“No!” Alek reached for Wylder and Mitch yelled.
The ground under them rumbled as bubbles erupted from the water below the bridge.
Dario snatched Wylder off the bridge and into his arms.
Slowly, a giant troll rose from the water.
“It is late,” the troll declared. “Who disturbs my slumber?”
“We are just looking for passage across your bridge,” Alek stated with a slight bow.
The troll hummed. “What do you offer, vampire?”
Sliding his hand into his pocket, Alek pulled out the gold coin that Vadir had given him earlier. His fathers all had their way of dealing with the fae and Vadir appreciated doing things the simple way. Alek was taking a page out of Vadir’s book instead of trying politics like Tate, Sebastian, or Mah. Alek just didn’t have the time to play games.
Alek flicked the coin into the air letting the gold catch the waning lught then caught it again.
The troll gasped, his eyes on Alek’s hand.
“A coin for safe passage for me and my mates,” Alek offered.
The troll moved forward, making the ground shake with each step. “You offer gold, yet your youngest mate offered friendship.”
“Theo!” Wylder yelled.
The troll tore his gaze from Alek’s hand toward Wylder and Dario.
“You’ve seen Theo?” Wylder asked.
“The shifter chosen,” the troll replied. “I did not see him. He became friends with my brother.”
“Where? When? How long ago?” Wylder asked in rapid fire.
Alek pulled a second coin out, showing them to the troll. “One coin for safe passage across the bridge and another to answer our questions.”
The troll licked his lips greedily. “One question.”
“Five questions,” Alek negotiated.
“Three coins for five questions,” the Troll responded.
Alek nodded. “You answer our questions first. Honestly.”
“Yes,” the troll agreed.
“How long ago did your brother leave with our mate Theo?” Alek asked.
“Hours now,” the troll said. “Before I went to sleep.”
“What direction did they go?” Alek questioned.
“Toward the poisoned meadow,” the troll answered.
“Why would your brother agree to passage for our mate for friendship?” Alek asked next.
The troll shrugged. “Bo gets bored easily. He just joined me and our older brother here. It’s his first bridge without our parents watching over him. He tends to run off a lot.”
Young trolls were often the easiest to negotiate with as they were just big kids.
