“Yes and no. I am dark Fae, so my blood took us to the King of Dark’s land. The Ancient Archive is here. But we must travel to the dark forest and then through it.”
“How far away is that?” Minnie asked under the murky sky, shadows passing over her face by traipsing gray clouds. My soul mate already held two blades in her hands. She looked fierce and fearless, ready to defend herself; I couldn’t have been more in love with her. “More importantly, how likely are we to meet anyone along the way?”
“Unlikely. Not many live near here.” He waved at the rotten, dead fruit again. “As you can see, nothing can grow here any longer.”
I lifted a red brow. “Answer her other question.”
The King of Dragons snorted. “Time does not move the same here as it does in your realm. It could take minutes, or it could take years. It depends on our will.”
“Our will?”the gorgon king repeated incredulously. “You’re telling me, if we will it hard enough, it will happen?”
“I didn’t stutter, King Elon,” The dragon king growled softly, the air vibrating with his power again in an uncomfortable charge of pulses. “While we’re here, do not question me. You may live longer than ten minutes if you can manage that.”
“All right,” I said in a relaxed tone—in an attempt to soothe the beastly bastard. Unfortunately, he was just as bad as King Athon, needling for a fight. “Why don’t we all close our eyes and focus our will to be at the dark forest and then take a step.”
Minnie swiftly amended, “Let us hold hands, too. That way, one of us doesn’t suddenly disappear without the other.”
King Ula sighed heavily and rubbed at his forehead. “You are all linked to my blood right now. There will be no mysterious disappearing. Wherever I am, you will be as well.”
“Then you should be focusing the hardest,” King Elon deduced quickly.
The King of Dragons stingily stated, “Yes.”
“There we go.” I threw out my arms wide in rising aggravation. “We have a plan.” My right arm swung to the dragon. “Close your eyes and get us there. You are certainly powerful and stubbornly willful enough.”
“If your mother wasn’t a wraith, I would cut you down right now,” King Ula snarled, but his solid golden eyes closed a moment later—doing as I had dictated.
“Holy Fairy,” Minnie gasped, her gaze slamming on mine. Hurt flashed in her pretty eyes before she quickly covered up the betrayal. Lifting her chin high, she snootily stated, “It makes so much sense now. I thought you were still grieving andhad taken her death hard. I’ve heard you talking to yourself in the bathroom before—talking to your motherfor twelve years.”
King Elon grimaced.
He moved a few feet away.
Smart man.
I cleared my throat and explained gently, “There are things I must do as the king—”
“Be quiet,” Minnie stated softly, cutting me off and breathing deeply through her nose. She pointed one of her wicked blades at me. “We have been soul mates for over five hundred years now. I know perfectly well what’s needed. Do not lecture me. I neither complained nor asked for it. I was stating a fact on my thoughts and my observations.”
I lifted my empty hands up in entreaty. “You’re right, my love.”
That blade hadn’t lowered yet. In fact, she took a step closer, aiming the deadly weapon at my chest, right over my Fae-spark. Finally, Minnie stated quite civilly, “But please know that if you keep something like this from me again,anything that has to do with family, I’ll put this blade right through your heart.”
And…I knew she was utterly serious.
My soul mate was that ruthless.
I took a careful step back and said quietly, “When we get home, remind me to have a conversation with you.”
Her eyes widened marginally—at the fact that I indeed had more to tell her. “You are sleeping with the goats, my king.”
Fuck.I’d done that many a night.
“I understand,” I agreed amiably, bowing my crowned head to the light of my life. Then I tapped carefully on her blade. “Time to put that down now, love.”
“Hmph,” she grunted.
She did lower her weapon, though.
