

“Then all I must do is kill you. The one person she’s linked with to keep her tied to this life, her own blood.” The King of Dragons chuckled softly, a prominent menace slinking inside the cave. “And I know it’s you, not Princess Trixie. Only the person they’re linked to is capable of calling them. You revealed too much.”

“That was no mistake.” My fangs flashed. “You and I? We are of a like caliber.”

My mother began walking forward, causing the two dragons to turn their attention directly to her. As they began stepping back, the dragon king’s henchman still being sheltered by his king, my mother strode closer. Until she backed them against the wall, her tiny form standing before the two smashed together, and Mother whispered, “I am always with him.” The wraith smiled, her teeth turning into black, sharp daggers inside her mouth, giving her a distinct deathly look. “Hear that. Know that. If you come for him, I will be waiting for you.”

As her form started to turn as dark and ominous as her fatal smile, blipping in and out of existence so quickly it turned my stomach, Mother chomped her pointy teeth at them, each dragon flinching where they’d frozen in place. “All it takes is one little nibble, and, truthfully, gentlemen, I am rather famished.”

King Elon’s chest lowered as he breathed a quiet breath, the gorgon king watching with rapt attention; the snake appeared quite smitten with the scene.

While I cracked my neck in the silence and asked evenly, “Are you prepared to give me that boon now, King Ula?”

The King of Dragons flashed his violent gaze in my direction before quickly looking back to the wraith an inch away from him. “Fuck you, fire-bringer. I’m beginning to understand King Elon’s distaste of you.”

I snorted softly. “Is that a yes?”

“…yes, asshole.”

Intelligence of a father:

Mothers are territorial, protective creatures.

My soul mate is one.

I know when to pick a battle with her.

And when not to.

Standing in front of the Blood Forest at High Pointe, after placing Javon once again in the royal stables on my kingdom’s side, I looked up at the black trees with blood-painted red leaves and knew I was one step closer to retrieving my daughter. King Ula grudgingly stood to my right side while we waited for the gorgon king to finish stabling his own Fae-gift on his own kingdom’s side. But, again, I stared at the deadly forest that separated four kingdoms, entirely unprepared for what lay in wait in Fairy.

Without looking at the Fae beside me, I inhaled deeply and asked bluntly, “Do you know where the Ancient Archive is? I imagine it’s been a while since your last visit to Fairy.”

King Ula sighed heavily. “I do know where it is and how to get us there.”

“What should I be expecting?”

“It depends.” The dragon king ran his hands through his golden hair, the same shade as his solid golden eyes. “The Ancient Archive is normally a peaceful place. But the guardians will be called in if they expect trouble—which it sounds like they are since they’re using bait.”

“I’ve met a hundred of those guardians. Exactly how dangerous are woodland sprites?”

“They are one with the land they stand on. Get near them, and they will cut you down. If we’re discovered, your best option for survival is to strike at a distance.”

I hummed under my breath. “And why would you tell me how to live when you most assuredly wish me dead?”

King Ula smirked in the fading light of sunset. “If I wish someone deceased, I handle it myself.”

“A man of action.” I nodded approvingly. “That is admirable.”

“I doubt you will think so if I ever come for you.” The King of Dragons chuckled…and the very air vibrated with enough Fae power that I stilled in place—and attempted not to reveal my confusion and surprise. “You were vastly incorrect, King Traevon. You and I are not of the same caliber. Not even close.”

I silently eyed the dragon next to me for a tense moment. I stated softly—and without hiding the threat of my words, “It is truly wonderful that I have powerful allies then.”

He arched an eyebrow. “I somehow doubt you have many friends.”

“Allies,” I clarified, even as one of them stepped through the doors of High Pointe and jogged down the steps in our direction. I motioned to the gorgon king as he sidled closer. “Such as this man. He may not be my friend—definitely not—but in what we wish to accomplish, he is certainly my ally.”

“I would not be here if I wasn’t,” King Elon hissed absently in his sibilant voice, coming to a stop on the other side of me. His molten green reptilian eyes tracked back and forth between the dragon king and me. “Why are we discussing this right now?”

I waved flagrantly at the Fae and filled in my lone ally during this debacle—however unlikely it was. “King Ula is much more powerful than he pretends to be. More powerful than I.” I ticked my head back and forth in thought. “It may be his age…but I don’t think that’s wholly it.”

The King of Gorgons lifted one of his shamrock green thick braids, inspecting his hair with the most uninterested mien. “I have learned upon recent research that the king of Fairy once had a very powerful heir. A son who sparkled in the sky, even in the darkness of night.” He yawned and flipped the single braid over his left shoulder, shrugging nonchalantly. “The heir disappeared some time ago.”

“Well, now.” I grinned, glancing between my two companions. One wore the mark of tedium, while the other had gone mute. “That is particularly curious, indeed.”

“Quite so.” Rubbing his silver fingers down his throat, King Elon added, “It would make sense with the dark Fae king being a shifter.”

Even more interesting. I hadn’t known that.

King Ula’s nostrils flared as he leaned toward the gorgon king, tilting his head down to stare into those reptilian eyes. “And the Queen of Light is an elf. So what does that make you? A cheap knockoff? A throwaway? Useless space?”

“More informed.” The gorgon king slowly smiled, appearing unafraid in light of the menace before him. “I can add that little nugget to my kingdom’s vast records. After all, even the weakest individual can best the strongest as long as they have enough knowledge and patience to know when to act.”

Pressure radiated far too much in the air—dangerously so, in fact—so I asked eccentrically, “Are we to have a dick-measuring contest? Because if so, I would like to suggest considering exactly what we are. If not, that would be highly unfair.”

King Ula blinked and jerked his face in my direction, turning away from the gorgon king, both men towering over my six feet of height. He choked in his throat and sputtered, “Did…you just…admit to having a small dick?”

I wiggled a finger in the negative. “That is not what I said. I am an elf, and my cock is quite large in my kingdom. Or so I’ve been told many times. But compared to a dragon or a gorgon, I might not fare so well if it’s to be a discriminating competition.”

Both men stared at me blankly.

Then King Elon gurgled inside his throat and started laughing throatily, waving his hands in front of himself and taking a step away. He turned his back to us in a feeble attempt to calm down, rubbing at his dipped forehead—and still laughing his fool head off.

“It wasn’t that funny, motherfucker,” I snapped.

“Oh…it definitely was.” King Ula interrupted my glaring and snorted in hilarity. “Speaking man to man, King Traevon, I would suggest never admitting you have the smallest dick in the room. It is highly unwise.”

“Yes, well. I suggest you not start undignified fights while we’re journeying to save my daughter.” I harped immediately. Then I added—because it was a must. “My soul mate, Minnie, has no complaints in the bedroom. My cock is rather large for my kind.”

“Congratulations.” The King of Dragons gazed at me as if I had gone mad. “Just…take my advice on this one, King Traevon. Don’t ever say that again. Never again.”

“You are vastly annoying,” I muttered and then glowered at the still snickering snake, hisses punctuating each of his laughs. “And if that bastard doesn’t stop snickering like an ill-mannered youth, he’ll know what gorgon nuts roasting on an open fire truly smell like.”

King Ula dropped his head back in exasperation and gazed up at the darkening sky. “This venture is doomed.”

“Fuck you,” I griped.

My daughter would be safely home soon.

Snapping my fingers at the gorgon king, I growled, “Come now, man. Enough of the bloody theatrics. We have a job to do.”

King Elon wiped tears off his face and returned to stand next to us, taking in gulping breaths to calm himself. “I am ready.” He snorted a few times but held his head up high. “I will not laugh again at the teeny-peeny standing next to me.”

“Please. You probably have a one-eyed staring contest with your own cock to get it hard.” Then, turning my aggravated attention back to the dragon king, I mused thoughtfully, “Must we bleed on the forest to be allowed entry?” That was how we’d entered before.

“No. That will end with your death.” King Ula removed a large blade from its sheath hooked on his thigh. “I’m the one who’ll bleed to permit your entry. Do not lose sight of me at any time, or you will perish. Do you understand?”

My red brows furrowed.

But I nodded slowly.

The King of Dragons sliced his thumb with a quick flick of his wrist and pressed the pad of his bleeding finger to my forehead. I jolted in place and held still as he whispered words I couldn’t understand. It was a spell of sorts, his incantation vibrating the air around me. His golden eyes met mine, and he breathed out his magic faster and faster and faster.

I sucked in a harsh breath.

Suddenly, I was floating in the air.

But…something wasn’t quite right.

Not right at all.

King Elon’s shamrock green braids shot into the air, fatal snakes hissing furiously as he bore down on the dragon king. He snarled, “You turned him into a Fae fucking butterfly. Fix him now, you devious piece of Fae shit.”

What… Was I a butterfly?

Well now.

That explained how odd this was.

Once I was turned back, it would be dragon balls burning in a bonfire. I’d even feed them to my pigs once charred properly. That one Minnie loved so much. It would be a fabulous treat for the overweight oinker.

King Ula patiently shook his head. “This is how we cross over. As butterflies.” His golden eyes evaluated me where I hovered in the air, beating my wings. “He is rather beautiful in this form. As bright red as his royal firepower, I suppose.”

I flew forward and batted at his face, highly disturbed that he hadn’t warned me about this bullshit—even if he had a silver tongue.

Absentmindedly shooing me away, he looked to his left and squinted. “Who the fuck’s coming down the lane? They seem to be in quite the hurry.”

I couldn’t even glance in that direction, keeping the game-playing Fae in my sights as he’d instructed.

“Oh my.” The snakes of King Elon’s hair fell and turned back into braids as he explained quickly, “That’s Minnie.”

Ah…shit.

I believed she’d received my missive.

My wings beat harder in the air. I flew overhead so I could keep the dragon king in my line of vision, but turned slightly and watched as my soul mate’s horse finally slid to a stop directly beside the two men below.

“Who in the Fae fuck is this, King Elon? I thought King Traevon was with you.” Minnie snarled hotly, baring her lovely fangs at the two kings. Her lush seafoam green hair was a windblown mess, and broken twigs stuck out of it. A dash of yellow paint was on her right cheek, and her dress was torn at the hem. She looked a frightful mess. “Tell me now.”

King Elon rubbed at his chin and murmured, “I am bound by honor not to say what he is to anyone in this realm.”

Minnie’s eyes immediately narrowed on the dragon king. “He is Fae, then. He’s who’s going to take you to Fairy.” She leaned down from her horse and flicked her eyes between the two men. “Where is my soul mate?”

As one, they both remained mute at her demanding fury and pointed up into the air right where I hovered.

Her sweet golden eyes lifted. She stared.

My soul mate blinked.

Blinked once more.

Still looking up at me, she coaxed with menace, “He’s a butterfly?”

“Not permanently, I promise you,” King Ula assured. “Only for the journey to Fairy.”

Abruptly, she screamed furiously, “I am going to beat your motherfucking ass, Traevon!” With breakneck anger, Minnie pointed at me. “I am not being left behind this time! You stay here and feel what it’s like to lose your soul mate while I go and save our misplaced child.”

King Elon took a step back.

The King of Dragons cleared his throat, glancing up at me and back to her—since I couldn’t fucking say anything. Then he stated respectfully, “I understand—”

“No,” Minnie barked, cutting him off. “The only words that’ll come out of your mouth are that you’ll take me with you. That’s it. There are no other choices.”

King Ula peeked up at me. “You want this?”

There would be no end to this fight if I didn’t allow her to accompany me. I could only protect this brave, loving, and bullheaded woman so much—when I was caught. I bobbed up and down in the air, giving my approval.

“I knew you were a smart man. Do not leave before I stable this horse.” Minnie nudged her mare and swiftly headed toward the royal stables.

In less than ten minutes, a silver butterfly, a seafoam green butterfly, and a golden butterfly were before me. We followed the golden butterfly toward the twisted black trees of the Blood Forest, breaching its solid fortification by squeezing through branches large enough for all four of us to enter together.

We carefully focused on the leader, but the realm suddenly beamed into light too bright to see.

Anguish of a king:

Loving a child who doesn’t exist yet, the need and desperation to have your own kin, is akin to your castle sitting upon your chest and mercilessly crushing you beneath it.

The damage you cannot see runs deeper than you can imagine.

The pain and sadness can hold you hostage and not let go.

Bright sunlight shone down on my wet shoulders as I splashed my beautiful soul mate, laughing as she spluttered and splashed me back—which was barely a few sprinkles compared to the flood I’d sent her way. I grinned unrepentantly and swam away from the rushing waterfall toward the small, rocky beach area, the cascading water falling into this serene, blue slice of perfection. I teased over my shoulder, “Can you catch me, love?”

“You know I can’t, you bastard!” She laughed and splashed at my retreating form. “But there’s something I can do to stop you.”

“What is that?” I asked and turned around, paddling calmly in the cool water. Wet fabric unexpectedly slapped me in the face, lobbed perfectly by my grinning love. My head jerked back in surprise until I peeled the cloth from my skin. I lifted my eyebrows as I understood. “Yes, this will stop me.”

Smirking cheekily, Minnie swam smoothly toward me—no longer wearing her swimwear. “Do you know what I want to do?”

“I’ve a fairly decent idea.” Absently, I chucked her clothing toward the beach, unknowing if it landed or not, my attention rapt on the beauty swimming closer. I shoved my swimwear down my legs, allowing the material to sink to the bottom of the lake, while my emerald gaze locked on the round breasts just below the crystal clear blue surface, utterly caught in her trap as she’d planned. “I like the way you think.”

Minnie’s grin turned triumphant…

As she dunked me under the water.

I was not one to complain.

I had a slippery, naked soul mate in my arms before I even breached the surface again. Tilting my head to the side, I shouted, “Everyone, leave us!”

I watched closely as my guards hiding between the large rocks around the lake slinked away, directly obeying my command. Then my attention turned back to the woman in my arms.

I chuckled at what I found, kissing the tip of her green nose. “Love, you are truly devious.”

She shrugged and twined her green arms and legs around me, trusting me to keep us afloat. “I was getting hot and cranky. I figured taking my clothes off would get your attention.”

“It always will.”

I lifted my right hand from her plump ass, my skin now red as fire, and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. I gently started swimming us toward land, laying on my back and staring into her eyes the entire way. It had been hundreds of years of trying—and failing—to have a child with each heat she fell in, so I was careful never to mention it when she was this vulnerable—and volatile. I smiled up at her with all the affection I had in my heart, even as the heat began to burn inside me, too, my cock automatically hardening between us.

I whispered quietly, “I love you.”

Her seafoam green brows furrowed even as tears of sadness began to stroke down her cheeks. “I fail us. Every time.”

“You are not a failure,” I assured her gently as my feet touched the bottom of the lake. I wrapped my arms around her soft frame and lifted her into my arms. Walking us out of the water, I ignored the bite of rocks jabbing into my feet and kept my eyes honed on the one I loved. “It’ll happen when it should. I’m in no rush.”

“Liar,” she whispered and squeezed her legs tighter around me, rubbing her wet pussy against my hardness, unable to stop herself. “But keep lying. I cannot bear the truth.”

I would lie and lie and lie to not see those tears welling in her soulful eyes. That was no hardship where my soul mate was concerned, no matter my own private agony. The air in my lungs heated as I glanced to my left and then to my right, trying to find a soft spot to lie her down. I hooked my foot under one of our towels and sent it sailing toward the sparse trees between the rocks and swiftly followed its flight.

