Oh, he means her, not me. Nobody ever needs me. Nodding my head, I watch as she follows the librarian deep into the library. I turn back to the trio of Stirlings. “I guess I can sit here?” My hands twitch at the thought of having nothing to do for so long.
“No, pretty mouse, we’ve already witnessed your ‘doing nothing’ and don’t think the realm would survive it.”
I throw my hands up. “Okay, so what do you suggest?”
A grin spreads across Malachi’s face. “I have an idea.”
Theo’s near identical grin blooms and it’s a little scary. Hart shakes his head. “No, I veto this plan immediately.”
“What plan?”
Malachi intertwines our fingers and tugs me from my seat. I stumble as I keep up with his quick pace. He sweeps an arm under my legs and picks me up. “Put me down, if you keep carrying me I will become a big bunkum who forgets how to walk. It takes practice, you know.”
Malachi’s grin stretches even wider. “Don’t worry, Daphne, you will be doing a lot more than walking come sundown.”
At least he isn’t promising I won’t be able to walk by sundown. I’d heard many a male use that phrase in Strongfair, but all the females they threatened with being legless seemed fine the next diurnal. The wicked little glint in his eyes sends a chill down my spine. It promises chaos and I am already responsible for so much chaos—I don’t think the realm would survive an elevated Daphne. We hurry through the hallways and up four flights of stairs. How many floors does the palace have? Being on the fourth floor seems like asking for trouble.
I notice the little crossed swords over the top of a dragon etched into the wall. It must be their sign. Meanwhile, Charming gets a shoe. Theo steps in front of us and throws open a door. Malachi strides in and drops me onto a huge deep purple sofa positioned in front of a roaring fire. I tuck my feet under my butt and give the fire the stink eye.You stay in your corner, and I’ll stay in mine.
The door slams closed and I scan the room, finding four identical doors placed in the corners. This must be their chambers. Nash appears from the door nearest to the window and jerks to a stop as he sees me. He glances at his brothers. “What is the meaning of this?”
“I have a plan,” Malachi declares, waving at me. “She’s perfect for the job, just his type.”
Whose type? I don’t like where this is going. Nash frowns as he shakes his head. “No, it’s a bad idea.”
“It’s an excellent idea,” Malachi argues. “We can be back with her by the next diurnal.”
With a heavy sigh, Nash runs his hand down his face, looking utterly wiped out. Theo folds his arms. “It’s the only workable plan we’ve had this annus.”
I raise my hand like a child at school. “What plan?”
Malachi plops down on the sofa next to me and wraps me in a warm embrace. “How do you feel about a little espionage?”
“Like spying?”
“And thieving,” Hart grumbles. “Don’t forget that key thing.”
“Is it theft if the item belongs to us?” Malachi shoots back.
Nash leans against the wall, his gaze heavy and unwavering. “You want to send the female you’ve nicknamed Calamity into the lion’s den?”
“We can get her to the south entrance of the castle and draw her a map. She’ll be in and out within a few turns.”
A few turns? On my own? Spying and thieving? Yes, I can do that—you only live once, right? Unless you were a blessed Hallowed who had an afterlife in Idylican to look forward to.
I jump to my feet in sudden excitement, my voice reverberating as I declare, “A quest.”
Hart huffs out a breath and stalks to the door opposite the one Nash appeared from. “For the record, if she dies, I told you so.” The door slams behind him with a thump.
“I’ll retrieve a gown,” Theo mumbles and with a flurry, he is gone, leaving the door swinging in his wake.
“I guess I’ll get the Dranton root,” Nash mutters, following in Theo’s footsteps and leaving me alone with Malachi.
I flop down onto the sofa next to him. “Why do we need Dranton root?”
His grin is contagious as he moves closer to me. “Because you are about to drug King Arthur, unless you want a night of passion with an aged, portly royal?”
I scrunch my face in disgust. “Don’t be ridiculous. What am I meant to be stealing?”
