“How does the living situation work?” I ignore Nash’s warning. “Because I can’t imagine there’s a lot of room or entertainment inside a tiny lamp.”
The genie’s face falls. “The dimensions of the lamp work differently. I have room, but no company.”
“That’s sad.” I can’t imagine having only myself for company. I’d go mad within a diurnal. “Well, now you have us.”
“No, Daphne, don’t induct a mad genie into our group,” Malachi says with a chuckle. “We need to vote on such things.”
“But he’s lonely.”
“Then we will find him some nice genie friends.”
He also has DOMs with the mirror man, but I’ll tell him about that later.
We fall into silence. Me contemplating the sad life of the genie, Eugene and Hamish wondering when they will be let down to peck the ground, and the Stirling brothers no doubt thinking about how they ended up with a clumsy maiden in their gang of muscled, shiny, blessed perfection.
The land is an endless calm landscape full of snow-capped mountains, lakes, and lush green forests. It’s the complete opposite of the wasteland they have led us to believe is out here. I guess that’s to prevent the folks of Far, Far Away from coming to investigate the land beyond their own.
My back aches as the turns pass by. “How much longer?” I ask.
“Half a turn at most,” Nash says in my ear. My eyes close a few times. I’ve had an exciting diurnal of kidnapping, dragons, stew, and orgasms. It’s no wonder the excitement is catching up with me.
“We have lodgings at the damsel village,” Theo says, making me snap my eyes open. He glances at me from the right. “You clearly need the rest, and it’s safer than many of the other villages we will need to pass through to return to The Hallows.”
I nod, grateful for his understanding. I don’t think my back and butt will take much longer aboard the horse. The grass gives way to a well-worn dusty track, and we ride from the forest straight into a village that is surrounded by trees. It’s small but beautiful with its whitewashed two-story dwellings.
In the center, surrounding a well, a few damsels wearing necklaces of fresh flowers, mix with some guys. The sun is sinking beyond the trees, casting a deep golden glow over the thatched roofs.
“Perhaps you should hide in the lamp while we tackle the locals,” Theo tells the genie.
“I answer to my mistress,” the genie says.
I feel a little guilty about making him tuck himself away inside the lamp, given how lonely he’s been. But I don’t want to start a damsel wide panic. “I’ll let you out as soon as we are safe in our chambers.”
The genie sucks himself into the spout of the lamp, giving a little pop at the end.
“The Stirlings are here,” a damsel declares as she carries a bucket of water. And like it’s rehearsed, the doors of the dwellings swing open and the damsels step outside in various states of undress. Some in full skirts, others in nightgowns.
“Welcome,” a woman declares, coming into the center of the road. She curtsies. “Oh my, she is a pretty damsel,” she says, looking at me.
She claps her hands and the crowd converges onto the road, men, women, and children with huge smiling faces filling the street. Tambourines jingle, filtering through the carefree laughter. Two of the males come up to our horse and hold out their hands for me. I glance over my shoulder at Nash.
He grips my hips. “Just go with it.” He lifts me into their waiting arms and my feet safely hit the ground. Malachi leaps off his horse and lands next to me. He gives the reins to Nash.
“We will stable the horses and return shortly,” Nash informs us, leading the horses away.
The woman links her arm in mine and drags me into the crowd. “Welcome to the rest of your life, my dear,” she declares. “We might not have castles and balls, but we have plenty of food and a caring population of damsel survivors.”
“I’m not a damsel.”
“Nonsense. Just because you weren’t flayed by the dragon doesn’t mean you aren’t a damsel. The standards set by The Hallowed are archaic and cruel. The knights are rewriting the narrative.”
A shiver of warning runs down my spine from her words. I can’t help the ominous feeling that sits low in my stomach. Of course, I could just be hungry.
Malachi links my other arm. “Daphne is no damsel, Penny, there was a mixup in the chambers and they took a maiden instead.”
Penny tucks her short, dark hair behind her ears as she peers at me. “We can accommodate a maiden. All victims of the fated knight storyline are welcome.”
Hart rounds the corner and narrows his gaze on me. “We’ll be taking this one back with us,” Hart says as he drops a kiss on Penny’s cheek and my stomach twists a little. It seems someone has cracked Hart’s hard shell, and it’s not me. I’m not jealous, not one bit. Okay, I’m totally jealous. Which is ridiculous. If Hart doesn’t want me, we shouldn’t be pressuring him to be part of the group.
