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“I will pose a riddle. One that you should be able to answer. If you get it right, I will allow you to leave with the pieces of an egg broken by accident one or two ages ago. The Cardinals don’t know about the broken egg, which means they intended for you to try and steal one of my good eggs.

I’m feeling happy that they’ll have met their match.

You’ll solve the riddle and return with the pieces of an egg.

That should fulfil the terms of the challenge without harm to me or my family. ”

“’Tis very kind of you,” he said.

“Would you like to consult with your brothers?” Her eyes slid slowly to the right.

“They think they’re hidden behind that boulder over there.

But of course that’s ridiculous. If it was that easy to get past me, this mountaintop would be crawling with tourists.

” Kagan doubted that the sphinx would ever have to worry about tourists, but he was a quick study, learning diplomacy by the minute.

And, as everyone knows, the most important part of diplomacy is knowing when to speak and when to stay quiet.

She chuckled. “Why don’t you pick the brother you like least and make him answer my riddle.

If he gets it wrong, I’ll eat him and not you.

That will give you two extra chances. What do you think? ”

“Well, I… Uh, I… Ah…”

“Oh, for gods’ sake. Relax. I won’t eat them.

For one thing, I’m not especially hungry at the moment.

” She pulled her paws away, thereby releasing Kagan, extended the claws on her right paw and looked at them like she was in West Hollywood deciding on how much to give for a manicure tip.

“Maybe I’m enjoying myself a spish too much.

” Turning her head toward the rocks once again, she said, “You might as well come out where I can see you. I’ve heard everything the three of you have said since you arrived. ”

All three lions immediately ran through their recollections of everything they’d said, including the childish squabbling. Had they known they were being surveilled, they’d almost surely have taken care to sound more mature.

Keir looked at Killian, who sighed, waggled his head, and stood planning to make his way closer to Kagan and the sphinx. Keir grabbed his sleeve. “What if it’s a trick? You know the stories. She’s good at trickery.”

Upon hearing that, the sphinx laughed. It sounded more like a roar than an expression of humor, but she appeared to be having fun.

“No’ sure we have anything to bargain with,” Killian said.

Deciding his brother was right, Keir stepped out from behind the boulder.

“You all look the same to me,” said the sphinx. “Can you tell each other apart, or is it just me?”

“We’re genetically identical,” Kagan said. “But aye, we can tell each other apart.”

“Kagan is always serious,” Killian said.

“Killian is always drunk,” Kagan said.

Killian looked dumbstruck. “‘Tis no’ the least true, you bloody blaggard. And you’d say this to me when I’ve come on this doomsday mission to watch your back?”

“Alright,” Kagan offered. “Killian likes altered states and seeks them out often.”

“’Tis a sight better than what ye said before.”

“What about him?” The sphinx’s eyes slid to Keir.

“Oh, he’s the enforcer. It’s a high-level dignitary position on the fae court. No’ only that. He’s married to the magistrate.”

“Magistrate?” The sphinx’s head jerked up.

“I’ve heard of this court.”

“Many have,” Kagan said.

“Hmmm. Well. Decide when you’re ready to hear your riddle,” she ordered.

“How much time will we have to discuss my answer before I give it?” Kagan was still looking for some helpful angle.

“No more than ten years,” she shrugged off-handedly and began examining the claws on the other paw.

With raised brows, Kagan said, “More than fair.” As he walked over to Keir and Killian, Keir noticed Kagan was rubbing his thumb over one of his bottom ribs.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

Kagan neither confirmed nor denied. He simply said, “First, let’s survive this. If we do, we’ll talk about what she did to my ribs. Accidentally. I think.”

All three heard a grinding when the sphinx turned her head toward them.

“Come now. Are you a new species, timid as little mice? Or are you a new species of powerful winged lion? What are you worried about?” When no one answered, she said, “It’s like that game humans play with little pieces of paper. ”

Kagan searched his mental catalog for games with little pieces of paper.

“You mean cards?” Keir asked.

“Yes,” said the sphinx. “Cards. What is that saying about cheating? Cards cheating.”

“Ace up your sleeve?” asked Killian.

She shook her head.

“Rigged game?” asked Keir.

She shook her head.

“Dealing from the bottom?” asked Killian.

She shook her head.

“Stacking the deck?” asked Keir.

“YES!” She shouted loud enough to blow all three off their feet, but was so elated she didn’t seem to notice. With a self-satisfied chuckle, she said, “You’re worried the deck is stacked. But you shouldn’t be because the deck has been stacked in your favor!”

“’Tis very kind of you,” Kagan said.

