“As of twenty minutes ago, he and Elena were still in the library,” the elf said, hopefully unaware of Cam’s inner monologue. “Which, I noticed you carefully not asking, is down at the hallway and around the corner on the left.”
“Thank you.” Cam made sure his relieved sigh was obvious enough to be humorous. “I’m Cam, by the way. If I don’t manage to escape Dad’s evil plot, you’ll probably end up seeing me again.”
“I knew who you were. I recognize you from the pictures your mother keeps in her personal magic mirror. When Cam groaned, the elf’s smile widened. “I’m Bishop.” He stood, leaning forward over his desk far enough for the two men to shake hands.
As he headed for the door again, Cam hesitated. “Secret Stream clan?”
Bishop’s eyebrows lifted in surprised approval. “Good eye. Most people try to place me in the Windy Peak clan.”
Cam shrugged. “Most of the Windy Peak elves I’ve run into are kind of annoying. You’re not.”
Bishop chuckled. “I won’t tell them that.” Then he sobered. “Are you here to help your father with Elena?”
Now it was Cam’s turn to be surprised. “I’m afraid so. Any friendly warnings you might be able to pass on in advance?”
Bishop leaned back in his chair. “We’re fond of each other here in the castle, but none of us are terribly comfortable with sharing our innermost thoughts. All I know is something happened a few days ago, and neither she nor the commander will speak to her mother about it,” he said, looking hopeful. “If you might be able to pass on some news—”
Cam held up a hand to stop him. “I can’t promise that.”
The other man shook his head as if he regretted even asking. “Of course not, of course not.” He put his elbows on the desk, still looking at Cam. “Then I will simply say good luck.”
With that incredibly comforting thought, Cam left the office and made his way to the library. When he arrived, he noticed the door was firmly closed, which could mean either that it was empty or that there were people inside having a conversation they didn’t want others to hear. Deciding that the only risk was looking like an idiot, he cracked the door open slowly enough that it didn’t make a sound.
Of course, the people inside were so focused on their argument that they might not have heard him anyway.
“It’s magic that’s the problem, Alan, not the threat of physical violence.” The voice was female, young, and frosty enough to chill a campfire. Yes, that was definitely his least-favorite princess. “My aunt isn’t going to suddenly step out of the shadows with a knife, and Nigel is more of a threat to innocent bystanders than he is to me.”
“Then tell yourself Cameron is here to protect both you and the innocent bystanders.” His father never actually raised his voice unless you got him really ticked off, but Cam recognized the tone. Once Commander Alan Merrick had decided something, a team of giants wasn’t enough to drag him away from it. Apparently, during his younger “hero for hire” days, one set had actually tried. “But he is either temporarily taking over my duties as your primary guard, or you are to be confined to the castle for the next six weeks.” There was a pause. “I will have each and every one of your escape routes blocked, and the blocks will be immune to magic.”
She had escape routes? Cam closed his eyes, forehead dropping against the wall. Maybe his father had asked him to come here purely as some kind of weird punishment.
From inside the library, there was an inhalation of breath that sounded like it really, really wanted to turn into a curse word. “You wouldn’t dare.”
From his hiding spot, Cam cringed for her. Clearly, the princess was dumber than she looked.
His dad didn’t respond at first, which usually meant he was using the silence to really build the terror of anticipation in whoever he was glaring at. Then came the voice, quiet enough that you knew you were in serious trouble. “If I tell your mother, it will happen whether or not either of us ask for it.”
More silence. Cam was surprised to feel actual sympathy for the princess. He’d always thought of her as being stuck-up, but no one was immune from parental pressure.
Naturally, it didn’t last very long. “Fine.” The word sounded like it had been physically dragged out of her. “But don’t think I’m going to automatically grant him your level of authority simply on your say so. And I won’t let him work around me, either—your son’s not nearly as charming as he thinks he is. He’ll do what I say.”
Cam narrowed his eyes. Now he had to take the job, just so he could prove to the stuck-up little brat how incredibly wrong she was. He only took orders from people he respected, and right then she was about a million miles away from qualifying.
Deciding that the tactical advantage with the princess was worth potentially inciting his father’s wrath, he pushed open the library door and stepped into the room. Elena jerked her head around to face him, long blond hair flying, and gave him a look that promised a quick and violent death. His dad, on the other hand, looked calmer than he’d sounded at any point during the last twenty minutes, and Cam suspected that he’d known someone was outside the door the whole time.
Luckily, he was kind enough to stay silent and not blow his son’s surprise opening. Taking advantage of the generosity, Cam gave the princess a slow grin. “If you’ve spent any time with my parents, you know I’m not that good at being obedient. So no, I can’t promise to do what you say. If it’s going to get in the way of keeping you safe, I may end up ignoring you completely.”
She glared at him, chin lifting in automatic defiance that actually earned her a few points. Elena was a good four or five inches shorter than he was, but that didn’t seem to faze her at all. “It’s not smart to challenge me.”
“Challenge you? Never.” His grin widened, taking on an angle that had caused more than a few people to try and punch him over the years. “I’m just explaining the situation.” Then he turned to his dad. “Hi. I know Mom was probably vague on the subject, but it turns out that I am most definitely willing to take the job.”
