Page 62 of Magic Cursed
I laugh harder.
Tuuk looks to Elsie who just shrugs. Tuuk looks back at me and smiles with a crooked grin. “Ya know, I think I like her better this way.”
“You would, swine,” Elsie says with an eye roll.
I finally stop laughing and work to compose myself. “Seriously though, you’ll have to go back to Hydenglen without me.”
Tuuk’s smile drops. “What? Why?”
“I have to stop the Regent. He’s planning something that could hurt all magic users.”
“Why don’t you just kill him and be done with it,” Elsie says with a wave of her hand.
“Well for starters, he’s always surrounded by a team of Steel Guards.”
“Then use your magic,” Tuuk says.
“If I use magic, the repercussions would be devastating. Look what happened last time magic was used to kill the leader of the humans.”
Tuuk crosses his arms over his chest. “But the king was a good leader, well-liked even by magic users. Do you really think anyone would miss the ass?”
“He’s an ass, but he’s a smart one. He has the whole kingdom scared of magic users even more than they’re scared of him. If I kill him and make him a martyr, I’ll prove that they’re right to fear us and there will never be peace between magic users and humans. It’s only a few more weeks until Prince Daimis is crowned king. Once he is, he’ll have the power to put the Regent in check.”
Tuuk huffs. “How do you know the prince won’t be just as bad, or even worse?”
I shake my head. “He isn’t. He’s helping me, or I’m helping him—we’re working together.”
Elsie sneers. “I thought you would have learned by now that you can’t trust a human.”
Of course, I understand her reluctance. I had a hard time trusting Daimis too. I look her in the eyes and try to put as much conviction as I can behind my next words. “You know as well as anyone else, that I don’t trust easily. But with this—with Daimis, IknowI can.”
“Hmmm,” Elsie purrs, narrowing her eyes at me. “You’re on a first-name basis with the prince, and you think you can trust him? Are you sure you’re not just letting his incredible good looks mess with your judgment?”
I sigh. “Elsie, do you trust me?”
“Yes, obviously.” She answers so quickly that it takes me off guard. I didn’t know she had so much faith in me.
“Well, then trust that I know what I’m doing where Daimis is concerned.”
She examines me for a moment more, then shrugs. “Oh, very well. If you say so.”
“You both should go now and use the cover of night to make your way back.”
“Nope,” Tuuk says.
Maybe he didn’t understand me, he can be a little slow sometimes. “It’s best to leave at night, and the farther we travel, the longer it’ll take you to get back.”
“I mean, nope, we’re not leaving,” Tuuk says firmly.
I look to Elsie, surely she doesn’t have the same notion.
She looks at her feet and says. “As much as I detest walking, and humans, and cooking, and…well a great many things actually, I’ll endure it for a bit longer. We’re staying.”
Why would they want to stay? “You can’t. It’s too dangerous.”
Elsie chuckles, a light tinkling sound. “Since when have we not been in danger.”
“Look, ugly,” Tuuk says. “We’re staying, end of story.”