Page 35 of Knight's End
The little flower was right about that. But I smiled when the wizard gave a jaunty little heel click that made her squeal and headed toward the stairwell that led to the mage’s tower.
“So, that’s a no?” I asked.
He hummed as he left, a nonsense song about a jester’s jokes killing his audience with laughter. I stared after him, trying to decide if his words were nonsense or something else. "You trust him, Connor?”
Connor came and stood next to me, staring at Donaloo as the old man hummed. My best friend cleared his throat. "It would be easier to give you an answer if I could still read his emotions. But, let’s say I trust him for now. I’ll trust him until he gives me reason not to."
“And the flower?”
“She’s a big unknown. But Donaloo seems to enjoy her company.”
“What?” I turned to stare at him. “Are you crazy?”
“I was back beside them during the procession. They nag each other like an old married couple.”
I nodded. If Connor said it, then I believed him. He was far better at reading people than I was.
Quinn led us to the yellow parlor to sit and talk strategy. I found myself on a small couch and Quinn slid over to sit beside me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gently pulled my head onto his chest. My eyelids grew heavy, and even though I fought, I knew I was fighting a losing battle.
"Close your eyes, Bloss Boss," Connor ordered. “When Donaloo gets back here with the potion, we’ll wake you up so you can drink it."
“Are you sure he’s making a potion?” I yawned.
“Yes. Now sleep,” Connor said.
Quinn smacked his hand over my eyes, forcing me into darkness. I laughed and squirmed, but he held tight. Eventually, I gave up fighting. The moment he loosened his grip, I shot up and away from him. I scurried across the room and stuck my tongue out at him, in a very queenly fashion.
Blue laughed.
I turned to Connor. "What about your powers?" I asked. “What if sleep is like an injury? What if fatigue is just my body's poor response to something, what if it’s a need to repair itself—”
"You're reaching," Connor said. "I don’t know what Donaloo’s done but annoy you.”
“Nothing,” I shrugged.
Connor shook his head when I clasped my hands together to beg him to try. “No! I punched Declan out the last time I used these new powers. I don't want to do that again. I was out of control.”
I walked over to him and grabbed his hand. I did our secret handshake from childhood. "Please?" I jutted out my lower lip.
Connor groaned and rolled his eyes to the heavens. "You're not fair."
"Queens aren’t fair," I winked. “It’s in that royal indoctrination document we have to sign.”
Connor smiled with amusement as he set his hands on my waist and slowly allowed pink light to flow from his hands into me.
I started to feel more alert almost instantly. My back stopped aching from the gargoyle ride over. I grew giggly, and it took a minute before I realized I might be overdosing on healing. I pulled his hands down but said, "Quinn! Blue, come try this!"
Quinn stood next to me and Connor moved his pink light from my waist to Quinn's shoulders. I watched as Quinn visibly perked up. His sagging shoulders straightened, and his eyes regained their naughty gleam.
But seconds later, before he got to Blue, Connor cut the magic off. "I can't!” he roared. His lip curled up in a snarl and his hands clenched into fists. He pushed past us and stomped out of the room. He slammed the door behind him yelling into the hall, "I need to punch someone. Anyone volunteer?"
I bit my lip and turned to Quinn. "I hope he doesn't punch one of the frozen people."
And while Quinn gave me a half smile, it was more sad than laughing. We both knew that Connor prided himself on controlling his emotions, on feeling out the emotions of others and putting them at ease. Ryan’s power countered everything he’d ever used to define himself.
I went out, determined to find Connor and give him some peace. But I underestimated just how out of control he was.
