The War of Six Crowns: The Vanished Knight

Another Run-in with Blondie

"Didn't I tell you to stay out of my way?" Blondie's voice cut into her back.

Oh damn. Callan turned slowly, keeping her head low.

"Now I will say this only once—"

"Is everything all right?" Gawain asked from her left.

"Yes, darling," Blondie purred.

Callan gagged a little and peeked out from behind her frizz.

Blondie pouted. "I didn't know you were back. And no greeting."

"So sorry. How have you been, Nerine?" His courteous voice held no warmth.

Even bigger pout. "Lonely without you."

"I thought you had Peter to keep you company."

Nerine burst into laughter despite his harsh tone. "Oh I did, for a while..." She gave Gawain a look promising him everything he could possibly want and then some. "But he bored me."

"I see... Well... Thanks for catching Callan for me. She's the devil to keep in conversation."

Nerine's face darkened, but Gawain took Callan by the shoulders and marched her down the corridor before Nerine could say or do anything. Callan followed meekly, too surprised by his rescue to do anything else. It took about four windows for Callan to wake up and bow out from beneath his arm.

He hefted a heavy sigh and turned to her, wearing a small smile. "You know, I'm starting to think you don't like me."

"Well, you think I'm an idiot." She couldn't be too nasty to him now. Not after he'd rescued her from Nerine.

His fingers traveled to his temple and rubbed it. "You didn't run when you heard Nerine approach."

"And where exactly would I go?"

He tilted his head a little, shifting his dark curls over his forehead. Callan's stomach took another dive. Damn it, she had to get a grip.

"Most girls clear out as soon as possible," he said. "Even if they run into walls to do it."

A chuckle escaped Callan and he grinned. A girl's scream ruined the moment. Gawain groaned and Callan checked out the scream's origin. Nerine stood between Claire's groupies, pointing straight at them. Their heads turned toward Callan and Gawain. Callan frowned in puzzlement.

"Oh no," Gawain moaned. "She's vindictive today."

Some of the girls bickered about something.

"I suggest you stand a bit farther back," he said, nudging her toward the wall.

"Why?"

The hall reverberated with the stampede aimed at them.

The sycophant squad roughly shoved Callan aside to get to Gawain. He sent her a pained look, begging her for help, but what could she do? She sent him an apologetic grimace, tucked tail, and beat it back to Claire. He was a big boy. He would cope. As long as the sycophants didn't drink his blood or something. She returned to a laughing Claire's side. The sycophant squad swept poor Gawain away as if he were a piece of flotsam drifting in the ocean.

Callan felt terrible. He did incur Nerine's wrath by coming up for her.

"We should go help him."

Claire shook her head between chuckles. "And put the rug back under him? No, he'll survive. Trust me." She put a hand on Callan's shoulder. "The cad needs to learn a few lessons about when and where it's okay to turn on the charm."