Page 80 of The Fae Warrior's Queen

As it is, he’s pushing Zarid too far.

The king’s cheeks are flushed with anger. The direct hit to his manhood damaged his ego, and he’s not going to pull any punches with his retaliation.

Any second, Kai could be engulfed in flames.

I’ve seen Zarid set someone on fire before. It was the gardener who picked the flowers for Zander. His death replays in my head sometimes. It’s one of the most horrific memories I have because faeries don’t die by fire. Not right away. They can burn and burn, but as long as their brain and heart are still intact, they’ll stay alive. They feel everything until they’re a crispy corpse, until the heat finally destroys every part of them.

And Zarid can make that go on for hours.

I remember that poor man screaming and begging until he couldn’t anymore because his vocal cords were destroyed. Then he just let out wheezes and rasps while his lungs slowly turned to ash.

I can’t let that happen to Kai.

I have to intervene somehow.

Standing on rubbery legs, I step away from the wall. “Kai’s right. You are bad in bed, Zarid.”

Everything stops.

Both men look over at me with shock on their faces, and silence befalls the room.

Zarid narrows his eyes. “What did you say to me?”

“You heard me. You’re truly awful at sex. Not once did I ever enjoy your touch. You’d think with your extensive experience, you’d have learned how to turn on your partner. But no. You’re extremely selfish and, quite frankly, uncoordinated and clumsy. When you were on top of me, it reminded me of the way a fish flops when it’s out of water. And I’m not the only one who thought so. You should’ve heard the other women in the harem when you weren’t around. Even the ones who pretended to like you were faking it. You were a laughingstock.”

Now I’ve done it.

Zarid’s face contorts with an ugly snarl I’ve seen too many times. He starts trembling, and the veins in his neck bulge. Heat radiates from his feet, cracking the marble as it becomes blackened.

“Oh, and one more thing,” I add, just to drive the last nail into my coffin. “Have you ever looked in the mirror when you’re this upset? You look hideous.”

Letting out a roar, flames shoot from Zarid’s mouth in my direction.

I close my eyes, surrendering to the fate of instantaneous combustion once again.

Air moves over my skin, but I don’t feel any pain, and I wonder if the burst is so hot, it won’t hurt for even a second.

But then I smell cinnamon.

Kai.

When I open my eyes, he’s just inches away, facing me. He’s holding up the dark blue comforter from Zarid’s bed behind him. His arms are extended above his head, and he’s got it up high enough to protect us both.

The blanket is heat resistant. A lot of materials in the Day Realm are flame retardant because Pyro power is the most common ability here. Accidental fires happen all the time, and since we’re in the king’s room, this comforter is extra protective with many layers.

“What the fuck, Sunny?” Kai grumbles angrily. “Why would you provoke him like that?”

“Um, so you wouldn’t die?” I say like it’s obvious.

“I had it handled.”

“The fact that you think you did just proves you did not.”

“Your faith in me is heartwarming.” Kai’s sarcasm is heavy.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those men who gets upset because he had to be rescued by the woman. Butthurt, as you put it?”

“This is not about my pride. It’s about your survival.”

---