Going to my knees next to it under an oak tree, I tilted my head and clenched my jaws—barely staying in control—allowing my soul mate to pepper kisses and tiny bites along my skin—I needed inside of her now. Keeping an arm wrapped around her waist, I used my free hand to fluff the blanket on the smoothest surface and tenderly laid her back, finally covering her curves with mine.

Then I descended on her mouth, falling into the softest lips possible, her tongue instantly dueling with mine. Her hips kept grinding against my hard cock, pressing and pressing her wetness and heat against my needing flesh, keening cries of pain and need slipping from her mouth as her heat sent her aflame. I swiftly plunged my right hand between us, thrusting two fingers into her without preamble, my mind throbbing with the need to rut against her—but I didn’t want to hurt her. She was so sensitive and delicate between her thighs that I had to be careful with her, even in heat.

Sinking my fingers into her again and again, I watched her endearing face scrunch up in bliss as I used my thumb to rub around her clit. My breaths panted against her lips, brushing her tiny pleasure spot a little harder, a little faster, until her head tipped back and her body bucked under mine, a broken moan slipping between her parted lips.

I breathed in her air as she rode my fingers through her first climax, her channel squeezing my fingers repeatedly. Brushing my nose against hers, I let her draw oxygen into her lungs before I removed my fingers from her pussy and lined up my cock with her opening. When she nodded slightly, still out of breath, I pushed into her one slow inch at a time and nibbled on her bottom lip, her warmth, and holy-fae-shit-tightness surrounding my cock.

“Fuck,” I groaned and pressed my forehead to hers when I bottomed out. “I’ll never get enough. You’re so Fae damned perfect, love.”

“Show me,” she breathed, lifting her chin to press her lips against mine. “Show me how much you love it.”

I grunted under my breath and shoved my right arm under her knee, pulling her leg up and sinking even further into her. I pulled my hips back and thrust hard into her, the time for gentleness gone. I watched on a bracing arm as she arched underneath me, shouting her pleasure to the sky, leaves, and the powerful sunshine above.

Thrusting in a deeply intoxicating rhythm, I dug my fingers down into the dirt when they slipped over the towel’s edge, holding us steady as I rubbed my pelvis against her clit, giving her all the blissful friction she needed.

In return, she gazed up at my eyes full of pleasure, her bitty nails biting into my ass as she urged me on, wanting me even closer.

I smirked down at her and shook my head, whispering, “One more, first, love. One more, and I’ll give you what you want.”

“Asshole,” she huffed, out of breath, even as her body quivered beneath me, her legs trembling against my hips—the telltale sign my soul mate was close. Her teeth smashed together, her golden eyes closed in ecstasy, and her swaying breasts heaved as she fell over the edge again. Minnie’s mouth parted as my name ripped brutally from her lips, “Traevon.”

Slowing my hips as she rode out her pleasure, allowing her to feel all of me, I dug my fangs into my lower lip at the exquisiteness before me, wholly and utterly enchanted. Breathing shakily, I lowered my sweat-misted body onto hers, giving her what she wanted now, the carnal heat holding steady. I rocked leisurely into her until sweet golden eyes looked up at me.

I pressed kisses softly to her cheeks. To her jawline. Right between her cute, expressive eyebrows. “You are absolutely divine.”

She moaned softly and lifted her arms to cup my cheeks, holding me like a delicate treasure. “No more than you, my dear.” Then the little wildcat started to smile, and I grunted hard as my back hit the dirt next to the fluffy towel, my soul mate riding my lap astride—and my needy cock. She pressed her palms to my shoulders, ensuring I stayed down as she grinned like a dirty, perfect dream. “King Traevon, I believe it’s my turn to show you precisely how much I love you.”

Oh…thank Fae fuck.

I was about to lose my mind.

Her heat was alive within me. I need to come.

I shoved my hands behind my head like I had all the time in the world. “That sounds bloody perfect, love.”

* * *

“Push,” the midwife demanded brutally. She stood between my soul mate’s spread legs nine months later, watching as my child was about to be born into this world. “Come on, Minnie. One more good push for me.”

“That’s what you said twenty pushes ago,” my sweating and snarling soul mate growled at the woman. “I think you’re very bad at this!”

“Minnie, love,” I whispered, capturing her attention—lest she attack the midwife while in labor. I squeezed her hand, pressed the cool, wet cloth to her forehead, and gazed into her eyes. There was a little spittle on her chin, and her cheeks were red and puffing out with each hard breath. Her seafoam green hair was plastered to her head with sweat. She’d never looked more bewitching and utterly suitable for me. I leaned forward in her face and held her stare, demanding, “Push.”

Her breaths came in even harder pants, and then she bared down, clenching her jaws and screaming through her teeth. My soul mate squeezed the shit out of my hand as she pushed with all her might.

“One more, one more,” the midwife called, a new urgency in her tone. “Almost there.”

“Push,” I commanded again, using the tone of voice she more than liked me to use in the bedroom. “Now.”

Never looking away from me, her mouth dropped open as she bellowed bloody murder, pushing as hard as she could.

The resulting silence rang in my ears.

Until the sweetness erupted inside the room.

A newborn’s first-ever cry, shouting they were alive to one and all and wouldn’t be ignored, filled the air.

“It’s a girl,” the midwife exclaimed.

My vision swam before I blinked wetness from my eyes. Then, licking my lower, trembling lip, I gazed into golden eyes and breathed so fucking happily, “You did it, love. You did it.”

Minnie’s eyes welled, and her tears fell over as she nodded in pure joy. As I turned around, we watched the midwife lay the most perfect newborn elf ever created on my soul mate’s bare chest.

My child, her child, our child.

The heir to the Elf Kingdom.

Brushing my fingers against my daughter’s tiny, chubby cheek, I could barely breathe. “Hello, Trixie. I’m your dad.” I repeatedly blinked, my eyes burning with the unshed salty wetness. I tilted my head to rest it on top of my soul mate’s as she sobbed the most joyful tears of her life. “And this is your mom.” I swallowed hard and hoarsely whispered, “We’ve loved you for a very long time.”

Weariness of a father:

The fact my daughter is in this dying land is unnerving.

She is bright, vibrant, and bold.

Everything Fairy is not.

The striking light faded until near darkness overtook my senses, creeping down my spine with a sense of wrongness. A fat and heavy moon hung overhead, but its light barely spilled down onto the land I stood on.

Wait. I peered down at my booted feet.

I had feet again!

Like whiplash, I sucked in a large breath, turned to my left and to my right, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. My soul mate stood mere paces away while my other companions were even closer.

“This is bizarre,” I stated slowly, scanning the terrain. Barren, green trees, with dying blue apples littering the dirt ground, encircled us. There was no hardy grass underfoot. This appeared to be a desperate attempt at an orchard—a failed orchard. “It doesn’t look like the Blood Forest.”

King Ula grunted, also busy studying the death and decay surrounding us. “The Blood Forest is merely a crossover bridge. We entered it to get to Fairy.” He waved a large, hesitant hand before us. “We are here.”

“This is Fairy?” King Elon hissed slowly and narrowed his eyes at the destruction. “We’d heard it was dying, but this is particularly disheartening.”

“It’s even worse than when I was last here,” the dragon king said quietly…looking at his homeland with blank, golden eyes. “The closer to the bridge, the poorer the land is. As we move farther away, it should get better.”

I grunted softly. “Are we where we need to be?”

“Yes and no. I am dark Fae, so my blood took us to the King of Dark’s land. The Ancient Archive is here. But we must travel to the dark forest and then through it.”

“How far away is that?” Minnie asked under the murky sky, shadows passing over her face by traipsing gray clouds. My soul mate already held two blades in her hands. She looked fierce and fearless, ready to defend herself; I couldn’t have been more in love with her. “More importantly, how likely are we to meet anyone along the way?”

“Unlikely. Not many live near here.” He waved at the rotten, dead fruit again. “As you can see, nothing can grow here any longer.”

I lifted a red brow. “Answer her other question.”

The King of Dragons snorted. “Time does not move the same here as it does in your realm. It could take minutes, or it could take years. It depends on our will.”

“Our will?” the gorgon king repeated incredulously. “You’re telling me, if we will it hard enough, it will happen?”

“I didn’t stutter, King Elon,” The dragon king growled softly, the air vibrating with his power again in an uncomfortable charge of pulses. “While we’re here, do not question me. You may live longer than ten minutes if you can manage that.”

“All right,” I said in a relaxed tone—in an attempt to soothe the beastly bastard. Unfortunately, he was just as bad as King Athon, needling for a fight. “Why don’t we all close our eyes and focus our will to be at the dark forest and then take a step.”

Minnie swiftly amended, “Let us hold hands, too. That way, one of us doesn’t suddenly disappear without the other.”

King Ula sighed heavily and rubbed at his forehead. “You are all linked to my blood right now. There will be no mysterious disappearing. Wherever I am, you will be as well.”

“Then you should be focusing the hardest,” King Elon deduced quickly.

The King of Dragons stingily stated, “Yes.”

“There we go.” I threw out my arms wide in rising aggravation. “We have a plan.” My right arm swung to the dragon. “Close your eyes and get us there. You are certainly powerful and stubbornly willful enough.”

“If your mother wasn’t a wraith, I would cut you down right now,” King Ula snarled, but his solid golden eyes closed a moment later—doing as I had dictated.

“Holy Fairy,” Minnie gasped, her gaze slamming on mine. Hurt flashed in her pretty eyes before she quickly covered up the betrayal. Lifting her chin high, she snootily stated, “It makes so much sense now. I thought you were still grieving and had taken her death hard. I’ve heard you talking to yourself in the bathroom before—talking to your mother for twelve years.”

King Elon grimaced.

He moved a few feet away.

Smart man.

I cleared my throat and explained gently, “There are things I must do as the king—”

“Be quiet,” Minnie stated softly, cutting me off and breathing deeply through her nose. She pointed one of her wicked blades at me. “We have been soul mates for over five hundred years now. I know perfectly well what’s needed. Do not lecture me. I neither complained nor asked for it. I was stating a fact on my thoughts and my observations.”

I lifted my empty hands up in entreaty. “You’re right, my love.”

That blade hadn’t lowered yet. In fact, she took a step closer, aiming the deadly weapon at my chest, right over my Fae-spark. Finally, Minnie stated quite civilly, “But please know that if you keep something like this from me again, anything that has to do with family, I’ll put this blade right through your heart.”

And…I knew she was utterly serious.

My soul mate was that ruthless.

I took a careful step back and said quietly, “When we get home, remind me to have a conversation with you.”

Her eyes widened marginally—at the fact that I indeed had more to tell her. “You are sleeping with the goats, my king.”

Fuck. I’d done that many a night.

“I understand,” I agreed amiably, bowing my crowned head to the light of my life. Then I tapped carefully on her blade. “Time to put that down now, love.”

“Hmph,” she grunted.

She did lower her weapon, though.

I breathed a moment of peace before the dragon king peeked open one vastly amused eye, stared for a beat at my unkingly cowed expression, and then closed it again—the bastard truly could die a tragically painful death after we returned home.

King Elon continued to look elsewhere, staying his tongue and keeping his expression aloof, far more intelligent than the dragon.

Walking behind my soul mate, I wrapped my arms around her waist, pressing my hard, muscled chest to her back curves, and rested my chin on top of her head, waiting in the darkness.

I whispered softly, “I love you.”

“I love you more,” she grumbled, incredibly vexed but still honest. As the minutes passed, her body slowly relaxed against me, and nothing happened. She sighed softly and muttered, “What is a wraith exactly?”

“A Fae killer,” I explained patiently, gently rubbing my fingers over her flat stomach, tenderly petting her. “A Fae blessed her long ago. I didn’t know what it meant then, but she reappeared after her death like a wicked spirit. It surprised Trixie and me at first.”

“Trixie knows?” Minnie asked, her voice sharpening in shock—and hurt once more.

“She was there when it happened. That’s the only reason why she knows. Do not be vexed with our child. I convinced her to stay quiet about it.”

My soul mate’s head thumped back against my shoulder. “You are an extremely aggravating man at times.”

“I know,” I readily agreed, taking that hit. I’d take it again and again and again. Always. “It is just how it has to—” I shut my mouth and glanced around, the scenery before us suddenly different. Trees as tall as my castle stood in a solid line before our group, casting long murky shadows down on us, nearly pitch-black. I grinned while I studied the view warily. “Well done, Fae! You have willed us to the dark forest without us even moving.”

Unexpectedly, King Ula went down hard on one knee. His eyes shot open, and his hands hit the ground, bracing himself so he didn’t topple over completely.

He heaved in large breaths of oxygen, holding still and not moving to stand.

The gorgon king and I immediately rushed toward the fallen man, each grabbing one of his arms and helping him up. He was visibly shaken, and sweat beaded his brow, the dragon staring down at the ground like it had personally offended him.

“I am getting the impression it wasn’t an easy feat.” King Elon grunted, taking more of the dragon’s weight when the beast swayed in his direction.

“Fairy is fucking dying,” King Ula muttered in horror. “I knew it…but I didn’t know it.”

“Ah.” I spread my legs and pulled his arm over my shoulder, helping the gorgon king to distribute the dragon’s weight. “I take it that has played a part in your current disheveled state?”

The King of Dragons snorted almost drunkenly. “Fairy is magic. The magic’s dying. It’s practically screaming for help.” Absently, he moved his hand hanging over my shoulder and thumped it over my heart, right over my Fae-spark. “You would do well to remember that, too. If the Fae die, so shall you.”

I gazed at the side of his face while that truth settled deeply inside my gut. My lips thinned into a hard line, and I pushed forward, asking frankly, “How long until you’re ready to move?”

“Mayhap a half hour?” He blinked slowly—so slowly.

Then he fainted to dead weight in our arms.

* * *

“What is that?” King Elon whispered.

The gorgon king was directly next to me. We hid with my sleeping soul mate and the unconscious dragon under a hideaway of our own making. In the shadows, brush and dirt covered us from head to toe where we lay on our stomachs, our faces barely seen between the overgrown, dead grass—but there was grass here.

We weren’t confident enough in our knowledge of Fairy to enter the dark forest with the dragon king out cold. The Blood Forest had taught us much; never be overconfident with the seemingly unsuspicious when it pertained to Fae.

Any forests in Fairy needed to be treated with extreme caution.

But with half a day gone since the King of Dragons had closed his eyes, now I was wondering if we’d have to drag his ass through the dark forest anyhow.

I tilted my head slightly so my pointed ears could listen more closely. I stayed silent for a full minute before I shook my head and said, “I don’t hear anything.”

“No,” the gorgon king hissed. “I felt it. The ground shook.”

“Hm.” I pondered that for a moment. “Perhaps, if there’s an earthquake in our realm, there’s an echo here?”

“That…could be true,” King Elon agreed slowly, done weighing my suggestion. Except the ground jarred hard enough that I felt it this time. And it came again. Then again. “It is not an earthquake.”

“Quite so,” I breathed, searching as far as I could see to my left and to my right. With the ground buzzing under us every so often, getting more powerful as time passed, my eyes widened entirely minutes later. “Shit. To our left.”

