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"You'll give yourself wrinkles with that sort of attitude.” Tamar would be proud of her. “Now be a good escort, take my arm, and lead me to the party."
Shelby wasn't a good liar and he was also not great at following directions, Ace thought to herself as he turned on his heel toward the door and walked away.
"Follow me," he huffed. What he did seem to be good at was pouting. That much was very clear.
Ace scurried after him. Her hands dug into the thick materials of the dress, so much finer than her outfit before. Her hurried steps were a bit unsteady as she got used to moving in this body and wearing heels. Both her ankles ached.
Shelby made his way down the hall and back through the open sitting room. He didn't stop to wait for Ace until he reached the door at the farthest end of the room. Ace weaved her way through the furniture, knocking the side of her thigh against the corner of an end table. His face remained blank as he ignored the squeal of the table when she straightened it up again and walked the last few steps to meet him.
After studying the blueprints of the castle she knew enough to guess that this door would pop them back out into part of the servants’ quarters that then led to the dining hall. They weren't too far from the party, though getting Ace there unnoticed could still be a problem.
"Do you have a plan?" she asked.
"Don't you?"
Well, she had one before she decided to steal herself her own warlock. Thankfully, she thought she was pretty good at thinking on her feet.
"You could pretend that I'm your date."
"You think we’re allowed to court someone?" He raised one brow. "You think you even look like my type?"
"Okay." She drew the word out as she thought. "I could be a guest of the queen's that you brought back to give a tour of the warlock’s quarters? Now you're just escorting me back. Then I could be flirty—"
She paused as his grip on the knob turned white knuckled. She didn'twantto be flirty but it sounded like a believable story and it wouldn't be the first time someone had taken advantage of a warlock before.
Inhaling, she started again. "I couldpretendto be flirty and demand that you join me at the party."
"And who might we say you are?"
"The queen’s cousin." She was grasping at straws. How much of the queen’s personal life or family tree did any given citizen know? Not much. Ace knew for a fact that Queen Sienna didn't have any cousins. Did Shelby?
"The queen’s cousin?"
"Yes. That is indeed what I just said. Thank you for repeating it."
"And what if they usher you right up to her side?"
"Don't you mean 'us?’"
"They won't take me to the queen. That would be an insult unless she's requested my presence. I am no one special to her and I am not high enough ranked as awarlockto even be a passing thought in her head."
"But if I, as a noblewoman, insist."
He stared at her. Then stared some more. Was this the moment he would decide to back out?
One heartbeat. Then another. Until her chest was tightening with panic. She couldn't have him as a loose end.
Finally, Shelby sighed, his grip loosening. "So many lies. Only a heathen like yourself could so easily play along like this."
"Think of it as an art."
"It's a crime."
"It's not a crime if it's for the greater good." She took a step closer to make a show of straightening his scarf. Near him, she could smell something like fresh mint or soap. She wondered if everybody had their own specific smell or if it was just him. Searching her memories, she never remembered other men particularly smelling so good. No one except her father of course, who often smelled like dampened earth. "Now that's enough of this goodie-two-shoes act."
"You're the queen's cousin. And what shall I call you?"
"Just make something up." She waved a dismissive hand already feeling her role of noblewoman.
