* * *
Father changed my clothes in the privacy of the tent—Queen Mikkowaspassed out—and then lay me by the fire that was dying out. He tossed two blankets on top of me before quickly building the fire to a roaring blaze.
King Elon and Queen Alora tramped into camp with King Athon. The shifter king’s arms were slung over each of their shoulders, King Elon and Queen Alora carrying him between them. King Athon’s boots dragged on the ground, pulling his body back as they walked, and his head was dropped forward as if he were staring at the mist beneath him. He looked…dead.
I opened my mouth and tried to speak. “D-did you k-kill him?”
Queen Alora lifted an arched dirty eyebrow. “Princess Trixie, you don’t look any better than him, and he’s as alive as you are right now.”
Oh. I blinked and turned my eyes back to the fire.
Father brushed off his hands and stood, evaluating his work with the fire pit, and then glanced to the side. “King Elon, you’ll need to change his clothes. He will warm faster with dry clothing on.”
King Elon nodded. “That sounds correct.”
Father lay down behind me and snuggled under the covers, gifting me his body heat while King Elon went to take care of the shifter king. He rubbed 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. Iwillmake 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.
