by Ann Denton
“You’re the only one who can do it,” I soothed, stroking his arm, which looked exactly like my arm. It was thin and soft, a few freckles dotting the lower half.
Declan stood in a chemise in my chambers. We had kicked all servants—even Ginnifer—out while we had him take the potion.
But now I had to convince him to stop frowning and follow through. I stared into Declan’s eyes. “The royal exclusion for spells only applies to you.” Only the royal family could use spells with ease inside the castle. Otherwise, the counter spells set by the castle mages throughout the centuries would activate and strip the magic. Human magics at least.
“Ryan could do it,” Declan huffed in my pouty voice. I sounded awful. Whiny, like a child. “I was gonna look through those papers from your mom. Make Ryan do it.”
I turned to Connor. “I don’t actually sound like that, do I?”
“That’s what you’re worried about?” Declan screeched.
“Calm down,” I reached out and put my hands on either cheek. I waited until his eyes focused on me. “Declan, you know me. You’ve known me since we were fourteen. I’m awkward at these dinners. I used to be awkward because I was shy. Now I’m awkward because I don’t say the right things at the right times. If it weren’t for this damned crown, I’d have been chucked from the court ages ago.” I stared into hazel eyes. “There’s no way you can mess up. They all hate me in there anyway.”
“They don’t.”
“They find me annoying.”
“Well, that’s just a fact of—”
I punched him in the tit.
“Hey!” he grabbed his chest.
“Don’t call me annoying and you won’t get hit.” I narrowed my eyes at him, but I wrapped my arms around his neck. I pulled him forehead to forehead. “I need you, Dec. You’re the only one.”
He sighed. He was caving, I could feel it. I lingered, forehead to forehead for a moment before I pulled back to look into his eyes—my eyes.
“Your blue eyes are so much prettier,” I told him.
“Not true,” his hands came around my waist.
“Dec, I can’t let our people get involved in this. It seems like Malia might be already. That’s her choice and she’ll be stripped of her title for it. Aiden might get the ax. But civilians? These people are farmers and bakers. Not fighters. And there’s no way they’ll understand or be told everything that’s really going on. I have to hear how Isla and Raj are convincing people to rebel against Sedara. I need to know so we can figure out how to counter it.”
Declan gave a rough sigh, “I still think Ryan could do it.”
I giggled and leaned closer. “Everyone will expect him to shadow me. With that many other nobles around, they’ll expect him and the rest of my guards to be watching like hawks for assassination attempts.”
“Assassination attempts. That makes me feel better.”
“Would it make you feel better if I promised I’d go pearl diving later?” I whispered.
A flush crept over Declan’s cheeks. My cheeks. I slid my hands down from his neck, toward the breasts that started heaving as my fingers got close. My fingertips grazed the nipples. Back and forth, I teased him. I waited for the buds to harden under my fingers. When I could feel the little nipples protruding, I grabbed the left one and twisted slightly. “I need to protect our people. And I need your help.” I leaned in and kissed the sensitive pulse at his neck.
Behind me, Connor groaned.
Ryan urged, “Kiss each other.”
Mirth and lust bubbled in my stomach as I stepped closer to Declan. The other knights were clearly enjoying watching two of me.
“Will you do this for me, Dec?” I crooned.
“Sard it all,” he cursed. And then he grabbed me and pulled me into a deep kiss.
I’d never kissed a woman before. I had no idea what to expect. The hands that held me weren’t huge. They didn’t cover my entire ass like I was used to. I wasn’t leaning up, only forward. I didn’t feel dominated or protected as I did with a man. It was different. I felt … adored. The soft swipes of his tongue against mine. The plush, soft body pressing into me. The hand that traced down my spine knew exactly where to go in order to elicit shivers of the best kind. I felt myself grow wet and pressed closer. I loved the way our breasts mashed together, my nipples scratching against the fabric of my dress. A warm, fiery sensation filled my stomach as the kiss grew from tender to fierce.
