Page 108 of The Cursed Kingdom

Most humans aren’t even impressed by it.

Awkward silence stretches, which I try not to take offense to. I should be glad Kie and Mason are doing a poor job selling me, but I can’t help but be a little upset that they can’t think of one good thing to say about me.

I can name several things off the top of my head.

I’m determined, as proven by my ability to walk for hours upon hours with several injuries and severe dehydration. I’m quick-witted, which goes without saying. I’m resilient. If I weren’t, I’d have gone mad several days ago. I’m also a fantastic friend, which Lill can attest to.

That’s four things.

I tap my fingers against my thigh, debating speaking up for myself if Kie or Mason don’t get their heads out of their asses and think of something. They look at me and see nothing more than a useless human.

Zaha props her elbow on the table and rests her chin in her hand, still waiting. She’s not the only one.

Eventually, Kie speaks up. “She doesn’t have any skills, but she can learn.”

Seriously? This man can’t come up withonegood thing to say about me? He could’ve made something up, for fuck’s sake.

Kie will make a horrible king. I give it a year, two at the most, before the shifters have taken over the faerie lands. Kie’s idiocy will make it easy for them.

Maybe that’s the real reason Mason is here. He’s spent a lot of time with Kie, and he probably knows how to manipulate the faerie into doing what he wants. I bet he’s secretly working with the shifters, probably helping them plan their inevitable attack.

Zaha looks about as unimpressed as I currently feel. I don’t know much about her, but it seems we can agree that Kie’s answer was unsatisfactory.

“I don’t have time for this.” She sighs and gestures behind us. “I will make no changes to the deadlands or delysum, and I don’t want your human. You should consider yourself lucky I had the foresight to kick out my brothers for this meeting. Go home.”

My knees buckle, and I just barely prevent myself from collapsing on the ground.

Is she serious? She doesn’t want me, and she’s not going to offer me to her brothers?

I spin around, beyond ready to leave, and eye the black portal that’s appeared beside the fountain. It’s only three steps away, so close, and it takes everything in me not to sprint through it. I would if I weren’t afraid of Mason chasing me.

Kie steps forward and grabs the back of my shirt, keeping me still.

“The faeriesareprepared for war, but we can’t fight against delysum,” he says. “We need magic to survive, and if the shifters have learned how to kill it en masse, they will decimate us. It won’t be a war. It will be a massacre.”

I tap my fingers against my thigh. Zaha told him to go home, which is precisely what he should be doing. Fuck the faerie realm and their stupid, dying magic.

Zaha’s eyes flicker between the three of us before a cruel smile spreads over her lips. I pull against Kie’s grip, but he doesn’t let up.

“What are you willing to give up for my help?”

Kie straightens up, standing taller. “Anything. Anything you want.”

He’s practically begging. I love to hear it, and I hope it permanently damages his precious little ego.

Zaha leans back in her chair and crosses her arms over her chest. She seems intrigued by Kie’s eager agreement, which surprises me. I don’t personally think Kie’s a very intriguing person.

“I put a lot of effort into selecting mates,” she starts. “There are a lot of factors that go into deciding who will be paired with whom, and it upsets me when my work goes ignored.”

Zahaselects mates? I assumed it was a biological thing, maybe decided through pheromones.

“I had a plan,” she admits. “Kieran leads the faeries, Mason leads the shifters, and your mate unites you. It was my way of naturally intervening and solving this issue.”

She sighs, leveling her gaze with Kie. “But the faeries don’t need three rulers. One is enough, and I don’t want too many cooks in the kitchen.” Her lips twitch as she meets my gaze. “That’s a human expression.”

She licks her lips, then jerks her chin toward Mason. “You would’ve made an excellent alpha, and I’m frustrated your parents stripped you of the potential title.”

Mason sucks his cheeks into his mouth but otherwise doesn’t respond.

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