my arms. “I am here now, Ruiuen.”
“Thank you,” she stated softly. The winged wolf held out her right paw and waved at the mist, and then placed her paw gently back down where it had been before. “King Athon, Princess Trixie, on the ground, there is a seed. The seed is yours to take no matter what. But you must choose here who takes it with them. Also, King Athon, if you choose to take the seed, you must hand over the artifact to Princess Trixie.”
“Why are you speaking to only us?” King Athon asked coolly.
“Why do you think?” Ruiuen cocked her wolf head.
“I asked you the question, Ruiuen. I would like an answer.”
Ruiuen tail thumped on the ground unhappily. “Next question. Or I shall take the seed back.”
King Athon snarled softly in his throat, but quizzed, “What is the seed for?”
“For when you need to use it. You will know the time.”
I lifted a red eyebrow. “You aren’t very forthcoming right now, Ruiuen. Why is that?”
“I don’t have to be.” Her wolf eyes narrowed on us. “You can either take the seed or leave it.”
King Athon stared at the ground where a tiny white seed lay. The seed was very innocent looking. There appeared to be nothing wrong with it. But we didn’t know what in the Fairy it was for.
I leaned toward him, and asked, “What are you thinking right now?”
“That I’m going to give you the artifact.” He slammed the key against my chest, his eyes still on the seed. “Take the Key of Kingdoms. I’m taking the seed.”
“All right,” I stated slowly. I took the key from his hand.
The shifter king had lost his bloody mind.
He dipped down to the ground and carefully scooped up the seed, and just as carefully placed it in a small pocket inside his bag.
“Is that all you need, Ruiuen?” King Athon asked bluntly. “I’d like to get home.”
“That is all….” Ruiuen suddenly disappeared.
Just gone.
Groans from behind us sounded.
I said under my breath, “That was most definitely odd.”
King Athon grunted. “Yes, it was. Now get back over there so they don’t think anything is amiss.”
King Athon dropped to the ground.
I raced across the clearing, then ducked low into the mist, pretending to be one of the victims, too. “Father?”
“Trixie! Are you all right?” King Traevon asked.
“I think.” I waited an appropriate two seconds. “But…I have the Key of Kingdoms in my hand. What does that mean?”
Suddenly, he whooped from the ground. “I was right! Only my daughter would enter the Blood Forest and come out with a prize instead of her death.”
I gradually stood and pretended to glance around like everyone else. “Where did Ruiuen go?”
King Athon rubbed his forehead as he stalked across the clearing. “She must have knocked us out and left.”
“And given my heir the Key of Kingdoms.” Father smirked. “Princess Trixie has it now. Apparently, Ruiuen wanted her to have it. Not you.”
Good Fae, Father. Knock it the Fairy off.
King Athon’s solid black eyes closed in on mine, and he growled, “Let me see it.”
I lifted the key up and shrugged a delicate shoulder. “It was not my fault it was given to me.” That was the Fae damned truth.
The shifter king hissed under his breath—he played the pissed off part well. “Are you fucking shitting me?”
“No, I am never shitting on you.” I deadpanned.
A gurgling noise sounded in his throat, and then he walked away to start pacing back and forth through the mist, really perfecting the role of a furious shifter king.
Father chuckled quietly. “Well, now. This is pleasant.”
I laughed long and hard and patted his back with my free hand. “I was thinking we could go home now. I would adore a hot bath. And an actual damned toilet.”
“Rightly so.” Father nodded once. “Let us go home now! Hurry up before a disaster strikes.”
I do not think he was joking.
The five rulers circled around me.
Queen Mikko asked, “What exactly is supposed to happen when we do this?”
“We’re supposed to be ‘freed from the Blood Forest,’” I muttered. “I am more than happy with that. Everyone has to touch the key at the same time.”
They squeezed in further, nearly squashing me.
I coughed hard. “My good Fae, do we stink.”
“Shut the fuck up, elf,” King Athon growled quietly.
I really couldn’t wait to be away from this prick.
“Touch the damned key so we can get home!” I barked.
A finger from each ruler pressed against the key.
I sucked in a deep breath as my Fae-spark lit back to