Page 88 of MidKnight
“Good. Or I’d be worried,” I retorted. Then I pawed through the stash of clothes Quinn had brought for me. I found some breeches and a shirt and pulled them on. When my breeches were up, I had to adjust myself. Having a penis was rather uncomfortable.
I nodded toward Declan, who looked like a rather disheveled version of me. “You might let Ginnifer fix your hair once I’m gone.”
Declan just scowled.
Ryan came forward and pushed something into my fat hand. “Take this.”
“What is it?” I looked down to find the sharpened hair pin. “What? I can’t get a real dagger even in a man’s body?”
“This is still more stealthy. No one will expect it. I’ll have some guards out of uniform trailing you. But still, I’d feel better if you had it.”
I sighed and let him strap the weapon onto my arm underneath my sleeve. There was no arguing with my half-giant protector. I went to move away, but Ryan wouldn’t let me.
“If someone grabs you from behind, show me how you’re gonna get away,” he said. Then he grabbed me and held me fast, his muscles bulging and tense against me.
I struggled, but Ryan wouldn’t let go. Not even when I kicked his shins. He forced me to go for the weapon. I had to stab backward into his belly before he released me.
“Good,” Ryan gasped.
“I hate when you make me do that,” I complained, wiping the blood onto a spare shirt as pink light filled the room and he healed himself.
“Too sarding bad,” Ryan growled, “I don’t want you antsy about actually using a weapon.” He pulled me into a hug that turned into an awkward back pat due to my man body. That made me smile.
Ryan grumbled, “Now, I need to go beat someone’s head in downstairs. Then I’ll set some guards on your tail.”
He stomped off, the rage from his healing power consuming him.
Declan wandered to the dressing room and called for Ginnifer.
I made eye contact with Connor and jerked my head toward Declan. “Don’t let him make too big a fool of me.”
“No promises,” Connor replied.
I rolled my eyes but grabbed Quinn’s hand. Then I realized I was a boy. “Whoops. Sorry.”
Quinn laughed silently. He opened his bottle of the disguise spell and rubbed a bit of it on his face and teeth. His nose grew bulbous and he lost a tooth. The others grew yellow. His pores enlarged where he’d rubbed the potion, making his face into a series of craters.
You’ll have to resist me tonight, Dove. At least for a bit.
I laughed.I didn’t know you could rub on a disguise spell.
Spies have all kinds of tricks. Learned that one from your old man when I was his apprentice. He’d have me practice doing a quick rub on my face on a lot of missions. It’s a quick way to stretch out the magic and to change your appearance when you leave a building and hit the alley.
Quinn led the way to a secret passage and pressed the seam along the wall to magically release the hidden door. He stepped aside like a gentleman so I could enter first. I turned and looked at him before he grabbed a torch and followed.
Speaking of resisting,I thought at him,you were the least affected by the show Declan and I put on.
Oh, I was affected, Dove.
Didn’t seem like it.
I’m just saving myself for later.
Later?
You and I are about to have some alone time.
Ummm … I’m a guy right now.I was confused.
