Page 63 of Fallen Demon

I stared at the siblings. They'd always been chatty, snobby, and crazy and uncaring. They bickered all the time, and I thought that was their normal day.

Unless that was a shield, a facade so the world thought they were powerful.

Maybe I was overthinking things, but seeing them like this, with their walls down, showing their worries, and being there for each other, was heartwarming.

“I agree with Jasmin,” I said. Both of them looked at me as if surprised I was still there. “The fact that you feel you’re unworthy, and you want to protect this realm makes you a good candidate to be king.”

Tanner frowned. “Wait, I never said unworthy.”

I smiled. Jasmin laughed. “Ah, that’s awesome. Please continue. Maybe he’ll bicker with someone else other than me.”

Lily came back with a glass of whiskey and another of wine.

“I should go get ready,” I said.

I left the siblings alone in the dining room. As I turned the first corner, I bumped into Lacey and Abbie.

“There you are,” Lacey said.

Abbie held the diary. After the revelations, I had returned it to her, though I was dying to read it. “Are you ready?”

I shook my head. “But I’ll never be, so we should get this over with.” She nodded. “Are you coming with us? We might need your help with Levi.”

“That isn’t a bad idea,” Lacey said. “You said we’ll need someone with immense power to wield the dagger. That will be you, for sure.”

She chewed the inside of her cheek. “I should warn Maggie, then. I told her I would be back soon.”

“Of course,” I said, relieved she was coming. “Meet us at the gate at noon?”

“For sure. But for now …” She handed me the journal. “I know you’re probably curious about the dagger, so why don’t you read until it’s time to leave. Unless you have too much to do until?—”

I took the diary. “No, if everything works out, we won’t be gone long.” I glanced at my phone. I had two hours to read. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” She waved at us and left, as if she knew exactly how to navigate the castle.

Maybe she did.

“How about you?” I asked Lacey. “Need to get ready?”

“I’m just going to stop by my room to get supplies, maybe the castle’s apothecary, but then I’ll be free.”

“Come find me when you’re done,” I said. “It would be good to read this with you. I know you’re interested too.”

“I will.” She stared at the book in my arms. “Hopefully, we’ll find something useful in these pages.”

“Hopefully.” I hugged the book tighter. “And then we’ll save your brother.”

* * *

The book didn’t have much morethan what Abbie had already told us.

If the person wielding the dagger wasn’t strong enough, she would change or become magicless.

I had already lost my magic once, and as much as it wasn’t the same as before, I wasn’t willing to lose it again.

Besides, I wasn’t powerful enough. It had to be someone else.

At noon, we met at the castle’s entrance: me, Lacey, Farrah, Wyatt, Zad, Tanner, Jasmin, and Rage.

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