Page 274 of The Grand Duel
“Princesses.”
I widen my eyes, watching as hers light up. “Yes!”
She bunches her shoulders and goes to the toy box, picking up a dinosaur and putting it under her arm. She digs deeper, finding another of Ave’s sparkling crowns.
“You’re the scary princess, and this is your dinosaur. You have to chase me.”
“Oh.” I let my face fall. “But I’m not a scary princess.” I take the crown and put it on, waiting as her shoulders slump.
“No, Lissie, you pretend,” she pleads. “In real life, you’re beautiful.”
I try to keep my lips from twitching, picking up the dinosaur. “But I’m not a scary princess, Willow…” I look up at her slowly, my face transforming. “I’m the evil queen of all dinosaurs.” I inch forward, and she squeals, leaping up and diving into the bottom bunk behind her. “And this evil queen is hungry!”
“Ah, no, Mummy, help!”
I grab the covers, mimicking a dinosaur as I roar.
“Slay her!” Willow pleads, her giggles making my “evil queen of dinosaurs” façade slip a bit.
I laugh, grabbing her ankle and pulling her down the mattress, pretending to nibble on her toes.
She kicks and tugs away from me, her screams laced with her joy. I let her free, and she dives on me, wrapping her arm around my neck.
“Careful, Willow,” Jovie warns.
“I’ve got her! I’ve got her!”
I roll to the side, the tiny human dropping off my back and onto the bed.
“I’m going to get breakfast started,” I hear Jovie say. “Any requests?”
Willow jabs her foot out, catching me in the rib.
“Ow!”
“Evil queen on toast!” she tells her mum, coming back at me full force. I catch her and fall back to the mattress.
I look up through the bunk bed, finding Jovie at the door still. “Pancakes, please.”
She smiles at me, and it’s as good as a hot cup of tea.
There’s a reason I never drove the sparkling Mercedes my parents bought me when I passed my driver’s test at nineteen. One, it felt like hush money, and two, people are fucking crazy.
I dropped Jovie off at our parents’ house after she tiptoed around where she was going. I might not respect my parents very much, but I’m not going to see her walk when I’m able to drive.
The roads are busy being so early, and I don’t make it into the office until nearly ten a.m.
“Morning, Ed.”
She looks up from the reception desk. “Good morning, Lissie. I didn’t think you’d be in today?”
I look past her towards the corridor that leads to our offices. “Well, I am.”
And he will have to finally face me.
“How are you? Charles said your sister is home from Australia. You must be over the moon.”
I smile as I remove my coat. “Yes, it’s so nice to have her back. She should be here for a couple of weeks, so if you don’t mind, I may take some work home again.”