He shrugged a shoulder, and an evil smile tilted up his lips. “Deception is a valuable tool. I’m sure your father has taught you that well.”
I tilted my chin up. “He has done no such thing.”
“You just proved my point, Princess Trixie.” King Athon pushed off me and sat up to run his finger through his tangled white hair. It appeared a bit greasy without the regular washing. Mine probably looked no different—gross. He added, “I do have an idea about the artifact, but I will only tell you if we have camp picked up within thirty minutes.”
That…got everyone moving.
Thirty minutes later, we had eaten and were properly packed to change locations once again. We stared at King Athon, waiting for him to explain his words from earlier. We had done as he’d wished, he needed to fulfill his debt.
King Athon glanced at all our scowling faces. “Maybe I should have let you sleep longer.”
King Elon rolled his green eyes. “Just tell us.”
“All right.” King Athon shouldered his bag. “It has to do with the nursery rhyme Isabella taught Princess Trixie.”
Father asked slowly, “What do you mean?”
“I think we need to go to the highest point and find the tallest trees. There we will find the artifact.” King Athon lifted one dark eyebrow. “Why so, so high, thee say… These trees do thee see. Yay, see… Thy treasure is found.And we are already proving our ‘worth’ by taking the hard path that is the mountain together and not killing one another as the originals did.”
Queen Mikko gradually nodded while holding her injured arm. “I agree with you. That does make sense.”
“I agree, too.” I peered up to the top of the mountain. “That will be a hike up there, but I think that’s where it is.”
“I think King Athon is correct, as well,” Queen Alora stated.
“As do I,” King Elon added.
We turned to Father when he didn’t speak.
“What? My mother gave the advice. Of course, I bloody well agree with it.” Father shook his head in exasperation. “She was never wrong, and she enjoyed telling me so every chance she got.”
I snickered behind a fist. He wasn’t lying.
I bet she still did it.
As one, we walked toward the mountain.
I stared up at the rocky terrain, every last ounce of it sharp and biting. One fall, and you would be cut deep. It was a deadly climb, but I was willing to do it with these five rulers to save the realm.
With one foot up on the deadly mountain, we all stopped.
The mountain began to tremble right in front of us.
Sharp rocks tumbled down. Logs rolled over grass.
We weren’t leaving at the first sign of trouble, though.
We darted forward, each of us scrambling on the slope.
I grabbed purchase wherever I could. Rocks sliced into my hands, and my blood splattered the ground. My knees slammed into the earth repeatedly. I bled there, too. I crawled and gritted my teeth against the horrendous pain, rocks like tiny blades stabbing into my palms. I ducked a boulder that flew over a hill and crashed down, wobbling and rolling away.
I grabbed onto Queen Alora’s outstretched hand and allowed her to pull me up behind a black tree. It was as large as the gates on my father’s castle, more than enough room for the others to take shelter behind.
Queen Alora and I worked side-by-side, helping the others get to safety. She hauled King Traevon and King Athon up the remainder of the way, while I grabbed King Elon’s and Queen Mikko’s hands and heaved them up the last few steps to the small, flat land beneath the massive black tree.
The five rulers and I stood with our backs pressed to bark, heaving in large lungful’s of oxygen, while the mountain continued to rain down its anger in fatal force—all hit the other side of the tree and around, but not where we safely stood.
I looked down where we had been.
