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“Were you in trouble?”

I bit my lip and gave her a puppy-dog look. “I’m always in trouble.”

“Well, you don’t want to get into trouble with Prince Killian of the House of Chaos, boy. If you offend him, even our prince won’t step in for you, no matter how fond he is of you. The realm doesn’t want another house war. The previous one almost leveled Mist of Cinder. The prince heirs are the most powerful beings, and every single woman wants to land one in the Brides Selection. But people like us who have no chance in the Selection will try everything not to catch the heirs’ attention, which will only bring you a world of hurt.”

“So true, Drusilla.” I nodded gingerly. “I caught Prince Louis’s eye, so he dragged me here to be a squire. But I’ve accepted my fate since he promised to pay me for my hard work and provide good health care coverage that might even include dental and vision.”

Not that I needed it.

“This isn’t the mortal realm, Little Bob. There’s no such thing as health insurance.”

I bristled. “The prince lied to me?”

She waved a hand dismissively. “You should count yourself lucky that he only lied to you. Anyway, if you see Prince Killian, even from afar, run as fast as you can. Got it? Stay under his radar.”

Shit, I’d already caught his attention, but he’d caught mine as well.

He wants to fuck you. Sy perked up. As do you. There’s strong chemistry between you two—

I flushed. We don’t want to fuck a prince.

Liar, she crooned. He’s very powerful. A wet dream for us to fuck.

“You’ve got a talent, Little Bob.” Drusilla sighed and walked off. “Don’t waste it.”

I closed the door, turned on the light, and took in my small room that had basic furniture with a bed. I didn’t need much. As long as I wasn’t constantly being hunted by Shriekers, I counted it as a blessing. Having no belongings only freed me. I didn’t grow attached, and I could leave at any second with the clothes on my back.

I strode toward the one-pane window to check my reflection in the glass—my cheeks were round with vibrant youth, my lips full and pale. My two-toned eyes, one green and the other sapphire, so different from Sy’s violent golden ones, didn’t look so distinguished in the dim light.

I touched my pale golden face dusted with a few freckles like stardust. I still couldn’t see myself as a boy, but my low, husky voice and the messy, soft golden curls piled on top of my head might’ve given everyone the wrong impression.

Or it could be my natural camouflage that misled everyone. I was a born chameleon.

“I have to be a boy from now on,” I told Sy.

Sy grinned. You got this.

“If they find out, it’ll be shit. These supernatural aren’t nice folks, and they’re dangerous.”

As are we, Sy offered. And we eat them.

6

I’d scrubbed myself clean in the servants’ public bathhouse last night. I’d waited until everyone had gone to bed. I’d also found my way to the kitchen and eaten so much that I almost popped.

Then I’d gone to bed, binding my breasts and sleeping in clean clothes.

I sighed in contentment and dug my nose into the pillow, shutting out the faint light coming through the small window. The servants’ quarters were one floor below the ground, but we still got a window overlooking the cherry trees and lavender bushes outside.

Something prodded my ribs. I wiggled away and burrowed further toward the wall.

“Little Bob,” a voice called.

Why couldn’t they just forget about me and let me sleep a couple more hours? I ignored the calling and folded the pillow to cover my ears. But then someone tugged my pillow away by force.

“Bob! Little Bob!” a deep voice bellowed against my ear.

Arrgh!