Page 26 of The Duchess Curse

“Almost incessantly. It’s annoyingly fascinating.”

“Well? Do you think you can do it?”

“I can do something.” Apollo went up on tiptoe and looked out over the shop. The women were not visible, but it did not mean they were not listening. “This way.” He took off toward his office. “I’m assuming, because you still have all your appendages—so far as I can see—that she does not yet know who you really are?”

“Shh. She’s never going to know. The only reason I’m allowed to follow her about right now is because the queen ordered it.”

“I had heard that.” Once in Apollo’s office, he shut the door. “You visited Diana yesterday. She’s a little bit of a gossip.”

“Doesn’t matter. Saves me the trouble of explaining myself.”

“Very irritated, are we?” Apollo tsked. “Perhaps your personality problems will alleviate themselves once I rid you of your glamour. Shall I try now?”

“Fucking Jupiter.” It was possible, then. “Yes. Now.”

“Very well.” Apollo laced his fingers together and stretched them high above his head, palms up. He shook his shoulders all the way down to his fingertips and jogged in place.

“Could you get on with it?”

“Never do magic without stretching first.”

Perhaps he should have sought the help of a more serious individual.

“Now,” Apollo said, “glamours are nothing but light, and if yours is stuck, that means we need to rid you of light.”

“I’ve tried that. Spent two days in a dark closet. No windows. I stuffed a shirt into the crack beneath the door. I didn’t leave. For two days.”

“Not good enough. Diana says⁠—”

“You were not supposed to tell anyone.”

“I didn’t. I just got her going about one of her favorite topics.” Apollo patted his shoulder. “Have faith, my lying friend, and do listen. As I was saying, your body can create light as well. In small amounts, but it’s enough to keep your glamour going. I think at least. We have to extinguish all the lights.”

“Wait… All the lights?”

“All. The. Lights.”

“You want to kill me.”

Apollo grinned. “Just a little bit.”

“No.” Bran backed toward the door. “No no no no no. Horrible idea. Come up with something else.”

“You must not want to get back to your old life, then. No glamour. No ducal duties. Just the girl who thinks you’re someone else.”

Just the girl who knew the real him as no one else did. He’d always been willing to die for her.

Apollo must have sensed Bran softening. He pressed closer. “If you’ve tried everything and this is new, well, maybe it’s the only thing that works.”

“Fucking Jupiter.”

“I’m going to bring you back. I’m not going to leave you dead. Obviously.”

“Can you do that?”

“Theoretically.”

Bran groaned.