King of Fire and Flames (Courts of the Star Fae Realms #2)

Chapter 10

Leaf

Taking great care to watch where I stepped, I tried to quiet my ragged breathing, then walked toward the darkest part of the forest.

The air was humid and stifling, and every few minutes, I stopped and wiped sweat from my face with the sleeve of my tunic, wondering how in the dust I would find one tiny plant that didn’t want to be found in this chaos of greenery.

All around me, towering trees and twining vines climbed toward threads of sunlight, and a low mist wove through the undergrowth, wrapping mossy rocks in its damp tendrils. The lack of birdsong was eerie, depressing, and it took great effort to shield my mind from spiraling thoughts of doom.

I had to find the orchid. I needed to survive the next battle. Dying wasn’t an option. Whatever it took to make it out of Fen Forest and take down my opponent, I would do it.

I stopped walking and tuned into the soft rustling sound of leaves, noticing a subtle, irregular chime beneath it that sounded like distant music. Wait… no… was it running water? According to Esen, the orchid grew in damp locations.

Trekking downhill, I pushed aside low-hanging branches, crawling at times over the prickly undergrowth, guided by intermittent sounds of what I hoped was a creek tinkling in the distance.

I stopped a few times to catch my breath, finding the heat unbearable as I listened for the hiss of fire holes and made sure I was still on course to find the water.

Not long after, I arrived at the bottom of the hill where a willow’s graceful limbs swept the marshy banks of a creek. The air was cooler here, the soil beneath the swaying grasses soft and damp, ideal growing conditions for the blood orchid.

Swatting away insects, I crawled through reeds, around rocks, wet blades of grass and ferns tickling and scratching my skin. The pungent scent of rotting leaves and damp earth teased my nose as I carefully parted thorny vines and inspected purple-petaled flowers, a mix of anticipation, hope, and panic pounding through my blood.

After roughly ten minutes of searching, I hadn’t caught a single glimpse of any flowers with black or dark-red petals. The entire forest was a vivid palette of green and brown splotches and slashes, reminding me of Mydorian. A wave of homesickness rolled over me. I stood up to stretch my back, whacking my forehead on a branch.

How much time had passed since I’d entered the forest? Maybe half an hour, and hopefully not a minute more. If I found the plant, I still had to get back to the arena in time to fight an unknown opponent. Whatever species of fire fae Azarn matched me with, perhaps an orc or a jinn, I hoped they were as slow and lumbering as Dorn.

I longed to take off and run through the forest as fast as Quin and I had done when we were children, slashing and tearing at the forest until I found the magical plant. Or fell down a stupid fire hole.

So far, I hadn’t seen or heard a single one, and I was beginning to think Esen had made them up just to slow me down. I never should have trusted her. I was a gullible fool, fabricating a friendship with my prison guard because I was lonely. And pathetic.

After more careful probing along the water’s edge, I walked back up the hillside a little, and then down to the creek again, carefully scanning the lush landscape.

Where in the hells was this dust-damned plant?

A dark shadow passed over me, and I searched the tree canopy above, hoping I wouldn’t see the bone-chilling sight of Taln’s famous dragons bearing down on me with their jaws open. Nope nothing there. Whatever it was, probably a sleep-deprived owl or bat, had probably found a nice tree branch to roost on.

Standing still and panicking wouldn’t get me any closer to finding the orchid. I had to get moving before time ran out and the fire fae left me in the Fen Forest for dead.

Narrowing my gaze, I stared at what looked like a lizard moving through a water-logged clump of rushes a few feet ahead. I focused on the sounds around me, hearing no sizzling hisses. No roars from dragons. As I lifted my foot, ready to take a step, the stench of rotting flesh filled my nostrils.

Branches snapped nearby, and the air temperature rose several degrees.

“I wouldn’t step right there, if I were you,” rasped a voice over badly ravaged vocal cords.

I looked down. Directly below my foot, the ground undulated as if something bubbled beneath the soil. Finally. I’d found a fire hole. A silent one.

I whipped around.

The serpent fae leaned on a tree trunk a little way up the hill, slick dark hair framing the sharp angles of a handsome face with black lips so thin they were barely visible.

He was as tall as three fae standing head to toe with black and red scales covering his muscular torso. But instead of legs, a thick tail spanned out from his hips, the tip waving through the red mist that curled around his lower body.

