King Athon roamed up and down the items. He went from one end to the other and back again, casually walking by them now. The shifter king did this ten times before he stopped near where he had begun. He bent down into a crouch to study the piece.
I stood up on my tiptoes, barely able to see his head over the mist. He cocked his head this way and that way, studying the object very closely. My eyes squinted to see better, but it didn’t help much.
King Athon pressed back up to his full height.
He peered up at Ruiuen and held up an item into the air.
It was a long key…in the colors of our five kingdoms.
Ruiuen asked, “Is that your choice, King Athon?”
“It is,” he answered clearly. “This is the first artifact.”
Ruiuen tail whipped back and forth behind her. “You are correct, King Athon. The Key of Kingdoms is the artifact you are searching for.”
Airexplodedout of my chest. “Thank you, Fae.”
Ruiuen looked at our group at the edge of the clearing.
That was all she did.
Except the four rulers standing next to me dropped to the ground in a heap, piled all together, bumping into my legs.
Terror ripped through my chest. I quickly dropped down, and frantically smacked at my father’s face. I screamed, “Father!Father!”
“Do not be alarmed, Princess Trixie. They are merely asleep. I wish to speak with King Athon and you alone for a moment.” Ruiuen’s feathered wings ruffled against her fur back. “Please, come over here.”
At Father’s neck, his blood was beating hard in his veins.
He was still alive.
I stifled a sob as the fear suddenly receded. I coughed into my hand and sucked in a harsh breath, before pulling up to my full, almost five-foot height. I stepped around the sleeping rulers and walked at a sedate pace to where Ruiuen and King Athon stood. I was in no hurry after the fright she had given me.
I stopped next to the shifter king and crossed 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.”