King Elon’s attention snapped in that direction, dirt falling off his forehead—but he didn’t move. He squinted into the distance and then breathed, “That is a bridge troll.”

I held my breath as the mammoth man came closer and closer, nearly blocking out the weak sunlight. “Does that hair look familiar to you?” It was so light it was almost white, with spiral curls down to his massive shoulders. “I think I’ve seen that before. With blood.”

The King of Gorgons swallowed and whispered, “If he’s kin to the bridge troll we skinned alive, I am certainly not telling him that. I think it would be wise to stay still until he passes.”

“Smartly so,” I breathed.

“You skinned a fucking Fae?” King Ula suddenly rasped on a dry throat, waking from his extensive rest. Thankfully, the bastard didn’t attempt to sit up. “Why wasn’t I invited? It’s a lovely pastime of mine.”

“Shh.” I didn’t move. I didn’t blink. I observed as the bridge troll paused directly before us and sniffed at the air. His forehead wrinkled in confusion before he shook his head and continued his journey. I only sighed in relief when his back faced us from far away. “Holy Fairy, that was closer than that six-headed rabbit that wouldn’t stop talking to herself.”

“That would be Lela. She’s harmless unless you’re playing cards with her. Never trust that rabbit’s foot. It is not lucky. It is cheating.”

King Elon and I looked at each other.

It may have been the first moment we truly felt camaraderie with one another, our exhausted eyes locked and in no mood for this weird Fae bullshit.

The King of Gorgons swung his head to his left, where the dragon king lay on his other side. “How are you feeling? Better? Able to move yet?”

King Ula stretched, making the brush hiding us shiver. “I am completely refreshed. I think we can march on.” His golden eyes danced between my dirty face and the gorgon’s filthy features. “How long was I out?”

“Twelve hours, by my best guess.” I slowly sat up, with grass and twigs tumbling off my shoulders. I popped my lower back and then pointed at the sun, which was just as defective as the moon. “It’s hard to tell, but I believe that’s right.”

Minnie stirred from her nap and peeked opened sleepy eyes at me. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, love.” I leaned down and kissed her cute, puckered lips. “It’s time to move now.”

“He’s awake?”

“He is.”

“What should I call him? Can you tell me his name?”

King Ula chuckled softly and carefully stood, shaking off the brush we’d covered him with. “He is right here.”

“What is your name?” Minnie questioned boldly, also rising to her feet. “I need something to call you.”

The King of Dragons ran his fingers through his hair, attempting to shake out as much dirt as possible. Distracted, he mumbled, “You may call me Ula.”

“Thank you,” Minnie bowed to him, and three small twigs rained down from her hair. She ignored them as she straightened, as regal as any royal, despite looking like she’d been rolling around in a stable all day. “That’s much better than the names I was saying in my head.”

The King of Dragons glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. “Do I wish to know?”

“Doubtful,” Minnie muttered without remorse.

Instantly, I stepped forward, placing myself fully between them. I nodded my head at the dark forest, asking, “That is where we’re going, is it not?”

“It is.” The dragon king started stalking toward it, not even waiting for us. “Let us hurry. Traveling there at night is even worse.”

“That, I can believe.” I shivered in place, memories of the Blood Forest at the forefront of my mind. I took my soul mate’s free hand—her other already held a blade—and pulled us forward, following the dragon. “Are there any deer in there, perchance?”

King Ula’s shoulders shook while he chuckled. “No, but you’ll wish those pests were the worst that happened by the end.”

“That bad?”

“That bad.”

“This is quite the lovely adventure we’re taking, King Traevon,” the gorgon king hissed behind us, trudging through the tall grass far easier than my shorter soul mate. “I shall remember this.”

“I’m sure you will,” I grumbled, knowing he would ask a favor one day—and I would be honor bound to say yes.

Nothing good would come from that.

Whisper of a father:

Fuck the dark forest.

Burn the bitch down.

The sun may not be bright in the dying land of Fairy, but it was still mighty, shining down mercilessly on our group. Its heat beat in thrashing waves through the sparse tree limbs hanging like boulders above as if each massive limb could crash down at any moment.

Minnie wiped the sweat from her face by rubbing her cheek across her shoulder. My love hadn’t complained once during our hours inside the forest so far, even though her ample bosom now heaved with each laboring breath and her shorter legs had to work twice as hard as ours. “Where exactly is the Ancient Archive?”

“Directly in the middle of the dark forest,” King Ula explained patiently, watching where he stepped. Enormous tree roots stuck up to knee high. “It is as old as these trees, made from their first saplings.”

Rotten leaves continued to crunch under our boots as I growled, “But do you even know the way there?” My eyes narrowed on the dragon’s back as I used my free hand to shove aside dead brush. “I know we’ve already passed this before.”

The dragon king snickered. “As I have said, time doesn’t move the same here. And this is the way of the dark forest. Do not expect Fairy to be the same as your realm.” He glanced over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows. “Just wait for the real fun part.”

“Meaning?” King Elon probed.

I watched the dragon king’s face closely. “It would be wise to know what we’re heading into.”

King Ula shrugged his broad shoulders and looked away from me, pointing absently at the surrounding trees. “They will attack when they’re done evaluating us.”

I instantly stopped walking and snarled harshly, “The wood will attack?” I released my soul mate’s hand and drew my sword, examining the trees closely—as did the gorgon king. “Don’t you think you should have mentioned this before?”

The King of Dragons kept marching forward. “It is their way.”

“Cryptic. Like all underhanded Fae.” I flashed my fangs at the motherfucker’s back. “We’re not moving another step until you explain.”

“Blood and pain.” He peered over his shoulder once more and grinned wickedly. “The dark forest wants our tears. It will get them no matter how hard we fight. I would advise you to let it happen. The process is easier that way.”

Minnie growled, “Process?”

“Yes.” He immediately held still when tree roots shot up from the ground, curling in the air at our group like daggers. He inhaled slowly and grumbled, “And it appears it’s about to begin.”

My eyes widened in horror as more roots slithered from the ground and wrapped around my soul mate’s ankles. Before I could even blink or react, Minnie shouted in fury as she was sucked into the ground.

“Minnie!” I bellowed—and royal firepower exploded off my body.

The roots surrounding me turned to ash in the breeze…until a tree limb screamed behind me, bringing an immense breeze with it. I ducked instantly and jumped to where the ground had eaten my soul mate.

Dropping to my knees, I sheathed my sword and dug at the ground frantically. “Minnie! Can you hear me?”

I am not proud to admit I didn’t notice the thick root sliding up from the ground behind me, bending and bowing, pointing right at my neck. My attention flashed between the ground, where I clawed at the dirt, and my other two companions as they were rapidly swallowed down into the ground right before my very eyes.

I jerked in place, immediately choking, when the devious root twisted around my throat and slammed me back onto the ground.

Glaring up into the weak but bizarrely scorching sun, I allowed the roots to cover me and take me under, too, heeding the dragon king’s advice in hopes this dark forest would give me my soul mate back.

* * *

I soared above my home on a deadly night, my wings beating the air hard. Shredding pain radiated deeply inside my chest as I opened my jaws wide and roared my fury at the injustice.

All of my people dead.

All but two. Two males.

Every female was gone.

War. War. War.

My life as I knew it forever changed by this damnable war my father savagely demanded, tearing into the ‘enemy’ with reckless abandon. He used my own people as weapons, like toys for his pathetic games with the Queen of Light.

The great scourge had ended my future happiness in one bloody night. I wanted to rip out my heart and let it bleed down onto Fairy, which had taken and taken and taken. Anything to stop the agony. To stop seeing dragons littering the ground like fleshy rubbish, their wings snapped and their heads lying sideways and holes where their hearts should have been, pools of dark blood surrounding them.

I roared again.

The only survivors flanked me.

Their pain joined mine, making the moon tremble in fear, winking out to hide as we flew and flew and flew away from the massacre and the loss. Away from the man and the woman I hoped rotted in the misery of their own making.

I never wanted to see this land again.

Never.

“Trixie!” I laughed and ran after my daughter—nap time was officially done, and my bundle of energy was raring to go.

I followed her across the backyard as her tiny, stubby legs worked on, racing away from me. Her red pigtails bounced with each hard-won step, her gap-toothed grin showing as she giggled over her shoulder. She squealed through her missing teeth, “Daddy! Bet you can’t catch me!”

I lifted my arms high and curled my fingers into claws, baring my fangs and growling like a monster—more like a honking duck—while I jogged quickly at her heels. Putting on my most theatrical scary voice, I growled, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Orchard!” she shouted and laughed, pointing a little finger where her mother loved to paint in the sunshine. “I see Mommy sleeping! She’s taking a nap like we did!”

I dipped down and looked to where she was pointing, peering under the low-hanging tree limbs as I kept pace behind her. My jovial expression immediately wiped clean off my face, my breath catching in my throat, as true Fae fucking fear blasted my chest and trickled down like ice into my veins.

Moving faster than I ever had before, I jumped forward and scooped my child up into my arms, and stopped brutally in place. My fangs flashed at the unknown elves surrounding my soul mate.

Blood covered the left side of Minnie’s face, her body lying face down in the thick green grass of the orchard. Her chest still lifted and lowered, but she was unconscious, her skirt rucked up around her waist, baring her body.

Her legs were spread…

I pressed Trixie’s face against my neck, turning my child’s head away. Tilting my head down, I peered at the men through my lashes—their certain death shone in my eyes.

I whispered darkly, “That is my soul mate.”

They didn’t move to run. They knew.

They knew.

An elf with a flamboyant mustache licked his bottom lip. Blood covered his face in healed defensive marks from her fingernails, and he slowly smiled, oily and disgusting. “We actually came after your daughter there, but this worked just fine too.” His nasty smile grew, hiding his fear. “Don’t worry over much. She was unconscious for most of it.”

I swallowed hard and held my daughter tighter when she whimpered, my child finally understanding something was amiss. Breathing deeply, I spoke quietly, “Why did you come for my heir?”

Another elf cracked his neck and started lacing up his pants, these men understanding their lives were at an end—eventually, when I was done with them. “There’s a contest in the dark corners. Whoever can retrieve your daughter’s head wins a fortune.”

I instinctively stepped back, pivoting my body to the side and holding Trixie away from them. “Who’s running this contest?”

“King Elon’s brother. That drunk, crazy one.” The remaining elf pulled his long hair up into a bun at the top of his head, dried blood all around his mouth. “Says she’s some kind of bringer of doom that the last soothsayer told of. He shows this disturbing quote from their royal library to anyone looking at it about dying days and the rebirth of a name, fire, and blood. It’s legit. He’s even proven the coin.”

“Sounds like a Fae fucking reach to me.” The first elf shrugged his beefy shoulders. “But coin is coin.”

I held completely still and flicked my eyes to the side at a flash of distinctive silver braids. My muscles clenched painfully with the need to beat and beat and beat these men until they were unrecognizable. To erase the memory of her precious blood smearing their skin. To never see this day again.

My chest heaved as Marlon quickly slipped from behind a tree and silently walked toward me. Not muttering one word, I handed over my daughter to him. Marlon marched away just as quietly as he had arrived, hushing my daughter gently.

After this day, our life would change. I could feel it in my bones. In my ripped heart. In my terrified soul. Nothing like this would ever happen again.

My family would be protected.

No matter the cost, they would be safe.

But for this fight, I took off my crown and dropped it at my feet. Today, I wasn’t the king. The king would kill swiftly. The king would be merciful. I was none of those today.

I rolled my shoulders and stepped toward my vengeance.

“Do you not have one inkling what you speak of?” My mother shook her braided evergreen hair before her open palm slammed against my left cheek, whipping my head to the side. “If this information gets out, it will ruin your father! Ruin our king!”

Spitting blood onto the desert sand, I hissed, “Mayhap it is time for a change, Mother. He is stealing from other kingdoms. And not a little. It is much.” I pointed at the hand-written ledger she held in her less dominant hand. “Look at it! If the other rulers find out about this, they’ll hurt our kingdom for years to come. We may never recover from this.”

“Then don’t fucking tell them,” she snarled softly and leaned forward to stare directly into my eyes. “There is no change, my son. Whatever you are thinking, get it out of your head. This is not the day you grow a backbone.”

“Mother,” I pleaded. “You don’t understand. This is beyond horrible. We couldn't repay the amount he stole within two hundred years. Maybe more. This needs to stop. They’ll go to battle for this, with blood the only outcome. Our people will be slaughtered. Do you understand that?”

“And your father’s dirty deeds will one day be yours. Remember that well while you’re in the ice box.”

“What?” I took a quick step back and shook my head frantically. “I’m being serious, Mother. Truly. I feel strongly about this.”

“And I am serious too.” She fisted my shamrock green braids and started yanking and dragging me through the sand to the cook’s chamber at the back of our castle, nearly pulling out my hair. “You will reflect on your current foolishness. For a full week.”

“No,” I shouted and finally began struggling, my shock wearing off. “You can’t do that! It could kill me.”

“Do not fret, my son. I’ll throw some bread down if you don’t scream like a fool and embarrass me again.” She kicked open the door and shoved me inside, sending me flying to my knees. “Do not ever talk about change. It’s treason, my son. Use your Fae fucking head for once.”

My chest heaved as I stared down at the frozen ground. I whispered one word…just one, “Mother.”

She sighed heavily and stopped closing the door, glaring at me on the frosty ground. “What?”

I peeked up and stared directly into her eyes. “I’m not sorry.” As I held her gaze captive, my braids snapped into snakes high in the air. “I promise you, I’m not sorry, and I’ll never think of you again.”

Mother opened her mouth and screamed in agony. Little by little, her face edged into stone from the outside in, finally meeting in the middle, cutting off her shout and traveling down her body. I held her rock eyes until it was done. The snakes that were a part of me calmed as the process completed, going back to sleep and turning into braids once more.

Grabbing a square-ended meat clever from the shelf in front of me, I shoved up to my knees and walked through the cold air back into the heat of the desert sun.

Shoving the door closed, I cocked my head and looked into her eyes again, stating simply, “I always use my head. I use it correctly, unlike you or your soul mate.” I lifted the cleaver into the air, eyed it carefully, and then swung it hard with two hands, knocking her head off with one shot. It flew through the air as her stone body fell backward. I watched her head fall and slap into the sand. “It’s time for a new king. If Father cannot protect our kingdom, I will.”

One hot tear escaped as I turned and walked through the sand, holding the meat cleaver down by my side and heading straight for my father.

“They say you were born here,” Marlon whispered and looked into my golden eyes. The cobblestone streets of Jarisbur were rutted in places, making standing straight quite the problem right now. “Do you believe it’s true?”

Swaying side to side, I laughed throatily and stared at the elven tree. “Traevon says I look like one all the time—it’s the hair—but I doubt I was literally born from a tree. That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Shh.” He pressed his pointed finger to my lips and then drunkenly leaned away, wobbling back and forth on his feet. He placed that finger to his mouth and mumbled against his digit, “We have to be quiet, don’t you know? It’s late.”

I snagged the bottle of sweet shifter wine back out of his hand and chugged down three mouthfuls. Wiping my lips with the back of my hand, I grumpily said, “I never have fun anymore. I’m in Jarisbur! I should go out and party the night away. Not work on business that tears my heart out.”

