“Sounds like him to me. Thank you, my lady.”
The tree bowed to him. “Any time, my liege.”
Tanis closed the distance between them. “Was that helpful?”
“It wasn’t unhelpful.”
Now he was speaking in the same riddles as the dryad. Was it contagious?
The dryad sneezed again.
She frowned at the tree. “Do they always do that?”
“What? Sneeze?”
“Yes.”
“Only when they’re allergic to pollen.”
Tanis’s jaw dropped at his unexpected response. “A tree is allergic to pollen?”
He nodded. “Some of them, yes.”
Well, who knew? “Isn’t that a little counterproductive?”
“I don’t make the rules, Dragon. I’m just here to see the wizard.”
And she was just following along behind a unicorn. Therefore, all must be right in the world.
Irritated, she looked about the forest that didn’t seem any different than all the others she’d visited. She’d always thought the elfin lands would be more...
Colorful? Magical? Something other than so basically, boringly normal. In truth, it was rather disappointing. Didn’t they have portals or enchanted gates? Something that would make them stand out more?
Where were all the elfin things she’d heard about?
“So, who is this wizard we’re after? Is he an elf?”
Dash shook his head as he led her toward a copse of trees on the right. “He’s the son of an incubus yokai. His mother was human, and he has a bit of an attitude.”
“Worse than yours?”
“Always worse than his, love.”
She gasped at the voice that intruded on their conversation.
Out of the shadows, a tall, leanly muscled man approached. His white hair was cut short to frame a handsome, patrician face. Even so, she could see the demon in him. It flashed in his stormy eyes that took in a lot more than just her physical appearance. There was something about him that was absolutely compelling. Intoxicating. While he wasn’t handsome in the traditional sense, he possessed an aura that lured you toward him. She’d heard of charisma all her life, but until now, she’d never fully understood it.
But the wizard had his share of it, and his share’s best friend’s share, too.
With a wicked grin, he stepped forward and bowed low over her hand. “Greetings, lovely lady. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
Dash’s staff appeared out of nowhere to fall between them. He pushed the wizard back from her so that he could stepbetween her and the older man. “Bad luck, hidden enemies, death, and a reminder that I have a nasty temper.”
Marthen laughed. “But this beauty’s not yours. You released her. Like a fool, Dash. I would never let something so precious go.”
“We’re not here to talk about you or my stupidity. We’re here to ask you what you know about my sister and the lady’s brother... and the imp who’s carrying around pieces of them both.”
Marthen tsked. “Poor King Dash. Always seeking treasure and always finding pyrite. All the lessons you’ve learned and you’ve yet to learn the most important one.”