Declan grabbed my hands and pinned them behind my back, making my breasts press forward and my back arch. Then those lips left mine and a blazing hot trail of kisses went down my neck.
A knock at the door had us jumping apart.
“Sarding hell!” Ryan cursed, stuffing his dick back into his pants.
Connor took a second to finish himself, spurting all over the floor. He didn’t bother to clean it up before he tucked himself away, wiped his hand on a handkerchief in his pocket, and made his way to answer the door.
Only Quinn wasn’t touching himself. His eyes burned with heat, but his hands were firmly fisted by his sides.
I looked back at Declan sheepishly. “You’ll do it, love?”
Declan sighed, “I’ll do it. But our first time is not gonna be like this,” he gestured at the girl body he was wearing.
“Deal,” I grinned. “I love your body more anyway.”
That earned me a small smile.
Connor pulled the door open to reveal Jorad.
“Dinner is—” Jorad saw Declan and me, his eyes doing a double take. He didn’t even ask. His lips merely thinned. “Dinner is served.”
“We’ll be right there,” Connor told him. He shut the door right in Jorad’s face.
Ryan looked at me, “Bloss, are you sure—”
“Yes,” I pulled off my red dress and tossed it to Declan. I did the same with my crown. And then I drank one of the disguise spells I’d had Cerena and Donaloo whip up. He’d shown her a trick or two. And the potion tasted like strawberries and cream, which was a vast improvement over the potions I’d bought from her in the past.
I turned into a portly young man. So portly that I got stuck in my chemise.
“Dammit, I need help getting this off.”
Ryan came over to yank the garment off me. “This isn’t nearly as fun when you look like that.”
“Good. Or I’d be worried,” I retorted. Then I pawed through the stash of clothes Quinn had brought for me. I found some breeches and a shirt and pulled them on. When my breeches were up, I had to adjust myself. Having a penis was rather uncomfortable.
I nodded toward Declan, who looked like a rather disheveled version of me. “You might let Ginnifer fix your hair once I’m gone.”
Declan just scowled.
Ryan came forward and pushed something into my fat hand. “Take this.”
“What is it?” I looked down to find the sharpened hair pin. “What? I can’t get a real dagger even in a man’s body?”
“This is still more stealthy. No one will expect it. I’ll have some guards out of uniform trailing you. But still, I’d feel better if you had it.”
I sighed and let him strap the weapon onto my arm underneath my sleeve. There was no arguing with my half-giant protector. I went to move away, but Ryan wouldn’t let me.
“If someone grabs you from behind, show me how you’re gonna get away,” he said. Then he grabbed me and held me fast, his muscles bulging and tense against me.
I struggled, but Ryan wouldn’t let go. Not even when I kicked his shins. He forced me to go for the weapon. I had to stab backward into his belly before he released me.
“Good,” Ryan gasped.
“I hate when you make me do that,” I complained, wiping the blood onto a spare shirt as pink light filled the room and he healed himself.
“Too sarding bad,” Ryan growled, “I don’t want you antsy about actually using a weapon.” He pulled me into a hug that turned into an awkward back pat due to my man body. That made me smile.
&nb
sp; Ryan grumbled, “Now, I need to go beat someone’s head in downstairs. Then I’ll set some guards on your tail.”
He stomped off, the rage from his healing power consuming him.
Declan wandered to the dressing room and called for Ginnifer.
I made eye contact with Connor and jerked my head toward Declan. “Don’t let him make too big a fool of me.”
“No promises,” Connor replied.
I rolled my eyes but grabbed Quinn’s hand. Then I realized I was a boy. “Whoops. Sorry.”
Quinn laughed silently. He opened his bottle of the disguise spell and rubbed a bit of it on his face and teeth. His nose grew bulbous and he lost a tooth. The others grew yellow. His pores enlarged where he’d rubbed the potion, making his face into a series of craters.
You’ll have to resist me tonight, Dove. At least for a bit.