Marlon threw his head of silver braids back and chuckled in hiccups while he stared at the stars above. “Many elves wish they were you.”

Mayhap…but…

“She died in my arms, Marlon,” I breathed shakily and took another long drink. “Do you know how long I’ve known her? Since she was a little girl, just like my little girl. I helped raise her here. I gave her a roof over her head. I gave her a purpose like I try to do will all these mouthy fuckers. But…she died.”

“That wasn’t your fault.” Marlon waved his finger wildly into the air, trying to aim it at me. “You know it wasn’t.”

“She died,” I said again—because he didn’t understand. She was different than the rest. She was just on the cusp of happiness. I’d almost gotten her there. A few timid smiles were thrown my way when she felt she was accomplishing something meaningful. Almost…there…and gone. She never got to feel that genuine warmth. It had been right at the tip of her fingers before her life was taken away, before she could tell me to go fuck myself and lead a life of her own, as the rest eventually do, as I wanted them to. Build them up…and let them fly like a pretty Fae-gift, strong and happy and soaring high, high, high. I sniffed hard and glanced back to that tree filled with blue apples that were ready to pick and eat and savor. “If I was born from this tree, then I want her reborn from this same tree.”

Marlon’s shoulder hit the side of the building that sheltered the small sitting area away from the busy streets during the day.

“Did you hear me?” I pointed at that fucking tree and bent forward, opening my mouth and screaming furiously, “Bring her back. Bring her back!” My chest hurt so damned bad that I threw the shifter wine bottle at the tree, watching it shatter down the bark like blood. I charged at the tree and beat my fists against it, adding real blood to the rough bark, and shouted, “Fuck you, Fae!”

Strong arms wrapped around me, holding my swinging arms hostage, and we stumbled backward together. Our feet tangled, and we fell on our asses, not moving as I sobbed against his chest.

“It’ll be okay,” he whispered and rocked me back and forth, petting my hair softly. “But I think I have an idea that will help.”

“What?” I choked on my tears, looking up at him. “Kill me too? End this pain?”

“No,” he admonished gently. “I believe we should pack our bags tonight and head home. You need your soul mate.”

I countered harshly, “I need to bury the dead.”

“Let her aunt take care of that.”

“She died working for me. It’s my responsibility.”

Marlon sighed heavily and started rocking me again, “All right then. If you’re bound to be miserable, then be miserable.” He burped loudly and stared at the stars once more. “But I’m getting King Traevon here. Whatever else you argue and try to justify, there is a time and a place for him. And this is it.”

“Don’t,” I whispered, and tears flooded my cheeks. “I made a promise to help him here. I won’t break it. I’ll never break my own heart. He is why the fool organ beats in my chest. He is the very air given when I can’t find a breath. I will continue protecting him whenever he can’t. Even if that means dealing with this.”

Marlon helped me to my feet, both of us wobbling in place, unsteady on our legs. “Then you shall, Minnie. I won’t stand in your way.”

Riddle of a father:

We all have monsters hiding behind our smiles.

Wakening abruptly, I coughed hard and long, wheezing as chunks of mud flew out of my mouth. My shoulders and my chest heaved with every gasping breath I took. Shoving my hands onto the ground, I tried to orient myself as I struggled to push up to my hands and knees, my limbs dragging as I moved. My eyesight was blurry and unfocused as I stared at the yellow and brown dead grass.

“Slow and deep breaths, my son,” Mother stated softly. “Breathe in, and breathe out. Allow your head to clear before you stand.”

Gasping in oxygen, I concentrated on relaxing my air intake, reducing the speed of my pulse, and shaking my head every so often to force the fuzziness from my vision.

“What…” I rasped, my throat dry as Fae fuck. I gradually lifted my head and looked around. “What in the realm was that?”

My mother sat next to me cross-legged on the ground, her silver eyes coldly watching the dragon king, where he stood, leaning a shoulder against an ancient tree and rubbing his hands over an exhausted-looking, dirty face. Then, she explained gently, “The dark forest has judged you and your confidants. With your blood taken, it sees into your darkest parts.”

My exhausted attention dragged from the dragon king, the man barely able to stand straight, to the gorgon king and my soul mate, where they lay unconscious between us. I shuddered hard and wiped the drying tears off my face, gasping, “It was…all of us.”

“Yes,” Mother agreed simply.

I clenched my jaw and spoke through gritted teeth, “We all relived the same thing?”

The wraith whispered heavily, “Yes.”

“Fuck,” I gasped and pushed up to sit on my knees, my horrified gaze flicking between each person—stalling and settling on my soul mate. My eyes turned frantic. “She shouldn’t have seen that.”

“You should have spoken the truth to her.” Mother turned her face to look at me, her silver eyes staring into my emerald gaze. “There’s only so much protecting you can do before you become the villain.”

I snarled through my teeth, “She didn’t remember. She didn’t know.” I shook my head brutally. “I healed her before she woke.”

“And it’s her life, not yours.” Mother stood to her feet, and her gaze examined my frantic, furious expression. She smiled sadly down upon me, and her transparent right hand gently brushed over my cheek, sending a chilly breeze against my skin. “You love her so much you fail to see what’s right in front of you.”

My red eyebrows furrowed deeply, and my lips pinched into a thin line. “Meaning?”

“Did you learn nothing from her memory?” Her sad smile only grew. “Mayhap…she’s been protecting you, too.”

Blinking very slowly, a horrible realization entered my mind. My nostrils flared as my attention flew back to my soul mate. I stared at her slack face and barely breathed, “She knew. She lied to me.”

“Monsters take many shapes, my son. There are those in our heads. Some we become. Others we run from. Most we bury, so those we hold dear aren’t hurt.” Mother bent and kissed my forehead. Nothing felt but bone-chilling cold. Then she whispered in my ear, “You both need to change. It’s okay to be weak when you’re broken. Banish your monsters together, not alone.”

I shuddered hard, and my chest cramped painfully. “We will be better for it?”

“I can tell you this much. You certainly won’t be the villains in your own love story.” Mother chuckled softly and glanced again at the dragon king, giving him a steely-eyed, pointed look. “You…behave yourself. I’ll be watching.”

Then she disappeared.

King Elon abruptly started coughing in great racking heaves, his shoulders quaking with each breath he fought for, spitting many pieces from his mouth.

Running my fingers through my hair, I closed my eyes and calmed my heart before I crawled the three paces to my soul mate. I sat like my mother, watching the gorgon king balance his mind and body while I absently picked twigs from my love’s hair and tossed them aside.

Reptilian, molten green eyes blinked in confusion at the dragon king and me, appearing exhausted and sick to his stomach. “I think I saw…” He blinked once more at me—at my stricken expression—before his gaze widened in horror, his intelligent mind deciphering it hadn’t just been him. The King of Gorgons promptly lost the contents of his stomach all over the ground before him. He choked and coughed, “Fuck.”

My thoughts exactly.

Distressingly so.

My jaws clenched, and I politely looked away from him as tears started streaming down his face, the gorgon king staring at absolutely nothing in startled shock. Having one’s worst memory not only seen but felt was not an experience most would wish to share with the enemy.

If you lived long enough, your worst experience was typically Fae damned devastating.

I hadn’t known what I had experienced from their eyes except for my own memory. We all had monsters in our closets.

None of us were clean. We were all liars.

We were…survivors…of life.

Minnie began to wake, promptly coughing and choking out mud. I rubbed her back and did as my mother had, telling her to breathe slowly, to get her bearings before she moved too much. Red-rimmed, golden eyes peered up at me from the ground. Her chest brutally shook as clarity entered her gaze, understanding that I knew. I knew all the lies she had told; she knew the horrible lie I had. All in the name of protecting each other. She bit her lower lip with one fang, and her features slowly pinched as she lifted her chin high and sat up to face me.

My smile was small in the face of her strong stubbornness and fortitude. Gently, I ran my thumb down her jaw in the silence surrounding us. I whispered, “We will talk when we get home.”

Her gaze was purely mulish. “No, we will not.”

I leaned forward and stared directly into her gaze, uncompromising in my words and tone, prepared to lock our elven asses in the dungeon if necessary. This Fae shit was going to get fixed. I breathed deeply, “I promise you, my love. We will.”

Wariness—and a flash of fear—darted through her golden, expressive eyes, but ever so slowly, she nodded in agreement.

I kissed her lips softly before I pulled back and rolled my shoulders, working the stress out of my bones as best I could. Examining the others around us, I cleared my throat and asked respectfully, “How much time do you two need?”

Still not speaking, the dragon king waved an irritated hand, not looking in my direction but indicating he was ready.

King Elon stood shakily on his feet and ran his hands over his white attire in a useless, nervous gesture to clean the grime off himself. He spoke with a guttural hiss, “I’m ready when you are.” He stalked away from his sick, not meeting anyone’s eyes, and added, “I feel obliged to mention everything was paid back.”

“I didn’t ask,” I stated clearly, not pushing that topic. Nor did I mention the ghastly parental abuse or that he’d claimed the crown the hard way. “Everything we saw and felt was a gross invasion of privacy. Best not to linger on it, I say.”

“Agreed.” King Elon grunted—and brushed his hands down his clothing once more. He cast his attention around us, inspecting the trees, and said, “This is not where we were attacked.”

“No, it’s not,” a gruff male voice said to my right. We jerked in that direction, weapons drawn, and pointed at the clear forest before us. “The roots spit you out here. On my home, dammit all.”

“Show yourself,” King Ula growled. His solid golden gaze scanned over the scenery, and his nostrils flared wide, inhaling heavily. Sniffing once and then twice, his nose wrinkled as he muttered, “I fucking hate gnomes.”

“And I hate dragon shifters, so there’s that. Especially, the missing heir to this forsaken land.” A gnome stepped out from behind a tree twenty feet deep into the forest. The Fae was only as tall as my waist, not large as his strong voice might indicate. He wore a red pointy hat, a black jerkin over black breeches, and a thick red belt around his substantial waist. Despite looking like someone who’d aged a long time with his craggy, dark face and beard of snow-white bristly hairs, his biceps were bulky with strength, and he moved with fluid grace. He tapped a dagger on his palm, scowling straight at the dragon king. “It’s been a long time, King Ula. You were a pain in the ass years ago and haven’t changed.”

King Ula hesitantly lowered his sword, repeatedly blinking at the gnome. “Madden?”

“The one and only.” The gnome's red hat tipped back and forth as he examined each of us. “Who are your friends?”

The King of Dragons propped his sword on the ground, pointy end down, and leaned on it. Posture aloof, he hedged carefully, “‘Friends’ would be a very loose term.”

“Ah…one of those situations.” Madden’s lips twitched, and his tone turned eerie and calm. “Smart, since they aren’t our kind.” His yellow eyes looked straight at the dragon king. “And they really shouldn’t be here.”

“Eh,” King Ula grunted and shrugged. “A little scenic trip never hurt anyone.” He tilted his head at the gnome. “Speaking of which, you should hop on over that line, too.”

Instant. “I like it here.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Fine. I don’t want to.”

“Do it.” King Ula narrowed his eyes.

Madden grimaced. “No.”

“You need to,” the dragon king said quietly. “I’ll even show you around if you would like.”

How lovely. I had a mighty dragon suggesting he be a tour guide of my realm, inviting other Fae to ‘hop on over’ where they didn’t belong. More than likely, to stay awhile since the dragon bastard had taken up permanent residence where he also didn’t belong.

I cleared my throat and stood, interrupting their dialogue, “We apologize for lingering. We’ll be on our way.”

Madden snorted. “No need to be polite. I did try to kill you, you know.”

I arched a red eyebrow sharply and drawled, “Did you now?”

The gnome shrugged without shame. “The wraith didn’t appreciate it.” He pointed his dagger down at the ground where he stood. “She’s quite mouthy, that Fae killer. That’s why I’m staying put. So I would appreciate it if you’d be on your way.”

My fangs showed as I grinned. “I couldn’t agree more.” I looked at the dragon king. “Do you know where we’re at?”

He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, tracking his perusal from left to right. “Honestly, I’m a little turned around.”

“Where are you headed?” Madden asked.

Not hesitating, King Ula responded, “Ancient Archive.”

“It’s just over that hill.” The gnome pointed his dagger to his left and then lifted it. He eyed us speculatively and then stated, “Careful with the guardians. There’s been more than usual traveling through here.”

The King of Dragons bowed his head graciously. “Many thanks, Madden.” He lifted his sword and sheathed it. “Please think about what I said. I would like to see you again.”

Fucking Fairy. “Let us go!” I urged and turned in the direction the gnome had indicated, practically herding the gorgon king and my soul mate away before any of those plans could be finalized. I ordered over my shoulder, “Come now, King Ula.” The gnome had said his name—so I no longer had to hide it from my love, thank goodness. “We must be on our way!”

King Elon snorted under his breath.

“Be quiet,” I whispered sharply at him. “We must keep that dragon from chatting to every damnable Fae here. We’ll have an entire infestation in our realm, not merely a few rogues.”

“Yes, but you aren’t even being delicate about it,” the gorgon king muttered out of the side of his mouth. “That was rather obvious.”

Snarling, I muttered, “I fucking hate you.”

King Elon hummed and glanced away.

I stared at the side of his face, waiting for his comeback—but none came. Then a splash of repulsion dowsed over me. I grumbled harshly, “No, don’t you dare do that. You know not the half of it. I deserve your hatred.”

“I shall despise who I wish to, King Traevon,” the gorgon king murmured while he scanned the trees for guardians. “And at this moment in time? I am rather…numb.”

I huffed quietly and growled, “Well. Allow me to know when you are back to rights.”

“As you say.”

Thanks of a father:

You never know what role you will play in a stranger’s life.

A small word can leave lasting damage.

As a helping hand can shine light.

With my daughter, I know I will be her father.

I’ll try to be the best I can be for my child.

But when she cries, it breaks my heart.

Thank the Fae my soul mate is made of stronger stuff than I, where our child is concerned. I would be a mess without her.

I clinked my goblet of shifter wine against Queen Mikko’s sister’s—a caster I honestly couldn’t stand to be in the presence of for more than five minutes. But I was polite and said happily, “It is a glorious day, is it not?” Because I was happy—so very happy.

“It is, it is!” Her laugh made me want to choke myself. Too loud and attracting all attention nearby. “It only took you hundreds of years to have an heir. I was beginning to think you were impotent.”

The musicians started playing in the corner, jerking me out of my shock. I stared and smiled with my fangs. “Well, now.” I pointed off to the side—where more shifter wine lay in wait; it looked like I would need it for tonight’s celebration. “I think I see my…parrot. I must make sure it’s enjoying the party. So if you’ll excuse me, Kera, I hope you enjoy the festivities.”

Turning on a quick heel, I pretended I didn’t hear her spluttering in confusion and maneuvered straight for the alcohol, slipping around all the elaborately attired guests celebrating with me inside my castle. I plunked my almost empty goblet down onto the bar and ordered the elf serving drinks, “Fill it all the way up.”

He dipped his head respectfully and quickly filled it, carefully ensuring a drop did not land on the counter.

“King Traevon, where is this new heir of yours?” King Athon asked directly behind me in his distinct, rough shifter tone. Yet another individual who had to be on the invite list for civility’s sake. “That is why we are all here, correct?”