“Shit,” I breathed, unsure where to put my foot down.

“Jump to the left,” the serpent fae advised. “You’ll probably make it.”

Was he trying to trick me?

My instincts told me he wasn’t lying, so I took a breath and followed his instruction, landing on solid ground with a huff of relief.

“You’ve been listening for the sound of fire bogs, which is correct. Unfortunately, some of them are silent.”

“Been watching me, have you?”

“Since the moment you stepped through the Ashen Souls’ gate into my forest.”

My eyebrows shot up. I thought I was good at catching spies, my senses well-honed and alert to the signs of someone following me, but apparently, I was out of practice.

Nearly choking on a too-deep breath, I smoothed my expression, trying to hide my disgust. Born of the fae realms, the serpent fae was fascinating to look at, beautiful even, but his putrid scent was appalling, and I tried hard not to gag and offend him.

“Like those who came before you, I suppose you’re seeking the ember blood orchid?”

“I am,” I admitted.

“For what purpose?”

How much of my tale should I tell him?

I debated for a moment before deciding to stick with my habit of being honest whenever possible. Lies only trap us in suffocating webs of our own making, impossible to untangle.

The truth was always best.

Afraid to take a wrong step, I breathed slowly, quietly, so as not to trigger the serpent fae’s prey instincts. Raising my chin, I met a set of orange eyes glowing with malicious intelligence.

“I am Zali Omala, heir to the Earth Realm throne. King Azarn has taken me prisoner. But if I complete a series of what he likes to call events or entertainments successfully, I’ll be allowed to marry his son, who I have no interest in, instead of being murdered.”

The creature’s tail whipped the air behind him. “Azarn,” he spat. “I have no love for the Fire King. And one of these trials involves my orchid, does it?”

“Yes. I must return within an hour from when I entered the forest with a petal, or he’ll leave me here to die at… well… at your hands, I suppose.”

A chuckle shook his broad chest. “If not mine, then there are many other hungry beasts hiding in these woods. I see you have no weapons.”

“No. Nothing at all to defend myself with.”

“Except your wit—if you happen to possess one. I am called Vyprin.”

“Nice to meet you. At this point, anyway.”

Serrated teeth flashed as he grinned. “Fortunately for you, human girl, you told the truth. Most fae who dare come near my precious plant lie through their hungry mouths. I killed every one of them.”

“Does that mean you’ll give me a petal?”

“No, but I will give you a chance to earn one. Answer two riddles correctly, and you shall have your petal and a fast route back to the Arena of Ashen Souls.”

“And if I answer incorrectly?”

A thin, black tongue slithered between his lips, licking moisture from his chin. “Then you will be my dinner.”

“Not a very attractive bargain, if I’m honest. You might give me unanswerable riddles.”

“I won’t. And if you do lose, I will let you eat a petal, which will grant you an instant, painless death. Then I can take my time and enjoy a delicious meal without all the irritating screaming.”

Considering the bargain, I stared up at a slice of gray sky visible through the treetops behind the fae’s shoulders, and a huge, dark shadow passed over it. Vyprin glanced up, too.

“Is that one of Taln’s famous dragons?” I asked.

“No, it’s the nosy Storm King, trespassing on my territory.”

Arrow? What in the hells was he doing here?

“Ignore him. Are you willing to play a game with me?”

“I’m still not convinced.”

Vyprin sighed and folded his arms. “My honor is all I have left of my former life. So believe me when I vow the questions are quite solvable. At least if you have half a brain to think with.”

What choice did I have? I probably couldn’t find my way back to the arena in time without Vyprin’s help. And Arrow, flying above like a giant bat, was less-than-zero use to me.

“Fine. Give me the first riddle, then.”

“You’re a little bossy for a human, aren’t you?”

“And you’re not the first fae to tell me that.”

The serpent slid a little closer, his putrid smell overwhelming. “I live in flames but am never consumed by them. What could I be?”

“Do I have a time limit to answer in?”

He rolled his slitted eyes. “Simply think . Then speak.”

Hm… What lived in flames but was never consumed by them?

Wood? No, of course not. Wood was fuel and completely consumed by flames. Ash? It was created by fire, a byproduct of it, so perhaps not. Tree sap? No, sap added the crackle and pop, but was most definitely devoured by it.

What were other components of a fire?

Light? Warmth…

“ Heat ,” I blurted out before I could change my mind, always a risk taker.

