Page 24 of The Prince and His Stolen Throne
“Probably for the best we don’t go after him,” Fitz said. At some point, he’d retrieved the soggy, chewed up pamphlet. “It recommends bringing at least one mage. Is anyone here a mage?”
No one raised their hand.
“Does anyone hereknowa mage?”
Delilah raised her hand eagerly.
“My dad doesn’t count,” I told her.
She lowered her hand.
“If your dad is a mage, why are we eliminating him?” Fitzasked.
“His specialty is novelty toys.” No need to explain whatkindof toys. I’d gained that knowledge purely by accident. If I could scrub it from my mind, I would have. “Hestumblesacross weapons sometimes, but his combat magic is, at best, unreliable. Besides, I don’t think our parents can help us on this quest.”
Fitz pursed his lips. “Then we’ll need to find a quest that fits our capabilities. What are everyone’s strengths?”
Angelica flipped her golden curls over her shoulder. “I’m perfect, whatever you throw at me, I can handle.”
“Fuck off,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You can’t even handle swearing.”
“I simply don’t believethosewords belong in polite conversation.”
“Suck it up, Princess, because quests aren’t polite. There’ll be blood and dirt and viscera. Sleeping on the ground, scavenging for food, fighting for our lives.”
She shuddered. “Not if I can help it.”
How the fuck does she think she can avoid it?
“If you want specifics,” she continued, pert nose firmly up in the air, “I also happen to be an accomplished duelist.”
I thought of Hector’s comments and snorted. “Amazing! That will be so helpful when the enemy lines up in a neat and orderly fashion to fight you one at a time!”
“Oh, and I suppose you can do better?”
“Trey’s a great fighter,” Delilah piped up. “Not as good as Kit, but in fairness, they’ve been training for longer.”
Fitz scanned me up and down, assessing me the way I’d assessed Maximus earlier. “What’s your weapon of choice?”
“Swords, mostly. I can shoot a bow from a reasonable distance, but I’d need more training on moving targets.”
“I’m more of an archer myself, though I can throw knives in a pinch. Perhaps we can fit in some target practice before we depart.” Turning to Maximus, he asked, “What about you?”
I leaned in, also curious to hear the answer.
Maximus ducked his head sheepishly and explained, “I like puzzles.”
Not what I expected. “Like jigsaw puzzles?”
“Or riddles. I can also pick locks.”
I’d only focused on his height and muscles before, but now I focused on his hands. Large palms and long, nimble fingers, with a few scattered callouses, probably from where he held the tools.
“Now we’re talking!” Fitz exclaimed. “What about you, Delilah? Any skills you’d like to share?”
Delilah’s eyes lit up and her chest puffed up in anticipation. “I’ll show youexactlywhat I can do!”
Oh fuck.I lunged for her, but she side-stepped me, putting the tea cart between us. “Delilah, don’t—”
