7. Paige

7

PAIGE

A fter breakfast, I go in search of the others. I don't get far before I spot Kitty chasing Zed down the hall. The gnome is screaming taunts and insults as he runs, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. Kitty is making a mewling sound that borders on feral. "Hey! You can't do that here," I hiss at them, grabbing Zed by his collar until his feet come off the floor, kicking wildly. "Now, take me to Blossom before I feed you both to a barn cat."

"We were just having fun," Zed complains.

Kitty huffs and tosses him a triumphant look that I can only assume means she's happy he's the one in trouble and not her.

I pin the raccoon with a glare so she knows she's not off the hook either. "I know you have manners," I tell her pointedly. "Use them."

She simply turns and lifts her tail, giving me a clear view of her behind as she leads the way.

When I arrive at their room, Blossom and Mag are already up and dressed. I can't help eyeing Blossom's pants and tunic with open jealousy.

"You look great," I tell her. "Where did you get those clothes?"

She shrugs. "They brought two sets for Mag, so I stole one." She gives me a once-over. "Nice dress. Isn't it supposed to have more layers or something?"

"Ugh, the undergarments freaked me out, so I skipped them."

She grins. "Is that the same as not wearing any underwear here? I wonder if Aries finds that sexy?"

"Shut up."

A maid brings them food on trays, the fruits and cheeses the same as the ones I had with Lucinda. I sit with them as they eat. No one brings up the Athenaeum. I wonder if, like me, they're just not ready to voice the facts aloud yet. We failed. Constantine won. And I have no idea how to stop him.

"I could get used to the food here," Mag says.

"It is delicious," Blossom says. "At least, this place has that going for it."

Something about her tone suggests there are far more things she doesn't like about Astronia than those she does. Before I can ask what those things might be, she sits back, rubbing her belly appreciatively.

"I can't remember the last time I had a meal I sat down for," she jokes.

"Sweetheart, I'll be your meal anytime," Mag tells her. "Especially dessert."

I groan and roll my eyes.

"I question why I'm with you multiple times a day," Blossom deadpans.

"You know you love it." Mag grins.

"There's such a fine line between love and murder," Blossom quips.

I shake my head. "You two fight like an old married couple."

Blossom pales, and I wince realizing the word "married" might have been a bit much for her—even as a joke.

"Twenty-seven is not old," Mag protests, slicing through the tension until there's none left. He looks at me. "Aren't I only two years older than you?"

"Only two?" I ask sweetly. "Feels like twenty."

Blossom snorts. "That's what happens when you age four times slower than anyone else," she says.

Mag and Blossom both come from worlds where time works a bit differently. The gargoyle might only look twenty-seven by this world's standards, but the real question is how long he's been that way. Blossom's done a better job at keeping her age a secret than him, though.

Mag eyes her, but he clearly values his life enough to know better than to ask how old she is. She doesn't offer it up, either.

"So, is your royal boy toy busy somewhere, being the big, bad dragon king?" Blossom asks me.

"He went off to train with Leo. He said he would be back soon, but I figured I would see how you all are settling in."

"You didn't want to be alone," she says knowingly.

"Nah, she just missed looking at a handsome mug all day," Mag jokes.

"All she had to do was call any of us," Ned cuts in.

"Definitely." I wink at the gnome.

I'm so glad that we're on better terms. We hit a rough patch for a while after I took over as Head Librarian. But even after all the bumps in the road, we're still family to one another.

"Well?" Blossom prompts after a beat of silence. "Are you going to finally tell us what happened to you when Constantine tossed you into that portal with Oliver?"

I nod, knowing it's time.

Mag and Blossom and even the gnomes are completely silent as I fill them in on what I saw. Watching Constantine consume my home world, including my birth family, and then watching myself remake it—all except for the people I wanted most to save. Then, I told them about seeing myself arrive at the library. Hoc taking me in. Saving me. Protecting me. And finally, about Constantine's presence there all these years, biding his time, growing slowly stronger—and more determined to drain me forever.

"So, your magic is about recreating," Blossom says.

I nod.

"That's how you were able to make that portal for us," Mag says.

"It was a recreation of something that had been before," I tell them.