Sighing under my breath, I held the elf’s gaze before me and took a long draw from my full goblet before I turned and faced the King of Shifters. Lowering my drink, I stared into solid black eyes and explained regretfully, “My daughter decided tonight was the night to start teething. While it was poor timing, she is currently rather fussy, demanding her mother’s undivided attention.”

“So that is why your soul mate is nowhere to be found. That does make sense. Poor timing, indeed.” The shifter king cocked his head, and his long, white hair slipped over his large shoulder as he squinted through the crowd. “Was that Kera Boone I saw you speaking with?”

“Don’t remind me.” I snorted softly.

Humor lit his dark gaze as he turned back in my direction. “Do I want to know what that ninny said this time?”

“It was particularly unflattering.” I took another sip of my shifter wine, enjoying the sweetness on my tongue. “Apparently, she thought I couldn’t have children if you understand my meaning. Because it took so long.”

All humor vanished from his features, and he snarled softly. “She truly said that to you?”

I lifted my eyebrows high on my forehead and nodded heartily at his outrage. “It even surprised me.”

“What a Fae fucking idiot.” He huffed indignantly. “It is hard enough to even have children, and then to say something that uncouth is beyond ill-mannered.”

Eyeing his features—and gauging his reaction—I asked carefully, “I take it you want to be a father one day.”

He didn’t flinch, merely staring me in the eyes. “I will need an heir. That is obvious.”

“And that is not what I asked.” I smirked and watched his face. “I asked if you wanted to be a father.”

King Athon cleared his throat and crossed his arms, balancing his weight on his heels. “If it happened, I wouldn’t be opposed to it.” An answer that wasn’t really an answer—but actually was a Fae damned answer. He paused momentarily, then scrunched his nose slightly and blurted, “What is it like? Being a father and a king?”

I didn’t laugh at the man before me—not when I had once been him. But I felt a certain amount of amusement deep inside, the shifter king unable to appropriately conceal this private want from an enemy, failing quite miserably. Though, I did allow the biggest Fae fucking smile to spread across my lips, joy gripping my heart in warmth and light. “It is more than I could have imagined.” I shook my head slightly and explained, “Finding the time for everything is hard. I’m constantly exhausted, but it is more rewarding than anything I’ve ever done. And even though I have done much as a king, this is…more.”

A flicker of envy dashed through his eyes before he hid it. He smiled politely and bowed his head, stating cordially, “That truly sounds wonderful, King Traevon. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. It is appreciated. I will let Minnie know you said as such.”

The King of Shifters glanced to the side, someone catching his attention, and he sighed quietly. “Bishop is beckoning. I must take my leave.”

I chuckled softly. “Enjoy your evening, King Athon.”

“You as well.” He patted my shoulder, stole one of the waiting goblets off the table, took a large drink himself, and stalked off to tend to business.

My emerald gaze roved the crowd while I decided who I needed to speak with next, but before I could even pick, the choice was stolen from me.

“King Traevon.” Copper stopped before me, his voice rolling over my shoulders like a hiss. “I wanted to offer my congratulations before you were too busy again.”

I studied King Elon’s favored brother before me, looking closely into his reptilian eyes, more than slightly surprised when I saw the man was sober. His gaze was steady, his speech didn’t slur, and he wasn’t wobbling back and forth as usual at festivities.

Although, he still didn’t bow as he should. The gorgon never had—a bit of a self-worth issue with him—but I let it slide tonight, not wanting to battle on this grand evening.

“Thank you, Copper. That is very kind of you. I wish my heir was feeling better, but she and Minnie are currently indisposed—a teething issue.” When he eyed the goblets on the bar behind me—barely listening to what I was saying—I sighed and stepped to the side, motioning to them. “They are free, no coin needed. You may have one.”

He hissed deeply in his throat. “I am attempting to quit. I haven’t had a drink in one hundred and forty-four days.”

“Good on you.” I grinned—and meant it. “Well done.”

Copper sighed and cracked his neck side to side. “It is not as easy as it should be.” He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “I remember taking my first drink in my teen years, sneaking brew from my father.” The gorgon shook his head. “My brother, who obviously wasn’t the king yet, would always cover for me.”

“Did he now?” I asked, utterly surprised at this insider’s information. But…this may have been the first conversation I’d had with Copper when he wasn’t intoxicated. “That was kind of him.”

“He always covered for us…” Copper stared at the goblets again, lost in his own thoughts, and then, as if jerked by a tether, he sprang forward. He grabbed one of the goblets, mumbling hastily, “It is a special occasion. One won’t hurt.”

I almost took the Fae fucking drink from his hand, unsure if I should. “Mayhap it would be best—”

“No, it’s fine,” Copper hissed hurriedly, cutting me off. He lifted his goblet in the air for a cheer and said, “To your heir, King Traevon.”

I still hesitated, not entirely comfortable—something didn’t sit quite right in my stomach with this. But, eventually, I lifted my goblet to my enemy and touched it against his, saying, “To my heir.”

“To your heir,” he repeated and took a large gulp—that ended up draining half the large cup, with his eyes closed in bliss. Finally, he breathed heavily, opened his reptilian gaze, and smiled the smile of a man sated. “Do you know, I haven’t even heard what you named your heir? I don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl.”

Still unsettled, I took a small sip of my shifter wine, looking for the next person to speak with. “‘Tis a girl.” There! In the corner was a merchant I needed to speak with about exports. “Her name is Princess Trixie Isabella Towers.”

Copper cocked his head, staring down at the floor. His brows puckered like he had unexpectedly thought of something. “You named your daughter after your soothsayer mother?”

“Yes… Why?” I started inching away from him, toward the man I’d like to speak with—to spend more time with the elves I knew around me. “It’s typical to name children after kin.”

“No, it reminds me of something.” He took a large swig of his shifter wine. “I cannot remember what it is, though. Very curious.”

“Perhaps, you will remember it in the morning with a clear head.” I smiled politely and used my goblet to point to the side. “I hope you have a wonderful evening, Copper. I will take my leave now.”

The gorgon king’s brother nodded distractedly, staring down into his goblet. “And you as well, King Traevon.” But his head snapped up abruptly, and he looked me directly in the eyes. “By the by, try to chill the area where your daughter is teething. Gently, of course. Nothing too extreme. But it should soothe the ache.”

“That’s very helpful,” I stated absently and waved farewell with my free hand as I walked away without a backward glance.

Judgments of a father:

When I find my heir, I will make sure she knows subtlety.

For if one does not know how to be subtle…

Then one might as well scream.

Relatively out of breath, my fingers bit into the bark of the tree I hid behind. That ‘hill’ had been a small damnable mountain—fucking gnome. More Fae scattered about before us, our group of four all secreted behind trees and watching the woodland sprite guardians patrolling the last remaining distance to our destination.

We could see the Ancient Archive clearly.

It was a large wooden structure, built oddly in shape deeply in the valley. There were rounded sections with too many patch-worked windows that made no sense for a horizontal flooring layout, while other areas were box-like with utterly no windows or doors for entry but raised high into the air like a watchtower. Yet, bizarrely enough, the building actually blended into the scenery, as if it were truly one with the dark forest that it was made out of.

I narrowed my eyes as a guardian marched in our direction but quickly relaxed my shoulders when another called her back. Then, after another ten minutes of studying their routine and patrolling system, I went down to my belly and crawled back through the dirt to the higher dead brush for shelter, waiting on the others to join me. I used one of my daggers to clean the most recent dirt from under my nails, giving my mind something to do, restless and impatient knowing my daughter was so close—but unable to reach her.

When all four of us were finally back together, I sheathed my knife and stated, “They’re efficient. Well trained.”

“Agreed,” King Elon stated, scratching at the mud and brown grass caked on his throat, attempting to rub it off. “We can make it through the first set of guardians but not the second without being seen.”

Minnie’s lips twitched. “I have an idea.”

“What is that, my love?” I asked, curious about what her skillset could bring to this discussion. She still recruited and trained a small army in Jarisbur—one that still remains hidden, even five hundred years later. My soul mate was…pretty fucking amazing. “If we attack, it has to be from a distance.”

She lifted up one finger. “Give me a moment.” My soul mate closed her golden eyes and placed her hands on the ground, digging her fingers into the dirt. “There are too many to defend ourselves against. Stealth will be needed.”

The three of us watched brown vines curl around her fingers, her flora elf magic working slowly on this foreign land. The vines slithered around her forearms up to her biceps and began curving over her shoulders. Vines grew and split, covering her neck and head, down her back and hips until she was utterly one with the background. Then tiny brown flowers bloomed and completed the look to perfection.

I grinned.

Minnie opened her eyes, barely seen through the slits in the vines and flowers. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re a bloody genius,” I mumbled in admiration.

The King of Dragons grunted and nodded in approval. “Can you do that to all of us at once?”

“I may need to do it one at a time.” She shook her head slowly, the vines softly moving with her. “Fairy feels different than our realm. It was harder than normal to do this.”

King Elon cocked his head. “You can handle the magic from far away?”

“At home, it would be easy. But I think I’ll feel better if I can keep eyes on you.”

“I agree. Which means you need to go last, love.” I stared into her eyes through the brown flowers. “Are you comfortable with that?”

She nodded and began letting the vines fall away and started on the gorgon king’s body, watching her work closely while she asked absently, “Do we have an entry point decided yet?”

“Second window on the left.” King Ula pointed at his target. “It’s open.”

“Nice vision.” I locked that away in the vault of my mind. “See anything else in there? What will we be sneaking into?”

“That, I couldn’t tell. But it’s the closest accessible window to our current location. Plus, there are more open entries, so I don’t think it’s a trap.” He squinted at the weak sun that continued to burn our skin with its rays, baking the land under us. “I imagine it’s hot in there right now. The breeze would be needed.”

“If I hear anything, I’ll try for a different window.” King Elon said but swiftly shut his mouth when the vines grew over it, a tiny slit left for him to breathe.

I watched my soul mate's work until I nodded at the completed product. “Nicely done.”

“Thank you,” Minnie stated humbly—with a wicked, proud look in her eyes. “Let us crawl back to our trees.”

Waiting for the right break, we did just that.

The gorgon king moved to infiltrate, dropping back down to his stomach. There was an efficiency to his movements, fluid…like a snake, making me shudder in place. He crawled patiently and smartly, not one guardian even looking in his direction, quickly covering the ground in less time than I thought possible. The gorgon king passed the first group of patrolling woodland sprites and, just as quickly, bypassing the second group.

I smirked when he apparently did not like the allotted window the dragon king had mentioned and, eventually, climbed into one farther down—smart gorgon, don’t trust the Fae.

Minnie bent and dug her fingers back into the dirt, and instantly, she started working on the King of Dragons while I watched the window the gorgon king had entered.

I chuckled softly, seeing his head peek up.

He looked in our direction and gave a thumbs-up.

Then his head popped back down like a mole.

I nodded at the dragon king. “It’s safe.”

Then I watched the man move. He was not as fluid as the gorgon king, more like an itchy bear dragging his body across a field.

“Holy Fairy,” I quietly muttered in horror. “He’s going to get us caught.”

“Is he doing that on purpose?” Minnie hissed, keeping her eyes on her target. “I know he’s big…but…”

“I don’t think he is doing that on purpose,” I whispered in awed fascination, my mind whirling for reasons. I finally mumbled, “He’s a dragon. He doesn’t truly have to use stealth as we do. So he never has.”

“That is embarrassing.” Then Minnie suddenly choked when he rolled and slammed into a tree. “I am retracting my previous statement. This is just pathetic.”

“Tell him he did an excellent job later,” I whispered distractedly, unable to look away from this horror. It just kept getting worse. He was missing the guardians by sheer luck alone. “Don’t lead him to believe he needs to train on it.”

“To know his weakness?”

“Exactly.” My emerald eyes widened in shock. “He…did not just climb in that window, did he?”

“Oh my Fae,” Minnie rasped gutturally, observing this shitshow with me. “Oh…there he goes back out the window.”

We watched as the dragon king slammed into the ground and held utterly still, thankfully, covered in his disguise, as a woodland sprite stuck their antlers and then their head out the window with a perplexed expression, glancing all around. Our breath held for a long few seconds until their head and then their antlers disappeared back inside.

This time when the dragon king moved, it was slower, and yet, I could still tell he was sniffing each window—because his Fae head kept bobbing up and down like a flag for all to see.

“I am thinking we will need a new plan to get out of here that does not involve stealth.” I finally sighed in relief when he entered the correct room. “What say you, love?”

As vines began to curl around my ankles, she looked up at me, digging her fingers further into the dirt, and stated bluntly, “We are far outnumbered. I think this will be a mess whichever way we play it, and once we have King Athon and our daughter, they’ll know we’re here. We aren’t getting out of here without fighting.”

My brows furrowed as the vines worked their way up my body. “I don’t want you or Trixie hurt.”

“Then start thinking, my king. A plan is needed.”

* * *

“Shh.” King Elon hissed in furious aggravation, and flat-out whapped the back of the dragon king’s head. “What are you doing? Just…get behind us and follow what we do. Please.”

I looked up under my lashes at the fumbling idiot dragon king and simply pointed sharply at the end of our line behind me, my nostrils flared in wrath as he—yet again—had knocked something off a wall. Now I understood why the dragon lived in a barren cave.

Because they fucking broke everything!

I was so angry right now that I couldn’t even speak.

Breathing heavily through my nose, I glared at his violent expression as he stalked back silently to where he fucking belonged.

The fact we hadn’t been caught yet was due to our keen observation of the dragon king, watching him like hawks and hurriedly catching everything he managed to bang into.

Standing in front of me, Minnie’s own chest heaved just as much as mine. My lovely soul mate was ready to slice him clean through, and she would have done so by now if we didn’t need him to get us back to our realm.

As it was, I’d had to grab her twice to keep her from stabbing a dagger in his throat—once, an inch away from making an impact. An act the dragon king had not wholly agreed with, resulting in a dead-eyed stare now every time he looked at her.

This…was a Fae damned experience so far.

King Elon peeked around another corner, sneaking a quick look before pulling back. Then he crept around the corner, with my soul mate quickly following. As I moved to shadow their lead, I grabbed the dragon king’s shirt and pulled him directly behind me, not allowing him to stand too close to any wall or door or light or picture or statue or artifact or sign or broom or anything else.

He grappled with my fisting hand in his shirt for all of seven seconds before he sighed heavily in defeat and just let me guide him, growling softly in his throat—an interesting dragon sound, to be sure.

The growl was quiet. It truly wasn’t loud.

But, apparently, it raised the alarms!

Because… Pixies.

Fucking pixies suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway we were in, buzzing in the air like colorful gnats from a distance, disordered and jumbled and excited.

“Run!” I hissed softly, yanking the King of Dragons around the corner after our other two companions. “Pixies are coming. Run!”

King Elon’s molten green reptilian eyes stared in alarm, and then he glowered straight at the dragon king, knowing damned well who had caused this catastrophe, before he turned and fled, his long legs working hard.

We raced after him. Minnie stayed steady beside me while I kept a firm grip on the King of Dragons’ shirt—still not letting him go—and rushed alongside her. I almost fell once when the top of King Ula’s large feet kicked the underside of mine, but surprisingly, he caught me before I kissed the ground and set me back on my feet. Then we ran again as fast as we could, turning and charging down another hallway.

Did we know where we were going?

