Marvels and Misfits

by Scarlett Dawn

  “No, no,” Father said softly. “I’ll hold it for you.”

  “Don’t let her drink too much,” Queen Alora said sharply. “It was hard enough to find a water source the first time. I don’t know if we can do it again.”

  I dragged my face away from the canteen. With anxiety lacing my words, I said, “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

  “I know,” Father whispered softly. He pressed the water back to my lips. “It is okay.”

  I tipped my head back to drink more deeply as the water started to run from the canteen quickly into my parched mouth, and my eyes snagged on a pair of solid black orbs staring down at me very close to my face. My brows crinkled in confusion while I drank and stared up at the shifter king.

  Why was King Athon here?

  And…I think he was holding me in his arms.

  This didn’t make sense.

  I pulled my mouth away from the water, and croaked, “Why are you here?”

  King Athon lifted one black eyebrow. “The same reason you are. We are here to save the realm. Although you have been sorely lacking, as of late.”

  I blinked and whispered, “That won’t do.”

  “I would agree.” He tipped his head to the side. There were small twigs stuck in his white hair in various places. “Do as your father said and drink the water. It will make you stronger so that no one will have to carry you anymore.”

  “I think I want to sleep.” I blinked slowly.

  King Athon shook his arms, wobbling my body harshly inside his pitiless hold. “You’ve been asleep long enough, Princess Trixie. Keep your eyes open, or your father will lose his Fae shit all over again. I do not want to deal with that. It was maddening enough the first time.”

  “Hmm.” My blink took a monumental effort.

  Solid black eyes narrowed on me. “King Traevon…”

  Father shook my left shoulder roughly. “Stay awake!”

  I fought the exhaustion. I truly did.

  But my eyes still closed, pulled down into a dark slumber.

  * * *

  Soft fur tickled my nose and coldness seeped into my bones. I burrowed my head further into the little warmth I could find, a shoulder that smelled distinctly like my father. I must have fallen asleep against him in his study while he worked, though his sofa should be replaced. It was hard and lumpy to lie on.

  I pulled the fur cover closer to me with frozen fingers and muttered, “Father, I think there is a window open somewhere. It is cold. Please, call a servant in.”

  Queen Alora’s voice filtered across my senses from somewhere close. “I would love to have a servant here right now. Why did she have to wake up to say that?”

  I tensed and held still. Something was assuredly amiss.

  I racked my brain to remember, but it was like sifting through a fog of molasses, thoughts heavy and sticking to my body, but I was going nowhere with it. The memories for why she was here did not come to me at all.

  Queen Mikko snickered soft, but her teeth chattered inside her mouth. “And just when King Traevon passed out. Should we wake him?”

  Holy Fae fuck. Where was I?

  “Do you want to listen to his sappy Fae bullshit again? I think not.” King Elon hissed under his breath. “I cannot believe I am uttering these words, but I hope she stays awake so the king comes back. His fatherly side turns my stomach.”

  A deep snore erupted behind me. It was so close it nearly shot me straight to my feet. Who was that?

  “I envy him.” Queen Mikko sighed in longing. “How can he sleep so well through all this?”

  “Who knows.” Queen Alora snorted quietly. “At least he’s not barking orders at us right now. Let us be thankful that King Athon is sleeping.”

  All the rulers were here? This was bad.

  My eyes snapped open. I gently pulled the fur cover down that was covering my head, only to be met by a biting chill that nipped at my cheeks so fiercely it stung. I lifted my head. It instantly went crashing back down. I waited for the ache in my skull to heal…but it did not happen. My entire physique screeched in throbbing pains, none going away. It just stayed.

  I moaned. “What is wrong with my body?”

  King Elon muttered scathingly, “Are you going to stay awake long enough for me to tell you, Princess Trixie? Or are you going to become a burdensome piece of deadweight once more?”

  I stared into blackness. I couldn’t see the nose on my face it so horrifically dark. “I am awake.”

