She squints at me. “What happened?”
I glance at the closed door behind me and bite my lip. “I think there’s something wrong with me.”
She tilts her head. “Did one of those Stirlings do something? Because no matter how pretty they are, I will?—”
I shake my head. “No, nothing like that. This is since I dealt with the Red Queen.”
“Exploded her, you mean.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I don’t accept that description on account of the lack of goo.”
“Right. No evidence means no murder.”
“Hard to prove without a body. But I’m getting off topic.” I stand and take a step back, not entirely sure what I’m about to do or what the consequences are. But if anyone can figure it out, it’s Gwyneth and that enormous, clever brain of hers.
I shudder as the power rises beneath my skin, pressing against my nerve endings. Light blooms from my fingertips, followed by a wisp of sparkly red magic. “Ooh, pretty,” I murmur.
“Daphne, what’s happening?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know.”
The swell continues to rise, up and up until it feels like I’m choking. A roar comes from outside, and the door flies open as Theo thunders through, eyes gleaming gold. His clothing shreds and his dragon tears through.
Oh, no. Nope. There’s not enough room in here for a damn overgrown dragon.
“Theo, stop,” I shout as the dragon’s head pushes against the ceiling. I wave my hand. “You won’t fit.” Magic flares in the air and hits him square on the snout. He sneezes, blinks, and begins to shrink, smaller and then smaller still. But he’s still a dragon.
The knights and Charming join us in the chambers, and I cover my mouth with my hand. He’s not going to keep shrinking, right?
He stops at knee height, cute as a button and significantly less terrifying.
Hart throws his head back and laughs.
“Never a dull tempo,” Malachi muses with a raised brow in my direction.
“I didn’t do that.”
Baby Theo sneezes again, a little puff of smoke curling into the air. He blinks at me, toddles over, and curls up at my feet like an obedient pet.
I ask the only thing anyone sane would. “Can I keep him?”
Chapter Twenty Six
Daphne
“Can you change him back?” Nash asks while crouching down to stare at baby Theo. Oh my holy Idol babies, is this what our children will look like? Because sign me up. His cuteness is unbearable.
I flop onto the huge bed, which needs addressing when I have less of an audience. I love my sister, but some things should remain a mystery. “I have no idea how I even did this in the first place, so how can I change him back?” I point my finger at the ceiling. “Maybe it wasn’t even me.”
Red magic splutters from my finger, and I sit up before sliding my hands under my butt and blinking at the sea of faces. I’m not fooling anyone. It was totally me.
“Do you think I could just make all the Idols miniature?” I wonder.
“What would that accomplish?” Gwyneth asks as she curls herself into an armchair. Charming leans against the wall next to her and folds his arms. He’s scowling, but that’s nothing new.
“Well, it would make them a lot easier to manage.”
“The alternative is to explode them into floral fireworks,” Hart adds as he sits to my left, while Malachi settles to my right. I am the bread between the sausage sandwich. Wait, that’s not right. Okay, we’ve been doing sandwiches all wrong. The bread to meat ratio should be reversed. Soft, doughy, bready goodness in the center, juicy, yummy meat on either side. Seriously, that is what needs to change in the realm. And since I have some weird-ass power to do whatever it is I do… Why is Theo wrestling with Nash’s bootlaces? I should address the culinary crime that is going on. Priorities, and all that. No one can start a rebellion and regime change on an empty stomach.
