If I opened my mouth otherwise…it would not be civil.
And we needed unity right now, not fighting.
“Is there something you want to say to me, Princess Trixie?” King Athon taunted in his rough shifter accent. He lifted a snarky black eyebrow, his solid black shifter eyes staring down at me under his eyelashes—like a tiger creeping below tall grass.
Pinching my lips into a thin line, I silently turned my head away from him, finding my traveling bag and standing as the other rulers had. I looked at my father, stating evenly, “We won’t be able to see the sun clearly from under this foliage. We should move.”
“No,” Queen Mikko argued instantly. “This is supposed to be the path that Kera takes once a month. I wasn’t able to divine anything abnormal in the province she frequents, so we must follow her.”
King Elon’s back straightened sharply. He hissed, “Are you positive your sister is traveling today?”
“She left this morning.” Queen Mikko’s dark eyebrows lowered, her jaw tightening in poorly hidden torment. “If Kera follows her normal routine from Wickley Marsh, she will be passing by here shortly.”
I squinted from worry at the Queen of Casters’ words. My troubled gaze swung to the merfolk queen. I whispered slowly, “I say this with much respect, Your Royal Highness, but it would be helpful to the quest if you stay silent for a time.”
The other rulers stared hard at the Queen of Merfolk in warning.
Queen Alora opened her mouth, and then quickly snapped it shut. She cleared her throat—quietly—and grudgingly nodded in agreement, scowling her irritation at the request.
King Athon huffed softly. “I’ll watch for Kera. Everyone else, stay here until I come back.” The shifter king yanked the strap back off his shoulder and shoved the traveling bag hard against my chest. “Be a dear, and hold this for me, elf.”
I coughed roughly from the hit, my arms automatically lifting to grab his traveling bag in surprise. The look I threw him was pure fire and ash, barely restraining myself from lighting him up in a blaze of wicked glory.
My Fae damned soul mate snarled at me.
Father flashed his fangs, opening his mouth…
King Athon instantly turned inside out, shifting in a distortion of movement. His front paws landed heavily on the ground between us all, his body shaking brutally, his orange, black, and white fur blending as one with the action. When he was done, he lifted his head and bared his teeth at the King of Elves. The prick turned away, pitilessly brushing the side of his body against mine to curl around.
I stumbled to the right from the rough treatment, the tiger Fae damned huge and heavy, my father grabbing my shoulders to keep me from falling on my ass. I still managed to keep my lips from parting and spewing obscenities at the asshole—the man who has it in his head that he’ll sink his cock inside another woman and leave my kingdom without an heir.
In what realm would I ever let that happen if I could stop it?
King Athon lowered his muscular, furry body and lurked beneath the heavy, white moss that coated the aspen tree, the plants providing our protection from any eyes. The tiger disappeared from sight.
Queen Mikko tilted her head, her brown mist eyes peering directly at me. She snorted quietly, whispering, “How did you manage to irk him this time?”
King Traevon analyzed my infuriated features, raising one red eyebrow. “Yes, do tell.”
“I was born?” I snarled viciously. There was so much truth in those words. I shoved the strap of his traveling bag over my head, now carrying two hefty satchels. I sneered down at my soul mate’s, a plan already forming in my mind to steal his precious crown from inside—the swamp was nearby to throw it in. I grumbled, “Who in the Fairy knows what goes on inside his beastly head?”
Father lifted a pointed finger to his lips. “Shh.”
“I don’t care if that shifter prick hears me—” I slammed my mouth shut, clarity pushing through my anger.
The four rulers gazed at me in frustration.
“Apologies,” I mouthed. My cheeks flamed red.
Queen Alora grinned, relishing my discomfort.
After that, the five of us remained silent.
Our mouths stayed closed. We behaved ourselves.
I tipped my head back and squinted through the leaves, trying to decipher if the sun had darkened. It didn’t appear to have dimmed even a sliver. I truly could have slept longer—as I’d said.