Absolutely not.

But, dammit all, we were going places.

This place was a corridor of glass artifacts protected under glass boxes on top of glass pedestals, and I stared in horror at all the breakable Fae priceless objects. I rasped in astonishment, “We’ve entered the path of mistakes and tears.”

Swerving to the center of the hall, directing Minnie in front of me, I pulled the dragon down the middle, away from all the objects his massive body would destroy.

“I know that one!” King Ula whispered harshly, pointing over my shoulder at what looked like a glass candle, wick included. “It’ll take care of the pixies.”

“Are you sure?” I slowed reluctantly, stopped in front of the enclosure, and demanded quietly, “What is it?”

“The Candle of Dreams,” he whispered gutturally. “If you light it and say a name—or even a faction—it sends a dark dream to them.”

Minnie stopped farther down the corridor, with the gorgon king paused at the very end, both staring back at us, trying to understand why we weren’t moving.

Hearing the buzz of pests coming closer, I made a fast decision and yanked the glass enclosure off. I lit the flame with a simple thought and demanded clearly, “Pixies.”

“Blow it out,” King Ula said quickly.

I bent and blew a swift breath, puffing the flame out—doing precisely what he said instead of eliminating it with my royal firepower. Then I shoved the enclosure back on, grabbed the dragon king’s shirt again, and moved back to the center of the room, and abruptly the incoming buzzing stopped.

“How long does it last?” I questioned softly.

“I don’t know.”

“What?” I whispered harshly. “What if it’s a lifetime?”

“It’s not that long, asshole. I’ve heard it lasts a few hours, but that was only rumor.” His solid golden eyes stared into mine. “I don’t think you wish me to say a number as truth when it’s only castoff knowledge.”

I grunted, agreeing with that. “Let us hope it’s long enough to make a rescue but quick enough it won’t make them dead.”

He snorted under his breath. “They won’t know it was you; do not fret.” The King of Dragons waved at our waiting and relieved companions. “Shall we?”

Sighing softly, I began marching forward and leading the dragon king. I whispered, “That was a good catch. Thank you, King Ula.”

The dragon king grunted. “You are welcome.” He snorted under his breath. “I thought it might be wise to do something before your soul mate decided I was expendable again.”

My lips twitched. “Accurately so.”

Advice from a father:

Use your bathroom at home.

We finally found doors leading to areas unknown, having worked our way through what seemed like a never-ending maze of artifacts.

I glared at the dragon king, whispering, “Are you positive you don’t know where they would be kept?”

“The Ancient Archive is one of my father’s favorite places, so, clearly, I rarely came here.” King Ula shook his head. “But every room I’ve been in wouldn’t work for containing two royals.”

Rubbing at my forehead and grimacing at the grime flaking off my skin, I muttered softly, “Mayhap the bowels of this building have a dungeon?”

King Elon nodded amicably. “That is a solid—” His mouth snapped shut at the sound of a door opening, jarring our ears in the otherwise unnatural silence of the Ancient Archive. He pointed quickly to the closest door behind us and hissed softly, “Hide.”

I opened the door and shoved the dragon king inside the dark space, following suit and cramming my soul mate in. The gorgon king squeezed inside the small space and, just as silently, shut the door, closing us in. With my back pressed against a wall, it was only then that I noticed the smell.

Tilting my head to the side, I saw why.

I gagged and then looked away. Swallowing down the bile in my throat, I eased my expression in the darkness and whispered stoically, “We’ve trapped ourselves in an outhouse of sorts. Nothing has died in here. Excrement is what you’re smelling.”

A total of four proud faces stared silently at the door, not moving to give our location away—truly, unable to move, we were so tightly pressed against once another—regally bearing the fact we had squeezed ourselves into the foulest of shitters together.

It was rather embarrassing.

King Ula made a soft heaving noise in his throat, but his facial features didn’t change once, holding it in as I had done, with the guardians’ voices now heard as they talked amongst themselves.

We listened as they traveled down the corridor, eavesdropping for any word on where their hostages were being hidden away. Unfortunately, they only spoke of the blistering temperature making their bones weary and sweat traveling to unwelcome locations on their bodies.

The heat was also not helping in here. I would not argue if they wanted to switch places with us right now.

Bile rose again inside my throat, but I breathed out through my nose, carefully keeping my mouth shut this time.

Once the voices had finally carried far away and were no longer heard, King Elon cracked the door open and peeked out. With a heavy sigh of liberation, he stepped out…only to step back in when more voices were heard.

As an entirely horrible hour passed, we discovered this area was fairly busy with guardian movement—while we hid with shit.

Then we overheard it. Finally.

“Did you know the diviner is set to arrive tomorrow?” a voice noted. “Should be here at high noon.”

“Will we need to wake them?” another voice asked. “Or just keep them asleep?”

“If they’re found guilty of consorting with Ruiuen to steal the artifacts, we’ll wake them. The only obvious part, though, is that they used the artifacts. We can’t read their Fae-sparks at all…and, as you know, the other problem,” the first person muttered—and then laughed hard, their voice roaming further away. “Truly, have you seen Princess Trixie’s belly? She is heavy with child. Once the king and queen discover this, they’ll kill King Athon and her—and whatever is growing inside her. Death this way comes. So it may be more merciful to keep them asleep with that definite outcome.”

I froze utterly down to my core, my Fae-spark burning inside my chest from not only my panic but my soul mate’s as well.

No one in this disgusting space even breathed.

It was like a tomb of the shocked.

“Mamue should be the one to decide, I suppose,” the second guardian grumbled, barely loud enough to still hear. “This is far more complicated than what we planned for…”

I strained to listen further, but their voices floated too far away, my mind spinning with the details they had spoken of. Staring blindly at the door, I hovered between attention and distraction, wavering between safe options and what needed to be done.

Most likely, that was why I didn’t even notice when the door opened. Reality snapped back into focus when a head with antlers stared at us, stunned stupid with shock. That was his misfortune, his lack of action. Within the blink of an eye, green snakes stood in the air, and the guardian was instantly made of stone.

“Huh,” Minnie mumbled in shock, watching as the snakes changed into braids and dropped back down around his shoulders. “You’ve gotten much faster, King Elon. Quite impressive.”

He hissed softly. “We’ll need to move him elsewhere before anyone else comes.” The King of Gorgons cast a careful look in my direction. “Then we should find somewhere we may discuss the developing situation.”

“Agreed,” I whispered quickly. “Let us leave this dreadful room behind.”

We darted out the door one by one, and the dragon king simply picked up the stone statue and shoved it on his left shoulder as if it weighed nothing. It should have been helpful, except now this man simply had more possibility to create a disaster.

“Just…put him in the bathroom,” I hissed softly, holding the door open. “I’ll burn the door handle closed so no one can open it.”

King Ula nodded silently, set the statue down, and then cracked the head off it, tossing it down into the depths of the shit.

Mayhap he believed it was necessary?

After King Elon’s memory, he may think so. But the guardian had died as soon as his eyes had met the gorgon king’s with how quickly he’d been turned to stone.

Staying on task, I shut the door and melded the metal until it all fused together. “Done.”

“Is there anywhere we can steal food?” Minnie asked quietly, her golden eyes on the dragon shifter. “We are all starving and need energy. Is it possible for you to…” She tapped on her nose.

King Ula smirked, tilted his head back, sniffed at the air, and grinned like a happy man. “I believe you are in luck.” He stormed two doors down and opened it with a flourish, waving his hand inside. “They’ve got dried jerky stored in here.”

The King of Gorgons wrinkled his nose. “Did you know that was a bathroom before we went inside?”

“No.” The dragon king appropriately looked disgusted. “The whole hallway smelled like shit before. I couldn’t pinpoint where it was, but my nose is used to it now.” He grimaced at his following words. “I’ll have nightmares of that room for many nights to come.”

I gagged again. “Hear, hear.”

* * *

I chewed on my fifth piece of dried jerky and leaned my head back on the storeroom’s wall, closing my eyes for a moment while I ate. When I swallowed, I asked tiredly, “Does anyone know what a diviner is?”

King Ula chuckled darkly under his breath. “That is the first thing out of your mouth?” He laughed softly again like an evil menace. “So you did know they were soul-mated. I didn’t get that impression when you punched King Athon in the face.”

Not even opening my eyes, I muttered, “She is my heir and my daughter. If anyone threatens her, I take action.” I bit off another piece and chewed it while my mind still spun. “I will admit I did not know she was pregnant. Is it the time issue in Fairy? Is that why she’s heavy with child already?”

“Indeed. It affected her differently.” The King of Dragons snorted. “I suppose congratulations are in order?”

“Fuck off,” Minnie spat immediately. “Tell us what a diviner is. You are deflecting.”

I grunted and gnawed off another bite.

“Actually, I have a question I would like answered first from King Traevon,” King Elon hissed quietly. “A few days ago, King Athon attacked me when I touched him. It was odd, as he had never done anything like that before, but you claimed it was from parental abuse. Was that a lie to cover for your daughter going into heat? Because Louie did behave bizarrely, as well.”

Licking over my lower lip, I opened my eyes and lowered my head to stare directly into his narrowed gaze. “Yes.”

Nothing changed in his expression as he gazed back into my eyes, and after a quiet moment, he hissed again, “I hate you again.”

“About time.” I quirked up one side of my mouth in a sardonic grin. “Trust me, King Elon, I’ve earned it.” I let my head thump back onto the wall and closed my eyes again, resting them for a moment more. “I will say, with the extreme amount of violence King Athon showed—as did my own child—they should be left alone when she goes into heat in the future.”

“I almost died,” King Elon ground out the words.

“No shit. That is what I’m saying. For everyone’s safety, we will not plan for any royal meeting around Princess Trixie’s average heat cycle—whatever normal that will be in the future.”

Our tension was edgy with a heavy silence.

Until it wasn’t…

The King of Gorgons surprisingly started laughing softly, hardly heard in the quiet of the room. “Fucking Fae, you can’t die. And neither can she. There will be no true elven heir after her. You two are all that is left.” He hiccupped a small laugh, the sound slithering over the walls. “And by the Fae, King Athon has it even worse. There is no spare in his kingdom.”

I let that linger in my mind, debating telling him the truth or not. Ultimately, I decided it wasn’t the right time for more dirty actualities to be aired. I switched topics and opened my eyes again, targeting the dragon king and demanding, “Tell me what a diviner is.”

“There are few in Fairy,” King Ula started slowly. “They live nomad lives because of their power and people constantly trying to use them.” He pressed his back to the opposite wall and slid down slowly to sit on the floor, just as exhausted as the rest of us. “With one drop of someone’s blood—not unlike the dark forest—they can ask any question, and the truth will be revealed as the blood drops.”

“We need to find them before the diviner arrives.” I popped the last bite of dried jerky into my mouth, chewing it quickly. Not as polite as my soul mate, I questioned, “Can you sniff them out?”

“Possibly.” King Ula stared at his clasped hands on his lap, quiet and thoughtful for a beat. Eventually, he slowly nodded. “Yes, I probably could if there is no enchantment concealing the room.”

“Please keep your nose open then.” I grunted and looked between my other two companions. “Where do you think they might be? They’re obviously not in the bowels of this building due to the archaic plumbing.”

Minnie snagged another dried jerky strip. “Mamue enjoyed her power trip. I’d say she’s got them close to her in light of our daughter’s pregnancy. She’ll want to hold that power close and not let anyone steal it from her.”

“Are you suggesting she would keep them in her bedchamber?” King Elon asked curiously. “You believe she would keep two powerful and dangerous individuals that close? There’s always a possibility of them waking—especially if they’ve been kept in a state of dreaming for months.”

“I think she’s arrogant enough for it.” Minnie smirked and shook her head. “That Fae’s ego was almost painful to watch.”

King Ula snickered. “I’d have to agree with Minnie on this. I think Mamue came out of the womb with conceit stamped on her head.” His golden eyes twinkled in the low lighting with long-lost memories of bygone times. “Perhaps, she’s earned it by now, but it wasn’t always as such.”

“Do you know where the bedchambers are?” I cocked my head. “If this was a favorite spot of your fathers, he may have talked about it even if you didn’t visit much?”

“They’re in the tallest section of the Ancient Archive. The lower sections of the building are reserved for attending guests.”

“Well, now.” My lips slowly curled into a devious smile. “It appears we need to find the stairs. I do hope Mamue is there to greet us. She left me with such a sweet parting gift that I am obligated to leave her one as well.”

The King of Gorgons snorted and hissed drolly, “Yes, indeed. Your drool’s probably still on the tiles at High Pointe.”

I chuckled softly and stole one more piece of dried jerky. “Where are the stairs that lead to their private quarters, King Ula?”

He stood slowly and arched his back, stretching his muscles. “I can show you.”

Heading to the door, I pointed the dried jerky at him and stated seriously, “Stay right behind me unless you want me dragging you around again.”

Utterly unimpressed, he drawled, “You are fortunate you have a wraith, King Traevon.”

I peered down my nose at him. “As I said before, I prefer the term Fae killer.” With my hand on the doorknob, I eyed the tired group. “Are we all rejuvenated for this? Have you eaten enough?”

When nods came from everyone, I opened the door and peeked out. No one was close, so I slipped outside the door and waited for everyone to exit. With the dragon king directing me, I led us to the stairs and stopped, staring up over the railing—and immediately knew it would be a problem. It was seven stories high and woodland sprites were lingering on the upper levels, resting against the railings.

I pulled back and clenched my jaws. “There are many Fae up there.” This was about to get tricky. “I don’t believe we’re going to be able to leave here without—” I cut off my own words and stared at the swarm of pixies that flew down from the level above, hovering right in front of us, ranging in all the colors of the rainbow. My attention was snared by one certain aqua-blue pixie I recognized. I flashed my fangs and growled, “You are fairly bothersome, pixie.”

At the same time as they all started talking, a tinkling of bells chimed in my ears that I couldn’t decipher, a rainbow of sparkling dust arced through the air directly into our faces.

We didn’t stand a chance. Not even the heir to the Unseelie Kingdom remained on his feet, not with that much pixie dust. We stumbled into each other and then fell together in a pile of uncoordinated limbs—fucking pixies. Our shouts of death promises echoed loud around us…

Sleep claimed us not a moment later.

Fury of a father:

Thunder may be mighty…

But so is my love.

Let it rain. Let it rain. Let it rain.

I groaned in pain and bright light already hurt my head before I even opened my eyes, piercing brightness shining behind my closed eyelids. Trying to cover them with my hands, my wrists unexpectedly caught on icy metal that held them hostage together.

Instantly, I went still, not moving.

I was shackled.

Someone had Fae fucking shackled me!

Keeping from instinctively reacting was not easy, but I did so, allowing my mind to clear before I opened my eyes, playing the part of a sleeping captive. My mind slowly caught up, my memories returning in an agonized trickle with the aches jarring my muscles and my mind—not unlike my experience in the atrocious Blood Forest. But my Fae-spark was still warm inside my chest, which calmed me somewhat, even if it was harder than normal to feel my soul mate. She was sleeping from what I could discern.

Two different snores surrounded me.

Nothing moved nearby.

Succulent peaches filled my nostrils.

A soft—but thin—mattress cushioned my body, with the warmth of others on my left and right. My ankles were not bound, a terrible misstep for whomever had restrained me. Sweat covered my dirty body, the combination of grime and pixie dust making me uncomfortable and my skin itch.

