“Good.” And then, without missing a beat, she plunged back into the daily soap opera of Pixie Land. “So, I told Mayflower she was being an idiot and would only be disappointed and that she had no idea how awful it was. But she knows now. Oh, she knows. And thenshetried complaining tomeabout it.”
Pink dust floated from the pixie as her hand flew to her chest, and she jutted one of her hips out. The tiny, pink dress she wore clung to her curvy figure.
“Then I told her, ‘Mayflower, I warned you he was a two-pump chump.’ And she was all, ‘But he’s so cute, Marigold. How can he be soooo bad?’ And you know what? I havenoidea how it’s possible, but it’s true.”
Brokk started banging his forehead off his knees as he stifled a groan.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” the pixie asked. “Because you’re acting a little crazy.”
He briefly contemplated splatting her like a fly, but he couldn’t kill the tiny creature, even if she was driving him nuts. Besides, the sasquatches would probably rip his arms off afterward, and he was rather fond of his arms.
“I’m fine,” he muttered.
“I’m Marigold, by the way. You can call me Mari.”
He had about as much interest in calling her Mari as he did in continuing to talk to her. If they became that comfortable with each other, she would undoubtedly return, and no matter how annoying all the pixies were, she was the worst.
And then, the pixie stopped talking, the phoenix turned toward something, and a hush descended across the realm.
A few seconds later, Kaylia emerged from around the backside of her lodge. Sahira rose from where she’d been running her hand over the feathers of a baby phoenix. It squawked in protest but stopped when it spotted Kaylia.
“Come with me,” Kaylia commanded and slipped into her lodge.
Brokk strained to keep his fraying patience under control. This woman had left them here in limbo while she wandered around trying to figure her shit out. And now she wasfinallyback, commanding them around and expecting them to jump because she said so.
He almost told her to fuck off, but they needed her, and she knew it. He shot a look at Sahira, who stared at him like she was willing him to hold his tongue. Brokk shoved his festering ire aside as he started to rise.
Marigold giggled as she fluttered back from his knee. “Good luck!” she called before zipping away.
Brokk rose and trudged toward the lodge. Even if Kaylia had an attitude the size of a giant, at least they would get her decision, and he wouldn’t have to listen to any more pixie drama.
One way or another, they were going to leave this place behind today… if the crones didn’t decide to try to kill them first.
Sahira followed Kaylia into the lodge, and Brokk trailed her. The flap settled into place with a swish behind him. He remained standing by the exit with his arms crossed over his chest. Sahira sank onto the fluffy padding they sat on before; they both stared at him until he reluctantly did the same.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kaylia stareddown her aquiline nose at them before shifting her gaze to the wall again. He was growing tired of her inability to look at them. Half vampires or not, neither he nor Sahira was bad, and they didn’t deserve to be treated as if they were lesser.
He didn’t care how beautiful this woman was on the outside; there was something ugly and broken inside her.
“I have decided that to save lives, I will allow you to have the harrow stone,” Kaylia said.
Brokk’s heart lurched with excitement. This was the answer they’d hoped for, but as the days passed, and as he was again reminded how much she despised them, it was not the answer he expected.
“Thank you,” Sahira murmured.
“Yes, thank you,” Brokk said.
“There are, of course, rules to obey. If broken, at any time, you will both die. It won’t be quick, but itwillcome with time, and itwillbe painful. You will pay for your disobedience. That is one of the curses of the harrow stone.”
Brokk quirked an eyebrow over this declaration and glanced at Sahira. His life was now entwined with hers and vice versa. Did he trust her enough for that?
He didn’t have a choice if they were going to save his brothers and possibly bring down the Lord. Besides, Sahira wouldn’t do anything to put Lexi at risk, and infuriating these crones could bring their wrath down on all of them.
“We will obey the rules,” Brokk said.
“I know you will,” Kaylia stated, and Brokk’s teeth ground together as she looked dismissively away from him to Sahira. “Youwill be the only one allowed to use or touch the stone. If someone else touches the stone, they will die. Their death will be instantaneous. No one will be allowed to steal the stone.”
