“It’s impossible,” Gwyneth murmurs, tilting her head to the side.
Why isn’t everyone scrambling for a hug of their own?
My sunshine twin leans against the wall with his arms crossed, mirroring Hart. My eyes drop to his bloody knuckles, and my brow furrows. “What?—”
“No, you don’t get to convince us with pretty lies,” Hart snaps, interrupting me.
“I don’t lie,” I growl, my hands fisting at my sides. “And I’m improbable, not impossible. Are you so naïve to believe an architect of this world could just die? That I’d wave on my way out the door and wait around to meet you in the next life? I’m disappointed in your lack of conviction.”
“We pored over the books for weeks,” Gwyneth says. “There’s no way to defy death.”
“Meaning she isn’t who she says she is,” Hart snarls.
I glance over my shoulder at Nash perched on the arm of the sofa. He knows I’m me, but it looks like I have to convince each of them myself. Fine.
“You want proof?” I say, tilting my chin up.
“Yes,” Hart demands.
“Just be you,” Nash advises.
Who else would I be?
I point at Hart. “Our first kiss was in this very castle after I accidentally stabbed your father while trying to steal the broken half of Excalibur.” He tilts his head and narrows his eyes. He needs more? Fine. I stalk closer until we are toe to toe. “What you do with your tongue makes my eyes cross.”
“Too much information,” Charming drawls.
Yeah, right. He’s probably jealous he’ll never possess their skills.
I rise on my tiptoes and place my mouth against Hart’s ear. “I murdered the man pretending to be your father while he was in dragon form, saving you the horror of killing a parental figure even though he was beyond evil by forcing Theo to burn you over and over again as children.” He sucks in a breath. There are many things people could infer about recent events, but what happened in their childhood is something they don’t discuss. Confessing it to me created a bond no Idol can break.
I step back and cup his cheeks, holding his stare and allowing my soul to shine through my eyes. I have always worn my heart on my sleeve, but baring your soul takes trust. “I’m in love with you,” I confess.
His hands curve around my waist, his fingers digging into the base of my spine. Hart’s a harder lover than the others, the perfect balance to his brothers.
“I don’t want to believe it, because I won’t survive losing you twice.”
“You won’t have to. I promise I’m here to stay. Your Calamity is ready to wreak havoc on those who play with our futures.”
He leans his forehead against mine. “Daphne.”
I graze my lips across his in a silent vow to return to him soon. Everyone’s waiting their turn for me to unpick their fearsand doubts over my resurrection. I step back out of his grip before turning to face my sunshine and rainbows twin.
“Malachi,” I murmur as I get close enough to examine the flecks of gold in those green orbs.
He arches a brow. The darkness surrounding him doesn’t recede. My hands curve around his, and I pull his bruised and torn knuckles to my lips. “You let your mask slip.” Everyone is convinced this complicated knight is naturally happy and doesn’t have a darker side, but the truth is, they don’t look beneath his surface because it’s easier to accept the happy-go-lucky man who doesn’t have a care in the realm. They are idiots.
“You don’t have to wear it with me,” I remind him. “You stole my first genuine kiss and ruined me for all others. I know what it feels like to have you and your brother consume me beneath a dragon’s wing.” I tuck a strand of his hair behind his ear. His long eyelashes flutter against his cheek, but his lips remain pressed into a tight line. A tremor runs through his body. “It’s going to be okay.”
His eyes snap open. “You deemed me worthy,” he growls, making the hair on my arms rise.
“Of course. And I would do it again and again. I see you when you can’t see yourself.”
He moves fast. One heartbeat, I’m standing before him without his hands where they belong—on me. The next, my back is against the wall, and my legs are wrapped around his waist as he pins me in place with his body. His hand curves around my jaw, and his lips crash down on mine as he pours all the pain into his kiss.
My heart breaks as I realize how lost he’s been. I make a promise to myself and to him that I will spend an eternity making sure he knows he is worthy.
Someone clears their throat, reminding us that we have an audience. This is not knight-sandwich territory. Not yet. Maybelater, after an actual sandwich. My stomach growls. Malachi pulls back and sighs against my lips, which feel swollen after the attention of three knights.
