Crowding my space, she bumped my elbow with hers. She jarred my arm and the glass in my hand. Wine sloshed over the rim, spilling onto the white tablecloth.
“What the hell, Vivian?”
Crimson bloomed across the lace.
She shook her head. “I?—”
“It was an accident, Quinn,” Max snapped over Vivian’s head. “Don’t be so dramatic.”
Before I snapped back at him, Elaine chimed in. “Oh my God, Quinn. Can we have one event where you don’t make a mess of yourself?”
I glared across the table, reaching for my napkin to dunk it in my wine and hurl it at her, but Landon pilfered the damn thing before I grabbed it.
He leaned forward, dabbing at the spilled wine as he brought his lips to my ear. “Ignore her, Maiden. And remember where we are. He didn’t mean it.”
His husky tone giving a quiet commandanddefending Max while using his first nickname for me? It not only forced my body still. It sent a thrill right through me. And it paled in comparison to his lips brushing the shell of my ear.
I shifted to face him, but his quicktskstopped me.
“Eyes forward.”
He pressed a kiss to my cheek, bringing his other arm around my body to set a box on the table in front of me. Then he caged me in with his arms.
I stared straight at Elaine.
My lips curved into a smile as Landon whispered in my ear, “Good girl.”
His lips left my cheek, and he stared at her, too. Her smug expression withered. Mine bloomed.
“You have what she wants, remember? There’s no need to fight an opponent you’ve already bested.” He turned back to me. “Time to focus on the grand prize.”
When he tapped the black lockbox, I released a breath, letting go of my annoyance at Elaine to focus on what he’d set in front of me. What I needed to get Max to drop his act. To save him from the Valencourt’s hold. And to free us all from Camelot Court’s clutches.
“This is our first clue?”
I scanned the table, noting each girl had an identical lockbox in front of her. It had a dial with four cubes that spun to input a combination. I lifted the box, searching for a scrap of paper or sticker with the code.
Landon chuckled. “He didn’t make it that easy on you.”
Peering up at him, a hint of excitement shimmered in his dark amber gaze. The reality of the moment hit me. If I solved the clues and made it to the end, I could do it. Win The Quest, take all their prizes, and walk away withmine.
“Welcome to the Nobility Challenge.”
The Knights spoke in unison, but my attention fixed on Landon. He bowed, eyes locked on my lips, before he straightened and stared down at me.
“You’ve got this, My Lady. I know you can do it.”
Emotion rose in my throat, and if asked about it later, I’d blame the sentimentality of the occasion for what I did next. I gave a slight bow of my head before meeting his gaze again.
Catching his lopsided half-smile, I smirked back. But my heart thumped wildly in my chest, and I whispered so that only he could hear me.
“Thank you,My Lord. I won’t let you down.”
His smile widened as he winked. “Inconceivable.”
After the Knights left and dinner officially ended, I wanted to thank Miss Alice in the kitchen. Everything had been delicious, and I’d spotted her hurrying back and forth between the kitchen and dining room while directing the staff.
When I didn’t find her, a staff member pointed to the hallway. She wasn’t there either.
