Page 34 of King of Fire and Flames

“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.

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