I stepped to the side and crossed my arms, leaning back against the trunk of the tree, the two bags I carried a nuisance, bumping against my legs. But I closed my eyes and rested my head back, taking my peace where I could get it while the four rulers were blissfully quiet.
I may have paid attention to my Fae-spark, peeking in on my illegal soul mate’s feelings. He was in his element right now, hunting with pleasure, his emotions true to a beast—even if there was wrath, annoyance, and confusion that continued to bounce in from time-to-time. It wasn’t hard to guess what he was thinking about when those feelings showed up.
My brows lifted slightly when satisfaction stirred within him, his exhilaration building. I leaned my head left and right, cracking my neck, as I opened my eyes.
It was time. The tiger had found his prey.
I still didn’t move away from the tree, though, appearing bored as I yawned wide behind my left fist—tired as Fae fuck. It was not as if I could tell the others Kera had been found. So I did nothing out of the ordinary, waiting like the silent four rulers near me. I rubbed at my eyes drowsily and evaluated our ordinary clothing.
We looked the part, normal people of the realm.
As long as we kept our heads down, no one would notice that we were of different kingdoms and traveling together.
Swiftly, I smacked the side of my head.
The royals swung their attention to me.
I moved my hand in front of my face, reluctantly gazing at my palm. Disgust showed on my face while blood, guts, and spindly legs painted my skin. I turned my hand to show the rulers.
It was a fairly large spider.
Father’s nose wrinkled. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, and moved closer, fretting at my head with it, removing the other remains from my hair.
I stared at my hand. I’d much rather have it cleaned first.
A tiger crawled on his stomach back under the moss.
I snatched the handkerchief from my father’s hand, and hastily cleaned off my palm, knowing it was time to move—the others came to attention, also. I stuffed the handkerchief inside my hooded cloak, and I slowly followed behind the others, trudging through the grass toward King Athon…and casually rifling through his belongings with one hand—behind everyone’s back.
His crown went under my cloak.
I started to remove the strap of his traveling bag over my head when I stepped beside the royal group, but the tiger swept his furry noggin side to side, baring his fangs at me—the brute not shifting back. My eyes bulged out of my head.
He wanted me to carry his fucking bag for him the entire way? Like a servant to his kingly whims?
Absolutely not! It was Fae-damned heavy.
And he was a piece of royal shit.
I tore the strap over my head, and flat out threw the bag at his Fae fucking horrible ass. I flashed my fangs, and lunged at him. The bag hit him first, knocking his rear sideways, and then my body hit him. I jumped onto his back and grabbed his ears…and chomped down on the side of his neck, slicing into his tough flesh, honeysuckle blood coated my tongue through his fur.
Fuck. Unity.
I’d officially reached my limit.
A gasp flew out of Queen Mikko’s mouth.
Queen Alora groaned—loudly.
Father hurtled toward us, trying to yank me off, his hands grabbing at my hips as the tiger shook his body brutally. My king’s grip kept slipping as King Athon lurched to and fro on his giant paws. My father skittered in a small puddle, his feet slipping, unable to keep his footing.
He fell hard on his side.
But I hung on, not budging one bit.
“Fuck.” King Elon hissed sharply, rushing forward.
King Athon tossed his head back and forth, trying to dislodge me, rearing up on his back legs, a growl erupting in the air.
I jerked my head, raking my fangs across his flesh, hanging on violently while he bucked, my legs tightening around him. My fangs sliced again on the other side of his neck, drinking his blood down with ferocious glee, twisting his ears viciously in my hands.
King Elon jumped into the air and onto my back, tearing me off the tiger. The King of Gorgons and I landed hard in a tumble of limbs. I was face down in the mud with his heaving chest shoved against the back of my head, the fingers of my left hand far above, trapped and tangled in his long shamrock green braids—with our legs all askew.
And…the paws of a pissed-off tiger could be heard as the King of Shifters circled us, snarling and growling quietly in fury.
I swiftly turned my head to the side under King Elon’s body and spat out slimy mud and chunks of fur. I wiggled underneath him, demanding sharply, “Get the Fairy off me.”