"That's amazing," Blossom says.

I flash a tight half-smile. "Yeah."

Mag's brows crinkle, and he opens his mouth, but Blossom cuts him off.

"So. The princes are training, hmm?" She points to the doors that open to a small balcony. "Maybe we can see from out there."

"Worth a shot," I say, relieved she's changing the subject.

Mag, to his benefit, lets it go too.

For now.

I follow Blossom onto the balcony and look down to see a large training area where a crowd is gathered. In the center is Aries. Leo too, but I have eyes only for my dragon.

As if he can sense me, and maybe he can, Aries looks up at me and waves. I can't help myself. I blow him a kiss.

"Really?" Mag arches a brow. "We're the disgusting ones?"

Blossom swats him. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," he protests. "You're the one who made me promise no public displays."

The unicorn shifter ignores him and eyes me. "Do you want to watch them train or…"

"It seems like they're going to be at it for a little while yet, so maybe we can see about a tour?"

"I like that idea."

We head back into the suite. I don't like the idea of ringing the bell Lucinda gave me, but it's not like I have any idea which direction to go on my own. I open the door to their suite and ring it as loudly as I dare.

Lucinda appears less than a minute later. Crazy.

"What do you require, My Lady?" she asks.

"For you to call me Paige, for starters," I say.

She glances at the others, a little horrified-looking.

Or not.

"This is Blossom and Mag," I tell her. "And that's Ted—" I break off and glance around, but the gnomes and Kitty are gone. I sigh, hoping they'll stay out of trouble. "Anyway," I say, turning back, "We'd love a tour of this place if you have time."

"Of course, My Lady," Lucinda says, dipping her chin in hello to the others. "Where shall we start?"

I shoot Blossom a wry look before saying, "How about the library?"

About halfway through the tour, Blossom and Mag cut out, claiming they're going for a walk, but from the looks they're giving each other, I can't help but think they're walking straight back to their now-empty bedroom to be alone.

Lucinda finishes showing me the kitchens—only after I badger her into letting me see "behind the scenes" as she calls it—when another maid appears and calls her away.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" she asks, hesitating.

"I'll be fine," I assure her. "I'll see you later."

She bites her lip but nods and hurries off. Alone, I wander deeper into the castle until I hear Ted's familiar laughter. My steps quicken.

I find the gnomes in a different tea room than the one I ate in this morning. I step in, surprised to see them sitting calmly. Then I realize they aren't alone. The queen sits at the small table in the center of the room, serving up what looks like some kind of vegetable.

"You'll enjoy this," she's saying as she passes them plates.

"It's green." Zed makes a face at the food.

"They're called sugarsnaps," she says. "Look." She picks one up and opens it. Inside aren't peas but a more cube-ish green food that glistens with, apparently, sugar. "They're delicious. Try it."

Zed looks skeptical, but Fred has always been a little more adventurous, and he tries one. His eyes open wide as he chews. "Not bad!"

The other three proceed to devour their own serving of sugarsnaps. I laugh as they scarf it all down enthusiastically.

"Oh, Paige! Come on in." The queen smiles warmly at me when she sees me lurking.

"Your Majesty." I make an awkward sort of bow before she waves it off.

"Please, call me Dorthea. And no bowing. You'll be a queen soon enough, and queens don't bow to anyone."

"Right," I say with way more confidence than I feel.

"How has your morning been so far?"

"I slept well," I say and immediately wince at the fact that I just referenced an image of me sleeping with her son. "And, ah, my maid gave us a tour. I hope that's all right."

"I should have given you one personally myself. Forgive me. I've been dealing with the fallout of the canceled wedding all morning."

"I understand. That must have entailed a lot of preparation."

"More than usual." Her expression sours. "I never did like that Esma," she grumbles. She covers her mouth. "Whoops. I shouldn't have said that."

I laugh and hold up my hand. "Don't worry about it. She seemed rather… persistent."

"More than you know." She sighs, and I get the sense there's more to the story.

"We're full," Ned announces.

Dorthea surveys their plates and smiles approvingly. "You did wonderfully. Tomorrow, we'll try a few other vegetables."

The gnomes exchange a wary look, but they don't argue. Apparently, the sugarsnaps were better than they expected.

