The Blue Carnation Inn: A Day Later: Dawn

Florence and Blackstone hid under a table, disguised as waiters. Their blue uniforms blended with the table and the cloth. With the added mirrors arranged in different spots, they were almost invisible.

Florence turned on the tablet, which tapped into the inn's security feed, and she placed earbuds in both her and Blackstone's ears.

Customers hadn't yet arrived.

"Wow, you're that good without magic." He turned blue to make himself even harder to see.

She pressed her fingers to his lips. "It's showtime."

Troops entered the inn with a new burlap sack opened wide. The queen trailed behind them and looked at the door every few minutes.

"Hi, sweetie," Kyle said to Petunia.

"Where is Griffin?" Queen Petunia asked. "He was here, and you let him go. Tell him to run."

"I didn't let him go; I kicked the loser out." Kyle guided her to the table where Blackstone and Florence hid.

"Griffin is not a loser. He's our friend." Queen Petunia pressed a broken electric dagger against his neck.

"Are you threatening me? I thought you loved me." He grinned at her.

"Victor might come in." She giggled. "But I understand why you don't trust me. Everyone I've stabbed with this toy has survived." She stabbed the table.

"So Victor wants you to shake me down." Kyle gave her bombastic side-eye.

She touched his wings. "They didn't tell me that Victor and Izz dragged Griffin's parents to prison, and everyone is blaming me. I needed Griffin on my side."

Florence adjusted the tablet.

"How did you find out I know?" Kyle's dragon wings fluttered. He transformed into a short man with black hair, not the taller humanoid he usually turned into. It was his real face.

"Everyone confides in you." Petunia kissed Kyle's cheek and her mouth met his.

He kissed her back. "Alva's stepmother was behind it and convinced him to do it. Queen Izz wants to punish you for Alva's death."

"Maybe," Petunia said. "It was brilliant. If she can depose me as queen, she doesn't have to replace Wendy, but everyone will die if she doesn't." Petunia tucked her weapon away. "She convinced Griffin to humiliate me because he is easily manipulated with praise."

"How about a spice cake and cream pie?" Kyle ran to the kitchen and set a two-layer cake and a full chocolate cream pie in front of her.

She shoved the plate away. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Is it you or Victor who is stopping Cora from being co-queen?" Kyle wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Victor doesn't want Cora to rule, though that was his grandmother's wish. Honestly, I'd rather be playing video games than be involved in politics." Petunia jumped down on the floor, threw plates, and screamed. Her legs kicked the floor. "I want this all to stop!"

He stepped back and smiled. "I have information."

"What kind?" Petunia jumped up and stopped crying.

Kyle sat at an empty table. "Blackstone disguised himself to escape, which you already know."

Petunia tucked her glowing dagger away and sat down. She rested her fingers on the blue cloth. "The taxes and information you provide keep the orphans alive."

"Yes, my queen." He took a glass of water off the table and toasted her.

"Before his death, Alva attempted to steal worthless books from the vault. Victor wants the books and I need the money." Petunia left the table. "Those kids need food."

"There is power in books." Kyle stood up.

"The only book worth anything is the oracle book." She removed a micro-book and showed it to him. The face on the cover winked at him.

More troops entered.

"We came for Queen Petunia's payments and tributes for defiling her name," her new troop leader said.

He stood inches from Florence and Blackstone's hiding place.

Victor strutted in. "I demand payment. Get the money and leave, and I know you've been skimming off the top."

Queen Izz walked in and moved a doll with her hand. "Unlike you, I still have my powers and I can do a lot more than move toys." She waved her hand, and Kyle twitched.

"Please stop," Petunia said dryly. "He is always on time with his 20%."

Queen Izz glared at her. "I still blame you for my son's death. Alva was my heir, and I loved him as my own."

Kyle glared at the king, but he smiled, and his eyes softened. "Eat first; talk about the tribute later." He handed him a stack of burned photos. "They are forgeries, of course, but I destroyed them before any guests saw them. I won't have filth disparaging you."

"No food." Queen Izz forced the villagers to leave. "We need to stop robbing people like thieves."

"No, everything is mine, and this is to bring back Alva, but you forgot the deal we made..." Victor paused. "Petunia, sweetie, I've poisoned my brother's wife and Wendy because you failed to do so. You've been using glitter."

"The brat feels guilty about that. But maybe she's right. I don't mind killing, but you're killing the wrong people," Queen Izz said smugly.

"Are you sure I'll get my magic back?" Queen Petunia stared at her glowing weapon.

Victor's cell phone rang. "Cora did what? How dare she talk to my generals and try to convince them to turn!" Victor limped to the door and stormed out.

Izz followed him out.