The King of Gorgons didn’t move. “Hush, child.”
I went still at the order. It was a warning.
One of those cautionary tones you don’t ignore.
King Traevon requested quietly, “King Athon, would you please shift so that we may talk about this?” Father’s slow footsteps were heard, crumpling the wet grass and coming closer. A deadly calm entered his voice. “I would greatly appreciate it.”
King Athon continued to prowl around the gorgon king and me, also subtly moving closer, his huffing heavy and furious.
Queen Mikko lectured softly, “King Athon, Princess Trixie, I do not know where all of this hostility is coming from, but it needs to end now. We have an artifact to find, and you are both holding us up.” She paused for a short moment. “If you fail right now to do your duty for this realm, I will use my Fae awful royal charmpower on you to destroy the last few remaining days of your lives that our realm will have. I give you my word on this.”
The air in my lungs seized, my fingers clenching in the gorgon king’s braids. My mind spun in circles at the possibilities.
A ruling caster rarely used their royal charmpower. Not since their original died. Once charmed, it was forever. There was no way to eliminate it, no way to reverse it. It was the worst royal power in the five kingdoms. If not handled properly, it was a curse. It took a great deal of intelligence and understanding not to use it—as the previous ruling casters had learned throughout history.
“Would you care to repeat that?” King Athon snarled.
He had shifted. I still couldn’t see a damned thing, except for the black cloak that the gorgon king wore—and perhaps some mud on my eyelashes.
Queen Mikko answered softly, “I did not stutter, King Athon. I have given my word, and I will fulfill it if needed.” She chuckled softly, not at all her kind, usual self. “You are acting as young as she is. So whatever is happening? Fix it. Now.”
After a very long moment, King Athon grunted.
King Elon slowly moved, lifting off my person.
I lifted my head and looked up.
King Athon stood directly in front of me…
Father stood right behind him, a blade held to the shifter king’s neck, holding King Athon’s hair brutally with his head yanked back.
I blinked my mud-covered eyes, shock holding me still.
King Elon stood to his full seven feet of height and stepped aside, moving next to where Queen Alora stood silently.
Queen Mikko nudged my ribs with her boot. “Stand up.”
I swallowed solidly and stiffly rose to my feet.
The Queen of Casters flicked her finger between the two of us. “I am waiting—not so patiently—for you to fix this. Time is wasting.”
My attention stayed locked on the dagger to my soul mate’s throat. “Is the blade necessary right now, King Traevon? I’m not planning to attack him again.”
King Athon chuckled darkly, his throat moving just so—the blade not moving. Blood trickled down his neck. “I think you are missing the point, Princess Trixie.”
I scowled and lifted my gaze from the crimson staining his cloak. “Do you wish to kill me? Because I did not try to kill you, despite your despicable conduct.” All of his vile behavior. My lips curved up in cruel delight. “I merely bit you.”
The King of Shifters’ lips curled at the edges while he gazed at the leaves on the limbs from his trapped position. “And you stole my crown.” He waited a moment, all of the rulers’ heads turning in my direction—including my father’s. “Did you know that’s punishable by death?”
Yes, I had known that.
I sniffed. “I do not have your crown, nor did I steal it—although I did feel something like a crown in King Elon’s cloak. Perhaps you misplaced it?”
The King of Gorgons patted at his clothing, the vertical red slit of his eyes narrowing on me as he did so. Gradually, he pulled a golden crown from his cloak’s pocket.
My left hand had been trapped, but not my right hand.
“I did not take this,” King Elon hissed. He pointed the crown at my person. “How did you manage that?”
“I do not know what you speak of,” I answered gently. Then I turned my regard back to my soul mate. “I ask again. Do you wish to kill me?”
“You are such a fucking bitch.” King Athon laughed.
The blade cut deeper into his throat courtesy of Father.
I didn’t mind this time. Let him bleed.