  Queen Mikko hummed, “She sounds more coherent.”

  An arm was suddenly slung over my waist, and the snore became louder—directly next to my head.

  “Who is touching me?” I asked slowly. “The person to my left.”

  “That is King Athon.” King Elon snickered.

  I closed my eyes in resignation. It was extremely cold wherever we were. The shifter king’s body heat warmed mine, as my father’s was doing on my other side.

  “Is there anyone else here?”

  “In this Fae damned feeble tent we are all sharing?” Queen Alora sniffled disgustingly as if her nose was running from a bout of hard tears. Then she sneezed. “I hope not.”

  “Would someone please explain what is happening?” I asked cuttingly. “This is beyond unusual. Have we been kidnapped and tortured?”

  King Elon groused, “It feels like it, but no. We are in the Blood Forest, Princess Trixie. Our power was taken from us while we search for a—”

  “Wait. I remember now,” I stated, stopping his explanation. The memories were gradually surfacing in my tired mind—his annoyed words had helped—as my stomach pinched sharply with a hunger scream. Pulling all the pieces together was harder, though. I asked, “How long have I been…out?”

  “Nearly three days,” Queen Mikko clarified patiently, her teeth rattling harder inside her mouth. “It is almost morning, so the cold will begin to dissipate.”

  “The artifact?” I asked cautiously.

  “As hidden as when we entered,” Queen Alora groaned and sneezed again. “There is no indication of its whereabouts where we have searched so far.”

  “How far have you gone?” I rubbed my aching head with my stiff, chilled fingers. “If you had to carry me for so long, it can’t be far.”

  “Quite so,” King Elon hissed. Something hard whapped me in the face and kept tapping on my cheek. “Eat this. If you are truly staying awake, I don’t want to be slowed down by you any longer.”

  I grabbed for the object. “What is it?”

  “Dried jerky. We are running low on provisions, so enjoy the meal. It may be the only one you have today.”

  I gnawed at the cold, hard meat. It tasted decent. I wondered if they had used the food I had in my own bag. I yanked the fur blanket back over my face, and mumbled, “Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”

  King Elon grunted.

  My stomach ached fiercely where my Fae damned soul mate’s arm was crushing my waist, but I didn’t move the vile shifter while I ate. He was warm. I remembered everything now, including who the shifter king was to me—unfortunately. I would have appreciated that memory to stay long gone, but there it was. Right in front of me, or, more aptly, lying next to me.

  I groaned under my breath and chewed at the dried jerky. “Do the aches go away, eventually?”

  Queen Mikko snorted softly. “They get worse.”

  “The Fae truly did a number on us, yes?” I chewed thoughtfully. “The originals must have been even more savage than we know because we can still kill one another. Taking our power didn’t stop that. This feels like a punishment to me. I wonder what they did to make the Fae so angry.”

  “They kept destroying themselves. It is that simple,” Queen Alora grumbled. “You are too young to understand what that means, but this is a test to see if we are worthy of the artifact, worthy of saving our realm. If not, they will let the giants destroy us, and then put them back to sleep. They will create something new that is worthy.”

  That
did ring true. I asked bluntly, “Is that what you would do?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Hmm.” I tried to roll onto my side, but a gasp flew past my lips. I gripped my remaining meal and moaned in pain, “This is horrible.”

  King Elon hissed, “You will get used to the pain.”

  I really, really didn’t want to.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Confession of a princess:

  I was stronger as a babe than I am now.

  I have never been so physically weak. My mind is sharp, but my body is decidedly not. Fighting for my survival in the Blood Forest—without my Fae damned immortality—is a true testament to my willpower.

  I will survive.

  Even if I must kill every wretched creature here to do so.

  The blackness gradually faded away from the night, and the arrowed top of our shared, brown burlap tent began to lighten from the muted sunrays outside. I watched it sluggishly grow brighter, with the fur blanket up to my nose, only my eyes peeking out. Someone had pulled my wool cap over my head to keep me warm while I had been dead to the realm—probably Father—which meant they had gone through my bag.

