Free Loving a Prince Charming by Danielle Monsch Page B

been broken before it had ever been made, because he
already had a true love.
    The white flash of realization had not yet
faded from his vision when he yelled out, “Reina! Reina! ”
    “No need to shout, love. I was hanging around
on stand-by.”
    Since she appeared out of nowhere, there was
no doubt this woman was a fairy godmother, but this was not the
Reina he remembered from that long ago meeting. Her skin was much
darker and her hair close-cropped to her head. “Who are you?”
    “I’m Laura. Reina got married and switched
divisions, so I have taken over all her open cases. Let me tell
you, yours was one of the more awesome ones. All the FGs are really
excited to see how this turns out. Now, how can I help you?”
    She spoke so quickly he almost got lost in
the flow of words, but what was relevant penetrated. She was a
fairy godmother, and she was here to help him. “I want to cast my
wish, the one Reina promised me. I wish to be the one affected by
the spell.”
    Rosamund’s gasp was loud in his ear, but his
focus was on Laura. The fairy godmother’s features became a study
of puzzlement, her lips and brows moving in odd ways as she thought
on his words. “Clarifying here—you’re saying you don’t want
Rosamund to fall asleep. Instead, you want to go into
Eternal Slumber?”
    He nodded. “Exactly. I know you can’t change
the spell and I don’t want a single condition of the spell
changed. What I want is to be the one it affects.”
    Laura held up a forefinger. “One moment,
please. I have to double-check on something.” Laura pulled out a
wand from the side of her skirt and tapped it against her forehead,
her eyes closing in concentration.
    Rosamund pulled at his hand. “Don’t do this.
I never wanted you to do this, not for me.”
    Seth removed his hand from her grip and
stroked her cheek. She was as smooth as porcelain, but he preferred
the rough vibrancy that marked Kira. “Promise me that you’ll go on
that picnic. Better yet, jump in that lake. Make sure you start at
the shallow end.”
    “I’ve finished conversing with my
supervisor.” Laura’s voice broke through and both Seth and Rosamund
turned toward the dark-skinned fairy godmother. “Seems the switch
is a go. Say goodnight, Prince Charming.”
    Lethargy infused his limbs and his vision
blurred. He closed his eyes, but when he opened them again he was
on the bed, his legs too long for the mattress.
    Rosamund was crying. He tried to lift his arm
to wipe away her tears, but no hand reached her face. His limbs
wouldn’t obey the commands of his brain. “You shouldn’t have done
this,” she kept saying. “Why did you do this?”
    “Don’t cry.” That was his voice? It was so
small, so far away. How could he lead his kingdom with a voice as
unimpressive as that? Focus. Focus on Rosamund. “It will be
all right. I have a true love and she’s going to be here soon. And
if a dragon is dumb enough to stand in her way? She’ll hand him his
ass.”
    Not to mention his ass was in trouble. Kira
was going to be so upset with him over this. But… His eyes slid
shut, impossible to keep open anymore.
    But first I’m going to get another
kiss .

Chapter Eleven
     
     
    Kira should have been riding, as hard and as
fast as she could push her horse to go.
    Instead, she did what? Waited just outside
the town, where she would have a spectacular view of Seth and
Rosamund when they entered and proclaimed to all that the curse was
over and their wedding would be forthcoming.
    The cheers would be deafening.
    She picked up a rock and threw it hard
against the trunk of the tree across from her. The thunk was
hardly satisfying, and she looked around for a bigger one.
    Then vibrations began under her feet, and
within moments it went from a low buzz to throwing her around like
a ragdoll and knocking her into the tree. She wrapped her arms
around the trunk to stabilize herself just as the last vibration
hit, and the ground stilled once again.
    What