Eron reaches between us and squeezes my hand inside of his. “You are irreplaceable, Daphne Stone. An Idoless among wannabe queens. I can guarantee they already know you are missing from their lives.”
Idoless? I love that. I glance at the vast mirror. “Can we check?”
He nods. “I need to eat, get you mended, and then we can make the trek to my mirror together. Do not fret. We shall have you back in the arms of your faithful knights soon.”
Something settles in my chest at his declaration. I’ve been worried that Malice leaving through the mirror broke our connection. The fear I have is born of a childhood where I’m labeled a burden, a liability, a mistake.
The door swings open, and Erik strides in with a tall slim woman who bares the same scowl as the people in the courtyard.
Eron points at me. “Doris, heal her shoulder.”
She sighs and stalks forward. Without a word, her hands wrap around my wound. She closes her eyes and mutters in a language I’ve never heard. Warmth floods through my veins, making my eyes droop.
“Why didn’t you have her healed?” Eron snaps at Erik.
Erik folds his hands in front of him and positions his feet apart. “She was the prime suspect for your injuries.”
“I pointed out how ridiculous that was,” I add. Am I slurring?
Doris’s hands release my shoulder, and she bows to Eron before grumbling under her breath and leaving the room.
“Eat, Daphne. It will help replenish you,” Eron coaxes. “The healing process saps your energy.”
I pluck up a cake and pop it in my mouth with an indecent groan. Damn, they know how to do dessert here.
“I’ve never put anything so delicious in my mouth.” A giggle slips from me, because that’s not true. I lift my finger. “I amend to only include edible items.”
Erik’s mouth twitches.
“Once we have replenished our energy, Daphne and I will leave for the mirror once again. We need to track down her knights and warn them of the traitor in their midst. Or rather, inform them that Daphne is safe, because I can guarantee they figured out Malice is not their maiden within two tempos.”
Erik’s gaze narrows on me. “Given how your last excursion occurred, I would like to accompany you for your protection.”
I devour three more cakes while they make googlycome to bed and fuck me senselesseyes at each other.
They stare at me in shock. “What?” I ask as I suck my thumb to collect an escaped dribble of strawberry jam.
“There were no eyes,” Eron says.
I shrug. “Sure there weren’t.” Erik’s cheeks pinken. “But then why is he blushing like a virgin on her wedding night?”
Eron’s gaze swings back to his commander. “Erik?”
Erik salutes him. “I’ll make the preparations, my king, and return shortly to escort you both.” He spins on his heel and escapes from the room.
Eron slumps back in his chair and blinks at the table like his entire world has been realigned. I shove the cakes toward him. “Here, replenish that new fissure in your soul with sugary goodness. It helps.”
He tilts his head and lasers his gaze on me. “How did you see something I have not noticed in eons?”
“Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see what is right in front of you.”
“It is most perplexing.”
“Are his feelings unrequited?” I would imagine there’s nothing worse.
He shakes his head. “No, the opposite, and now I’m wondering how much time we’ve lost by not speaking candidly.”
“Time is a greedy bitch. She takes and takes. She makes you wish for her to stay longer when the times are good, and for her to fuck off when they are bad, and yet she does the exact opposite. There is no point grieving for that which you will never own. Instead, grasp your future with both hands and focus on how you can bend it to your will.”
