The Lightning-Struck Heart (6 page)

I closed my eyes and reminded myself of my place.

Because I
had
a place.

And it most certainly wasn’t near the level of the man behind Ryan.

Prince Justin descended the stairs.

Prince Justin, the King’s only son.

Prince Justin, the future King for whom I would serve as the King’s Wizard.

Prince Justin, who looked like he was carved from marble by the loving hands of a true artist. All severe lines and planes and muscle and perfectly coifed brown curls that fell ever so elegantly across his head as if they had nothing better to do than make sure Prince Justin looked better than anyone else.

Prince Justin, Ryan Foxheart’s boyfriend.

Prince Justin, who
abhorred
me.

“Well, look who it is,” Justin said, sounding like he’d just stepped in a pile of dog shit. “Surprise, surprise. Another fine mess you’ve got yourself into, eh, Sam? The
stories
we hear about your negligence are just
astounding
.”

I opened my eyes and Ryan was still above me, but the smile was gone, replaced by a frown. I wanted to tell him to bring the eye-crinkles back because they were so nice, but I somehow managed to keep that little tidbit to myself. Justin could have me executed. And if there is one thing I didn’t want, it was to be executed.

“Leave him alone, Justin,” Ryan said. “It was my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

And that was a big fat lie. Which was awesome.

Ryan pulled himself away, and I wanted to tell him to come back and make Justin leave, but then I thought of my head being chopped off and so I let him go.

I was surprised when he extended a hand down to me and watched me with an earnest expression.

Fuck Justin. This is all I would ever get, so I was going to take it. I reached up and his fingers circled my wrist. His skin was so warm, his palms callused and rough. His grip tightened on me and he pulled, the muscles in his forearm flexing in a way that was stupidly attractive. He pulled me up until I stood before him, and I didn’t think I’d ever been this close to him before. I was terribly amused to see I was taller than him by an inch or two, and the fact that he had to look up at me to meet my eyes would no doubt play a further part in my You’ve Been A Bad Knight scenario as soon as I got to my bed.

I am going to masturbate to you so hard later
, I thought while looking at him. I blushed then because I realized that made me super creepy and I didn’t feel sorry about it at all.

It was about that time that I realized at least a minute had passed and we were still standing very close to each other. He hadn’t let go of my wrist, and I swear he was about to say something when Justin coughed sarcastically behind him. I pulled my arm back quickly and took three steps back, putting a respectable distance between us.

“Are you quite finished, Sam?” Justin asked. “You look just awful. Maybe you should consider cleaning yourself up before you show your face again. I don’t want people thinking my Wizard is from the slums.”

I ground my teeth together. “I
am
from the slums.” I avoided looking at Ryan. I didn’t want to see the pity that was probably on his face. I wasn’t ashamed of where I’d come from. In fact, I was proud of it. And no one, not even Justin, could make me feel like shit because of it.

He arched an eyebrow.

“My lord,” I added.

“Well. I suppose as someone who was plucked from dirt and obscurity and essentially handed
everything
, you wouldn’t understand the trials and tribulations of royalty.”

“Yes, my lord.”
You horse’s ass.

“I think that’s enough,” Ryan said. I glanced quickly at him and that angry frown had returned. Justin had come to stand right next to him. Their fingers were intertwined, and I was embarrassed. Ryan had probably had it with me taking time away from him and the Prince, so I took another step backward. I didn’t want to go to my room. I wanted to go see Gary and bitch and moan and braid his mane and have him tell me that Justin was a giant cockfucker and I was so much prettier than him.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “I’ll just….”

And I turned to leave.

“Sam.”

I stopped and closed my eyes. I was tense as I took a deep breath because that was the second time he’d said my name and it was just awesome, but it made walking away all that much harder, and I wished at that moment that I’d never heard of Ryan Foxheart.

I plastered a fake smile on my face as I turned back around. “Yes?”

He was watching me, so I lowered my eyes and stared at my feet. “Are you going to be there tonight? There’s this… thing. At the feast?”

And what the hell was
that
? I looked back up at him in surprise. He was staring resolutely at me. Justin was rolling his eyes and looked extraordinarily bored. “Yes?” I said. “Yes. Uh. I sort of have to be. Like. It’s required. Because of the whole. You know.
Wizard
thing.”

Ryan coughed. “Oh. Okay. Good. Because of the wizard thing. So.”

Wow. Did I sound like an asshole. “Not that I don’t want to go,” I said hurriedly. “I totally do. Want to go. For the feast. And the other stuff. With the promotion? That you got? Oh, and good job, you.” I gave him two thumbs-up, and I just
cringed
at how awkward I was.

“As enlightening as all of this is,” Justin said, “Ryan and I have plans. This is a big day after all. Not that you knew anything about it seeing as how you can’t even be bothered to return when you’re supposed to. There’s going to be some changes when I become King. Big changes.”

So that was a threat. I gave very serious thought to hexing Justin so that his face melted, but was somehow able to restrain myself. “My apologies, my lord, for taking up your invaluable time.” I bowed again and hurried (read: ran) away.

“A
ND
HE
was just so
amazing
,” I said as I braided Gary’s hair. “Like so selfless and awesome and he smelled like leaves and I think his eyebrows should be declared a treasure of the Kingdom.”

“Oh my gods,” Gary muttered. “This has been going on for forty-seven minutes.”

“Did I tell you he
knew my name
?”

“Sixteen times.”

“Oh. He said it
twice
.”

“Holy fuck on a stick.”

“He is.” I sighed.

“What happened to your priorities?”

“I still have them,” I said, weaving a strand of crocus my mother had grown through the braid. They were purple and matched the dye I’d put in before I started braiding. “I just like looking at nice things. And want to touch them with my mouth.”

