Page 101 of Knightfall
“No fair!” Declan cried, standing up and stepping between us. “I call emotional foul. That was not a sex act.”
I laughed. “Always a stickler for the rules, Dec.”
“Well?” He crossed his arms. “Who’s it going to be?”
My eyes flickered across each one of them. The energy in the room crackled like lightning.
“Bloss Boss,” Connor whispered.
Declan stepped back and clamped a hand over Connor’s mouth.
“You will choose me, Little Dearling,” Ryan commanded.
I clenched my thighs together upon hearing that.
Then Quinn held out a hand.Come on, Dove. You know you and I go together like peas and carrots.
Shock buzzed over my skin. The heat dropped from my core. Instead, my body turned ice-cold. I dropped my skirt. “Where did you hear that?”
What?
“Say it again. So everyone can hear.”
A strange glint came into Quinn’s eyes as he projected the thought to everyone in the room.You know you and I go together like peas and carrots.
Connor turned toward me, looking hurt. “I thought … I mean I hated that saying, but I thought that was our saying.”
“It was,” I scanned Quinn coldly. “It was how I ended every letter I wrote to you for the past four years.”
The entire room grew silent. Everyone turned to Quinn.
“What does that mean, Quinn?” Declan asked. “You took the letters?”
Quinn blew out a breath.Sard. I discovered the letters and alerted the queen. I was ordered to take the letters. Part of the assignment to find Bloss. Take them, scan them for hints of her whereabouts.
“Those were my letters. Why didn’t you give them to me after you searched them?” Connor took an angry step toward Quinn.
I put a hand on Connor’s shoulder, holding him back. Anger frothed in my belly. But I recognized my mother’s hand in all this. She’d always been so controlling.
Quinn ran a hand through his hair.First, I was told not to let you become any more miserable than you already were. That first year, the three of us basically took on your position. Secondly, I reread them a lot. I hadn’t met Bloss. It was the only way I got to know her.He turned back to look at me, regret coloring his features.I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone.
“Sard! I want to sarding hate you. But Queen Gela,” Connor shook his head. He knew exactly what mother was like.
“You had letters and it still took you four years to find her?” Ryan was incredulous.
At first, my instructions were to find and monitor her. But, once Cheryn stole those magical chains, Queen Gela wanted me to get you home, immediately. It still took a few months to track your exact location down.
“She knows war is coming,” I breathed.
I believe so. And she’s never told anyone else this. But she’s the one who invited Cheryn’s princes here to court Avia.
Sard. A war. A real war looming. Mother had already picked sides. And she hadn’t even told me.
“Any other sarding secrets we need to know about now that we’re married?” I asked. My anger and irritation at my mother and Quinn infused my tone. It was harsh.
Declan slowly raised his hand in the air. “Ryan and I … we have kinda … helped each other out on occasion.”
It took me a minute to process what he was saying. The change in topic was so abrupt. “What? Do you mean … sexually?”