"Can we explore?" Fred asks.

"Don't wander too far, okay?" Dorthea asks, although it's not really a question, more a command.

The gnomes hastily agree and bound out the door with Kitty hot on their heels.

Dorthea smiles after them then motions for me to join her at the table.

"You definitely have a way with them," I say as I take Fred's empty seat. "I could never get them to eat anything except junk food."

"It's nice to have someone to fuss over again," she says. A shadow passes over her expression, and she adds, "I worry at them being dragged into a war they didn't sign up for."

"We'll handle the orcs," I assure her, placing my hand on top of hers in a gesture that feels unfamiliar and yet comfortable. Dorthea is easy to be with.

She squeezes my hand. "I'm sorry if I drove Aries away."

I straighten. "Of course you didn't. Why would you think that?"

"After he disappeared, we all worried the orcs had somehow captured him. But when their armies began attacking us rather than using him as some kind of sacrifice for their coup, I realized they hadn't been involved. I worried…" She trails off, releasing my hand and dropping both of hers into her lap. She stares down at them as if embarrassed. Or scared. "I worried I'd been too overbearing with my insistence that he entertain all those women while searching for his mate. The law is archaic, but it exists for a reason. I hated to think I drove him away."

"You definitely did no such thing," I say firmly.

"I never lost hope that he was alive, you know. I could sense it. I'm not sure how, but I just knew."

"A mother's intuition," I say.

"Maybe. But it felt like more than that. The magic of my throne perhaps. What little is left of it. Either way, I'm glad he's home now. And that he's found you."

"Me too," I tell her.

I'm amazed that she sensed Aries through the portal. Outside magic shouldn't be able to pierce the library. Or that's what Hoc always said. Maybe Constantine's takeover changed more than I realized.

Worry gnaws at me over what other changes have happened in our absence.

"The kingdom needs you, Paige." Dorthea's words pull me out of my dark thoughts.

I frown, not sure I'm convinced she's right. "I get the impression not everyone will agree with you."

"You're different, and some people fear what they don't understand. But you have a good heart. Not to mention your powerful magic. A mage. The orcs will never expect that." She lowers her voice, adding, "Neither will the council."

I don't bother to tell her I'm not sure any of us should expect that. Or that even the word "council" triggers unease in me after what happened with Oliver and Tawny.

She stands, so I do the same, unsure of the protocol. Then she surprises me by embracing me. "Thank you for listening to a mother's worries. I have matters to attend to. Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine," I assure her.

"See you for dinner, darling." She sweeps out of the room.

I linger when she's gone, eyeing some of the more exotic vegetables left on the table. Feeling adventurous, I pluck something that looks like asparagus but thinner—like cut grass. It's halfway to my mouth when the gnomes troop back in.

"Don't eat that!" Ned looks horrified.

"Why not? What's wrong?"

"It's a … vegetable." Ted shudders.

"You ate the sugarsnaps," I point out.

"The sugarsnaps tasted almost like candy. Almost," Fred says.

"The food is… Some of it is good," Zed says, forehead crinkling in thought.

"Some isn't," Ted adds.

"But we love it here," Zed finishes.

The gnomes all nod in unison.

"I'm glad," I tell them.

"And that's why…" Ned wrings his hands.

"What is it?" I ask.

He sighs and glances at Fred. Fred makes a face and nudges Zed. Zed stares me straight in the eye and drops a bomb. "We never want to go back to the library."

My heart skips a beat. Because, for a fleeting moment, neither do I. Is it so wrong to want my biggest problem to be an argument over eating their vegetables?

Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury.

"But we do want some candy," Ned quickly adds, and they all nod again.

I force a smile at them, letting their declaration pass for now. "Tell you what. I'll search the kitchens until I find you some candy," I promise. Every single one of their little faces lights up, and they cheer. "You guys don't get into trouble while I'm gone. Okay? Promise?"

"We promise," they chorus.

Famous last words.

I slip out and attempt to find my way back to the kitchen without help. The Athenaeum is huge, but it's nothing compared to this place—it's a literal castle after all—and I soon get hopelessly lost. Patting my pockets, I realize I've misplaced the bell Lucinda gave me. Probably left it behind in Blossom's room.