He waved his clawed hand at me. “That particular riddle was too easy.”

“It was a lucky guess. Give me the second, and we’ll see if you get to make a meal of me.”

Vyprin bowed, an overly polite gesture for someone who hoped to devour me slowly.

“Listen carefully. An old troll wished to leave his gold to one of his three children, but since they were all obedient, he couldn’t decide which one deserved the honor.”

“Why not share it equally among them? That would be fairest.”

“The last thing troll fathers can be accused of being is fair. If you live to an old age, do you plan to share your wealth among your grasping offspring?”

I hadn’t thought about having children, but I understood the point of his question.

“Of course. It would prevent them from killing each other to become my heir.” The vision of three golden-haired babes crashed through my mind, and I mentally swatted the picture away.

If I ever did decide to have children, Arrow would be the last male in the realms to father them.

Vyprin sighed. “How boring you are, Zali Omala. So, the troll father gave his grown children gold feathers and instructed each of them to buy something that would fill his granary to the ceiling. Because it was cheap, the eldest son bought straw, but once it had been laid out, it compacted and didn’t fill the storehouse. The second son bought wood, but not quite enough. The youngest child, a raven-haired daughter, purchased two things and managed to obtain her father’s fortune. What items did she buy?”

“ Two ? Their father failed to mention they could buy two things.”

“Nor did he say they couldn’t.”

Ah, the daughter was clever. I wracked my brain, trying to imagine what two things could accomplish the task. Wood and straw together? Still difficult to calculate the exact amount required. Plants and soil that would grow over time? No, they would need sunlight to thrive.

Think, think , I told myself, sweat trickling between my breasts and my legs shaking. This was the Sun Realm, so the answer might relate to the fire element, like the previous riddle had.

I drew in a sharp breath, my heart beating hard against my ribs. “Could she have brought a candle and a fire lighter into the room? Light from a fire source would fill the entire space.”

Disappointment curved the corners of his mouth down, his shoulders sagging. “Yes, you are correct, and now I must let you leave.” He slithered to the side, flicked his palm, and the mist around his lower torso dispersed, revealing a three-foot high plant, its tendrils crawling up the base of an old oak tree.

The black blooms resembled a spider about to pounce, and they dripped dark-red sap over the forest floor. The scent of death intensified, and I realized I’d been smelling the magical plant all along, not the serpent fae.

Stepping forward, I reached for a petal. Vyprin hissed, and I yanked my hand back immediately.

“The orchid eats flesh and is quite vicious toward those who seek to destroy it. Allow me.” His torso bent in a sinuous movement, and he plucked a whole bloom. The plant growled, and the petals still attached to it reached for the serpent male’s fingers, a line of blood appearing on his skin.

Vyprin made soothing noises, and the orchid’s leaves stopped vibrating. He placed the velvety flower on my palm. “Only give the king the single petal he asked for. Hide the rest. You’ll find them very useful.”

“What do they do?”

“You consider yourself clever, therefore, you can work it out. Now you must leave.” Without warning, he lunged down, tugged my hand to his mouth, and then bit it.

I let out a cry of pain and closed my eyes as the ground rushed toward me, thinking Vyprin had gone back on his word. But when I came to, I found myself slumped in front of the Ashen Souls’ gates, the sounds of clanging swords and a cheering crowd audible beyond them.

Stumbling up, I brushed off my tunic, then pushed on a rusty handle, my breath whooshing out of me at the sight inside the arena.

Azarn’s queen battled a fire jinn, wielding a sword as long and dark as her midnight hair. Lifting the blade overhead, she let out a wail and brought it down onto her opponent’s head, cleaving him in two with one strike. She threw the sword into the crowd, then spun around the arena in a celebratory dance, the stars on her dress glinting in the muted, green-tinged light.

Shock and excitement vibrated through me.

The transformation from quietly spoken queen into a fearsome warrior was extreme. Estella looked terrifying, but wonderful. And my mouth hung open as I watched her whirl and shake her arms at the sky like a goddess.

Finally, she stopped in front of Azarn, her chest heaving and eyes glittering. He rose from his throne and raised an arm to silence his courtiers.

Then the Fire King’s head turned slowly, his gaze searching the arena until he looked directly at me. “Zali Omala,” he boomed. “Meet your next opponent, Queen Estella of the Crystal Realm.”