  I would have to lie and say that I’d brought the drugging deceased soul mate pills for him if he had found them. Which he more than likely had. My actual heart wasn’t in pain as a survivor of a soul mate usually would be, so I didn’t need them. The Fae zapping our Fae-spark to nothing had taken that away, at least.

  The rest of my body, though? I was still hurting hours after waking. Not eating and not moving had not done my non-immortal body any favors. I also had a bruise on my right hip that was dreadfully tender. I wasn’t sure where I had obtained it, but I wasn’t going to complain. Father had done his best. It could have been much worse if I’d been left alone with the other rulers in my weakened state of unconsciousness.

  King Athon scooted closer to me, yet again, this time throwing one of his heavy legs over both of mine. Half of his body was now lying on top of me, crushing my aching frame. The breath from his parted mouth puffed against the top of my wool cap with every Fae damned loud snore rumbling from his atrocious chest.

  I sighed heavily, and the blanket lifted for a moment from my mouth and then fell back down onto my lips. I muttered, “Will King Athon ever wake up?”

  “He sleeps soundly.” Queen Mikko snickered. “He’s the only one who manages to sleep the whole night through.”

  I pondered aloud, “Are we all sleeping in one tent because of the cold weather? Or is it because of something else?” They should have packed their own—Father and I had.

  Queen Alora coughed hard. A nasty rattle rumbled in her chest with it. She didn’t sound well at all.

  She clarified, “The first night here, we found out how cold it really becomes at night. We didn’t have time to set up a tent in the dark, so we had to sleep outside. Our lips were blue, and we could barely move the next morning we were so frozen stiff. After that, we did try separate tents, but we ended up sleeping in only one so we didn’t end up dead within a few days. We still haven’t recovered from that first night here.”

  “Is that why you sound…ill?” I asked curiously.

  “Yes. I am unsure what is going on with my body, but it is decidedly nasty. My lungs burn from coughing so hard, and my nose will not stop running.”

  “Is anyone else not well?” I asked quickly, worrying for my father. “Is King Traevon all right?”

  King Elon snorted. “He had you to keep warm with the first night. He did better than all of us.”

  “I do have a scratch on my forehead that burns,” Queen Mikko said absently. “I hope it is nothing too serious.”

  “I have some facial ointment in my bag that may cool the sting. It is made from a very potent plant in my kingdom and soothes stress,” I offered helpfully. “I’ll find it when we get up.”

  “That would be wonderful,” Queen Mikko rushed to say.

  Father tensed next to me. He asked, “Trixie?”

  I smiled under my blanket. “I am awake and well—as well as I can be in the Blood Forest, anyway.”

  His head shot up from the ground, and his blanket tumbled down to his shoulders. Red bloodshot eyes peered down at me with hope and swiftly ran over what he could see of my face. A beaming smile suddenly lifted his tired features.

  He laughed with delight, even as his eyes began to glisten. “This is a glorious sight to see, my daughter. I feared for you something terrible.”

  My eyes creased at the corners as my smile grew. “I am truly fine. You did well taking care of me. Thank you, Father.”

  He bent and kissed right between my eyebrows, whispering against my skin quietly, “You almost died. I do not want to go through that again, so take care here, my daughter.”

  I nodded subtly, letting him know I’d heard his warning.

  Father leaned back. His gaze dragged away from my face as if it pained him to do so, and he evaluated the rulers where they lay. Father looked back to King Athon, where he squashed me in his slumber.

  King Traevon grumbled, “Every morning, I wake up to find him like this. If he weren’t keeping you warm, I would be upset at his surprising, cuddling ways.”

  I snickered quietly. “Think about how I feel.”

  He snorted and nodded his head in agreement. “Quite so, my daughter. And he is an absolute ass to wake, too. Despite this humble representation he’s currently portraying, his true nature shows when he is awoken before he wishes to be.”