I crossed my arms. “Shall we come up with a new plan? One that doesn’t end with either elf or shifter dying? We do have a realm to save.”
The King of Shifters grunted, fully understanding what I was saying. He asked bluntly, “Are you going to attack a ruler again? Which, by the way, is also punishable by death—if I wish it so. You can’t thieve your way out of that one.”
“Not right now,” I stated honestly. “Just stay the Fairy away from me, and quit picking fights. You may live that way, but I do not.”
King Athon’s jaw tightened.
Quiet.
The mud drying on my face cracked as my brow furrowed, my blink gradual as I understood what was genuinely irking him.
I quickly covered for him, taunting, “Will that be too hard for you, Your Royal Highness? Can you not control yourself enough to abstain from fighting for one day?”
“I think I can manage that, elf.” The King of Shifters reached back and tapped my father’s leg. “Remove the blade. I will not attack your daughter.”
King Traevon only tightened his hold on the shifter king’s hair, asking coolly, “Why were you upset with her before this all began? Your crown was still on your head then.”
The chill in the shifter king’s tone matched my father’s. “A book from my study has gone missing. In its place is a faded scent of jasmine. I would like my book back, King Traevon.”
Resentment froze me in place.
I understood why he said it.
But that didn’t mean I had to like it.
Father’s emerald eyes flayed mine. “Trixie?”
My lips pinched into a straight line.
“Trixie…” he warned this time.
“Fine.” I glared up at the shifter king’s slightly pointed chin. “Penelope might have landed on his balcony in the wee morning hours before I went to investigate the ice cliff.” None of that was a lie—just not the whole truth.
I was tired of lying to my father.
Queen Mikko cleared her throat. Pointedly.
Oh my Fae. I hissed, “My apologies, Your Royal Highness. You’ll have your book back shortly.” Right upside his fucking head.
My dratted soul mate chuckled cheekily. “Your apology is accepted.” He lifted his right hand swiftly in an experienced move that I did not know and managed to slip his hand behind my father’s, holding his captor’s wrist tight. The Kin
g of Shifters squeezed. He stated softly, “Remove the blade.”
Father’s lips curved up. “I wondered when you would try to stop me.” He flicked his fingers, the blade lightly slicing once more—just to show he could. Then he pulled his arm away, his wrist almost snapping in half from his enemy’s hold.
And Father didn’t bloody flinch.
King Athon released his grip on my father’s wrist without another word and prowled to grab his satchel from the dirty ground. He hooked the strap over his head, letting his traveling bag hang against his hip. “Kera and her guards are on horses. We’ll need to hurry.” The shifter king snatched his crown from the gorgon king, snarling in my direction as he stuffed it into his bag. “Don’t try that shit again, Princess.”
I lifted one eyebrow…staying quiet.
As I had learned, shifters lived to fight.
They breathed it in like oxygen.
It was truly a marvel to my mind…
My silence was what hurt him the most.
It confused him. He didn’t know how to react to it.
The beast felt caged, swiping out whenever he could.
When I told him to leave me the Fairy alone, it hurt.
Shifters and elves were so Fae damned different.
King Athon bared his tiger fangs, walking toward me. “Did you not hear me, Princess? Stay away from my crown.”
I held up a quick stopping hand before this got out of control again, my palm landing right over his heart, the black cloak he wore warm from his hot body temperature. “Calm down, Your Royal Highness. I will leave your beloved crown alone for now.”
The King of Shifters muttered, “You’re lucky they took another road.” He swiped my hand off his chest. “This would have been a disaster, otherwise. Use your head from now on.”
I agreed amenably, “You’re correct. I reacted poorly.”
His black eyebrows snapped together. “Why are you agreeing with me now? Just a second ago, you weren’t even speaking.” He looked down at his bag suspiciously. “Have you already stolen it again?”
Good Fae. I sighed heavily. “No.”
“She agreed because you were bloody right,” Father griped. “Quit picking fights, as my heir said, and let us be on our way.”
Crypts and Crimes (Trixie Towers Book 3) Page 16
