Both men’s eyes dropped to the sketch.
The gorgon shrugged his left shoulder. “Perhaps. Maybe to an elf. I’m not sure. They are all so blasted ugly that it’s hard to tell.”
Bishop’s brows snapped together, studying it carefully. “The elves would think he’s pretty. I’ve seen a few with features similar to his, and they are constantly attracting attention. If I had to take a guess, I’d say that Princess Trixie and Caspian were lovers.”
I snapped the jotter closed and kept it under my palm for safekeeping. I stared into my personal assistant’s eyes, and ordered softly, “Pay the gorgon. And I want him looking into Caspian. He may be Princess Trixie’s weakness. I want to know everything.”
Bishop nodded his promise. “I’ll have it handled.”
I rose from the stool and finished the remaining ale from my tankard. I slammed the cup down and captured the jotter from the table, stating, “I’m off to my next appointment. I’ll see you at the challenge, Bishop.”
The tavern’s door swung shut behind me, my legs in a hurry to get me out of there—and my mood agreed.
I wasn’t heading to any meeting. Not anything close to that.
I needed to hit the forest for a few hours. I wasn’t fit company for anyone right now, my temper spiraling down to Fae shit after reading the information about Sugar Cove. Thank fuck for the challenge tonight. I desperately needed the outlet to expend all of my irritability and kill the idiots who think they can best me.
I waved away my guards. “Leave me.”
My men hesitated, glancing at one another.
“Now!” I bellowed, bearing my tiger fangs.
Luckily for them, they scattered at my demand.
I used all the veiled roads until I hit the forest.
Then I hunted.
CHAPTER FIVE
Confession of a princess:
The King of Shifters is the cruelest. I have now seen it with my own eyes, and it is vexing. His deadly calculation turns my stomach. It is sickening how he wants another person’s blood to coat the ground before him—nay, he needs it.
My disturbing soul mate is a dangerous beast.
I wonder if he thinks I am his prey.
IPUSHED OFFthe wooden door, studying my surroundings. King Athon’s office was larger than I’d expected, certainly longer than Father’s. It was a noticeable boon to build your office inside a mountain for more space. The walls were jagged gray rocks of all lengths—thick, fatal spikes—with one wall completely missing where a balcony was built high, overlooking his kingdom. I strolled in that direction as the light breeze whipped at my cloak. I had only seen this balcony from the sky years ago when Father and I flew directly over the mountain.
I carefully peeked over the edge of the clawed balustrade.
My lungs seized inside my chest. It was a straight drop down, the plunge so far I couldn’t make out the definition of the trees—it looked like an evergreen sea. No one would be able to scale this, not even a shifter. I’d always wondered why Father said this office was safe from an assassin’s attack. Now I knew only death awaited anyone trying to infiltrate King Athon’s personal space. It was the peak of the mountain—only a pegasus could land on the balcony from above, but none would. The royals all had boundaries they inherently obeyed, working through the proper channels to keep the peace between kingdoms.
I stared off into the far distance—to the east.
The Blood Forest stood too tall for me to see Gatlin Grove, but my capital city was there, only a few hours flight from this spot.
I shuddered at the differences between our kingdoms.
I was Fae fortunate to have been born an elf.
I ambled back into his office and started snooping.
Blatantly so, it was the perfect opportunity for nosing in here.
I ignored his massive black desk for now. I studied the many ancient—some dusty—tomes on his shelves built into the stone walls. There was enough shifter history here for me to get lost in for days. I even found a book from the original shifter, a journal. I didn’t dare touch it where it lay under a glass case. It might crumble beneath my fingers if I were so bold.
