Page 195 of Bedeviled

“—or something else to fly on,” I finish.

We hold each other’s gaze for a long moment. And I’m not saying the fairy can read minds, but the two of us turn to look at Nero, who’s bounding back to me, at the same time.

“Absolutely not.” I say, at the same time the Bargainer says, “That will work.”

CHAPTER 47

The Bargainer has been laughing at me on and off for the last twenty minutes.

I have to assume it’s because of how ridiculous I look straddling a very pissed off panther, one whom I’ve spelled to fly like he’s a glorified broom. Poor thing.

I hear the soft trill of the fairy’s laughter again from where he glides in the air above me.

“Whatever,” I say grumpily. “It’s not like you look all that noble flying either,” I lie.

I mean there is technically a strangeness to the fairy’s movements, considering the glamour he wears hides his wings from sight. But he still looks cool as shit flying with seemingly nothing but air propelling him forward. Add to that, that the sunset is giving the optical illusion that he’s dragging the night along at his back, and yeah, only one of us looks ridiculous.

I return my attention to Nero, who, while he hasn’t tried to scratch me or throw me off, has a look in his eyes that’s…pure mutiny.

I pet him gently. “I’m sorry,” I say.

In response, my familiar growls at me.

“You actually look very regal,” I say. “The fairy is just a hater.”

Another growl.

“And I promise when this is all over, I will buy you the best steak I can find,” I say. “I’ll even take you back to the jungle where you can harass some snakes.”

Nero goes quiet, and either he likes the deal or he’s too mad at me to respond.

It’s probably the latter.

We round a large mountain, and on the other side of it, the world seems to spread out. The forest to my right eventually gives way to rolling hills dotted with oaks, and beyond that, the greenest fields I’ve ever seen.

But it’s what’s up ahead that snags my attention.

“There it is,” the Bargainer points. “Gaya’s Hill.”

I suck in a breath.

Indeed, straight ahead is a rounded mountain, and some distance away from it, I catch a glimpse of a glittering palace of gray stone largely hidden by massive cedar trees.

That must be the seat of the Flora Kingdom.

My gaze returns to the mountain, and my eyes scour the hillside. Like the land around it, this one is covered in foliage. There are no obvious signs that it’s being used to house likely thousands of documents. No external buildings, no posted signs, no landscaped sections of the grounds. The only possible giveaways are the twinkling lights that lay scattered about the mountainside and what may or may not be a narrow path winding between the trees.

“Ready, sugar?” the Bargainer says, drawing my attention away from our destination.

Ready? For what?

Landing? Reuniting with my husband after he stopped my heart? Ruining Eislyn’s day?

I guess it really doesn’t matter because the answer remains the same.

No, I am not in fact ready.

I nod anyway, my hold tightening on Nero.