find Corin with a wide grin and his arms out to his sides.
“Zella! What took… Is that blood? Get in here.” He left us there and hustled towards his closet.
I cocked my head as Shadow pushed a pilfered memory of Shay's at me. In it, some plump, one-eyed purple thing with a horn hopped around. The overlay of it triggered a giggle that didn't seem wholly appropriate for the moment.
“Sorry. Just an errant thought. Here, let me see,” I said as I tugged on Grace's hand.
Gold blood dripped off her upper lip. A light-purple shirt appeared between us, blocking my view.
“Use this. Here. I'll do it. Move, Zella.” Corin hip-checked me out of his way so he could cover most of her face, using the shirt and his fingers to pinch the bridge of her nose.
“Well, then,” I huffed as I stumbled.
Shadow sent a rapid montage of different views of Corin's room, which advised me she wanted to explore. In return, I pushed a vision of her scaling my leg as I walked to the door. I didn't mind if she scouted around, but I couldn't exactly call her when I needed to leave, either. The warm, pleasing sensation of her agreement ran through me before I noticed the chill of her body crawling down mine.
With that dealt with, I studied the two visible beings in the room, finding Grace staring up at the Prince, her eyes wide and her body frozen. Corin didn't seem unaffected, either. His black pupils appeared to be larger than normal. Hmmm.
Leaving them to their little medical drama flirting mashup, I glided over to his bed and flopped back onto it. Corin's voice droned on in the background, but I ignored it since it had nothing to do with me. Instead, I took a moment to check my monster.
It hadn't been an issue since I'd taken my last tab, but because they didn't seem to be working as well, I'd decided to peek in more often. My new solution involved taking a tab the moment I thought it woke. Thankfully, it seemed to be relaxed and complacent. When I returned to reality, my body rocked.
“Zella, wake up.”
Apparently, I didn't acknowledge him fast enough because Corin bounced the bed hard. My eyes opened to discover him hovering over me.
“I'm awake. Move, so I can sit up. No, don't you dare. I know what that smile means.”
He did.
He jerked up and snatched my legs towards him, practically dragging me off the edge.
“You pot licker. Stop,” I screeched while shooting an icy blast into his body.
He shivered and hopped back. Through chattering teeth, he said, “Low blow, low blow.”
“Not nearly low enough, I think.” I snickered and leaned to the side, so I could find Grace, who remained near the door. “How's the nose?”
With the shirt balled up in a white-knuckled grip, she scrunched the nose in question a couple of times before answering, “I guess it's fine. Just a little sore.”
I nodded and beckoned her closer. I refused to have a meeting with everyone spread out like we were. Her stuttering steps tugged at the corner of my lips. So cute, such a waste of time. If she wants him, she should simply blurt it out.
Of course, she wouldn't. Too shy, too insecure, too trapped in her father's mirror, she wouldn't have the courage to take that initiative. None of my business.
“So, Prince Corin,” I said as I adopted my 'official' tone and clipped words. “I, Head Master of the Office of Investigations, Earth Branch, have need of assistance. I am accompanied by Angelic Liaison, Logistics Head, Grace Michaelson.”
“Serious, huh? And here I thought you'd come around to give me that story you still owe me.” With furrowed brows and crossed arms, he cleared his throat before nodding and walking away.
Grace sat beside me, dividing our sides clearly. She folded her hands in her lap, twisted them a bit, fiddled with her cloak, and returned them to their folded position. Over and over, she fidgeted until I slapped my hand over hers, halting them.
“Sorry,” she whispered, interlocking her fingers, so she wouldn't be tempted.
“Head up, Grace. You're a fucking Liaison.” I spoke under my breath, hoping she would hear me over the sound of chair legs scraping across the floor.
“Okay,” Corin said as he dropped into his seat and shifted. “Prince Corin is available to receive your petition. Please proceed and do try to be succinct.”
Asshole. The glimmer in his eyes told me he knew I wanted