Page 33 of King of Fire and Flames

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.”

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