“It’s strange, really,” Briar said with a lilt to his voice. “For the past few months, I’ve only managed to craft a basic charm. I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t getting the results I expected.”
“But you did.”
“I did,” Briar agreed. “And I believe Evan is the reason.”
“How so?”
“Well.” Briar pushed his face into my hair. “As I was working on the spell earlier, I thought of Evan and how I wanted nothing more than to protect him. That’s when I felt the power radiate from the charm.”
“Your desire to keep him safe strengthened your magic?”
“Yes. I think so. That’s the key I was missing. Any magic wielder can follow steps to cast a spell, but it’s what’s inside the mage that matters. That inner light, the motivation behind the magic, is where the true power lies.”
Throat tight and my eyes stinging, I stayed as still as possible.
“I feel the same,” Maddox said. “I possess no magic, yet when I’m away on missions, the thought of returning home to Evan is what gives me strength. When I’m facing a foe, recalling his face calms my mind and ensures I never falter in step.”
Briar exhaled a short laugh. “It seems we’re both hopeless romantics. He holds our hearts in his hands.”
“That he does,” Maddox said. “To test your protection charm, we can give it to the wolf and throw daggers at him.”
Okay, I nearly blew my cover to tell him to be nice. It was so freaking hard to keep my mouth shut.
“Lake is making progress,” Briar responded, taking the words right out of my head. “And in only a short amount of time too. It’s a testament to how strongly he feels for Evan. You have to admit it brings you some relief to know there’s one more person who will fight to keep our male safe.”
“You make a fair point,” Maddox mumbled. “It does reassure me. When we’re gone, I know Lake will be here watching over Evan. But I still say we should throw daggers at him for good measure.”
I dozed off after that, the long day finally catching up to me despite my eagerness to keep listening. I didn’t even have time to obsess over Lupin and what bad thing may or may not happen to me.
I just slept. Happy and sated. My men knew the truth about me and wanted me anyway. That was all I could ask for.
Chapter Eleven
A Royal Meeting
“Midday greetings, mister Evan,” the castle guard said as I reached the main courtyard. Such a drastic change compared to the first time I’d met him. He’d nearly sliced me into a million little pieces, thinking I was a trespasser.
“Good afternoon.” I held up the basket of goodies I’d brought. “Do you want a cookie?”
The guard’s serious expression bloomed into an eager smile before falling just as quickly. “I shouldn’t. I’m on duty.”
An excuse I’d heard before. Those poor men, thinking they had to deny themselves a treat just because they were on the job.
“Consider it an energy boost then.” I opened the lid. “I have sugar and lemon. Take your pick. Or grab one of each.” I leaned in closer and whispered, “I promise your secret is safe with me.”
With a shy smile, he grabbed a lemon cookie and took a bite. A bite he nearly choked on as another man then rounded the corner.
“I’ll take it from here, Beau,” Sir Noah said as he approached, dressed in all black. His raven hair had been trimmed since I’d last seen him, shorter on the sides now and a bit longer on top.
“I forced him to eat it,” I quickly said.
Noah’s gaze fell to the crumbs on the front of the guard’s uniform before his whiskey eyes shifted back to me. “Prince Sawyer sent me to retrieve you while he finishes his lessons. Please follow me.”
“Okay.” I gave a thumbs-up to Beau, a sign he was in the clear, before following Noah. The knight wasn’t much of a talker, but I tended to talk enough for the both of us. “How’s it going? How have you been?”
“I’ve been well.”
“Want a cookie? I brought sugar just for you.”