I laughed. I didn’t know you could rub on a disguise spell.
Spies have all kinds of tricks. Learned that one from your old man when I was his apprentice. He’d have me practice doing a quick rub on my face on a lot of missions. It’s a quick way to stretch out the magic and to change your appearance when you leave a building and hit the alley.
Quinn led the way to a secret passage and pressed the seam along the wall to magically release the hidden door. He stepped aside like a gentleman so I could enter first. I turned and looked at him before he grabbed a torch and followed.
Speaking of resisting, I thought at him, you were the least affected by the show Declan and I put on.
Oh, I was affected, Dove.
Didn’t seem like it.
I’m just saving myself for later.
Later?
You and I are about to have some alone time.
Ummm … I’m a guy right now. I was confused.
Quinn chuckled in my head. I brought a reversal spell for both of us. For after.
Quinn sent an image. It was he and I (in our normal forms) behind a tavern and under the stars. He bent me against a wall in an alley, plunging into me from behind. I braced myself on the stone and my cheek rasped against it as he rode me hard. He held my breasts as he took me where anyone might see.
His fantasy gave me half a hardon. I had to adjust the damned dick.
I smacked him.
Knock that off. Or I won’t be able to focus tonight.
Don’t tell me that. Now, I’ll be tempted to tease you.
Knock that off or I’ll bugger you.
That sent Quinn’s eyes wide. No thanks. I’ll be good. Promise.
I laughed. Now I had a trick up my sleeve to keep my spy master in line.
Apparently, he didn’t like it in the moon.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Roasted Goose was our destination. Quinn and I took bottles of Flight to save time and cut down on interaction throughout the capital.
We landed in the woods and made our way toward the tavern lights. The stone tavern on the outskirts of Marscha was rowdy.
Inside, a minstrel strummed a lute in the corner. People chatted and danced and yelled. The smells of ale and bread filled the air as people drank and sopped up their drunkenness with thin stew in bread trenchers.
The entire scene made me slightly nostalgic for Kylee’s tavern. This group didn’t seem to have barrel fever quite as bad as the miners’ used to, but that was a good thing. Fewer fisticuffs from blind drunk fools.
Quinn had no qualms about cutting through the crowd. I followed the best I could, but my frame was much thicker and shorter than his. People didn’t naturally part for me. I fell behind and there were a few people between us.
A prostitute was taking bids for her evening. When she looked at me questioningly, I shook my head and she said, “You sure? We’re playing three to one tonight. You look like you could use a pump, sugar.”
She winked and plumped up her breasts for my perusal.
I shook my head again and she rolled her eyes. “Browneyes are in the back, then.”
I just pressed my lips together and nodded. I wasn’t here for sex. With men or women.
I pushed through the crowd, tapping one man’s arm and asking to get past.
When I touched him, I noticed something unusual. He had a white armband on his shirt.
After I’d moved past him, I looked around. I hadn’t noticed at first, because most people wore white shirts. Dye was expensive.
The tavern was full of people with white bands on their arms. My gut tightened. My intuition rang like the castle’s alarm bell. I searched my memory for whatever might have triggered my response. Someone started clapping along with the music. And that’s when I knew. Clapping. Arm bands. The plow races. The most popular man at the plows had worn a white arm band. The group cheering for him had been the largest. The most organized.
My stomach dropped like a stone in a well. I felt sick.
I’d come here hoping to learn what lies Isla and Raj were about to feed my people. I’d come in the hope I could prevent the rebellion from spreading to Evaness.
But if Quinn had brought me here … if this tavern was where the rebels were meeting … I was already too late. I looked around. I was walking through a sea of white armbands.
Someone had already sewn and distributed the bands. That took money, time, dedication.
Shite, I thought. Shite. The rebellion against Sedara is already here.
I didn’t get to Quinn before a man started talking near me. “This is all long overdue. We should be able to travel without using their sarded up, piss-poor old boats.”
