I swung my attention between the last two remaining individuals at the breakfast table—my father and my king’s soul mate—settling on the one who ignored me the hardest. I lifted a white eyebrow and asked, “Minnie, who might this shifter be?”
She shrugged nonchalantly—but didn’t look up from her plate—eating a huge mouthful, far too large for propriety. “He is our king’s guest. We shall treat him accordingly with respect.”
Staring at her downturned face, I offered dryly, “If you tell me who he is, I’ll tell you who stole your soul-mated anniversary gifts.”
“He’s Fae!”Minnie blurted in a rush, her head jerking up to stare hard into my eyes. “Dragon shifter. Powerful. Heir to the Dark King. He’s to help King Traevon kill the punisher.” She expectedly lifted her seafoam green eyebrows high on her forehead while twirling her butter knife between her fingers. “Now tell me who stole my gifts.”
I blinked and leaned over, taking the knife from her hand and setting it far from her reach. “Bishop did. He plans to return them shortly, minus a stolen blue dagger.”
“You threw me under the carriage, elf,” Bishop groaned under his breath—but his attention was still locked on the dragon shifter, studying him closely. “I will give back the ones I still have. That is my promise.”
King Traevon continued to smooth jam on his croissant, making sure it touched the edges, examining his work closely. “You will apologize to my soul mate, and your king will pay back all coin owed for missing items.” He grunted quietly. “Allmissing items throughout the years.”
Bishopgrowledquietly. “There will be no coin given beyond the anniversary gifts, as there is no proof of other missing items.” He quietly turned his attention to my king’s furious soul mate. “I do apologize, Minnie. It was merely a lark that went too far.” His beefy hand lifted, and he pointed right at me. “Andhehas your blue dagger.”
I blustered and choked on the eggs in my mouth. “Bastard!”
“Tit for tat, elf.” Bishop smirked cruelly, repeating words I had once said to him. His honey-brown eyes landed on the highly entertained dragon shifter. After a long moment, he muttered, “So you’re the heir to the Dark King. What in the fuck are you doing here then?”
The Fae shrugged his shoulders. “My father’s an issue, much like your previous king was.”
Bishop blinked and held up his right hand in a stopping gesture. “Say no more. I understand.” His finger flicked in my direction again. “That elf kills people for a living. He assassinated my previous king, mayhap he can do the same for you.”
“Fucking Fae,” I hissed and dropped my forehead to my waiting hands, leaning heavily on my elbows. “You’re just being an prick now.”
My soul mate hummed deeply in his throat. “Perhaps.”
“Piss off.” I snorted and peeked past my fingers, a chilly light entering my eyes. “Don’t upset me too much, shifter. After all, as you said, I do kill people for a living.”
Bishop blinked slowly. “You see, I know you’re scary. I know you are excellent at what you do. But right now? I don’t find it intimidating at all.” He lifted his black brows and murmured softly, “You have egg on your nose, buttercup.”
I flashed my fangs and quickly rubbed at my nose. “Jackass! Was thatreallycalled for?”
Father chuckled under his breath, done watching our byplay. “I think today I understand things a little better.” His violet eyes turned to his king. “What say you?”
“I knew it the first time I met them.” King Traevon lifted a red brow at the both of us. “Trouble knocked on my door and hasn’t fucking left since.” He bit into his croissant with relish. “Ruiuen’s a bitch.”
Taste of a shifter:
Crimson is my favorite color.
It is bold and vibrant, eye-catching and memorable.
If it happens to splash upon Minnie’s fantastical paintings, then it will only add to the dimension of beauty she’s created.
I won’t apologize for that.
“What exactly are you capable of with your power?” Caspian asked gently while strolling beside me, his hands clasped behind his back. His dark blue elven eyes meticulously roamed the gallery walls of the King of Elves’ castle, art from the Elf Kingdom lovingly displayed for guests’ viewing pleasure. “You can control bones, and you’ve been gifted with invisibility. So what else is there?”
I hummed softly under my breath, peering at his profile while he studied an intricately beautiful nude of two lovers weeping and reaching for one another. “From what I’ve been able to discern, it is the power of the spirit. When I disappear from view, I am walking with the deceased. Yes, I can control their previous bodies—that is easy enough—but the real power comes from a conversation with the dearly departed. The spirit can be willful and wary, but I can commune with the soul if asked nicely and properly enough.”
The elf’s face turned in my direction, his gaze stroking over my features slowly. His voice was quiet when he said, “That cannot be an easy task.”
“It is one I do not take lightly,” I stated solemnly as I scratched at my whiskered jaw. “There have been a few times I shouldn’t have trespassed on the afterlife. They deserve their peace. I only bother them when it’s absolutely needed.”
My soul mate lifted a white brow. “You’re saying the dead should be left alone?”
I snorted hard and smirked as only a cynical man could. “That is a sensible assumption.”
