Page 30 of The Mage and His Stolen Prince
“Well, no.”
“Are you afraid I’ll hinder your success?”
Somewhere in the distance, a bell chimed through the house, but we were both too absorbed to acknowledge it.
“Not after I saw you do that,” he replied, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at the chair. “Why didn’t you ever mention you could do magic?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Would that have convinced you I belonged on the quest?” Perhaps that’s where I’d gone wrong. If I retraced a few steps, I could reveal my magic earlier to salvage the current plan.
“It certainlymakes a difference. I can’t necessarily ask everyone if I can bring my girlfriend along—”
“Yourwhat?”
“—but I couldconvince them to invite a mage.”
“In training,” I corrected. Though that wasn’t true anymore, since I’d stolen a title.
“Even then, it’s impressive.” A slow smile bloomed over his face. “Maybe wecanjourney on this quest together.”
I helped up my hand. “Let’s back up a few lines.”
Fitz glanced up and asked, “To which one?”
“To the one where you said the word ‘girlfriend.’ I assume you meantfriend who is female.”
His brow furrowed. “Well, no, I meant … lover? Romantic partner? Future wife, hopefully?”
“I think you’ve misunderstood—”
A knock on the door interrupted me as an attendant announced, “Your first guests have arrived, Your Highness. Prince Treasure Banes and Princess Delilah Woeful are waiting for you.”
“Let them wait,” Fitz growled.
“No, let them come in,” I insisted, heart racing at the thought of finally seeing Trey again after almost two weeks. It would also be the perfect way to distract Fitz from this gods awful conversation.
Fitz grabbed my shoulders, his fingers digging into my muscles in his desperation to hold on to me. “Willow, you must realize that—”
The door opened. I looked toward it in time to see Trey walk in. The vibrant green jacket he wore made his hair look even redder than usual, like a forest on fire. He paused in the doorway, his eyes widening as he took in the tableau in front of him. Recognition, or shock at the scene he’d stumbled in on?
“I’m in love with you.”
The words came out of the wrong mouth.
Fitz hadn’t noticed the door opening, and he took advantage of my distraction to lean in for a kiss. I planted my hand in the center of his face and tried to shove him away. He froze, startled by my violent rejection, but didn’t release me yet. “Weellooh?” My fake name came out muffled and wet against my palm.
Delilah poked her head around her cousin, watching the display with wide eyes. She reminded me of the imps, who sniffed out drama like a hound on the hunt.
“Fitz, I’m so sorry,” I said, still pushing him steadily away from my face. “But I am already in love with someone else.”
He finally stepped back, putting a few feet of space between us. His glasses were askew, his lips wet with his own saliva, and he stared at me like a wounded puppy. “Withwho?”
With him.I didn’t say it aloud, but my heart ached as if it were trying to escape my chest and launch itself at Treasure. I’d unconsciously taken a step toward him.
Beside Trey, Delilah’s nostrils flared as if she was scenting the air. Her eyes widened in outrage as she pointed at me. “You!”
Shit, that was definitely recognition. I’d thought a disguise would fool everyone, but I hadn’t considered that Delilah might recognize myscent. It seemed not all her feline features came from the lost collar.
Everything had been going so well and had turned to shit so quickly. At this point, there was no salvaging this plan, so I’d simply have to try again.
