His frown deepens, like his dislike for me. “Is there another suitor?”
I roll my eyes. Of course, he assumes the reason she might not want to jump on his little charming is another male.
“No, that isn’t it,” Gwyneth answers. “I don’t see myself marrying at all.”
I blink. She doesn’t want to marry—ever? That is news to me. She glances over her shoulder at me before turning back to Charming and pulling the shawl from her shoulders. “I had responsibilities and commitments long before your shoe fit my foot.” She presses the shawl to his chest. “I cannot accept such precious gifts.” My heart sinks. She means me—I’m the responsibility she can’t abandon. She can’t imagine a future for herself because of my clumsy ass.
He tilts his head and his lips tip up. That isn’t suspicious at all.
He opens his mouth and is cut off by a boom which disrupts the otherwise pleasant sundown. Charming pulls Gwyneth down a path in the maze and I follow. The alternative path is a shortcut leading to the palace, I commit it to memory should I ever need to escape it fast. You never know in this crazy realm when you might be running scared.
Charming and Gwyneth skid to a stop facing the glass door of the palace we came out of earlier. Except now there’s an enormous hole in the palace's roof, widening by the tempo as a massive green beanstalk climbs into the sky.
Oh fuck. He wasthatJack, and I dropped his magic beans in a pot of soil. Oops. Gwyneth glances at me with wide eyes. “Did you do that?” she mouths.
I shrug and widen my hands. “Maybe?” I mouth back. A band of Hallowed come running with axes in their hands. “What are they going to do?”
“Cut it down before the giant realizes a beanstalk has sprouted into his home and comes down to The Hallows to wreak havoc on the realm,” Charming snaps.
“This happens often?” I say. Gwyneth and Charming stare at me. I point at the Hallowed working quickly to sever the beanstalk. “They are practiced, and that only happens from experience—which means it’s happened before.”
“What did you do?” Charming asks.
I blink at him. “Nothing, I’m making an observation.”
“Watch out,” someone yells as the beanstalk falls our way.
I push Gwyneth out of its path. Her limbs tangle with Charming and they crash to the ground.
She throws herself off him and onto her back, her eyes widening as the terrible giant green trunk comes crashing toward me. I squeeze my eyes closed and make peace with my fate. I had a good run. Truthfully, I’m totally surprised I made it to twenty annuses.
My breath is knocked from my lungs in a mighty huff and I spin before landing on top of something hard. My eyes fly open and clash with sharp green eyes wide with panic.
“Do you ever stop causing calamities?” Hart snaps.
I press on his chest and shove myself into a standing position. He’s got a nice chest, hard and hot, but I doubt he wants me making myself comfortable there.
“Calamities find me, I don’t cause them. There’s a vast difference.”
Gwyneth rushes over and runs her hands down my arms. “You’re okay?” she squeaks as Charming and Hart climb to their feet.
“I’m fine, it will take more than a giant beanstalk to best me.” I smile even though my heart is banging in my chest at my brush with death. “I think we should return to our chambers.”
“Good idea, confine your chaos to one room,” Hart mutters before striding off in a different direction.
“What were you doing here? Hanging around waiting to try out your knight skills?” I shout at his retreating back. He ignores me.
Gwyneth threads her fingers with mine and tugs me toward the palace door.
“Gwyneth,” Charming snaps.
She freezes and I worry for Charming’s health. Nobody speaks to my Gwyneth that way. We are Burghers, not lesser than these blessed Hallowed. Even if they think so.
She draws in a long breath and lets it out slowly. She’s trying thecount to tenthing that never works. If anything, it gives you more time to contemplate your anger and how you are going to rage out at everyone. Whereas if you react straight away, your brain doesn’t have time to form a plan of damage. Counting to ten is dangerous.
“Thank you for your attention, Charming. I am flattered but ultimately uninterested.”
“Because of your sister’s inability to negotiate a diurnal without causing a catastrophe?” I stiffen at the truth of his words. I’m holding her back from living her best Burgher life.