His dad looked at him for a second, then his mouth quirked upward briefly in what Cam could have sworn was a smile. It threw him more than any other response could have, and he started to doubt that he’d ever seen it almost the moment it disappeared. “I’ll tell your mother not to expect you home for dinner,” he said calmly. “Though gods help you if you miss the big family meal this weekend.”
Then, without another word, he left the library. Cam watched him go, pretty sure he’d been conned somehow, then glanced over at the princess. She was staring at the door, a little bit of shock mixed in with the frustration in her eyes, and Cam suspected she was thinking the same thing.
When she realized he was looking at her, Elena turned her glare on him. “Do not even think about following me,” she snapped, slamming her book closed. Then she stalked out of the room, her long hair flying out behind her in a huff.
Cam waited until she’d disappeared beyond the edge of the doorframe, then started following her.
Chapter 3
The Terrors of Unpredictability
Elena realized her mistake the moment she noticed someone was following her. It was embarrassing how long it had taken her—Cameron had apparently inherited his father’s tendency to move as quietly as the undead when he wanted to. Unfortunately, he also seemed to have inherited Alan’s stubbornness.
She whipped around to face him, hands gripping her skirt tightly to keep from bunching into fists, but he just smiled at her like he was taking a stroll through a picturesque mountain valley. The idea of throwing something at him was a powerfully tempting one, but he was probably perverse enough to enjoy it even more than her therapist would. “Fine. I didn’t know I was dealing with a stubborn five-year-old rather than a rational adult.” She grit her teeth, directing all her willpower to not shouting at him. “Now that I know otherwise, let me point
out that nowhere in your job description does it say that you have to follow me around the palace like a trained puppy. I am surrounded by thick stone walls and the entire palace guard—no one’s going to leap out of the shadows at me.”
Cameron, who was no less insufferable since the last time she’d seen him, simply folded his arms across his chest. His hair, obviously not at all familiar with a brush, fell over his forehead in a way she was sure all the women just found adorable. “My dad seems to think otherwise.”
Wasn’t this supposed to be the son who never did anything his father said? Why of all times did he have to pick now to suddenly become obedient? “I’m not sure what he or Marie told you, but I can assure you it was an exaggeration. Even if he defies his banishment, Nigel is more of a natural disaster than an actual threat. No one else has made an attempt on me in months, and if—” Her voice betrayed her by failing briefly. She could only be grateful there was no change in his expression as she wrestled to control her emotions, forcing her hands to relax. “If the curse is starting early, there is absolutely nothing either you, he, or any of the rest of us can do about it.” She lifted her chin, re-gathering her completely deserved anger. “So go home. Staying just to defy me is only going to waste your evening.”
“No.” The word was calm. Elena had a terrible feeling it was the guard in him answering this time, not just the childish troublemaker. “I’ll be the first to tell you my dad isn’t right all the time, but when it comes to his job he usually is. And he wants me to stick close to you.”
Her eyes took on a dangerous glint. “So you had a detailed tactical conversation about me at some point? I suppose you’ll tell me next that there are battle plans somewhere.”
The corner of his mouth quirked upward. “Actually, that might not be a bad idea. But no, he didn’t share any tactics.” He didn’t say anything at first, then relaxed his stance a fraction. “He said he didn’t expect me home for dinner. Translated, that means he’ll make the necessary excuses to Mom so that I can stay here and keep an eye on you the rest of the evening.”
“That’s where you’re getting your instructions from?” The terrible thing was, it made sense. That was exactly how Alan thought. “Does your family have some secret psychic bond you refuse to tell anyone about?”
“Sweet mercy, no. What a terrible thought.” Genuine horror flashed across his face. “I don’t know which would be worse—hearing my parents think dirty thoughts about each other or having to be near Gabby when she starts getting interested in boys.”
Elena just stared at him, confused by the sudden side-step in the conversation. Was he incapable of keeping a single thought in his head long enough to have a proper argument? Oh.
She scowled. “Is this your way of refusing to argue with me?”
“Were we arguing?” Cameron asked. “I thought we were just having a spirited discussion about the basic facts of the situation.”
The sudden mood shift was disarming, leaving an unsteadiness that was far more dangerous than anger. Her fingers flexed almost involuntarily, and she felt the faint but unmistakable build up of magic around her. Appalled at the lack of control that implied, she gave both her hands a fierce shake and took a deliberate step away from him. Thankfully, they were alone in the hallway—she hated the thought that someone else might have seen that.
When she met his eyes again, there was enough wariness in them to make it clear that he had at least some idea of what had just happened. Apparently, he’d spent enough time with magic users to be able to identify some of the more common gestures used in spell casting.
She made herself take a deep, steadying breath. “I’ll be suitably protected, I promise you. Braeth watches me in the evenings. Feel free to go home and go enjoy your mother’s cooking.”
“Braeth?” Cameron asked.
