“Wow,” I said, staring at him. “That was such a douchebag thing to say. And I can do it.”
Ryan arched an eyebrow at me. “Do you even lift, bro?”
I smacked him upside the head. “Stop it. You stop it right now. I’m not one of your knights. I am not your bro.”
He rubbed his head and glared at me.
I sighed. “Fine. Use your large muscles and push the door out of the way.”
“You act like this isn’t turning you on,” Justin whispered as I stepped away from the door.
“I know, right?” I whispered back. “But his ego is already out of control, so he doesn’t need to know that. Have you ever had a boner while you’ve had dead bugs in your hair? It’s really quite vexing. I’m terribly vexed.”
Ryan pressed his hands against the door and grunted as he pushed.
“Holy biceps,” I breathed. “They look like they’re about to burst right through his robes. Do you think his thighs are quivering with exertion?”
“I try not to think about his thighs.”
“That was a lie. Everyone thinks about Ryan Foxheart’s thighs.”
“In case you can’t quite remember, we’re trying to rescue my father. I don’t have time to deal with the sick and twisted thing you have going on with Ryan.”
“Yeah,” I sighed happily. “Our love is one for the ages. Hey, Foxheart. You done trying to move the immoveable stone wall?”
His face was red with exertion, sweat dripping down his brow. “Almost got it,” he grunted.
“Right. Well, while you’ve almost got it, maybe consider pulling the lever to your right that I noticed right after you called me bro.”
Justin snorted.
Ryan glared at me.
I smiled sweetly at him. “Love you.”
He muttered something under his breath that I assumed was him saying he loved me too before he reached over and grabbed the wooden lever that stuck out from the wall. He pulled it down and—
Nothing happened.
“We are the worst at rescuing people,” I said. “Okay, that’s it, I’m just going to blast it from existence and hope Myrin doesn’t notice my magic—”
The door opened with a grinding moan, dust spilling from the ceiling above us.
Ryan looked back at me and grinned. “See? I told you I could do it.”
And then a hand shot through the open doorway, wrapped around his throat, and jerked him into the waiting darkness.
Chapter 11: The King and I
I DIDN’T hesitate. Not when it came to him. I never had. And I never would.
The moment he disappeared from sight, I followed him through the door.
And immediately fell down a flight of st
airs on the other side and landed on my back, blinking up at the ceiling.
“I meant to do that,” I groaned as I pushed myself up onto my elbows. “That was totally planned. Yay me.”