“Oh, for the love of all that’s Fae.” Bishop groaned under his breath.
Thankfully, my soul mate couldn’t hear him.
Princess Trixie lifted a red eyebrow, and her own lips curved slightly. “We both know I don’t.”
Ihummedsoftly and tucked a strand of her red hair behind her pointed ear, careful not to touch the tip, watching my work closely.
She and I gazed at one another, coming to terms with what we had just done willingly, our quiet gazes locked while I ran my fingers through her hair, petting her gently.
Until Bishop pivoted back around and clapped his hands loudly, walking back toward us to plop his damned ass back down on the coffee table. “All right, now that that’s done, how about we find out what you’ve fucked up this time, Your Highness?”
My soul mate threw a nasty look in his direction but quickly handed him her old caster-spelled ring, as if he were no different than a trash bin, and started searching through her satchel again. She stated offhandedly, “First, I should say that if this situation isn’t rectified, I’m going to die. My uterus has been killing me all day, and it’s only getting worse.”
I froze in place with my hand on the back of her head where I’d still been threading my fingers through her hair. “Would you mind repeating that?”
“I’m going to die. Soon.” Her emerald eyes snagged on my black gaze. “Because of this.” And she lifted a tome out of her satchel that…looked a lot like my damned SEED OF CREATION book.
“Oh, fuck.” Bishop jumped up and started pacing the room.
I removed my hand from her head and pointed a finger at what she held, asking slowly, “And what is that you’re holding,my precious fucking soul mate?”
“This is the FLOWER OF FERTILITY tome. Apparently, it is the SEED OF CREATION companion book. I didn’t figure out until too late that they needed to be read together.” She cleared her dry throat and her pale face lifted to mine, facing me fully. “I’ve already eaten the ovary from the flower, just as you’ve eaten the seed. This has been set in motion. But we’re missing something. And I’m going to die because of it.” She paused. “Are you going to help me,my treasured fucking soul mate?”
Bishop cursed again, marching straight for my desk.
Slowly, I tipped my head back and stared at my ceiling while my royal bloodpower ripped through me, wanting out. I chuckled horribly, the rush of blood grating in my ears. “You really like fucking up my plans, don’t you?”
“Yourplanwas selfish as shit from the beginning. I found a better way to fix our problem, which you will see, so are you going to help me or not?”
I laughed again and shook my head, keeping my attention on the ceiling, barely keeping from tearing her inside out. “What other damnable option do I have but to help? You can’t die or I’m fucked worse than I already am.”
“I was hoping you’d see it my way.” She dropped her book on my lap. “Start reading. Tell me what I’ve missed.”
“Bishop!” I barked and lowered my head to stare at the book in my lap. “Give it to her.”
My best friendgrowledand tossed the SEED OF CREATION tome at the princess, having dug it out of the drawer in my desk. “I really don’t like your soul mate, Your Royal Highness.”
“Duly noted.” I opened the FLOWER OF FERTILITY book to its first page and rubbed at my eyes. “Elf, my balls have been hurting me since this morning. So I’m guessing you’re not the only one who’s going to die soon if we don’t figure this out,so start reading, too.”
Princess Trixie sniffed down her nose at me, but, smartly, she did open the SEED OF CREATION book and start reading immediately. “How badly do they hurt?”
Isnarledright against her pointed ear.
She snickered loudly. “Sounds like a real bitch.”
I inhaled heavily. “I fucking hate you.”
“As I hate you.” My soul mate flipped a page. “Read faster.”
Isnarledagain but turned my attention to the words on the pages…
Two hours later, halfway through the book, I griped, “How the Fairy do you know we’re going to die? That is nowhere in here.”
Princess Trixie waved her left hand absently. “Shh. I’m trying to concentrate past your breathing.”
“I don’t breathe heavily.”
“I didn’t say you did. Now…shh.” She flipped another page. “Reading time is quiet time.”
