It had obviously been the presence of the jar that had caused all of this, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how, or why.
My stomach growled and I gave the door to my guest bathroom a bitter look.
“You should come sit down. Maybe get some rest while you can. I can bring you something to eat.”
Conric’s voice made me jump, and suddenly, I had an outlet for everything. All the fear of the last year, all the frustration, and yes, all the worry. I turned on him, and, voice low and dangerous enough to make my Godmother proud, hissed;
“Who gave you permission to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do?”
“I’m just trying-”
“To help?” I laughed derisively and turned so that I could lean my back against the door. It seared my skin, and for the first time I realized that I still didn’t have on a shirt. Mine had been left in the sink and I hadn’t had the time to grab it before I’d been forced from the bathroom. Afterwards I’d been so focused on worrying about what was happening to Sam that I hadn’t thought of it.
Well, too late for modesty now.
“What is it that you want from me, Conric?”
His brows furrowed and he came to sit cross-legged in front of me. “I don’t want anything from you. I just want to help. I’m your knight. Isn’t that my duty?”
“Everyone wants to help me.” I told him, voice without inflection, and my gaze growing unkind. “I’m tired of being helped. I find myself tripping over knights with no armor, and I meet prince charming a dozen times a day. So color me unimpressed.”
Drawing my knees up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around my legs and buried my face in the cocoon I formed there while my stomach twisted in on itself in hunger.
“I’ve outgrown fairytales, Conric. I don’t need a knight to save me. I don’t need a hero on a white steed. I need a man. Plain and simple.”
“Whatever my-lady desires—”
“How long?” I interrupted abruptly, tired finally of the charade.
“Excuse me?”
“How long has the curse been playing you like a puppet? How. Long?”
His voice grew stiff. Lovely, I’d finally succeeded in offending him. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Come off it already,” this was exasperating. This self-denial. “I can tell when a man’s succumbed to the curse. I can always tell. The ones who have it bad usually get stuck in this medieval hero mentality. Talking to me like I’m their maiden fair and they just can’t wait to go out and slaughter something in my honor.”
I looked at him over the tops of my arms and scowled, “You sort of fit all the requirements of a man smitten.”
“Maybe I just like you.” And the smile he gave me then was tinged in sadness.
“Doubtful.” I snapped.
“Is is so hard to believe that someone would without the aid of magic?”
The conversation was taking a turn I didn’t like, so I did the grown up thing and buried my head back in my arms and ignored him.
“Look,” he said after a long pause, his voice distinctly less syrupy and obnoxious. “I’m new to all this. I’ve never had to be someone’s hero, so when I realized that I had the chance to be your Prince Charming…I…I just didn’t want to disappoint you.”
I found myself peeking at him through a space in my arms and saw him duck his head in amused embarrassment. “I think I may have laid it on a little thick.”
“You think?”
He chuckled and I found myself smiling at him. He really was handsome. Not my usual type, but he had a face that had probably broken its own share of hearts.
“So the curse hasn’t affected you?”
The idea of completing the rest of this Quest with him if it had was terrifying.
He shook his head and there was an ease to his manner that made me believe him.
“I’m sort of like your large friend in there. The curse can’t affect me in the slightest.”
Curious. “Why is that?”
He nodded towards the bathroom door, “Well, I don’t know about him, but
My stomach growled and I gave the door to my guest bathroom a bitter look.
“You should come sit down. Maybe get some rest while you can. I can bring you something to eat.”
Conric’s voice made me jump, and suddenly, I had an outlet for everything. All the fear of the last year, all the frustration, and yes, all the worry. I turned on him, and, voice low and dangerous enough to make my Godmother proud, hissed;
“Who gave you permission to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do?”
“I’m just trying-”
“To help?” I laughed derisively and turned so that I could lean my back against the door. It seared my skin, and for the first time I realized that I still didn’t have on a shirt. Mine had been left in the sink and I hadn’t had the time to grab it before I’d been forced from the bathroom. Afterwards I’d been so focused on worrying about what was happening to Sam that I hadn’t thought of it.
Well, too late for modesty now.
“What is it that you want from me, Conric?”
His brows furrowed and he came to sit cross-legged in front of me. “I don’t want anything from you. I just want to help. I’m your knight. Isn’t that my duty?”
“Everyone wants to help me.” I told him, voice without inflection, and my gaze growing unkind. “I’m tired of being helped. I find myself tripping over knights with no armor, and I meet prince charming a dozen times a day. So color me unimpressed.”
Drawing my knees up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around my legs and buried my face in the cocoon I formed there while my stomach twisted in on itself in hunger.
“I’ve outgrown fairytales, Conric. I don’t need a knight to save me. I don’t need a hero on a white steed. I need a man. Plain and simple.”
“Whatever my-lady desires—”
“How long?” I interrupted abruptly, tired finally of the charade.
“Excuse me?”
“How long has the curse been playing you like a puppet? How. Long?”
His voice grew stiff. Lovely, I’d finally succeeded in offending him. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Come off it already,” this was exasperating. This self-denial. “I can tell when a man’s succumbed to the curse. I can always tell. The ones who have it bad usually get stuck in this medieval hero mentality. Talking to me like I’m their maiden fair and they just can’t wait to go out and slaughter something in my honor.”
I looked at him over the tops of my arms and scowled, “You sort of fit all the requirements of a man smitten.”
“Maybe I just like you.” And the smile he gave me then was tinged in sadness.
“Doubtful.” I snapped.
“Is is so hard to believe that someone would without the aid of magic?”
The conversation was taking a turn I didn’t like, so I did the grown up thing and buried my head back in my arms and ignored him.
“Look,” he said after a long pause, his voice distinctly less syrupy and obnoxious. “I’m new to all this. I’ve never had to be someone’s hero, so when I realized that I had the chance to be your Prince Charming…I…I just didn’t want to disappoint you.”
I found myself peeking at him through a space in my arms and saw him duck his head in amused embarrassment. “I think I may have laid it on a little thick.”
“You think?”
He chuckled and I found myself smiling at him. He really was handsome. Not my usual type, but he had a face that had probably broken its own share of hearts.
“So the curse hasn’t affected you?”
The idea of completing the rest of this Quest with him if it had was terrifying.
He shook his head and there was an ease to his manner that made me believe him.
“I’m sort of like your large friend in there. The curse can’t affect me in the slightest.”
Curious. “Why is that?”
He nodded towards the bathroom door, “Well, I don’t know about him, but
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