Chapter 4: The Rules of Coexistence
365 Words
The next morning, Ivy woke to the smell of something burning. She shot up, her heart pounding as she raced into the kitchen. There stood Kael, shirtless, holding a frying pan over a plume of smoke rising from what she could only assume had once been eggs.
“What are you doing?!” she shouted, rushing to grab the pan from him. “Are you trying to burn my apartment down?”
Kael turned to her with an unapologetic smirk, casually leaning against the counter. “Good morning to you too, darling. I thought I’d attempt to prepare a mortal meal. Turns out, cooking isn’t one of my many talents.”
“Attempt?” Ivy hissed, waving a dishtowel at the smoke detector before it could go off. “It looks like you sacrificed these eggs to some kind of fire deity.”
He chuckled, clearly amused by her outrage. “You’re dramatic in the mornings. I like it.”
Ivy groaned, setting the pan down and glaring at him. “Okay, new rule: you don’t touch my kitchen. Ever.”
“Noted,” Kael said, though he didn’t seem particularly fazed. “In that case, I’ll leave the mundane chores to you. I’ll handle the more… magical aspects of our situation.”
“Magical?” she echoed, crossing her arms. “And what does that mean?”
Kael’s smirk widened. “The curse, of course. Breaking it requires us to locate a few specific artifacts that were enchanted alongside this ring. Think of it as a scavenger hunt—one that spans both this world and mine.”
“Oh, great,” Ivy muttered. “Just what I needed: a fae prince dragging me on a magical treasure hunt while I try not to lose my job.”
“Your mortal job sounds dull anyway,” Kael said with a dismissive wave. “Perhaps this will add some excitement to your life.”
“I don’t want excitement,” she snapped. “I want my boring, predictable life back.”
Kael leaned closer, his teal eyes sparkling with mischief. “Well, Ivy Blake, buckle up—because with me, boring isn’t an option.”
- Writer
