I breathed a moment of peace before the dragon king peeked open one vastly amused eye, stared for a beat at my unkingly cowed expression, and then closed it again—the bastard truly could die a tragically painful death after we returned home.
King Elon continued to look elsewhere, staying his tongue and keeping his expression aloof, far more intelligent than the dragon.
Walking behind my soul mate, I wrapped my arms around her waist, pressing my hard, muscled chest to her back curves, and rested my chin on top of her head, waiting in the darkness.
I whispered softly, “I love you.”
“I love you more,” she grumbled, incredibly vexed but still honest. As the minutes passed, her body slowly relaxed against me, and nothing happened. She sighed softly and muttered, “What is awraithexactly?”
“A Fae killer,” I explained patiently, gently rubbing my fingers over her flat stomach, tenderly petting her. “A Fae blessed her long ago. I didn’t know what it meant then, but she reappeared after her death like a wicked spirit. It surprised Trixie and me at first.”
“Trixie knows?” Minnie asked, her voice sharpening in shock—and hurt once more.
“She was there when it happened. That’s the only reason why she knows. Do not be vexed with our child. I convinced her to stay quiet about it.”
My soul mate’s head thumped back against my shoulder. “You are an extremely aggravating man at times.”
“I know,” I readily agreed, taking that hit. I’d take it again and again and again. Always. “It is just how it has to—” I shut my mouth and glanced around, the scenery before us suddenly different. Trees as tall as my castle stood in a solid line before our group, casting long murky shadows down on us, nearly pitch-black. I grinned while I studied the view warily. “Well done, Fae! You have willed us to the dark forest without us even moving.”
Unexpectedly, King Ula went down hard on one knee. His eyes shot open, and his hands hit the ground, bracing himself so he didn’t topple over completely.
He heaved in large breaths of oxygen, holding still and not moving to stand.
The gorgon king and I immediately rushed toward the fallen man, each grabbing one of his arms and helping him up. He was visibly shaken, and sweat beaded his brow, the dragon staring down at the ground like it had personally offended him.
“I am getting the impression it wasn’t an easy feat.” King Elon grunted, taking more of the dragon’s weight when the beast swayed in his direction.
“Fairy is fucking dying,” King Ula muttered in horror. “I knew it…but I didn’tknow it.”
“Ah.” I spread my legs and pulled his arm over my shoulder, helping the gorgon king to distribute the dragon’s weight. “I take it that has played a part in your current disheveled state?”
The King of Dragons snorted almost drunkenly. “Fairy is magic. The magic’s dying. It’s practically screaming for help.” Absently, he moved his hand hanging over my shoulder and thumped it over my heart, right over my Fae-spark. “You would do well to remember that, too. If the Fae die, so shall you.”
I gazed at the side of his face while that truth settled deeply inside my gut. My lips thinned into a hard line, and I pushed forward, asking frankly, “How long until you’re ready to move?”
“Mayhap a half hour?” He blinked slowly—so slowly.
Then he fainted to dead weight in our arms.
* * *
“What is that?”King Elon whispered.
The gorgon king was directly next to me. We hid with my sleeping soul mate and the unconscious dragon under a hideaway of our own making. In the shadows, brush and dirt covered us from head to toe where we lay on our stomachs, our faces barely seen between the overgrown, dead grass—but therewasgrass here.
We weren’t confident enough in our knowledge of Fairy to enter the dark forest with the dragon king out cold. The Blood Forest had taught us much; never be overconfident with the seemingly unsuspicious when it pertained to Fae.
Any forests in Fairy needed to be treated with extreme caution.
But with half a day gone since the King of Dragons had closed his eyes, now I was wondering if we’d have to drag his ass through the dark forest anyhow.
I tilted my head slightly so my pointed ears could listen more closely. I stayed silent for a full minute before I shook my head and said, “I don’t hear anything.”
“No,” the gorgon king hissed. “I felt it. The ground shook.”
“Hm.” I pondered that for a moment. “Perhaps, if there’s an earthquake in our realm, there’s an echo here?”
“That…could be true,” King Elon agreed slowly, done weighing my suggestion. Except the ground jarred hard enough that I felt it this time. And it came again. Then again. “It is not an earthquake.”