"Normally, he has me handle the petty stuff, but Victor hasn't been walking correctly. I'm worried. My brother is all I have left," Petunia said.

"No, you have me." Kyle smiled and winked at her. He kissed her knuckles.

"Let me have the honor of feeding your troops for free." He touched his chest, where his heartbeat was. "My patriotic duty to you. My food is meant for royalty. If you don't like the pie, try the ginger pudding with scratch-made ice cream. It's heaven in each bite, but everything is free for you, my lovely lady crab."

"Are you making fun of me and saying I'm crabby?" Petunia asked. She broke into laughter. "Maybe I am."

"Of course not. I'm offering you female crabs from the underground salt rivers." He ran to a silver cart and motioned for them to sit down. "It's your birthday, isn't it? I cooked crabs dripping with butter and mounds of crispy potatoes." He set the seafood platter next to her pie and cake.

"You and Victor are the only ones who remembered." She kissed him again.

"I'll always remember," Kyle said.

"Everyone hates me because of Alva, and even though he wasn't my choice, I loved him and still do. But I never told him about you. He assumed me and the duke were once involved and killed him." She pushed the pie away. "And I wanted the Duke hurt because he was going to tell Alva about you. You and I were broken up. Why would it have mattered? I never cheated."

Blackstone and Florence moved to hear better because Petunia whispered.

Kyle pointed to the food. "I made it for you."

"Yes, but Blackstone used to make these pies. And I feel guilty. Even though I shouldn't." A tear fell from her eyes—not the fake, overwrought tears for Alva. "You're not going to tell Victor that I knew the alehouse wife helped Edgar, are you? He'd kill me. I owe Victor everything."

"I won't tell him, but he allowed you to take the blame for your mother's death," Kyle said.

"I agreed to it. He buys me makeup, video games, and nice clothes.," she whined.

"Whose side are you on?" Kyle asked.

"I'm always on Victor's side. He kept me alive. My grandmother despised that my mother took that youth potion and had me with a commoner."

"But you haven't successfully killed anyone."

"Ha, I'm as murderous as Victor, but I'm not good at it. And I know the monster I've become because I can't kill Blackstone yet. I'm too villainous. Killing him and Wendy would've saved the world. Heroes always sacrifice the one for many." She trembled. "I couldn't get food past Alva, but at least I didn't tell anyone where he was."

Kyle hugged her. "I've been your only real friend, and you don't need to lie to me. If you killed Alva, I'd still love you."

"No, Griffin was my friend, too. But I kept so much from both of you." She smiled. "But I will kill Blackstone or Wendy to get my powers back. This is to save the world."

"Is it?" Kyle asked.

"What does that make me? My brother, Victor, is always right, and it's for the good of the people. I was weak before, but I'll no longer be weak and kill whoever Victor asks."

"Kindness isn't weak." Kyle touched her arm.

Petunia kissed him. "He and my grandmother taught me old and ugly women were evil, but what if I am evil? Grandmother always used youth potions. No, it's not us. We have to be right."

Her adult troops went in the back for barrels of wine.

"I'm not sure drinking that much wine is smart," Kyle said. "An operative tricked the guards into rescuing Griffin's parents for her because they are drunks."

"I know it was Florence or Cora. What about the ghosts my idiot troops saw? Do you think it was my mother?" Petunia asked. "Does she forgive me?"

"There was no ghost," Kyle said. "It was the booze."

She sighed again. "Maybe my adult troops should drink less, but if I provide the mead, the orphans can eat without them stealing everything. I don't have the heart to tell Victor that this is not how to run an army. But we're out of money. Half the money I steal goes into feeding the children."

"Victor and Izz know what you're doing. Don't think they won't kill you," Kyle said. "Izz blames you she Alva's death."

"She bought him the vapes. That woman wanted to be his friend instead of his mom. It's just easy to blame me."

She ate her birthday dinner with Kyle.

After a few hours, she and her troops left.

Blackstone asked Florence softly. "What was that about?"

They climbed from under the table.

"Gaining Petunia's trust," she said. "If we tell her parts, she'll start believing you're in the Wastelands, and that gives us time to train you. But maybe we can save her."

"She doesn't realize she's worth saving." Kyle hugged Blackstone. "No, you have to survive. You're my friend. And I would like to save you and Petunia, but Victor has too big of a hold on her. The woman I loved is gone because Victor chose Alva as her mate."

The Next Day:

Blackstone fired at the stationary targets with a laser gun, and he missed every time.

The next day, he practiced more laser shooting, and he felt worse than last time.

Every day, he practiced nothing.

"I'm not giving up, but I need to accomplish one task, even if it is small."

