Page 31 of Mirror of Malice
My face flushed, and I looked away. I couldn’t believe I’d been so blatantly staring at his lips like that, thinking about our kiss. I needed to thank Arrow at some point for throwing herself at him and throwing me back into reality. And my reality did not involve kissing Penn Vanderbilt ever again.
Chapter Fourteen
“Just a little farther,” I said, stretching my hand up and gripping the vine tight.
“She is really drunk,” Shadow said from behind me, and I ignored her.
“Are we placing bets on how long it takes her to make it to the top?” Charming asked.
“She’s got grit,” Hammer growled. “I’ll bet she makes it.”
“She’s also drunk off her ass,” Shadow said. “I’ll take that bet.”
I swayed on my feet, and my vision blurred as my fingers slipped from the vine, and I crashed to the ground, barely feeling the impact. In fact, I didn’t feel anything at all. This was fantastic. Why hadn’t I drank more often at the castle? I hiccupped. I supposed I didn’t want my people to see me like that, to see their future queen unhinged in any way. My father often got drunk at our feasts and would end up a mess, blubbering over my mother, over the mountain dwellers, over anything and everything. I hated seeing him that way and vowed I would never let myself go like that. But I had to admit, letting myself go was nice. I felt less tethered, less rigid.
Tonight, I refused to sleep on the ground again. I was going to climb this vine and fall asleep in a real bed, and then watch Penn’s shocked reaction. I could just imagine him standing on the forest floor, looking up at me, those blonde eyebrows raised in surprise. Arrow would probably be draped around him. She’d practically given him a lap dance at the tavern. Not that it was any of my concern. I couldn’t care less. She could have him.
I gritted my teeth and heaved myself up, hands closing tight around the vine, legs lifting.
Soft, warm bed.
Soft, warm bed.
Soft, warm bed.
I repeated the words like a mantra in my head as my hands lifted one over the other.
“Well, shit,” Arrow drawled from below. “Shadow, you’re about to lose some of that shiny gold coin you got on your last job.”
“Told you she could do it,” Hammer said, his voice triumphant.
“It’s the alcohol,” Shadow said. “Listen, I believe in my girl. She’s got grit and determination and a lot of attitude. But she can’t just magically learn to climb a vine in a day.”
“A bet is a bet,” Hammer said.
“What in the fuck is going on?” I looked down to see Penn striding into the clearing. “What is she doing?” he demanded.
His voice sounded irritated. Good. Now he knew how I felt anytime he was nearby.
“Trying to sleep in a bed tonight, if I had to make a guess,” Shadow said.
“And you are actually letting her climb?” Penn snapped. “She’s drunker than a sailor with a ship full of rum.”
“And what does that have to do with anything?” I called down to him. “Are you that much of an ass that you just don’t want to see me succeed?”
He squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his temples. “No, I don’t want to see you get?—”
A gust of wind blew through the clearing, jarring me and causing my hands to slip from the vine. I let out a scream as I fell toward the ground, my hands grappling, reaching, for anything. I tugged at that line of magic inside of me, flicking my hand to direct a branch to grab me, before remembering I didn’t have my powers. Likely would never have them again.
I squeezed my eyes shut and braced for impact, but it never came. Instead of hitting the ground, I landed in strong, sure arms. I hated that I knew exactly whose arms I lay in, whose body I was cradled against, that I’d somehow memorized the contours of it.
“Told you,” Shadow said gleefully, and I heard Hammer grunt. “Cough up the coin.”
Charming let out a laugh.
“Everyone, bed. Now,” Penn’s commanding voice said, and I heard muttering and shuffling, then silence.
When I finally opened my eyes, everyone was gone, presumably up in their tree huts happily sleeping away. I glared at Penn and pushed myself out of his arms, falling to the ground, a cloud of dust rising up in front of me.
