hard at my arms, trying to bring them back to life. He asked, “Are you feeling better now? You spoke. That is a good sign.”
“A l-little b-better.” My teeth chattered loudly. “W-what happened t-to you?”
“I’d managed to get the rope tied around a tree before bloody birds took us right up into the air. Huge beasts of birds.” King Traevon snorted and shook his head. “They dropped us into a nest high up in a tree and then left for some reason. We made it down, but Queen Mikko was injured. She has a nasty cut on her arm that continues to bleed. We barely made it back to camp before the night caught us.”
“W-we saw the b-birds.” I twitched my fingers, happy I was able to do that much right now. “I w-was…w-worried about you.”
“I am fine, my daughter. Do not fret over me.” Father hummed softly in the back of his throat, his emerald regard peeking at me from the corner of his eye. Then his gaze moved back to the fire and stayed there, watching the flames leaping. “I do have a question for you, Trixie.”
“Y-yes?” I wish my body would quit shaking.
“Is there anyone special in your life that you would like to tell me about?”
The pills. It was the bloody pills. I knew it.
Damn him for asking me when I wasn’t thinking straight. I had to play it mellow. I needed to stick to my plan.
“N-no, Father.”
“Are you positive? I want you to know that even though I am a terribly busy man, you can always come to me with anything you want to discuss. I will make time for you, that I am here for you when you need me.”
That wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard him say before. Too bad my childhood and the last twelve years of my life said otherwise. He was the King of Elves. He was always too busy to simply chat.
“I am p-positive, F-Father. There is n-no one s-special.”
King Traevon sighed heavily. “What about the pills in your bag, Trixie? Why would you bring them here?”
“F-for you.” Keep it simple—easy answers.
“Truly?” King Traevon’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Y-yes.”
Father grunted. His eyes lifted back to the fire. “May I tell you a secret, my daughter?”
“Y-yes.”
“You deserve the absolute best soul mate that the blessed Fae can give you, but I doubt I will ever think anyone is good enough for you. But, please, when you do meet that special someone, don’t be afraid to bring him home to meet me. I promise to not be a complete asshole—maybe only a slight one.”
“I’ll h-hold you t-to that, Father.”
Like I would ever bring my soul mate home. Revolting.
Father rubbed at my arms again. “I hope you do.”
King Elon damned near dropped King Athon into the fire when he tried lying him down. “Queen Alora! A little help would go a long way right now.”
The merfolk queen muttered under her breath but helped to lie the shifter king safely down next to the fire. Their blankets were thrown over him next to help trap in body heat.
Queen Alora glared down at him. “I hope you do not expect me to cuddle you like King Traevon is with Princess Trixie. That will not happen. I don’t care how frozen you are.”
“T-thank…f-fuck,” King Athon croaked.
Father laughed quietly. “Well, King Athon, I think you will be all right since you are smart enough right now to stay away from another royal. Your mind isn’t completely bloody well fucked up from the Blood Forest’s wrath.”
Holy Fairy. Father doesn’t know how true that is.
“No o-one is p-pretty enough here for…t-that.” King Athon smiled a little, just a twitch at the corner of his frozen blue lips. “Unless y-you are o-offering, King T-Traevon, t-then I might reconsider.”
Father laughed hard. “You are your same old self, just a little more blue in color. You will be fine, though. We won’t do anything today just to make sure you, my daughter, and Queen Mikko have the proper time to recover.”
* * *
“Wake up!” Queen Alora chirped. “The day is bright. And we have an artifact to find.”
I started to turn…but I was trapped under heavy limbs.
Not bloody again.
I opened my eyes and glared at the shifter king lying halfway on top of me—and snoring. I griped, “Can someone get him the Fairy off me?”
Father groaned and rolled over to face me. His slow blinks were full of half-slumber. “I can cut off his arms and legs if you would like, my daughter?”
“I’ve