“This is quite the lovely adventure we’re taking, King Traevon,” the gorgon king hissed behind us, trudging through the tall grass far easier than my shorter soul mate. “I shall remember this.”
“I’m sure you will,” I grumbled, knowing he would ask a favor one day—and I would be honor bound to say yes.
Nothing good would come from that.
Whisper of a father:
Fuck the dark forest.
Burn the bitch down.
The sun may not be bright in the dying land of Fairy, but it was still mighty, shining down mercilessly on our group. Its heat beat in thrashing waves through the sparse tree limbs hanging like boulders above as if each massive limb could crash down at any moment.
Minnie wiped the sweat from her face by rubbing her cheek across her shoulder. My love hadn’t complained once during our hours inside the forest so far, even though her ample bosom now heaved with each laboring breath and her shorter legs had to work twice as hard as ours. “Where exactly is the Ancient Archive?”
“Directly in the middle of the dark forest,” King Ula explained patiently, watching where he stepped. Enormous tree roots stuck up to knee high. “It is as old as these trees, made from their first saplings.”
Rotten leaves continued to crunch under our boots as I growled, “But do you even know the way there?” My eyes narrowed on the dragon’s back as I used my free hand to shove aside dead brush. “I know we’ve already passed this before.”
The dragon king snickered. “As I have said, time doesn’t move the same here. Andthisis the way of the dark forest. Do notexpect Fairy to be the same as your realm.” He glanced over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows. “Just wait for the real fun part.”
“Meaning?” King Elon probed.
I watched the dragon king’s face closely. “It would be wise to know what we’re heading into.”
King Ula shrugged his broad shoulders and looked away from me, pointing absently at the surrounding trees. “They will attack when they’re done evaluating us.”
I instantly stopped walking and snarled harshly, “The wood will attack?” I released my soul mate’s hand and drew my sword, examining the trees closely—as did the gorgon king. “Don’t you think you should have mentioned this before?”
The King of Dragons kept marching forward. “It is their way.”
“Cryptic. Like all underhanded Fae.” I flashed my fangs at the motherfucker’s back. “We’re not moving another step until you explain.”
“Blood and pain.” He peered over his shoulder once more and grinned wickedly. “The dark forest wants our tears. It will get them no matter how hard we fight. I would advise you to let it happen. The process is easier that way.”
Minnie growled, “Process?”
“Yes.” He immediately held still when tree roots shot up from the ground, curling in the air at our group like daggers. He inhaled slowly and grumbled, “And it appears it’s about to begin.”
My eyes widened in horror as more roots slithered from the ground and wrapped around my soul mate’s ankles. Before I could even blink or react, Minnie shouted in fury as she was sucked into the ground.
“Minnie!” I bellowed—and royal firepower exploded off my body.
The roots surrounding me turned to ash in the breeze…until a tree limb screamed behind me, bringing an immense breeze with it. I ducked instantly and jumped to where the ground had eaten my soul mate.
Dropping to my knees, I sheathed my sword and dug at the ground frantically. “Minnie! Can you hear me?”
I am not proud to admit I didn’t notice the thick root sliding up from the ground behind me, bending and bowing, pointing right at my neck. My attention flashed between the ground, where I clawed at the dirt, and my other two companions as they were rapidly swallowed down into the ground right before my very eyes.
I jerked in place, immediately choking, when the devious root twisted around my throat and slammed me back onto the ground.
Glaring up into the weak but bizarrely scorching sun, I allowed the roots to cover me and take me under, too, heeding the dragon king’s advice in hopes this dark forest would give me my soul mate back.
* * *
I soaredabove my home on a deadly night, my wings beating the air hard.Shredding pain radiated deeply inside my chest as I opened my jaws wide and roared my fury at the injustice.
All of my people dead.
