The white-winged wolf stood tall, the tips of her furry ears twitching. Her sharp black teeth flashed. “I will not bite. You may come closer.”
I snorted under my breath and hefted the axe to my right shoulder. “I do not think you speak the truth, Ruiuen.”
“All right. I will not bite right now.” The wolf’s head cocked to the side. “Is that more to your liking, Princess Trixie?”
“I suppose it is.”
King Athon grunted. “Don’t be naïve, elf.”
I scowled up at him. “She may have another gift.”
“I do, Princess Trixie.” The pure white feathers on her wings ruffled. “But only if you choose to accept it and give the Axe of Legend to King Athon.”
“Is it a seed?” I asked curiously, not yet moving.
Ruiuen chuckled softly. “You will need to come closer to see. It is right here in front of me.”
I glanced up at the shifter king. “Fairy, I want to see.”
King Athon growled inside his chest.
“Shut up, shifter. I am going to look.” I strode forward, squeezing the handle of the axe. My shoulder would buckle soon from the weight. “Come if you wish, King Athon.”
The King of Shifters tromped to walk beside me. “The gift will be utterly useless, just like the seed is.”
“We shall see.”
We stopped in front of Ruiuen and looked down.
I squinted at what lay before us.
The bloom of a tiny, pink flower with beautiful petals.
“Never mind.” My hopes died a quick death. It was another useless gift, a game played by the Fae. I admitted grudgingly, “You were right, King Athon.”
“Wait a moment,” he said gruffly. He squatted down and stared at the flower closely. He cocked his head to the side in thought, scratching at his slightly whiskered chin—he needed to shave. “What does this look like to you, Princess?”
“A flower. One that will die soon.”
King Athon snorted and shook his head. He said frankly, “It looks like your cunt.”
My head jerked back in shock. “I do not believe I heard you right.”
“Your cunt.” King Athon’s pure black eyes peered up at me, his gaze deadly serious. “Yourlady garden.”
I stared. “Are you jesting right now?”
“I am not.” He rose to his intimidating height, his severe eyes scanning my features. “Do you remember our conversation in my study?”
“I do.”
He had said his seed would not grow in my lady garden.
King Traevon pointed at the flower. “Take the fucking flower, elf. Even if it is nothing, we will still have the artifact.”
I ground my teeth together. “What if this is a trick?”
Ruiuen flicked her tail back and forth. “I will not wait much longer for the answer.”