Most importantly, I was not horribly hungry.

I didn’t believe it had been overlong since we were attacked by the pixies. But I was unclear on how their magic worked. If they were keeping my daughter asleep for months, then their magic was great indeed to keep her well without eating and drinking.

With nothing else of note to judge, I carefully opened my emerald eyes…and stared right into solid golden eyes not even an inch from my face.

Well now. That was not a view one wished to wake up to, the dragon king far too close. But it did explain one of the individuals I was smashed against—and I did find it slightly entertaining that the King of Dragons’ natural scent…was peaches.

I held his narrowed gaze for a second, before I squinted over his head into the blinding light, evaluating the black cell bars that were boxing us in. Tipping my head up a fraction, I grimaced at the ache in my neck and looked around further, assessing our situation the best I could. My soul mate was behind the dragon king, with the gorgon king spooning my back, all of us on a mattress on the floor normally fit for one. There was mayhap a foot of free space before the cell’s door, but, the most peculiar thing, was the cell was in the center of a barebones wooden room with the window directly overhead, with the sun near high noon, shining down onto my face.

No one was in here with us.

My head fell back to the bed, and I growled quietly, “What are we shackled with?” It was cold and numbed my hands. “The metal is not normal.”

“Tis why I have not broken free yet.” King Ula continued to glower at my face. “I have been lying here for hours, with nothing to do but count your freckles. And did you know you talk in your sleep? You must really love syllabub. You were begging for it for quite some time. It was entirely pathetic.”

While I might not be overly hungry, I could always enjoy a delicious syllabub. But I glared at the bastard, asking, “So they’re spelled then?”

“They’re a specialty of the Ancient Archive. The King of Dark had them created for anyone who was caught trying to steal here. The only individuals they don’t work on…is him and its creator, of course.” The dragon king sneered at his words. “The greedy prick would have made many, but his mistress—the maker of these charming shackles—was abducted by the queen. Our powers do not work while we’re bound.”

“Fuck,” I growled and squirmed until I lifted my arms to examine them further. They fairly sparkled in the sunshine. “Is there a way to remove them?”

“There is a key, but I suspect Mamue has it.” He cocked his head, also looking closely at my shackles. “A skeleton key from all appearances.”

“It is probably spelled too,” I griped absently, narrowing my eyes at the locking mechanism. “The maker would be foolish to create them, but allow them to be tampered with.”

“Indeed, the witch is not a fool.”

My shoulders stiffened at his word choice. “The mistress is a witch?” A slow breath released between my lips as pieces started to fall together. “The witch everyone is talking about is Ruiuen. She is the King of Dark’s mistress.”

“Was his mistress.” King Ula shook his head gently. “The queen became too jealous. Ruiuen was tortured for many years, and when she escaped she never went back to my father.”

My red eyebrows edged closer together. “Is that the reason for the great scourge? A lover’s quarrel? From infidelity?”

“I believe it started that way, even if it took on a life of its own.” King Ula growled under his breath. “Our lands were eventually separated and your realm was created…because my father couldn’t keep his dick in his breeches.”

I stared into his eyes and questioned bluntly, “What is Ruiuen doing now?”

He quirked a brow on his dirty face, peering at me like I was a simpleton. “The man she loved didn’t come to save her, so what do you think is happening here?”

“Are you Fae fucking kidding me?” I snarled in disbelief. “This is all about revenge? Everything she’s doing in my realm is about revenge?”

“It is best served cold.” King Ula snorted and turned his head to look up at the window. He blew out a long, quiet breath, and, finally whispered, “I cannot blame her. You didn’t see my father with her. He made her feel loved, and then the queen hurt her for almost a century for it. That’s enough to make anyone seek vengeance.”

“That would be enough to drive someone mad,” I clarified wholly.

“And, yet, you would not be here right now if she had not first kissed a man she should have walked away from in the beginning.” The dragon king chuckled softly. “Are you really complaining?”

“I want to know what her game is,” I spat harshly. “She has been tinkering with my realm. I want to know her end game.”

The dragon king smiled up at the window, his teeth white in the sunshine. “She wants you to win, King Traevon. It is that simple.”

Behind me, King Elon abruptly stopped snoring and said quite clearly, “I think this witch should fix her own lands, and leave ours alone.”

I jerked in surprise and ground my jaws together. “King Elon, please let me know the next time you’re eavesdropping. There is only so much I can take right now.”

“Duly noted,” the gorgon king hissed. “But I stand by what I said. Whatever she is doing…there is no easy revenge.”

I grunted. “Quite so.”

King Ula shook his head. “There is no easy outcome, but—” The dragon king stopped talking as the door to the room swung open.

Mamue entered with an aggravated expression twisting her features, with six guardians following and flanking her. Her overlarge eyes scanned each occupant in the cell, stalling on my sleeping soul mate. She tilted toward the guardian on her right and whispered too quietly for me to hear.

Then her attention returned to us. “I was not expecting you, and I must admit that I am truly surprised. There is not much that surprises me anymore.” Her hard gaze landed on me. “You have friends in very low places, King Traevon.”

I smiled—and my fangs showed. “However low they may have fallen, I will take my friends over you, and yours, any day.”

She snorted. “Charming, as usual. But I suppose you are here after your child, are you not?”

Nodding the best I could lying down, I stated, “I am.” I struggled to sit up, the magic in the shackles hindering the bones in my body, making them Fae fucking creak. “I wish to see her.”

“Oh…you will.” Mamue smirked. “I have decided to be lenient right now. While your love for her is rather disgusting, I am not without a heart. If she is to be punished for her deeds, you should know the outcome.”

My shoulders went rigid. “Have you contacted the king and queen?”

“No.” She shook her head, her antlers high on her head—and I couldn’t tell if she was honest or not. “We must deal with our first issue, and know if King Athon and Princess Trixie encouraged the witch in the theft of the artifacts. If they did, they will be punished accordingly before they are handed over to the king and queen for their other crimes.”

“Are they well now?” I questioned quietly.

“They’re sleeping peacefully and have been doing so the entire time they have been here,” Mamue answered respectfully. “Although, I will warn you that Princess Trixie’s appearance has greatly changed since you last saw her.” Her wide, large eyes hardened on my gaze. “After the trial, you will be handed over for your own crime. You should not have crossed into Fairy.”

I nodded solemnly, keeping my features deferential. “I understand.”

* * *

The room we were herded to—after a horde of pixies woke my soul mate—was the largest I had witnessed yet here. It was circular in form with the wooden walls painted white, making it look even larger. Benches lined the middle of the room, every seat filled with woodland sprite guardians, all here for the excitement, their eyes animated, their antlers waving in the air as they leaned and talked eagerly to the person next to them. The unnatural silence of the Ancient Archive was filled now with their lively voices bouncing off the walls.

My companions and I were kept at the back.

We stood side by side and didn’t speak while the same six guardians as before stood at attention near us, watching us closely.

I swallowed on a dry throat as my daughter and the shifter king were carried into the room. Trixie wore a white, plain wide sleeping gown with long sleeves that covered her from her neck to her ankle, and the King of Shifters had been changed into similar fashion with white sleep pants—and nothing more. As they lay them on a large altar next to each other, my daughter’s belly was revealed, rounded so large it looked as if she could give birth at any moment.

Minnie whimpered softly beside me, raising her shackled hands and covering her mouth, with hot tears building in her eyes.

Mamue stepped behind the altar—and the crowd went quiet. Running her attention over her audience, she lifted her chin high and called loudly through the room, “We are here today to see if these two children of the realm have enacted a crime against our sacred Ancient Archive. If they are found guilty, they must pay for their deeds the same as any true-blooded Fae.” She swept her hand grandly to the right. “Our diviner will find the truth.”

My eyes caught on a child dressed the same way as King Athon and my daughter, but where the shifter king only wore white pants, this young child had a white robe over his bare chest. His youthful features appeared to be all of seven-years-old, but his straight, blood-red hair fell down his thin back to his bare feet.

And his eyes.

His eyes were missing, black pits as if they never were. The Fae turned his head like he could see as he walked toward the altar, breezing over the floor like a cloud. There was nothing normal about his gait. He stopped next to Mamue and peered at the crowd.

The diviner’s voice boomed like thunder, “Two drops of blood is owed.” I jolted in place as his voice rocked into me—the Fae was old—before he removed a red blade sheathed under his robe. “Then the truth shall be given.”

The Fae nicked their thumbs and wiped the blood together on his blade. He touched the edge to his tongue and live energy filled the circular room, raising the red hair on my head into the air, barely being held down by my crown. The diviner’s head rocked back, and he stared blindly at the ceiling, his mouth moving in a literal blur—but no sound was emitting from his throat.

Thunder suddenly boomed inside the room, shaking the wooden floor beneath me and almost knocking me off my feet.

I breathed heavily and looked at the Fae.

In the vibrating silence, the diviner’s youthful face smiled, like he was genuinely pleased with himself, and he stated, “Not guilty. They did not assist in stealing the artifacts.”

Air rushed out of my lungs in relief.

That was one problem handled.

Then the diviner opened his mouth again and boomed, “Guilty. They have lain together.” His black pitted eyes looked right at me. “Guilty. The offspring in her womb is his.” He smiled once more, and didn’t look away from me. “Guilty. It was premeditated.”

The motherfucker laughed.

Then…he calmly started to walk away.

Well now. This just won’t do.

Tranquility transfused the blood running through my veins as I whispered so very softly, “Mother, end anyone here who has knowledge of my daughter. Make it ugly, and leave Mamue for me.” My eyes followed the diviner’s back, making sure he didn’t escape. “And keep the troublesome water pixie for now. She’ll be needed.”

Mother’s shining translucent body instantly appeared in the air above the woodland sprites. They didn’t notice the wraith at first, too busy calling for the death sentence my daughter would be given for daring to have children of her own with someone not of her kind. Only when Mother turned dark and shadows bloomed and curled from her body, with a few of her dangerous tendrils swiftly leaking outside the room, did they look up.

It was the last thing they saw.

Terrible screams filled the room.

I kept my attention on the diviner, smiling to myself when the bastard tried to run before the shadowed wisps overtook his body.

Fae after Fae dropped like so much rain falling, screaming out their agony, with black spider webs of veins pushing against the skin on their faces. I cracked my neck to the left and then to the right, watching while they tumbled and broke and sobbed.

I began walking toward the altar, leaving my silent and horrified companions behind. I stepped over bodies still squirming and convulsing on the ground. I used the head of one woodland sprite as a step up to the stage where Mamue had put on her production, so proud of herself and her findings.

I stared directly into her overlarge eyes that were no longer proud, no longer smiling at deaths she wanted. She stared at me as if I was the monster—and, right now, I was for her. I stopped walking to stand before her and ordered, “Hand over the key to the shackles.”

Her hands shook as she looked from me to the carnage behind me, her overlarge eyes dancing over her people dying before her eyes. “Please. Stop this madness. I’ll let them go if you stop.”

My head tilted as I looked over her terrified, pleading Fae features, and, eventually nodded. “I can agree to that.” I raised my shackled hands before me. “Get rid of the shackles first, Mamue, or there will be no mercy.”

Fumbling in her pockets for the key, Mamue pulled out a white skeleton key and hurriedly worked at my shackles as fast as she could, her trembling hands hindering her efforts—all while the Fae behind me continued to suffer and scream. The locking mechanism finally clicked, and she yanked the cuffs off me and tossed them aside, wiping sweat off her brow and pointing a shaking finger at her people. She wheezed, “Now call off the wraith, King Traevon.”

I rotated my wrists, the bones cracking and my skin warming. Lifting my right hand, I jerked the skeleton key from her hand and stated evenly, “I lied.”

She burst into flames as I released my royal firepower right at the woodland sprite. I stared into her eyes as she screamed in pain. “There was never going to be any mercy for you, Fae. You don’t deserve it.” With one last push I melted her down to ash, and then I turned away and looked up at my mother. “Finish it.”

Mother didn’t waste time. She ended their lives within a second. Blood oozed out of their eyes and their ears where they lay perfectly still and perfectly dead.

“While I release them, find the water pixie, Mother.” I jumped off the stage and jogged to my companions—where they hadn’t moved, three gazes utterly blank as they looked back at me. I cracked my neck again and helped my soul mate first, peeking up at her and gauging her true reaction through my Fae-spark. When I had her released, I murmured softly, “Will you be all right, love?”

She trained an army…

But this was something else.

Her nose crinkled as she looked down at the fallen dead. “This was your plan all along?”

“It was escalated by the diviner…but, yes, ultimately this was the plan that would protect all of us.” I leaned down and kissed her jaw—carefully whispering at her ear so no others could hear, “Don’t leave the cuffs behind. I want all of them.” With one more gentle kiss on her cheek, I released the gorgon king next and then the dragon king, watching as they tossed the cuffs to the ground—while I pocketed the key. “We’ll be able to leave here without fuss.”

Mother returned to the room with the water pixie, her translucent form back to light, but she was staring hard at the Fae.

“I would say so.” King Elon hissed in his throat.

King Ula glared hard into my eyes. “All of them? Truly?”

“It was not as if I could pick and choose,” I muttered and turned away, marching toward the stage again. “If we can’t get these two awake, we’ll need to carry them. Come now, King Elon, King Ula. Let us get this done.”

The two kings followed behind me, while my lovely soul mate did her job behind their backs. When I jumped back up to the stage, I covertly shoved the cuff I had been wearing behind the altar. I flicked my fingers at the water pixie and demanded, “Get over here, pixie.” I stared brutally into the Fae’s little eyes when she flew and buzzed over their bodies. “I will make you a deal. If you wake them without harming them further, the wraith will leave you alone. Understand?”

A soft bell chimed in the air.

I blinked and asked, “King Ula, what did she say?”

“She said you can go fuck yourself.” The Dragon King snorted when more chimes escaped the pixie. “She…does not like you. The rest of the pixies are dead.”

Winking my right eye, the pixie burst into flame like a tiny ember in the sky. “I may have actually grown to like that pixie.” My emerald gaze dropped to where the shifter king and my daughter lay. “Does anyone have a clue how to wake them?”

Mother cleared her throat and griped snippily, “It was water that took them down. What in the Fae fuck do you think he needs to counteract it? Use your head, my son.” She sniffed down her nose at me. “And I told you to be careful of the pixies. Mayhap, you’ll listen to me this time.”

Then…she disappeared.

I stared at where she used to be, purposely keeping my attention off my soul mate, who was delicately securing the last pair of cuffs right near us. I tapped on my lips and pointed where Mother used to stand, saying, “I think she was saying fire.”

“I would agree,” the dragon king stated. He chuckled softly, and it was treacherously dark. “If she wasn’t a wraith, your mother wouldn’t be half bad. She has a certain flair about her.”

Lies of a father:

I never thought I could look at the shifter king differently, a beastly man who now holds my child’s wellbeing in his own hands.

I was wrong.

So when he needs it, I will lie to him.

I placed my hands over King Athon’s body, keeping my palms over his form and saying absently, “I do listen, Mother. I always hear you.”

King Elon jumped forward. “Wait! You can’t burn him. What in the realm are you thinking?”

