I know when to pick a battle with her.
And when not to.
Standing in front of the Blood Forest at High Pointe, after placing Javon once again in the royal stables on my kingdom’s side, I looked up at the black trees with blood-painted red leaves and knew I was one step closer to retrieving my daughter. King Ula grudgingly stood to my right side while we waited for the gorgon king to finish stabling his own Fae-gift on his own kingdom’s side. But, again, I stared at the deadly forest that separated four kingdoms, entirely unprepared for what lay in wait in Fairy.
Without looking at the Fae beside me, I inhaled deeply and asked bluntly, “Do you know where the Ancient Archive is? I imagine it’s been a while since your last visit to Fairy.”
King Ula sighed heavily. “I do know where it is and how to get us there.”
“What should I be expecting?”
“It depends.” The dragon king ran his hands through his golden hair, the same shade as his solid golden eyes. “The Ancient Archive is normally a peaceful place. But the guardians will be called in if they expect trouble—which it sounds like they are since they’re using bait.”
“I’ve met a hundred of those guardians. Exactly how dangerous are woodland sprites?”
“They are one with the land they stand on. Get near them, and they will cut you down. If we’re discovered, your best option for survival is to strike at a distance.”
I hummed under my breath. “And why would you tell me how to live when you most assuredly wish me dead?”
King Ula smirked in the fading light of sunset. “If I wish someone deceased, I handle it myself.”
“A man of action.” I nodded approvingly. “That is admirable.”
“I doubt you will think so if I ever come for you.” The King of Dragons chuckled…and the very air vibrated with enough Fae power that I stilled in place—and attempted not to reveal my confusion and surprise. “You were vastly incorrect, King Traevon. You and I are not of the same caliber.Not even close.”
I silently eyed the dragon next to me for a tense moment. I stated softly—and without hiding the threat of my words, “It is truly wonderful that I have powerful allies then.”
He arched an eyebrow. “I somehow doubt you have many friends.”
“Allies,” I clarified, even as one of them stepped through the doors of High Pointe and jogged down the steps in our direction. I motioned to the gorgon king as he sidled closer. “Such as this man. He may not be my friend—definitely not—but in what we wish to accomplish, he is certainly my ally.”
“I would not be here if I wasn’t,” King Elon hissed absently in his sibilant voice, coming to a stop on the other side of me. His molten green reptilian eyes tracked back and forth between the dragon king and me. “Why are we discussing this right now?”
I waved flagrantly at the Fae and filled in my lone ally during this debacle—however unlikely it was. “King Ula is much more powerful than he pretends to be. More powerful than I.” I ticked my head back and forth in thought. “It may be his age…but I don’t think that’s wholly it.”
The King of Gorgons lifted one of his shamrock green thick braids, inspecting his hair with the most uninterested mien. “I have learned upon recent research that the king of Fairy once had a very powerful heir. A son who sparkled in the sky, even in the darkness of night.” He yawned and flipped the single braid over his left shoulder, shrugging nonchalantly. “The heir disappeared some time ago.”
“Well, now.” I grinned, glancing between my two companions. One wore the mark of tedium, while the other had gone mute. “That is particularly curious, indeed.”
“Quite so.” Rubbing his silver fingers down his throat, King Elon added, “It would make sense with the dark Fae king being a shifter.”
Even more interesting. I hadn’t known that.
King Ula’s nostrils flared as he leaned toward the gorgon king, tilting his head down to stare into those reptilian eyes. “And the Queen of Light is an elf. So what does that make you? A cheap knockoff? A throwaway? Useless space?”
“More informed.” The gorgon king slowly smiled, appearing unafraid in light of the menace before him. “I can add that little nugget to my kingdom’s vast records. After all, even the weakest individual can best the strongest as long as they have enough knowledge and patience to know when to act.”
Pressure radiated far too much in the air—dangerously so, in fact—so I asked eccentrically, “Are we to have a dick-measuring contest? Because if so, I would like to suggest considering exactly what we are. If not, that would be highly unfair.”
King Ula blinked and jerked his face in my direction, turning away from the gorgon king, both men towering over my six feet of height. He choked in his throat and sputtered, “Did…you just…admit to having a small dick?”
I wiggled a finger in the negative. “That is not what I said. I am an elf, and my cock is quite large in my kingdom. Or so I’ve been told many times. But compared to a dragon or a gorgon, I might not fare so well if it’s to be a discriminating competition.”
Both men stared at me blankly.
Then King Elon gurgled inside his throat and started laughing throatily, waving his hands in front of himself and taking a step away. He turned his back to us in a feeble attempt to calm down, rubbing at his dipped forehead—and still laughing his fool head off.
“It wasn’t that funny, motherfucker,” I snapped.
