Page 32 of Wicked Crown

“Your proposal still stands?”he asked.“The job offer?”

Not what she’d been expecting.“Maybe.Why?”

“I’m in.”

She sucked in a breath before reality hit.He would find a loophole if she left anything open to interpretation.“What exactly are you ‘in’ for?The trip?The fake marriage?Playing detective to find the killer?”

“All of it.We can discuss terms.Maybe after you get some sleep since you look terrible.”

Why did all the men in her life insist on telling her she looked tired?“I’m fine.”

“Me too.”He gestured to his collection of bruises, his scars, his limp.His injuries barely showed signs of healing.

“Where’s the Nahualli charm?Why haven’t you invoked it?”

“It didn’t work.”

“I paid thousands for it.”

“It’s tied to the witch who made it.A Senate heir.Maybe she didn’t survive the battle.Any word from your contacts?”

“No.”She had left messages for Diego, her witch friend and prison break partner.And her roommate, Josh, who seemed to know everything about the supernatural world, probably because of his illegal prizefights that attracted all the bloodthirsty magical misfits.Neither had answered.“Hang on.I can test if all the Nahualli charms are down or just the healing one.”

She touched the charms around her neck, hidden beneath her shirt, but dropped her hand when he followed her movement with his gaze.She didn’t need him asking questions about the charm he’d given her.With a quick jab of a letter opener, she pricked her thumb.

Gold blood pooled.

Perry grabbed at her wrist, seeming to forget he didn’t want to touch the goblin.“Wow.”

“You’re right.Something must have happened to the Nahualli witch.”This was bad.How was she supposed to hide golden blood in the human realm without a top-level caster who didn’t ask questions?“What about the other charms I sent with Alys?”

“Not answering the whole why-is-my-blood-the-wrong-color obvious?”

“Who says it’s the wrong color?Just because it’s not red like humans, like witches.”

“Good point.”He pulled the knock-off healing charms from his pocket.“These are working great.It’s so nice you care instead of torturing me.”

His megalomaniac ego hadn’t suffered.“I couldn’t have you looking like crap.”

“Same.Which is why I suggest you sleep.”

Ouch.She blinked gritty eyes.Maybe he was right.

He inched closer.“How royal are we talking?I’ll need to know if we’re fake married.”

She might as well tell him before Alys ran her mouth again.“I was the crown princess and prophecy-promised queen.”He stared, blinked, and stared some more.Finally, the man didn’t have a snappy comeback.“I’m awesome,” she added, in case he’d missed that part.

“And not at all burdened with humility.”

“Nope.”If he wasn’t going to pretend to be less, neither would she.

“Are you returning home to stage some kind of coup?Because I did the whole anarchy thing with the Revelare.Spoiler alert: it doesn’t end well.”

“I’m not interested in the goblin throne.They can keep the whole queen thing.I don’t want a crown—wicked or not.”She rubbed her eyes, probably smearing her mascara and eyeliner.She’d been awake too long to care.“Maybe I should sleep.”

“Oh, what’s that?I was right?”

“I’m not saying that.”Ever.

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