“You want to lick his balls,” Gary said, just to see me sputter and flush brightly.

“Shut up,” I managed to say, pulling the braid tightly and causing him to wince.

“I don’t see why you don’t just tell him.”

“That I want to lick his balls?” I squeaked.

“Among other things.”

“Um. Because he’s dating the Prince? My future King? That in itself should be reason enough for me to never open my mouth in front of him again.”

“Honey, you’ll never know unless you try,” Gary said quietly. “I have a feeling you’d be surprised by the answers you get.”

I scowled at him. “Look. I know what you’re trying to do. What all of you are trying to do. Okay? I get it. But it’s not funny anymore. He’s with the Prince. Who can offer him things I would never be able to. Justin is a prick, but he’s gorgeous and super rich and has an epic nose and I’m sure his penis is just gargantuan. He’s also going to be the fucking king and I’m a lowly wizard’s apprentice who can’t even stop himself from getting captured every time he’s allowed to go out into the world on his own. And I would
never
do that to anyone. Hurt them like that. It’s wrong. And you talk like there’s a chance. But there hasn’t ever been one, so I’m going sit here with my funny little dreams that are going to
stay
dreams, and one day I’ll be over it because I was able to do it on my own.” I was breathing heavily by the time I’d finished and my hands were shaking.

Gary turned his head and pressed his nose against my cheek. “Oh, sweetheart,” he sighed. “You are so much more than you give yourself credit for. I promise you: you’re destined for great things, because all those wishes on the stars you made will finally come true. And you’ll meet a man who will sweep you off your feet and you won’t even be able to remember Ryan Foxheart.”

“Yeah,” I muttered. I twisted the final braid. “All done.”

“How do I look?” Gary asked, posing obscenely.

“Like the fiercest unicorn who ever lived,” I said honestly.

“You’re too good to me,” Gary said. “Now, I want you to get some sleep. You okay to get to your room?”

I shrugged and looked at my fingers. There was purple dye on the tips.

“You just want to stay here with me?”

I shrugged again because I totally wanted to stay with Gary.

So Gary curled himself around me, and I put my head near his throat. He whispered sweet things in my ear until I drifted off. And when I dreamed, I dreamt of stars.

I’d Swallow Anything for You

“H
OT
DAMN
,
boy,” Gary crowed as I entered the throne lobby. “You looking
fine
.”

And I was. After pouting and bitching to Gary and generally feeling sorry for myself, I decided that was complete and utter bullshit. I was awesome and epic and no one had a right to make me feel like crap, not even Prince Justin. So I decided to go all out.

My hair was too floppy on my head, so I’d sat in front of the mirror and sheared off the sides, buzzing it close to my scalp. I left some length on the top and spiked it up with a soft rubber that I’d bought at Market. By the time I’d finished, my neck looked longer, my cheekbones higher. My eyes brighter. I winked at myself in the mirror and then realized that’s what douchebags did, so I vowed to never do it again.

I pulled on the black trousers that showed off my ass. And apparently my balls, because they were that tight. I wondered just how many awkward conversations that would lead to.

I wore the red jerkin Mom had suggested, cinching it tight at the waist. The sleeves clung to my shoulders and arms.

I shined the fuck out of the boots.

Needless to say, I looked like a high-end prostitute when I was summoned from my room.

“I would let you stay the night and then have you for breakfast,” Gary said.

“That is… strangely nice,” I admitted. “Thank you. I would also have you for breakfast as well.”

He sighed. “Too bad you’re like my older sister. We could have been something special.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “
Older
? You’re seventy-six!”

“Boo, you whore,” he said. “Now it’s your turn to tell me how amazing I look.” He pranced around me in a tight circle.

“You don’t look seventy-six at all,” I said.

He glared at me. “Try again.”

“You look wonderful.”

“I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”

“Joy. Sustaining your ego is my life’s work.”

“Make sure you don’t sneeze or fart tonight, okay? Your pants are so tight, I’m pretty sure they would rip. Wouldn’t want Knight Delicious Face to get a sample of the goods along with everyone else.”

I groaned. “If you look close enough, you can see everything. It’s like I’m an advertisement for circumcision.”

He looked closely. It was very disconcerting to have your gay unicorn best friend studying your penis that intensely. Finally, he gave his verdict. “It’s a very nice penis.”

“Thank you.” Because it was.

“Not as big as mine, though.”

“Good-bye, self-esteem and fuzzy feelings. It was so nice to make your acquaintance.”

“Bah,” Gary said. “Knight Delicious Face won’t know what hit him.”

“Uh, yeah he will. His boyfriend.”

“Want me to trample him?”

“As awesome as premeditated murder of royalty would be, I don’t feel like causing the death of the King-in-waiting. That just might be against the law. Or something.”

“I can make it look like an accident,” he said. “I’ve done it before.”

“Remind me never to piss you off.”

“You piss me off all the time.”

“To the point of murder,” I amended.

“I would never kill you,” he assured me. “Maim. But never murder.”

“Most people think you’re sweet and fluffy. It’s all lies.” The throne room sounded crowded, if the noise from the other side of the Great Doors meant anything. I tried to peek through the doors, but I couldn’t see anything. Damn superior craftsmanship.

“Just tell me when,” Gary said. “I’ll handle the rest.”

“Tempting. But no. I don’t even care about stupid Ryan Foxheart and his stupid gorgeous hands or his stupid perfect boyfriend. Tonight is all about me.”

“So glad you think so,” Morgan said, coming up from behind me. “It will certainly make things that much easier.”

I turned to my mentor. He was wearing dark blue robes adorned with the King’s crest stitched neatly on the back. He’d braided flowers into his beard that matched Gary’s. They were absolutely adorable, and I had to stop myself from pinching Morgan’s cheeks and sighing at him. He didn’t like it when I did that.