Queen Alora spouted, “That does not help us at all with this artifact. What about a crying tree or the red water?Think.”
The Queen of Casters started rubbing her forehead. “No, we have no trees that cry or blood in our water.” Her brown mist eyes skipped in my direction. “Princess Trixie, you unwittingly knew where to find the artifacts in the last two quests. Do you haveanythoughts on the third?”
I rubbed my lips together in thought, and peered down at my lap, trying to remember anything I had read or been told by my grandmother about the Caster Kingdom. There were so many essential phrases I knew that it was hard to dig through to the right one.
But there was something that stood out in my mind…
I tilted my head back and forth, wondering if this might be it—considering the woman I met tonight. If it were, the outcome would not be pleasant for the Queen of Casters. I sighed heavily,reallynot wanting to say this to the kindest person in this room.
Why must I be the bearer of bad news every time?
It simply was not fair. All I brought was gloom.
I peeked at Father, my brows furrowed.
King Traevon’s nostrils flared, the heat turning him inside out, but he stated in the gentlest of voices, “It is all right, my heir. You may speak freely without censure.”
I sighed again and returned to looking down at my skirt. I absently wondered if I would have to do this every time, hurting the rulers around me—when it wasn’t the time to do so. I pulled on my resolve, and I repeated a rhyme softly,
‘Where the power blows the leaves,
One limb is high; the other is low.
See the sisters from the same coin,
To stop the crying crow.
Run, run, from the head,
But circle, the tail is weak.
Blood drenches mighty hands,
When she looks for what she seeks.’
Queen Mikko sucked in an audible breath, nearly sounding like a sob before she went horribly silent.
King Elon muttered a harsh curse under his breath. “Princess Trixie, when it is time to go to the Gorgon Kingdom, I hope you fall unexplainably ill.”
I hung my head more, not entirely thinking he was wrong.
Father’s voice shook as he growled, “My daughter did as she was asked. Keep your comments to your Fae fucking self, King Elon, before I burn off all those pretty braids of yours.”
“Try me, murderer. Then I’d be able to kill you freely.”
King Athongrowled. “Enough! Both of you.”
“It will be all right, Queen Mikko,” Queen Alora attempted to whisper—it was a quiet screech. “Mayhap it is not as bad as it sounds.”
I lifted my left hand and began massaging the back of my neck again, stress and guilt eating at my stomach.
“Fae help us all,” King Traevon muttered crossly. “Louie, is there anything else? You have not stopped looking at that page.”
My head lifted at that. I glared hard at the gremlin.
There had better be nothing else I needed to “help” with.
Black Louie stated without emotion, “If you retrieve the artifact, everyone must touch it to return safely.” He lowered the book from his face, closed it, and looked at Father. “I would have finished this important bit of information earlier, but no one was listening, King Traevon.”
