by Ann Denton
My eyes grew wide. My mind flew back to the image of a bluebird attacking Abbas. “That attack, when we were walking in the garden?”
He pushed himself roughly into a sitting position. “He forced me to alert him. He just wasn’t specific enough about how I had to alert him. His mistake. I like loopholes.” A wry grin hit his face.
“Good thing,” Declan said darkly.
That was all it took for my throat to tighten up as I looked back at my blond knight.
“Yes. Very good thing.”
We all were quiet for a moment.
Blue shrugged. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t do much to the bastard in bird form.”
“But he didn’t keep controlling you, did he? I mean, the past few weeks, you’ve been with us …” Ryan let the question trail off.
Blue jerked his head at Quinn. “He pulled those rings off and asked us to come protect Bloss.”
I glanced at Quinn. Thank you, my love.
He quirked a grin at me. Anytime.
We had another quiet moment, standing in a circle and we all just breathed one another in. Our little family.
Then Connor said, “Dec, can you get dressed? I’m kinda sick of seeing your roly poly.”
Declan waggled his hips, letting his penis slap his thighs, “You mean this broomstick?”
“Tiny nob,” Ryan corrected.
“Staff of life,” my scholar argued as he pulled on trousers.
“Mouse,” Blue contributed to the male anatomy argument.
Tickle-tail. Fireplace poker. Stallion. Quinn sent us all mental images to accompany his penis-names.
“Shaft of delight,” Declan laughed. “The peacemaker.”
Everyone groaned at that pun.
I rolled my eyes. It looked like the giddiness was back in full force. Good. We needed the humor to fortify us. Because I had a feeling the days ahead would be dark.
“I’ll let you boys argue about the proper names for your cocks while I go make a grown-up plan with Cerena.” I pulled on a dead soldier’s pants and boots as they continued to toss out every term they’d ever learned. There were far too many. Men spend entirely too much time thinking about their own dicks.
I found Cerena outside the cave. But no Donaloo and no dragon.
I walked over and stood beside her as she watched the pine trees stomp back to their homes in the forest and rebury their roots in the soil.
“Where’s our wizard?” I asked.
“Said he had to take care of something. Took off with the dragon and some kid.”
We stared at the trees until I heard the jostling and joking of my knights behind me.
I rolled my eyes at Cerena and said, “Here they come, the hope of the realm.”
When they reached the cave entrance and spotted us, they all moved forward. All except Quinn, who froze, stock-still, staring at Cerena and myself.
Are you okay?
Quinn rubbed his face. He squinted at us.
The other knights noticed and turned to watch him.
Slowly Quinn’s eyes widened. He thought at all of us: I can’t tell what Cerena’s thinking.
I turned to Cerena. “Did you use a spell to protect your thoughts?”
“No. Why?”
“Did Donaloo?”
“I don’t think so.”
I turned back to Quinn. Maybe … after coming back to life … maybe your powers are just a bit slower?
Quinn shook his head; his breathing came more rapidly.
“Declan, can you multiply something for me?” I asked, thinking that maybe my other knight might struggle a bit and that would help Quinn relax.
He’s just too tense, I thought.
Declan raised his hand at a shield held by a dead Rasle soldier.
Nothing happened.
His light blue eyes met mine in a panic.
My heart started to beat faster. I turned to Ryan. I ran a fingernail over one of my old scars, scratching myself. “Ryan, heal my scratch.”
Ryan came over. His hand closed over my wrist. But there was no pink light. My scratch didn’t heal.
I turned and stared hard at Blue. “Do you know what the hell is going on?”
Blue swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Everything about his body language was uncertain. He fidgeted with his hands. “You can’t wish for what you’ve already had.”
“What?” I asked the question even though black dread filled my stomach. Because I thought I knew the answer.
“A wish can’t make things exactly the same as they were. The magic doesn’t allow it. Whenever a wish touches something or someone, it changes them.”
My stomach tightened. “Changes them how?”
Blue shrugged. “I had to use that loophole. I had to wish for them to come back, but not exactly as they were before.”
Understanding poured over me like a waterfall. I turned back to stare at my knights.
“Connor, what am I feeling?” I turned to my best friend, hoping against hope that he was unscathed.
Connor walked over to me, eyes focused on mine. His easygoing facade fell as he reached me. He grabbed my hands and squeezed my fingers tight. That squeeze told me all I needed to know. He couldn’t feel a thing.
I turned to Quinn. How can you still hear thoughts?
I can hear yours because you have a bead. From Donaloo. I can hear and talk to the five of you. To my spies. But I still can’t hear Cerena.
I turned and stared at Blue as hope collapsed and fear chomped my stomach to bits.
“Say it. Just say it,” I commanded my newest knight.
“I think the wish brought us all back … as full humans.”
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading about Bloss and her knights! I hope you love their magical adventures as much as I do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting my dream of constructing beautiful worlds with words. If you liked this book, please leave an Amazon review. It’s how indie authors like myself make it into the algorithms at Amazon so other readers can find us.
I’m working on book 3 of this series for release in late spring or early summer 2019. (And there are Facebook group details later on the Connect and Get Sneak Peaks page.)
Acknowledgments
A huge thanks to Rob, Raven, Ivy and Makayla. Thanks to my cover designer, Nichole, and my amazing ARC readers.
More Books
If you liked the sense of humor in this story, you might want to check out my Urban Fantasy mysteries. They are silly and snarky and full of laughs with a slow burn romance.
The Lyon Fox Mysteries
Magical Murder
Enchanted Execution
Supernatural Sleep
If you’re in the mood for more intrigue, check out my Postapocalyptic Thriller series.
Timebend
Melt
Burn
Connect and Get Sneak Peeks
If you like to read exclusive snippets from different characters, make predictions with other readers, see my inspiration for books, or just come hang and be yourself, I have a Facebook reader group.
Feel free to join Ann Denton’s Reader Group.
About Me
I have two of the world’s cutest children, a crazy dog, and an amazing husband that I drive somewhat insane as I stop in the middle of the hallway, halfway through putting laundry away, picturing a scene.