by Gideon Mills
“I like it,” Cat said. “Back home, they don’t do that. So I like his honesty.”
“I’m not complaining.” Gillian was doing her own staring at Cat. Taking in her body, and Wyatt didn’t blame her. “In fact, I think we all could learn a thing or two from that.”
The guardswoman licked her lips as she took in Cat. Wyatt said a silent prayer that the two stripped down and went at each other. Let him watch the whole thing, or ask him to join. That would be an excellent start to the day.
For a moment, it appeared that just might happen, but then suddenly the door opened up, and a dwarf walked in. Wyatt said a curse under his breath. Both women dashed up the stairs, leaving Wyatt and Octavia to deal with the dwarf. It wasn’t one that Wyatt recognized.
“Octavia,” the dwarf said. “What have you done?
“Me?” the goblin said. “I have no clue what you are talking about.”
“Helping the elves and the others. Now my kin are talking of staying. We were all set to leave.”
“That wasn’t her fault,” Wyatt interjected.
It was almost as if the dwarf hadn’t seen Wyatt until then since when Wyatt spoke, the dwarf jumped out of his boots. Well not literally, but he was shocked to see Wyatt. Which was strange since this was Wyatt’s office.
“Human, you are the mage making the world crazy?”
“I’m trying to stop a mage, and the king,” Wyatt said.
“Well don’t drag my kin into this fucking mess.”
“He didn’t,” Octavia said. “We didn’t ask the dwarves to help. All we did was ask why they were leaving. Didn’t try to stop them. Didn’t ask them to fight. I wish we had. It might have made the battle easier. As it is, many of the elves still had to run for their lives, and the goblins still haven’t returned.”
It was all true. Wyatt hoped that tonight they found what they needed to bring the goblins back and to fight the mage, make him stop. So many things needed to be answered, and he hoped they found that tonight. One of them being the woman that hired him for this job.
“Humph,” the dwarf said. “Something is afoot, and I don’t like it one bit. Elves, goblins, dwarves, and mages all acting strange and working together. That isn’t normal.”
Wyatt wouldn’t argue with the dwarf. Nothing these days was normal by any stretch. “Master dwarf,” Wyatt said. “We just want to stop Amon and see who is behind tricking the king.”
“See Reginald,” Octavia said. “We are the good guys.”
“That matter is up for debate. The dwarves would be better back in the mines. Back deeper in the country. We aren’t meant to be here.”
It was known or rumored that the dwarves longed to be back in their ancient homeland that was now overrun by giant trolls and other monsters. Wyatt had heard of giant spiders and dragons in the tunnels that the dwarves mined. Not to mention ghouls. They wouldn’t be going back there. Not for a very long time. That much everyone knew. Reginald had to know that as well.
“We’ll do what we can to help you,” Wyatt said. “I vow not to make the dwarves stay or to harm them. I just don’t want my city to be a war zone. I don’t want my country run by mages or foreign kings.”
“Very well, fix this and leave us alone.”
The short hairy man left the office, and it left Wyatt wondering what in the world that was all about. Yet another thing to add to the mystery of the city. Wyatt was really growing tired of more intrigue. He was ready for a dull job of hunting down a noble that had a mistress on the side or a goblin dipping his toes into a coffer that they shouldn’t.
29
A Grand Ball
Wyatt finished the last of the spells to mask their appearance. They all looked very different than usual. Not a single person would know who they were at the ball. “Remember,” he said. “Once we cross into the royal grounds, we have one hour. Then my spell will lose its power.”
It would have been nice if he could make it last longer, but with the defenses that the king had in place it just wouldn’t be possible. Taking in the two women, Wyatt had to admit they still looked damn hot, but not as good as normal. Cat was one of the most dazzling women he had ever had the pleasure to lay his eyes on, not to mention make love to.
Gillian too was pleasant on the eyes. Right now he took them both in and admired their bodies, which had nothing to do with his magic. He only changed their faces and hair.
“Ready?” Octavia said. She was in her armor and ready to stalk the outside of the center of the city. They would meet up with her at the edge of the estate that Francis owned after ninety minutes on the grounds. That was the plan, and Wyatt hoped that they arrived there with the information they needed.
The trip over to the castle was slow. Cat and Gillian had covered up some so as to not draw any unwanted attention. The dresses would surely do that since their bodies were on full display, and many of the men in the city were even bigger pigs than Wyatt. They would do more than just look, and that was unacceptable. Wyatt wouldn’t allow that to happen. Never to Cat, nor to Gillian. He might have only just met the guardswoman, but he respected her too much. Not to mention the fact that he really wanted to see more of her himself. Maybe tonight if they were successful he would get that chance.
Not that Gillian had given him any indication that was even possible, but he still let his mind wonder about it and dream. It helped to pass the time as they walked to the castle.
The last thing he wanted to do was dwell on the night ahead of him. So much could go wrong if they were in there longer than an hour. Or worse, if they didn’t find what they needed to find. That would be the worst possible outcome. This truly felt like the only chance they would have of finding this info. Wyatt hoped that the mystery woman hadn’t misled him.
