Page 122 of Enchanted Kingdom
I felt my lips smirk though I was still doing my best to blame him for missing out on a trip to Nerede today.
“Defiantly feisty for sure,” Owen stated as Maurice chuckled.
I snapped my head in Owen’s direction to glare.
“What?” he said as he picked up yet another cookie. “I’m with you the most, so I feel my opinion matters.”
I rolled my eyes.
Prince Krewan turned toward Keir, still standing behind me. “You ready?”
Keir groaned. “Yes. But if we hurry, can we be in for warm cookies?”
Prince Krewan squinted at his brother. “What are you, five?”
“Yes!” Keir nodded and pointed toward the cookie dough now being rolled into balls and placed on the sheets. “Yes.”
Prince Krewan glared at me. “This is your fault. You’re making him soft.”
I pressed my lips together. “Or maybe I’ve learned a lesson you have yet to,Your Grace.”
“Oh?” He cocked his head. “Well do tell, love.”
I tried my best to keep a straight face. “The way to really own a man...” I leaned in a little for added dramatics, “is through his stomach.”
Maurice slapped at the counter in laughter, but I was too stunned at Krewanactually smilingat me to notice.
Keir kissed me on the temple before trailing Krew toward the door. At the last minute, Keir spun back toward me. “Would you like to come?”
I blinked my shock. “Come practice magic with the two of you?”
Keir looked to Krewan and then back to me. “To observe. Yeah.”
I looked at Owen bewildered. “Umm. Sure?”
I snapped my attention to Maurice. “Can you manage to bake those so the bottoms are just barely brown? If you overdo it, they’ll lose their moisture.”
“I will do my best, Chef Tiny,” Maurice said with a salute.
I rolled my eyes. “And remember, do not leave my kitchen a mess.”
He winked. “Ourkitchen.”
I snickered as Owen and I followed the crown princes out the door.
How had I gotten to this point? I walked into this castle dreading having to be around the Enchanted for even an hour. Now I was willingly in the presence of three Enchanted and going to watch them use and practice magic?
Who even was I anymore?
Either this was a bad idea, or this was a bad idea.
We took a different way into the forest, out a small opening in the hedges that lined the side of the castle closest to the mountain. We kept walking, our feet whisper-soft on the grass, while Owen and the princes chatted.
I was too busy taking in how equally pretty and creepy the forest seemed in the night to contribute to the conversation.
Finally, after walking what felt like ages, when I was about to give up and grab my knees for breath, we came to a clearing in the forest. It was like a little meadow. Or what I assumed used to be. Though it was barely fall, it looked like it was the dead of winter in the meadow with how shriveled up everything was. I was sure if it was light out, this meadow would not be green, it would be brown or possibly even black.
That sent a little shiver up my spine. The color of the king’s magic was black. The forest was dying and turning black. Did no one else find that odd?
