Page 45 of The Dragon King's Curse
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
NOXX
I searched the tavern for someone with information. Something that would help me find Feryn. Most of the patrons denied knowing anything. Others were reluctant to speak with me at all. I was an outsider here. They wanted nothing to do with me.
Raging around wasn’t going to earn me any friends. I did my best to remain calm despite the urge to flip tables and beat answers out of the men drinking and laughing. Finally, it was a serving girl who told me to try the two humans seated in the corner. They were known bounty hunters. They might be able to help.
I thanked her with as much gratitude as I could muster before stalking across the room to where the two men sat. I didn’t bother with niceties. Getting right to the point, I asked them if they knew where to find the vampires who harassed the town.
They exchanged a look with one another. One of them held a hand out to me and nodded. “I think we can help you with that. My name is Tom. This here is Smith.”
“That’s all well and good. We need to get moving.” I didn’t give a shit what their names were. All I cared about was finding Feryn before the vampires could take her to the Blood Realm. Iwasn’t sure if they would try to travel tonight or start out first thing after sunset tomorrow. I couldn’t take any chances.
“You’re the king of the Fire Realm, aren’t you?” Tom asked, wiping beer foam from his thick beard.
“I might be. What’s it to you?” Eyes narrowed, I glared down at him.
“Nothing at all,” Smith said, finishing his drink and rising to his feet. “We’re happy to help. For a price, of course.”
“Help me find my princess and I’ll give you any damn thing you want.” I turned to go, expecting them to follow.
They joined me outside a moment later. I gave them both a scrutinizing once over. How was it possible these fragile humans were bounty hunters? Many humans eventually made their way here from their land on the other side of the great sea. However, they rarely held positions of power or strength. They were often workers that served in one of the four realms or lived among those in The Seam.
“Last I heard, the vamps had a place on the edge of town. That way. To the east.” Smith pointed down the street, in the direction Feryn and I had originally come from. He gave his balding head a scratch, eyeing me curiously.
“Let’s go then.” I set off in the direction he’d indicated.
The two of them hurried to keep up with me. Their shorter strides forced them to quicken their pace. Annoyed with their much slower gate, I kept glancing back over my shoulder.
“What does this princess mean to you?” Huffing and puffing, Tom made a foolish attempt at conversation.
I scowled in his direction. “What does it matter? There’s something she has that I need. I can’t let the vampires leave town with her.”
“Can’t you take an army into the Blood Realm to get her back?” Smith suggested, like waging war on an entire realm was that simple.
“Trust me, I will do anything it takes to get her back.” It didn’t take us long to reach the edge of town. There were no dwellings of any kind in sight. “Where do we go from here?”
Again the two men exchanged a look. They seemed to communicate without words. I studied them closely, questioning the authenticity of their claim about the vampires dwelling here outside town.
“Keep moving. It’s further from town than this.” There was an uneasiness to Tom’s claim that made me stop in my tracks.
“You’re lying,” I accused, grabbing him by the throat. “What are you up to, little man? You are an idiot if you think you can fuck with me and live. I’ll burn you to cinders right here and now.”
I gave him a vigorous shake before throwing him down on the ground. As he fell, a glowing blue crystal slipped from his pocket, landing next to him. A fae crystal.
“It’s nothing personal,” Smith said, drawing the sword on his hip. “We’re bounty hunters. Like we told you. There’s a bounty on you, King Noxx, and we would like to collect.”
No sooner had he spoken than half a dozen fae warriors stepped out of a portal right next to us. The slimy bastard had used the crystal to call them.
With a burst of fire from my fingertips, I set Smith ablaze where he stood. As I drew my sword, I whirled around, slicing off Tom’s head. Bracing myself for a fight, I faced off with the fae warriors.
“Come peacefully and no harm will be done to you.” The fae who’d spoken stepped forward. His pale blue eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight. Both hands crackled with magick.
“We both know that’s horseshit. I won’t be going anywhere with you.” I didn’t give him a chance to use the power he held ready. Instead, I threw a fireball in his face.
A dagger struck me in the shoulder. I jerked it free, whipping it back at the fae who’d thrown it. The blade sank deep into his throat. With a swing of my sword, I stopped another fae from advancing on me. Our blades smashed together, a loud crash of metal on metal.
I narrowly avoided another magickal attack. A lightning bolt sizzled as it whipped past my head. The rest of them came at me all at once. As they rushed me, I took to the sky with a flap of wings. They immediately came after me.
