But he only shrugged.
A spark of anger flared in my chest. It really...frosted my cookies that they got to be all cagey with me. Ha. Cagey. Prison joke. I was hilarious.
And trustworthy.
“You used to tell me things. Things I never told a soul. Like the time you were in the garden after drinking all of that ale and didn’t think you’d make it to—” He took one quick step toward me and stopped the rest of the sentence with a finger on my lips.
“Never. Speak. Of. That. Fair Folk don’t even need to use a bathroom.”
Without thinking, I stuck out my tongue and licked his finger. “Why does Flynn need to save his magic?”
Jerking it away, he wrinkled his nose, then wiped his hand on his pants. “Gross girl.”
Just like that, I was transported back to a time when he teased me. We’d always called each other names. Prince Posh. Bellowing Banshee. Gross Girl. Fickle Flynn. We’d fallen back into bantering so easily, and I laughed. The sound shocked me, and I swallowed it as soon as it burst out of me.
I wanted to give him an out and say something like, “You must mean the tournament.” But I knew it wasn’t the tournament, and I didn’t owe him anything.
Saving from sluaghs aside.
“Are you planning on keeping me in this tower?” I asked, gazing around the room again. It wasn’t safe here. I wanted something I could put my back to and guard all the exits. He’d snuck up on me, no problem. And while he didn’t seem to want to hurt me right now, there was no telling what the future held.
“You don’t like Ronan’s room?”
I glanced at him. He was frowning again. Frowning Flynn. If we ever joked again, that’s what I’d call him.
“It’s really…” I waved my hand around as I tried to come up with a nice way of saying not really. Why was I attempting to be sensitive? “I don’t really like it. It’s too big and open.”
Gaze roaming my face, he studied me. “Too big?”
The window behind me wasn’t the only window. There was one on the same wall where the bathroom was. And now I couldn’t remember if there was one in the bathroom too.
Not to mention, there was the door that led to a staircase, or hallway, maybe. That tapestry in the corner could easily hide a secret door. NP guards could float through the ceiling, and the warden had hinted at being a nightmare walker. What if he found a way to peer into my dreams? All he’d have to see was this fancy furniture, and he’d know right where I was.
But “too big” summed it up fine. “Yes.”
As I’d been thinking, I’d wandered away from the window and found a spot between an armoire and the door. My back was to the wall, and I faced Flynn.
“You used to love open spaces,” he said.
I used to sort of love him. I almost said it, but some tiny bit of self-preservation kept that nugget locked down tight.
“Look,” I said, hoping my tone came out bored, “I know you can open portals all casual-like—”
“Not into the castle,” he corrected. Know-it-all.
I ignored him. “But other creatures have to use more mundane methods.” I waved my hand at the window. “So, if you have a smaller spot, something with enough room for a bed, I’ll stay there until you send me back.”
That made his frown even deeper. “We’re not sending you back.”
“Right now,” I added.
He stood up straighter and seemed to puff out in front of my eyes. I’d noticed his broad shoulders earlier, but now they practically took up the entire width of the doorway he stood in front of. “We’re not sending you back.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, Frowning Flynn. You’re not sending me back.” Until he and his bossy brothers changed their minds.
Then, I mentally stuck my tongue out at him, because this was apparently my first century of life and I was a child.
“You’ll see,” he replied, smiling. Ugh. I liked it better when he was frowning. Smiling Flynn was really hard to be mad at. He was all white teeth, rakish smile, and twinkling eyes.
Good thing those attributes had no effect on me.
He took a step toward me, and a bead of sweat gathered on the back of my neck and trickled down my back. No effect whatsoever.
“We can find you a smaller room, Genny. One where you’ll feel safe.”
Immediately, I shivered. The heat he’d conjured disappeared in a