“Once he is awake, he can safely wake my heir.” I shook my head. “She is with child, his kin. It could be dangerous to wake her this way.” I looked pointedly into his gaze and said slowly, “King Athon can heal her through his Fae-spark. Understand?”

“Oh…quite so.” Politely put in his place, he took a step back. “Might I suggest that you use your flame sparingly? It would be best.”

“I’m just going to heat him up.” I snorted and looked back down at the shifter king. “Not roast his shifter ass.” Letting my royal firepower burn within me, I sent pulses of heat down his body, slowly allowing it to warm and burn hotter. “I imagine he is not going to wake happy. You three will want to step back further.”

When they were a safe distance away, I solidified the heat and surrounded his body entirely, and dug deep into his core where I could feel the resistance, warming him from the inside out and holding it steady.

Abruptly, King Athon’s solid black eyes shot open, his entire frame flinching. Then his gaze snapped right at me, his claws slicing through his fingers.

“Calm yourself,” I eased him gently, keeping my royal firepower working. “I’m helping you right now. You were kidnapped from our realm to the land of Fairy. A water pixie put you in a deep sleep for some time.” The shifter king didn’t blink, staring up at me with deadly eyes—but he was listening, at least. I whispered quietly, “I’m healing your body right now with my royal firepower. That’s why you’re so hot. Hold still a moment longer, and I will be done, I believe. There’s still pixie dust working through your body.”

His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, sniffing at the air. King Athon’s head whipped to the side, and his entire body froze in place as his eyes landed on my daughter’s face.

“My daughter is alive. Do not fret.” I pushed harder at that resistance inside his body, a smidge of it lingering. “When you’re healed, you’ll need to help her to wake.”

King Athon’s chest began rising and falling rapidly when his scanning gaze landed on his soul mate’s stomach. His hands began to tremble much like the Fae’s had minutes ago, and his claws swiftly vanished.

In the silence that lay heavily on us, his fingers curled down against the altar, and he tried to speak, his voice choked as he stared at her rounded belly, rasping, “I don’t understand.”

My lips pinched at his blatant worry—and confusion. “You were asleep for many months, King Athon. We’re still in Fairy right now, and the time moves bizarrely here. What was only a few days for me, has not been that for you and my daughter.”

The King of Shifters’ chest pumped even harder—it was a possibility he would start hyperventilating at any moment. His voice was guttural when he asked, “What of her womb? Did any harm come to it?”

“That…I honestly don’t know. But you are fine, so it would stand to reason my child and her womb are, too.” I pulled my hands back and finished healing him. “You may move. I’m done.”

King Athon instantly rolled onto his side and twisted to sit on his knees next to her. He placed one large palm on her stomach, spreading his fingers wide, and the other on my daughter’s forehead. But the shifter king froze when he inhaled again, and his head shot to the left…right to where my silent companions stood.

He blinked once. Then twice.

King Athon pulled his hands back from his soul mate. “This is the rescue party?” He sniffed again, and his solid black eyes roamed over all the dead lying about. “It appears it was successful.”

I waved my right hand in the air. “They know you’re the father. There’s no need to pretend. Much has happened, and I’ll explain later.” I stalked around the altar and pointed down at my child. “Fix her.”

King Athon’s deadly attention danced between the gorgon king and the dragon king, growling, “Are we going to have a problem?”

The King of Gorgons shook his head. “The only problem I have currently is that I have dirt in my teeth. I want a bath and a nap. Back in our realm.” He waved toward my child. “You may heal her so we can go home.”

King Ula merely smiled. “I’m behaving.”

I muttered in exasperation, “They tried to help save you. They aren’t going to hurt you now.” More pointing of my finger at my child. “Focus, King Athon. Fix her. Now.”

He snarled softly at my tone, but his attention swung back down to his soul mate. The shifter king hesitated momentarily, peeking back at the group, growling long and quietly at them.

Then he placed his palms back on his soul mate. The shifter king stared down at his hands as his solid black eyes turned crimson, blood churning in his gaze—his royal bloodpower was working through her body.

The shifter king blew out a hard breath, gasping, “Trixie’s nearly to the delivery day.” His lips slowly grinned, showcasing a man who had been given the greatest gift. “Healthy. Very healthy.” His shoulders jerked when his hand on her stomach moved. He whispered in awe, “And active.”

“What of my daughter,” I quizzed sharply. “Can you wake her?”

“I am trying,” King Athon breathed, still staring at his hands. “But most of my power is being fed into her womb.” His powered eyes eventually blinked slowly and returned to a solid black. “It’s stopped. She’s healed.” The shifter king furrowed his brows, staring at her face. “Elf! Wake up!”

When my child continued to lie asleep, my own red brows snapped together. I bent down next to her and shouted, “Trixie! Can you hear me?”

My daughter’s eyes didn’t open.

She just…didn’t move.

King Athon’s forehead wrinkled, and his nostrils flared as his jaws clenched. Worry began to radiate off him, almost tangible it was so heady.

“Trixie?” He leaned over and delicately cupped her cheeks, staring down into her face. Gently caressing his thumbs over her skin, he stated gruffly, “Trixie, you need to wake up.”

My daughter…did not wake up.

Minnie choked deeply in her throat and rushed over, unable to hold back any longer. She grabbed my shoulders and stared at our child, gasping, “Why isn’t she waking?”

“I don’t know, love,” I murmured, raising my right hand to hold onto hers. “She is with child. Her body may need longer to recover.”

King Athon’s face jerked toward mine. “You think that’s it? Nothing else has happened to her?” Fury and anxiety were a bizarre mixture on his face. “Mayhap, like in the Blood Forest? She did take longer to recover there.”

Fucking Fairy.

The King of Shifters was staring at me…as a man. It was not a king who begged me with his eyes. I had never witnessed him as such. He was asking—beseeching—me to say my child was going to be all right.

I stared deeply into his eyes and nodded my head. “Yes, I believe that’s it. She merely needs more time.”

King Athon nodded with me, and then he looked back down at his soul mate. “Yes, that is definitely it.” Relief coated his words, all of his attention on her. “It took her days in the Blood Forest to wake. We shall need to be patient until she opens her eyes.”

“That is a wise plan.” I squeezed my soul mate’s hand and lifted to my full height, turning my attention to the gorgon king. I walked to where the two kings stood and asked, “King Elon, will you help my soul mate retrieve the dried jerky before we leave? I want to talk to King Ula for a moment.”

King Elon agreed and left with my soul mate to steal food we may need for our journey, and then I placed my back to the shifter king and my daughter. I whispered under my breath, “Is there an artifact here that can wake her safely?”

The dragon king’s solid golden eyes stared into mine, and he said just as quietly, “You need to tell him the truth. That you don’t know what’s happening. If she does not wake, their offspring must be removed from her womb.”

“How is that going to help the situation right now?” I snarled quietly. “I am looking for solutions, dragon. Do you know of an artifact or not?”

King Ula breathed heavily and switched his regard to the door. He placed his hands on his hips and scowled in thought. “There is…an artifact that will keep one’s body healthy.” He growled softly, still thinking. “I cannot think of another that would work better.”

I nodded decisively. “That’s excellent. Do you know where it is?”

“Yes. And I will steal it for you.” His solid golden gaze held mine steadily. “It may be what you stated, as she is young.” He glanced over my head at the shifter king and my daughter. “But he is old enough to face the facts. Do not do him another disservice by lying to him again.” With that, he left to retrieve the artifact.

I rubbed my hands over my face and glanced over my shoulder, examining the forbidden soul mates.

King Athon sat on the altar with my daughter in his lap. He held her close and looked down upon her face. He whispered words to her as if she could hear, his mien serious and stern, while his free hand palmed her stomach and rubbed it softly.

I blinked slowly as my eyes burned with unshed tears, and, no, I would not be the one to say my daughter might not wake.

Distress of a father:

Appreciate the time you have with your child.

For one day, they will be gone.

I held my soul mate’s hand and subtly kept an eye on the dragon king as we stopped to make camp outside the dark forest, having made decent time and not been attacked again by roots. The man was behaving oddly; he had been on our entire trek through the woods. He’d walked a few paces behind the shifter king, never veering from his watch, keeping his solid golden eyes on the King of Shifters, who carried his pregnant soul mate through the land of Fairy.

King Elon pulled bed sheets from his satchel, stating, “These are the best I could find.” He glared at the thin sheets in the darkness of the night. “They did not have much that was warm.”

“They’ll work just fine,” Minnie assured. “We’ll need to cover them with brush as it is, so that will help.”

I rubbed at my jaw with my free hand and questioned, “King Ula, how are we to get my daughter out of Fairy if she is not awake to follow you as a butterfly?”

“I can manage to carry her through,” the dragon king stated, leaning with a shoulder against a tree trunk—still conveniently close to the shifter king and my heir. “I’ve done it before. It is tricky since she can’t see me, but my touch will protect her from harm.”

“Butterfly?” King Athon sat carefully on the ground and protected his soul mate on his lap. “What are you speaking of?”

“King Ula bleeds on us, and then we turn into butterflies. Apparently, that’s how Fae travel back and forth from Fairy to our realm.”

The King of Shifters grunted. “That is odd...and strangely not after this day.” He arched his back the best he could, holding my child, and added, “Will someone hand me dried jerky? I am more tired than I should be.”

“It is the pixie dust. It’s why we’re all so drained right now and need rest. We were dusted, too,” King Ula enlightened, walking forward and handing over two pieces of our food. “But I can hold Princess Trixie if you wish to stretch your muscles for a few minutes.”

King Athon took the proffered food and nodded in thanks, smiling politely. Then his grin casually turned savage, and he purred quietly, “If you think I haven’t noticed your attention today, you are a fool.” He quirked a dark eyebrow and growled softly. “You, of all people, know how territorial shifters are when their soul mate is with child. Back the fuck off.”

The King of Dragons narrowed his eyes down on the shifter king. “I assure you, I am not interested in your soul mate.”

My lips twitched. “Just her firstborn daughter.” I smiled cruelly at his furious glance. “Is that not what you wanted in exchange for taking us here? Would you like to tell me why?”

Instantly, King Athon snarled, “You did not—”

“No, I did not,” I cut off the shifter king, holding up my free hand in his direction—but kept my eyes where they were needed on the dragon king, who was acting just as territorial as my child’s soul mate. “Tell me, King Ula. Truly. I wish to know.”

He growled quietly at me. “You are very rash with your words. We have accomplished the mission. We’ve retrieved your daughter. I could kill you now.”

Mother rapidly blinked into existence, directly in front of the dragon king. “I told you to behave.”

King Ula snarled fiercely and took two quick steps back. “I haven’t touched him.”

She pointed sharply at his face. “Then quit with the tragic threats.” Then…she disappeared again.

The King of Shifters stared wide-eyed where my mother used to stand, growling quietly, “I feel as if I’ve missed much while I’ve been asleep.”

I snorted. “As I’ve said, I’ll fill you in later.”

“I… That looked like your mother.”

“Yes.”

“She’s a wraith?”

“Yes.”

He blew a hard breath, a peevish expression crossing over his features. “I wouldn’t mind one of my own.”

Laughter bubbled out of my lips. “You currently have your hands full.”

“Quite so.” King Athon looked down at my daughter, absently biting into a piece of his dried jerky—but he was still keeping track of the dragon king from the corner of his eyes. He chewed silently in deep thought. “How far are we from the Blood Forest? I wish to get my soul mate settled in our realm as fast as possible.”

“That is a good question,” King Ula stated grudgingly…once again watching them. “I could pull us there now, but as tired as I am—” He tersely shut his mouth and sniffed the air.

Ruiuen stepped out of the dark forest—and all of our attention slammed on the surprise arrival. “You’ll do no such thing, King Ula. In your current condition, you would fail miserably and hurt everyone here.” The Fae walked forward on large, white furry paws, her attention focusing on my daughter. “But King Athon was correct. She needs to be back in her realm. Her body is giving so much to the living inside her that it cannot compensate in a land that’s dying.”

My back straightened, hope burning inside my chest. “My daughter will be well once we return?”

“Is that what I said?” Ruiuen lifted a furry eyebrow. “Keep the artifact near her. It will aid in her recovery.”

She bent low and dark power radiated in the air, shaking the ground below my boots and curling up my spine dangerously.

Then she whispered, “Go home.”

At the flash of blinding light, I jerked in place, clutching my soul mate’s hand firmly. My eyes widened as I looked all around, deeply inhaling the clean air I didn’t even know I’d missed. The dirt beneath my boots even smelled nice, like fresh rain had hit it.

We were back in our realm—exactly where we had left from, with the Blood Forest beside us, sans witch.

I grinned at my companions, who all looked relieved. “Do you think it’s possible she created the artifacts we’ve been searching for? This mode of transportation is decidedly familiar.”

King Elon chuckled deeply in his throat and started stuffing the bed sheets back into his satchel. “After what we know about her, that could be true.”

The King of Dragons peered up at the sky. “I think I will leave that one a secret.”

“Well, now. That isn’t very sporting of you.” I sniffed down my nose at him. “But…I do wish to thank you for all of your help. You were instrumental in finding and rescuing my daughter. You have my appreciation, King Ula.”

The King of Dragons looked bored. “Just tell your mother to stay away from me. That is all I require. I do not want the wraith popping in unexpectedly.”

“Of course.” I bowed my head to him. “I will convey that message next I see her.”

* * *

As we stared up at my daughter’s castle in the darkness of night, her large windows lit brightly, Minnie tugged on my hand. “We should leave King Athon and our daughter alone for now. They are safe where they are.”

I grunted and didn’t move yet, finally knowing my child was carefully tucked into her bed—not awake yet. I honestly didn’t know how many more nights I could say that. Even when she’d been in Sugar Cove for those twelve years, I’d known she was safe; my mother had been with her from day one, keeping me updated.

But now, her life was changing.

There was nothing I could do to slow it.

I swallowed on a dry throat and looked at my soul mate. “I am not ready for her to leave us.”

Minnie pressed her free hand to my cheek and whispered, “We have each other, my king.” Her lovely smile curved her lips. “But do you really believe our child won’t need us? She is still young. Our Trixie will want us around.” My soul mate stared at me deviously. “Especially if you continue to be nice to her soul mate.”

“You noticed that, did you?” I chuckled softly and rubbed at my chest. “I don’t know what got into me, love.”

“Don’t even try to lie to me. You know exactly why you were kind to him.” She tugged on my hand again. “But I want you to come with me.”

I cocked a red eyebrow and teased softly, “And where would you like to take me?”

“To the orchard,” Minnie stated—her pretty features suddenly serious. Once more, she tugged on my hand. “I wish to make new memories with you.”

I held still and gazed into her eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” My soul mate started walking backward, and I allowed her to pull me along at her pace. “You and me. We’re going to remake that apple orchard. I want to show you how I’d like the trees placed.”

“I know it will be stunning, love.” I leaned down and stole a quick kiss under the stars. “But I think we should burn the old one down first.”

Her golden eyes sparkled in the moonlight. “All the way to ashes.”

THE ADVENTURES WILL CONTINUE…

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New York Times bestselling author and award-winner, SCARLETT DAWN, is the mastermind behind the Forever Evermore fantasy series, the Origin paranormal dystopian stories, the Vampire Crown paranormal romance thrillers, the Mark science fantasy saga, and the Lion Security contemporary romance series.

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