“I think so, too. Are you ready?”

Kagan nodded. “We’re ready. Go ahead.”

“Listen carefully.”

I’m forged in passion’s fire and fueled by heart’s desire.

Soul laid bare, avoid my snare.

Sharp the mental edge as you walk my fragile ledge.

Erase the debt of one intended and return with knee unbended.

What am I?

After waiting a full minute, to be sure she was finished, Killian blurted out, “YOU CALL THAT EASY?!?” As if in pre-planned concert, Kagan gave Killian a look of reprimand at precisely the same time Keir elbowed him in the ribs. “Ow.”

“Shut it,” Kagan said through gritted teeth, not recognizing that he, himself, had recently authored a variety of verbal errors.

Killian thought about a retort, but Kagan’s insistence was fierce enough to give him pause.

To Keir, Kagan said, “The thing about ‘one intended’.”

“Yeah?” Keir asked.

“She asked me earlier what I meant when I said Esme was my intended.”

“Alright. Good,” Keir said. “This has something to do with Esme.”

“Somethin’ to do with this.” Kagan looked over his shoulder at the sphinx, who appeared uninterested in their conversation. “This. What we’re doin’.”

“What we’re doing? Or what you’re doing?” Kagan noted that Keir was making a distinction.

“What I’m doing is…” Kagan began.

“A test. Or challenge. Or mission. Or maybe a ransom. You’re trying to pay a kidnapping ransom with a sphinx egg,” Killian said.

“Right,” Keir sounded hopeful, like they were on the right track. “It’s a test.”

“Is that the answer?” Kagan asked.

“I don’t know,” said Keir. “What does your gut tell you?”

“What does my gut have to do with anythin’? asked Kagan.

“You know. Not your literal gut. Your, em, intuition.”

“My intuition?” Kagan sounded like he’d never heard anything more preposterous.

“Is it the right answer or not?” Killian was frustrated and completely out of patience.

“How am I supposed to know?” Kagan snarled.

“You’re not,” Keir said. “It’s a guess. No matter how you slice it, it’s a guess.”

“It’s not just a test,” Kagan said. “It is a test, but it’s more. It’s a test of… A test of what?”

“Not what,” Keir said. “Who. If you think the word ‘intended’ is the key, then it’s a test of love. Or… no. It’s a lover’s test.”

“A lover’s test?” Kagan asked. After a significant pause, he said, “Could be.”

“You want to try it?” Keir asked.

“Might as well. No matter how long we stand here, I think we’ll no’ come away with somethin’ better.” He walked over to the sphinx and said, “I’m a lover’s test.”

Her reaction was a stare. A very scary stare that seemed to go on forever. At last, her face spread into a smile that could’ve meant anything. “I will accept that answer,” she said. “New species, you may claim your broken egg. Best of luck to you and your ‘future mate’,” she told Kagan.

For the first time since they’d arrived on the mountaintop, the sphinx stood. The sheer enormity of her was overwhelming, and she didn’t even have her wings outstretched. “Knackers,” said Killian. “She’s the size of a football pitch.”

Kagan and Keir both wanted to throttle their brother on the spot.

Both, having close female attachments knew that saying something about a woman’s size can be a relationship kiss of death.

Granted. They weren’t in a relationship with the sphinx, but why take chances.

She’d promised to not eat them on a whim, she could change her mind about that on a whim.

The sphinx looked sharply at Killian. “What’s…?”

Kagan took a leap of faith that he’d forgive her for interrupting. If they still wanted to get out alive, a distraction was necessary.

“Excuse me. I was just looking at the size of your beautiful eggs when I realized we haven’t been given the means to transport something so much bigger than ourselves.”

Standing on the edge of the next where the eggs waited, Keir said, “We could probably handle the weight, but there’d be no way to balance the mass.”

“Well…” said the sphinx.

“We could break the egg pieces into smaller pieces and take one at a time, but that might occupy the better part of this century,” said Killian.

The sphinx stomped a back foot on the ground and caused the entire mountain to tremble like a Richter level three earthquake. “I AM SPEAKING!”

The lions knew it would be in their best interest to stop and pay attention. All three faces turned upward in unison.

When she was satisfied she had their attention, finally, she said, “It seems fortune is with you because you’ve met a most agreeable and generous sphinx.

When you open the portal to return, I will accompany you and personally deliver my egg.

It will provide me with the opportunity to tell the Cardinals what I think about this. ”

“I thank ye again,” said Kagan. “That is truly generous of you.”

“Indeed, it is,” the sphinx replied.