Miriam and her curvy cat shifter friend frowned. "You're overworking yourself. Go to Wendy tomorrow and talk to her and tell her everything."

Florence and Blackstone ascended the stairs to the projector room, and he prepared a pumpkin cheesecake. "At least I can do something right. Nothing comes easy."

"And it shouldn't."

Blackstone rubbed his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Sometimes I receive phantom pain, and the ache is worse with all failure." He rubbed his shoulder again.

"Do you need a back rub?" Florence asked.

"I don't know if I'd like a massage or not. I've never received one." Blackstone shrugged.

Florence attempted to rub his back, but he broke out in giggles. "I'm ticklish."

"Let me try one more thing. I think you need a harder massage." She dug her elbow into the tender parts of his back. "I use rollers."

He stretched. "That is super painful, but I like it. Dig under my shoulder blade."

"Sure. I can do that." Florence dug into his flesh.

"I didn't realize how sore my back was because I guess I ignored the pain," Blackstone said.

"It's easy to ignore problems." She finished rubbing his back and then lifted weights.

The Next Week:

Each day, he practiced with Florence, but he faltered with not an inch of progress. He practiced shooting a laser gun for four hours before he collapsed on his bed, and he dreamed of more practice., but at least his nightmares vanished.

At the end of the session, Blackstone bowed his head. "Maybe cooking is enough."

Florence handed him a drink of water while her mother practiced fighting with a female guard. "Blackstone, you need to rest."

"You need motivation." The woman took his hand. "If you hit the target, I'll go on a date with you. Would you want my lips against your pretty mouth? Being locked inside the kitchen, you can't have even kissed a girl. You're always working."

"You're being mean..." Miriam paused. "Blackstone needs a pity kiss, not a super fake one."

"No, plenty of women want to kiss me. Alva's creepy ex-stepmother, Queen Izz, and his ex-girlfriend had designs on me, which is another reason he wanted to torture me." Blackstone fired at the target but shot into the ceiling with the laser gone.

"Luckily, they are nonlethal," the woman said.

"You made him nervous. No, there is a reason Blackstone is messing up and does not want to leave. He has coordination." Miriam walked around him.

"I can't do anything without Florence." Blackstone rubbed his shoulder.

Florence rubbed Blackstone's shoulder with her elbow without thinking. Okay, we will see if the motivation works." Florence pulled Blackstone to her, and she pressed her lips to his. "I'm going with you."

He hyperventilated.

"Damsel, you will receive another kiss, slow and deep, if you fire into the center." Florence corrected his stance. "I'm not stupid. You have a little crush on me." She whispered in his ear. "I like rescuing you, but I need you to protect yourself."

Blackstone fired at the target, but he fired until his shots landed without complaints or hesitation. "You were doing that to motivate me, but thank you for my first kiss. Well, second."

"Your next kiss won't be in front of everyone." Florence planned to say she didn't love him, and it was just a kiss, but the words couldn't reach her mouth.

Projector Room:

The movie finished.

Florence checked her phone when it buzzed. Emergency!

She turned on a video app.

Victor's face came into focus during a news broadcast. "Prince Alva was behind the rash of thefts, and he's still alive. He is framing the queen. Griffin is a petty man who lost his powers. My niece and Wendy still have theirs."

Florence tucked her phone away. "Victor listened to a message I sent through Kyle. My plan is working. Queen Petunia needs Kyle alive, and we can now pepper information through other sources."

Prince Blackstone stretched. "I need to flee to the Lyric Kingdom. Tribeca will be there, and she needs me to cook for her." Blackstone wrapped his arms around his legs and his knees pressed into his chest. "I don't want to go because you'll head back after I arrive."

"No, I plan to stay behind with you because I want to protect you." She hugged him. "Unlike you, I volunteer."

"Did you volunteer to kiss me?"

"Sorry, I put you on the spot with the kiss." Florence sat on the floor next to him.

"Now, I have my own weird romance story." Blackstone broke into laughter.

"Maybe not, but I can give you the second kiss I promised." She grabbed him.

He leaned in and pressed his lips on her mouth hard, almost consuming her lips.

"How was that?" he asked.

"A little overeager, but strangely nice." She kissed him again. "Maybe I want an overeager kisser."

He touched her hair. "I don't want this to be our last kiss."

She wrapped her fingers around hers, eyes closed. "Blackstone, I need to go with you, and not just to protect you."

He rested his hand over hers. "If I don't leave, and hide forever, will you love me back? This is a dream life for me. Being surrounded by you, popcorn, and cheesy romance movies are joyful."

"But I love you now," she whispered in his ear.

He nodded. "They probably have tanks looking for me. No matter what happens, I'll be safer with you."

She touched his shoulder. "You're worth everything."