If she had, this colossal risk was for naught. That would be yet another thing that he would have to fix if it was the case. Track down the woman and make her pay for lying to him. He would hate having to do that.
The walls of the palace came into view, and the two next to him shrugged off their outer layer, exposing the dresses in all their glory. Many of the people that arrived were in carriages, behind drawn by some of the finest horses in the city.
“We should have done that,” Gillian said.
Wyatt groaned. He didn’t even own one horse, let alone two, and a carriage. It wasn’t like those just grew on trees. He did want to get a horse; with all the walking that thought often occurred to him now.
They got into the line of people that were arriving on foot; thankfully they weren’t the only ones doing that. Up in front of them was Gareth Stone. That had been an unexpected shock to them. Wyatt hoped the centaur didn’t mess up the plan. Not that Wyatt told him everything.
“What is he doing here?” Cat hissed into his ear.
“He’s a powerful man in the city,” Gillian said. “No doubt that the king owes him, and he’s cashing some of that in to be here.”
“Don’t talk of owing him,” Cat said.
“You didn’t?”
“We did.” Wyatt didn’t want to talk of this or even think of that. They needed to focus. Make sure they got on the estate and were able to roam freely enough to find the info.
Gareth Stone looked to his rear and glared right into Wyatt’s eyes. It was hard for the mage to tell if Gareth knew it was him or not. Tonight was going to be a very long night indeed. His heart raced as he thought about all they needed to achieve tonight. This wasn’t going to be easy and they all knew it. Wyatt knew this was the night that was going to make or break this quest. That didn’t help him relax. Only made it worse as he started to sweat down his back. Taking a deep breath in, he forced himself to focus on what he could control.
The line to get onto the estate moved slowly. The one with carriages moved at double the speed. Yet another reason they should have done that. Wyatt needed to up his game and make more money. This just wasn’t cutting it.
By the time they made it to the front of the line, Wyatt was
already sick of being here. The people around him were all stuffy and uptight. There was a reason that he hated working with nobles, and it was on clear display tonight.
Outside of all the eye candy, he hated this. They really thought they were above everyone else and their betters. It sickened him the way many spoke of the other sections of the city and the country. Like they were the reason that the bad was happening.
It amazed Wyatt that Cat was able to resist reaching out and killing a few people, with how poorly they spoke of the elves. Some of the things that people said of goblins and dwarves curled Wyatt’s ears.
The guard in front of Wyatt was familiar. It took only a moment for him to recognize the man. It was the first one he’d sent flying in the air in the battle when they sought out Gillian.
“Invitations?” the guard asked.
Gillian pulled them out and handed them to the guard. The stiff man looked them over. “I see you know a guard. Have fun.”
“Thank you,” Gillian said.
That had been much easier than Wyatt had expected. That might be the only thing that went smoothly tonight. Wyatt hoped it wasn’t, but he wasn’t going to set his expectations high tonight.
With the way the job had been going, nothing went smoothly. It was one hiccup after another. Wyatt was getting sick and tired of that and ready for some answers.
What he didn’t expect was the first answer he was going to get. They walked into the main ballroom of the castle, where the majority of the event was going to take place. It was going to be tricky slipping out of the room. It was huge.
Wyatt had been in some impressive rooms in his life, but this one took the cake. The ceiling was at least thirty feet tall, with balconies lining the edges letting some of the people leer down on the others. That made Wyatt slightly uneasy. The ceiling itself had one of the most masterful pieces of art that he had ever seen painted on it. A heavenly angel was there reaching down to a stunning woman.
The art drew the eyes of many of the people as they entered. “It’s a nice piece,” Gillian said. “You get used to it.”
Wyatt had trouble believing that, but Gillian didn’t even bat an eye at the art. She was looking around the room. Wyatt knew that was the best course of action and did the same. He needed to know how to get out of this room and make his way to the records room, or to the royal bed chambers. That had to be the places that held the information he sought.
It was then that he saw her. The woman who hired him was standing front and center with the king. She was just as dazzling as the day he first met her.
“Is that . . .?” Cat asked.
Wyatt nodded. Unable to speak. He was in shock at the realization of who hired him. It couldn’t be. This had to be a trick of the mind. How had he not seen it sooner? He must be slipping and losing his touch on who was who in the city.
“What is going on?” Gillian appeared to be lost.
“Wyatt was hired by this gorgeous woman to look into this. Actually, to come here and steal the paperwork,” Cat said. “I only got a quick look at her, but that is her next to the king.”
“You’re kidding.”
“She’s not.” Wyatt regained some of his composure, but still was taking in the princess of the country. She was one of the most powerful people in the whole country, and she had hired him to come here and steal.
It was no wonder that she knew he hadn’t been here yet. She lived here and had access to the whole place. It angered Wyatt that she hadn’t given him more help, or told him where to look. She clearly knew where, or would at least have a good idea. That was for another night.
If they were successful, the princess would know and come to him again. Wyatt was sure of that. Or if they failed and made it out alive, Allegra would see him again. That time she’d better bring some coin and be ready to explain herself. Princess Allegra had to know that Wyatt would, at some point, figure out she was the princess.
“We need to mingle,” Gillian said.