“He was a powerful evil sorcerer, back in the days when ‘evil’ was less a professional certification and more a sign that you were in the habit of slaughtering random villagers.” She watched carefully for any sign of surprise or alarm on his face, and was forced to give him grudging points when she couldn’t find it. “The centuries since his death have made him much more pleasant to be around, though. My mother gave him a workroom to tinker in, and he repays the favor by helping with the castle’s magical defenses and looming at anyone stupid enough to be rude to her.”
Cameron hesitated, and Elena could see at least five or six different questions flash across his eyes before he settled on the one he’d presumably decided was the safest. “He’s not a zombie, is he? I mean, I’m sure they’re perfectly fine people, but I’m really not looking forward to the possibility of a co-worker politely asking me if I could help re-attach their body part.”
Elena only realized she’d snickered when the sound reached her ears, and when Cameron’s eyes widened she only barely resisted the urge to clap a hand over her mouth. Instead, she lifted her chin and prepared to lie through her teeth if he tried to call her on it. “He’s a wraith, actually. He used to haunt an abandoned tower, but moved into the castle at my mother’s request.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “Braeth the Wraith?”
She was flatly determined not to give him the satisfaction of making her smile. The fact that it was taking some effort was already annoying enough. “I wouldn’t call him that if you enjoy having all your appendages. He may technically be incorporeal, but he’s never let that stop—”
The world shut off again.
When it came back, her head ached and she was being carried in someone’s arms. There was a single, blissful moment where she didn’t know where she was or what had happened, but it lasted barely enough time to take a breath. Then there was only the ice in her stomach, and the realization that she could no longer pretend her collapse in town had been an isolated incident.
The curse was coming for her early.
Pushing the fear aside, she tugged on the front of Cameron’s shirt to get his attention. “I can walk.” She squinted against a pounding headache, deciding whether or not trying to get down on her own would be worth it. “I’m serious. Let me go.”
He stopped, looking down at her with a carefully evaluating expression. “Is this what happened last time?”
Elena bit back an instinctive sarcastic comment, knowing he didn’t deserve it. “That depends,” she said, struggling once more to get down. This time, he let her go. “How long was I out?”
“Almost two minutes.” She couldn’t read his eyes, but he didn’t sound happy.
That was at least four times as long as her last collapse. If they kept growing at the same rate, she had less than a week before she would be unconscious for hours at a time. Then it would be days. And all of it would crash down on her without even a breath of warning.
She wouldn’t even have time to tell anyone goodbye.
“Elena.” Cameron touched her shoulder. “You have to tell someone. I was getting you out of the corridor so someone didn’t trip over you, but I got the impression you wouldn’t be too keen on the idea of me hunting down your mother.”
“What would I tell her when I woke up?”She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, telling herself it was the headache that was making them sting. “Sorry, Mother, but we don’t even get those last eight months we were promised? You’d better get your mourning clothes ready, and oh, by the way, don’t get upset if I collapse on you in the middle of dinner. It’s been happening a lot lately.” There was so much she and her mother tried to hide from each other. To make her reveal it like that seemed particularly cruel to them both.
For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Cameron squeezed her shoulder, immediately pulling his hand away so they could both pretend he hadn’t done it. The fact that the small gesture had been surprisingly comforting wasn’t something she cared to think about.
Instead, Elena took a deep breath, lowering her hands and op
ening her eyes as she steadied herself. She brushed her fingers across her forehead, murmuring an incantation to ease pain, then turned back around to face Cameron. “We should introduce you to my mother, though. I’m not sure Alan told her who he’d chosen as his temporary replacement.” And her mother probably wouldn’t have asked, trusting Alan’s judgment.
“He probably didn’t.” The corners of Cam’s mouth curved upward. “Dad’s usually good about chain of command, but—”
The pause seemed too deliberate not to be an invitation, so she finished the joke she’d first heard from Marie. “Only because he sees himself at the top.” It was such an obviously soothing gesture that she searched for even the slightest sign of pity. She couldn’t see any, but her nerves were too tightly strung to even take the risk. “I’m sorry, but don’t be nice to me. Not right now.”
She could practically see the impending argument spark in his eyes. Rather than give voice to any of it, though, he settled for shaking his head. “I bet you’re really fun at parties.”
“It depends on how comfortable I am lying to the other guests.” She smoothed her hands over her hair and down the front of her dress, then let her expression soften. “Thank you.” At the surprise in his eyes, Elena smiled a little. “I’m serious. Most of the other guards in the castle would have panicked or immediately gone running to my mother.”
Cameron didn’t say anything, face still enough that she wondered if she’d said the wrong thing. Then he huffed out a breath, letting the humor back into his face. “Can you imagine that conversation? ‘Your Majesty, I’m sorry, but your daughter’s collapsed. We think the curse has started early.’ ‘Oh, no, Elena!Wait, who are you exactly?’” He winced. “She’d chop off my head before I could even finish getting the explanation out.”
She could already feel herself relaxing, the muscles in her chest easing as a result of the same ridiculous patter she’d tried to deflect barely a minute ago. This time, she took a risk and let herself tease him back, telling herself she was only doing it because it would be exhausting not to give in. “We haven’t chopped off anyone’s head in years, and then she’d have to go through the inconvenience of holding an actual trial. She’d probably just use magic to make your head explode.”
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