“Yeah, last time I went ‘cross the channel, there were fish guts on the floor. They hadn’t even sprayed it down none ‘afore they took on passengers!”
“They charged me double when our delivery was delayed by a rain storm. As if it were my damned fault the sky opened up.”
Another man sipped his flagon. “So, when’s that group gettin’ here with our rally instructions?”
I sucked in a breath. They were already awaiting instructions? Something was already planned? They weren’t just casual supporters?
Sard.
I searched the room for weapons. Other than the normal short knives men carried at their waists, I saw only a few swords. That was good. At least they weren’t getting ready for a full-on attack. What then? A raid? A trip to the harbor to protest Sedara? Hell, I hoped it was merely a demonstration. Or a rally to discuss another rally—
I made it to Quinn, who had managed to get a tankard and was drinking.
Quinn, they’re waiting for instruc—
I know, he cut me off. He took a final swig and set his empty cup on the bar. When his eyes met mine, they were dark with malice. I’m listening. There’s no way my people missed this. Someone in my network must support the rebellion. My network must be sarded to hell. Compromised. The thoughts around us are all about action. They’re excited, not grumbling. They’re ready to do something.
But what something?
Quinn scratched his bulbous, disguised nose. It doesn’t seem like any of them know. From what I can tell, these are mostly sailors. Couple a’ merchants.
I guess that makes sense. They’d have the most interaction with Sedara. The most resentment. Who do you think they’re waiting for?
Quinn shrugged. I’m gonna go toward the back and see if I can hear anything else. The two men behind you are Ryan’s. Stick with them.
I glanced up to see two very tall men eyeing me curiously. I hadn’t even noticed them before. I gave a friendly shrug.
One nodded back and the other simply kept scanning the room. But both moved closer.
The front door swung open. A gust of winter wind blew in, ruffling hair and making people blink.
I turned. And paled. Goosebumps rose on my arms, and they weren’t from the chill.
In strode two women with long flaxen hair. They had lean, tan bodies. Seaweed was woven into their braids and starfish clung to their hair. They hardly wore more than chemises despite the cold night. Their t
hin dresses clung to every curve. Gold scales lined the backs of their arms and the sides of their necks. Appreciative wolf-whistles went up all around.
I pushed passed a man and tried to get to Quinn. My shadows followed.
“Watch it!” growled the man I’d knocked forward.
“Sorry. Got to piss,” I answered.
The man let me pass and I pushed around someone else. Urgency drove me forward. Quinn and I needed to get out of here before those women spoke. Or worse, sang. Because sirens had just entered the rebel’s tavern. And if I knew one thing from the brothel I’d worked at, it was that sirens (even half-sirens) loved to cause trouble.
I stuffed my handkerchief in one ear and used my hand to cover the other.
Did you see the sirens? I mentally yelled to Quinn.
Hard to miss ‘em. I’ve got wax in my ears already.
I made it to him. Well, share, you oaf.
He handed me a bit of wax from his palm.
You think we should get out of sight? I asked. We’re about the only ones here without a white band on our arms.
Quinn shrugged. Not yet. I want to hear what everyone thinks.
I kept an eye on the sirens as they made their way through the crowd. I wondered how Isla had recruited them. She did have a lot of partial mer-people. But these women were straight from the sea. Full sirens typically stuck to themselves, other than to seek out bedwarmers. Not these sirens. They greeted several people by name. One even took a sip from a man’s flagon.
They stood next to the musicians. And then one of them spoke. “Quiet.”
The reaction was immediate. Everyone in the room stopped talking. Respectful silence ensued. The siren’s voice was far more effective than mine was even from the throne. Heads turned toward the beautiful woman with the light green eyes.
She smiled, “For far too long, Sedara has kept us all chained. They’ve ruled the seas with a heavy hand. And we haven’t had the power to stop them. Until now.”
“Hear hear!” Several men clanked their steins together and downed their ale.
