Page 82 of Knightfall
Quinn took over again.
Connor’s eyes darted between him and me. “Marry her? Are you joking? Why the hell would you marry a woman who abandoned us and—”
Ryan clapped his hand over Connor’s mouth. “You don’t want to finish that sentence. You don’t want me to hit you.”
Connor jerked away and walked toward the door. “You’ve all been sarding spelled! You know that? Every step of the way. That’s all this is.”
“You think we’ve been spelled to love Bloss?” Declan asked.
“Of course, we have.”
I know I haven’t been,Quinn stared steadily at Connor. But his words rushed over me, filling me with both elation and terror.
He can’t love me. They can’t love me, my mind said.
No. You can’t. You shouldn’t. Don’t make this harder—
Quinn just glared at me.
Declan shook his head. Pity came over his features as he regarded Connor. “You can tell yourself you were spelled if you want. But haven’t you researched spells? They don’t have the capacity for more than a single emotion. If you were under a love spell, you’d never be able to hate her this much.”
Connor’s mouth gaped open.
Mine would have done the same, if I hadn’t started kicking myself. I’d studied spells with Wyle. I’d made love spells. Not good ones. But I should have remembered. My stomach sank. Connor’s hatred was real. But a tiny piece of me, a piece tinged with regret and longing, rejoiced. Because it meant my memories were true. And my love for him was true. I loved him. Just as now, I loved all of them.
One look at Connor told me it didn’t matter. No amount of logic was going to erase his anger at me … or Declan.
Hurt and disappointment skipped across my stomach like stones. I tried to ignore it, but defensive words popped out before I could reign them in. “For the record, I’ve asked Wyle to remove all spells from all of you. Except for those that keep you physically safe.” As soon as I said that, I wanted to kick myself. Those words didn’t matter. Wouldn’t matter to Connor, who was determined to hate me. But my stupid mouth continued, “He’s also supposed to be working on the distance spell, which he’s loosened, so that no one has to be within ten feet of me anymore.”
“No!” Declan and Ryan protested. Quinn shook his head and slipped toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
To make sure Wyle does not follow your order on that one. No sarding way we’re letting you go again, Bloss. You’re stuck with us. For life and death.Quinn slammed the door closed behind him.
“You idiot!” I screamed at the door, rushing after Quinn.
Ryan grabbed my arm and held me back. He pulled me against his chest. “Bloss, we’re your knights. We’re bound to protect you. Even from yourself.”
Tears streaked down my face, racing the pain radiating up from my heart. “You can’t.”
“We can.”
I shook my head but didn’t speak. Further argument was pointless. We were at an impasse.
And they were wrong.
I looked over. Connor was arguing with Declan over the complexity of love spells. Avia had pulled the bell pull and was pacing, waiting for a servant to arrive. I could feel the tension threading through the room, tying everyone up in knots.
Declan and Connor’s voices rose another decibel.
“Ask the sarding queen if you don’t believe me. Bloss left so you wouldn’t bleed out like a stuck pig, you yellow-bellied cringeling!”
“What did you call me?”
“You’re scared!”
Connor grabbed Declan’s shirt. “I’m not—”