She was right. If they darted out and didn’t talk to anyone, that would draw attention. No one would remember talking to them. The only issue was the clock was ticking, and they had already wasted a lot of time.
They had to make quick work of it and get out. “Let’s do this,” Cat said.
Going to the left side of the ballroom, they stood at a table. A group of nobles about the same age as they were approached. “I don’t recall seeing you here before,” the leader said. She was shorter than the rest but had a presence about her. Her short blond hair was braided, and her dress exposed her small breasts and flat stomach.
“We’re new to the city,” Gillian said. “Moved to Imlay from Roseville.”
“I see. I’m sure it’s a shock.”
“It does take some getting used to,” Cat said. Wyatt knew that she was speaking the truth. “The city is so big, and the people have strange customs and mannerisms.”
The blond woman giggled. “I know, right. This place is pure chaos. You moved here at a strange time.”
Wyatt was thankful she didn’t ask what family they belonged to. That would have created some problems as they hadn’t talked that over before they left—a stupid mistake. The family a person belonged to meant a lot to many of the nobles.
Even though they hadn’t been here long, Wyatt felt like time was slipping by. They had to act and now.
“You two go,” he said. “I’ll do some more mingling.”
Wyatt was sure that the two would be able to move fast and efficiently without him. At least get a good idea of where they needed to go.
“You sure?” Cat asked.
“Yes.”
They darted off to the north end of the ballroom and made a skillful exit from sight.
Just as they did, Wyatt turned to see the mystery woman that hired him. The princess.
30
A dance
For a brief moment, Wyatt stood utterly transfixed by the princess. Allegra Martin had the bluest of eyes and some of the largest breasts that Wyatt had ever seen. That was something he hadn’t noticed fully until she was this close, and with the dress she had on. They were on full display for the world to see. Wyatt was sure that he wasn't the only man here who was thinking about touching them. Her long black hair was as dark as midnight.
Wyatt bowed. “Princess.”
She smiled. “Good sir, I don’t believe we have been introduced.”
Wyatt had no idea if she knew who he was or not. He looked nothing like himself and was sure that she wouldn’t be able to see past the masking spell. “I’m afraid not,” he said.
“Are you sure?” Allegra narrowed her eyes and crinkled her nose. “I swear good sir, that I know you.”
“I have that type of face,” Wyatt said. That was something he heard people say all the time when trying to act like they didn’t know the person. “People confuse me with others all the time.”
She didn’t seem to buy what he was saying. Just like Wyatt never bought it when people said that to him. It was always a bunch of drivel when they said it too. No wonder he never bought it, just didn’t sound authentic.
The band started to play a song. One that Wyatt knew well. “Oh,” Allegra said. “I love this song. Dance with me.”
Wyatt didn’t want to dance, and especially with the princess. That was going to draw a lot of attention, and people would be watching him like a hawk after that. Yet, he couldn’t refuse her. She was too important a person to say no to. Not to mention, she was fucking amazing.
“As you wish.” She took his hand and led him to the dance floor. At least the song wasn’t a slow one and meant he didn’t have to know too many of the moves.
In the country, almost all the songs had a corresponding dance. This was no different, and the pair went about the dance. It was nice to let her take the lead, as he was unsure of some of the moves. He followed her they moved on the dance floor.
The others gave them room to move, not wanting to upset the princess or the king. That woul
d be bad form, and they all knew it.
As they danced, more and more eyes watched them, just as Wyatt predicted. This was going to make his own slipping away harder than he hoped it would be. Though Wyatt was having a good time. He hated to admit that since he enjoyed the fun with Cat and Octavia. Now Wyatt was thinking about Allegra and Gillian. It wasn’t the first time he dreamed about being with multiple women, but never this many. He was getting carried away with all the daydreams.
It was hard to focus on the dance as they went. They hadn’t gotten too close to each other in the dance. That was about the only thing that Wyatt didn’t like. If he was going to be out here will all the eyes on him, he could at least get a chance to feel her body against his own. That was part of the joy of dancing, the foreplay of it. The tension it created when the two rubbed against each other. Figured out if they were compatible in the sack.
The song shifted from the faster-paced one to a slow one. Allegra eyed him and licked her lips. “Let’s continue.”
Wyatt wasn’t sure if that was wise or not, but his second brain was all for it. He’d get what he wanted and couldn’t resist the temptation of her against him. Feeling her as they moved. “As you command, Princess.”
Allegra smirked. She leaned in close to him and placed her arms around him. His hands went to her waist, and he dreamed of inching lower, but this wasn’t the time or the place. They moved slowly on the dance floor. Her head on his shoulder and their feet moving in unison.
“I swear I know you,” she said.
Wyatt didn’t know how to respond. “If you say so.”
It was the best he could do. All of this was taking more and more time, and he had to find a way to slip away to join Cat and Gillian. They couldn’t let this night go to waste. This was the best chance Wyatt had to locate what Allegra hired him to do. They had to stop Amon.
Out of the corner of Wyatt’s eyes he saw the mage enter the room and stride over to the king. They both eyed Wyatt and Allegra as the mage spoke. Amon’s eyes burned into Wyatt.