Giving up on finding the candy for now, I attempt to retrace my steps to an area that looks familiar. Finally, I recognize the guest hallway and wrack my brain for which one was theirs.

I knock on a few doors, but there's no answer until finally Mag opens a door. "Hey," he says.

"Hey." I exhale, both relieved and a bit defeated.

If I can't even navigate myself through the castle, how can I possibly hope to defeat Constantine? Or face off with an army of orcs?

"How are you holding up?" Mag asks, opening the door wider to invite me inside.

I walk over to a chair in his room and sit. He closes the door and crosses over to perch on the edge of his bed.

"Where's Blossom?"

"She went to check out their training facilities."

"You don't feel like fighting?" I joke.

"Figured I'd give her a head start to get warmed up. I was just about to come looking for you, actually."

"Me? Why?"

"To talk. To listen. Whatever you need. I wasn't just asking how you're holding up to be polite," Mag adds. His expression is serious, unlike the usual flirting and teasing he saves for Blossom, and full of concern. "And I'm not talking about the stuff with your magic. I can see you're still processing all of that, but ... There are a lot of expectations on you here. A lot of pressure."

"There were expectations when I was forced to be the head librarian," I point out. His concern reminds me of Hoc's protectiveness, and my heart squeezes with grief.

"Yes, but the library was your home. It was at least familiar. This kingdom is foreign to you, and you aren't just any couple here. You and Aries are the power couple. You're fated mates, and you'll be queen someday. Sooner rather than later, in fact."

"I've known for some time what I signed up for," I say, but his words prick at the same worries I've been trying to shove aside since we arrived.

"And you're okay with that?"

"Of course." I sigh, the truth spilling out of me. "Since I was a girl, I dreamed of leaving the library behind. Building a life here with Aries—it's all I've wanted since the moment I fell for him. But taking my vows to him, and more, becoming a queen to these people, means promising to put them first in everything. I can't do that until I deal with Constantine. If they ask me to take the throne before I've dealt with him… I won't be able to say yes."

"I get it," Mag says, and I look at him in surprise.

"You do?"

"Why are you so shocked?" he asks.

I shake my head. "I'm not sure Aries will be as understanding."

"First, I'm not Aries. Nor do I ever want to deal with the sheer amount of political bullshit that comes with being royalty." He shudders. "But I do understand needing to finish what you started. I think Aries would get that too."

"Thanks, Mag."

He straightens. "Now, stop sulking around."

I scowl. "I'm not sulking."

His brow lifts. "Since the moment we got here, you've been looking around like you're trapped and can't seem to find the exit."

"Shit," I mutter, covering my face with my hands. "Am I that obvious?"

"Relax, I have a feeling Aries has been too distracted to really notice. But you should talk to him. Soon."

"I will. I just don't want to add to his problems."

Mag rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "No wonder you and Aries are mates. You two are exactly alike—always trying to deal with everything alone. Listen, when it comes to Constantine, we'll stop him. Not just you. As for this orc business, we'll help with that too. You do know that, right? We're in this together."

His words offer reassurance I didn't realize I needed. Of course, Mag and the others have my back. He's right. My stress must have been pretty high for me to have doubted that.

"Thanks, Mag. That means a lot," I tell him.

"Anytime. Besides," Mag adds, "With your kickass magic, that asshole doesn't stand a chance."

My confidence evaporates. I nod silently rather than admit how not-very-kickass my magic feels in the face of all these threats.

Mag rises. "I'm going to find Blossom and see if she wants to spar." He pauses, his gaze sharpening as he studies me. "You should come."

"I don't think I'd be much of an opponent for you," I say.

"Warriors come in all shapes and sizes."

His words spark something in me, and I push to my feet too. "Actually, I think I have more important skills to hone."

His brows lift. "Should I be worried?"

"Not at all. Well, not about me." I smirk. "Maybe about Blossom kicking your ass in front of the other soldiers training down there."

He winks. "Who says I won't let her win? There are benefits to needing your wounds tended."

I groan and shove him toward the door. "Go. Tell Blossom I'll come by to watch her victory when I'm done training for my own."