Page 86 of MidKnight
The world was going to shite even.
And I was done doing what I was told.
“I’m going. We’ll have to figure it out.” My tone brooked no argument.
My knights ignored my tone.
“You’re not going!” Ryan marched forward and stared me down.
But I wasn’t going to cave on this.
Declan came to stand beside Ryan. And watching the two of them, side by side, I realized how I could go with Quinn and get them off my back.
A smile stretched across my face.
“I’m going with Quinn. But I’m going to the dinner, too.”
“You can’t be in two places at once!” Connor cried.
My eyes fell on Declan and he swallowed hard as he realized what I was about to say.
“Oh, yes, I can.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“You look amazing,” I gushed.
Declan pouted and my lower lip jutted out. A crease formed between my eyebrows. I was staring at a very, very unhappy version of myself. Apparently, taking a disguise spell to transform into me for sex was one thing. Dressing as me and pretending to be me in public did not have the same appeal. Declan was pissed.
“You’re the only one who can do it,” I soothed, stroking his arm, which looked exactly like my arm. It was thin and soft, a few freckles dotting the lower half.
Declan stood in a chemise in my chambers. We had kicked all servants—even Ginnifer—out while we had him take the potion.
But now I had to convince him to stop frowning and follow through. I stared into Declan’s eyes. “The royal exclusion for spells only applies to you.” Only the royal family could use spells with ease inside the castle. Otherwise, the counter spells set by the castle mages throughout the centuries would activate and strip the magic. Human magics at least.
“Ryan could do it,” Declan huffed in my pouty voice. I sounded awful. Whiny, like a child. “I was gonna look through those papers from your mom. Make Ryan do it.”
I turned to Connor. “I don’t actually sound like that, do I?”
“That’s what you’re worried about?” Declan screeched.
“Calm down,” I reached out and put my hands on either cheek. I waited until his eyes focused on me. “Declan, you know me. You’ve known me since we were fourteen. I’m awkward at these dinners. I used to be awkward because I was shy. Now I’m awkward because I don’t say the right things at the right times. If it weren’t for this damned crown, I’d have been chucked from the court ages ago.” I stared into hazel eyes. “There’s no way you can mess up. They all hate me in there anyway.”
“They don’t.”
“They find me annoying.”
“Well, that’s just a fact of—”
I punched him in the tit.
“Hey!” he grabbed his chest.
“Don’t call me annoying and you won’t get hit.” I narrowed my eyes at him, but I wrapped my arms around his neck. I pulled him forehead to forehead. “I need you, Dec. You’re the only one.”
He sighed. He was caving, I could feel it. I lingered, forehead to forehead for a moment before I pulled back to look into his eyes—my eyes.
“Your blue eyes are so much prettier,” I told him.