  King Elon hissed, “I am not waking him this time. I do not want another busted lip when this one isn’t even healed yet.”

  “I’m not doing it,” Queen Alora quipped instantly.

  “Don’t look at me.” Queen Mikko grunted. “I’m not even close to him, and I wish to stay that way.”

  I scowled up at my father. “I am not doing it.”

  I’d already witnessed his crabby side in the morning.

  I didn’t want a repeat, either.

  Father’s red brows furrowed in resignation, and then he leaned to tap—lightly—on King Athon’s shoulder. “It is time to wake up, King Athon. The sun is up, finally.”

  The snoring didn’t stop.

  King Traevon tried again, tapping a little harder. “King Athon, you need to wake up.”

  “Fuck the Fae off,” King Athon groused against my head.

  The snoring started once more.

  My father sighed and rolled his eyes. He kept his hands to himself this time, since the shifter king had already woken once. He growled in exasperation, “My daughter is awake, King Athon, and I am sure she needs to relieve herself by now. So wake up!”

  King Athon sniffled in his sleep and then snored again.

  “By the Fae,” I griped. I absolutely did need to relieve myself. I poked the shifter king hard in his stomach where it was pressed against me. “Wake up, you Fae damned lout!”

  The snore broke off, rumbling darkly, “Who just hit me?”

  “Me!” I shouted. “Will you please get off?”

  King Athon gradually lifted his head. His solid black eyes blinked in confusion. With his nose a mere inch away from mine, he squinted down at me sleepily, his long white hair a complete and utter mess around his head and tumbling around our faces. The sleepiness quickly cleared. His gaze narrowed with a swift glare, and with a rasping, freshly slumbered voice, he rumbled, “You didn’t die. That is a surprise, elf. I thought for sure you would croak soon. You have been an absolute hindrance to us. Why the Misfits said you should be on our journeys completely baffles the mind.”

  “No. I most certainly did not die. I am here, with a full bladder that you are annoyingly pressing on, Your Royal Highness.” I narrowed my eyes, the only thing still showing on my body. “Now, would you mind getting the Fae fuck off me? I need to take care of my morning business.”

  “I would agree,” Father stated coldly. “Get off her.”

  King Athon’s features blanked as if he hadn’t realized we had an aud
ience. He was truly problematic in the morning. He would need to be more careful. In a blink, his features flashed to annoyed, and he flipped his hair out of his face and slightly leaned back from me, glaring to our right.

  He complained, “Your Fae damned heir has slowed us down for three days. I am not exactly thrilled with this, King Traevon. If she continues to be a burden, we are leaving her behind.”

  “You most certainly are not,” I grumbled. I squirmed under my blanket, attempting to shove his arm off me. “We must all touch the artifact at the same time to leave this dreaded place. That is what the Misfits said.”

  The entire tent went quiet from my words.

  I closed my eyes and shook my head in exasperation. “With much respect, you may be the rulers, but you need to listen better. I don’t think Louie said that with a loophole in mind. He doesn’t seem the creative sort.”

  Father’s red brows lowered over his eyes. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “That means no killing unless someone wants to drag a body behind them,” I griped and kept squirming. The shifter king’s arm weighed a ton. “Everyone needs to stay alive.”

  King Elon hummed deep in his throat. “Maybe that is why the Misfits believed you should be here, Princess Trixie. Otherwise, someone may have died, and we’d all be stuck here.”

  I glanced at my father.

  He lifted a single eyebrow. He’d been right.

  King Elon had planned to kill him inside the Blood Forest when my father was no longer more powerful than him.

  I’d planned to make them suffer in the cold nights, but killing was not an option. We needed to be together and live so that we might all eventually leave this place.”

  I kept struggling with the shifter king’s body parts.

  Father grabbed King Athon’s wrist and tossed his arm off my person. “For the love of Fae, quit torturing my daughter. She couldn’t help that she is young, and the effect hit her harder.”

  King Athon snorted in cruel amusement, teasing to annoy, “She is warm, too.”