Logan peered around the edge of the door into Holly’s room. “Hey, how are you doing?”

“My ankle hurts! How do you think I’m doing?” she grumbled.

He entered the room and shut the door. “I’m sorry Holly; I shouldn’t have challenged you to climb that tree.”

She sent him a tiny smile. “No, I shouldn’t have actually taken you up on it, I know better. Trees and I don’t exactly get along.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and smiled. “Yes so I’ve noticed on several occasions.”

Holly liked the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled and she couldn’t help noticing the way the green in his eyes seems to sort of lighten and become brighter. She gave her head a tiny shake and dropped her gaze to her hands. “So anyway, I’ve just twisted it a little it should be fine in a week or so.”

“Well I’ll be certain to take really good care of you in the mean time, I promise. Here, this is for you.” He held out a small basket.

She frowned and took the basket from him. Inside were a couple of books, a few apples, and she frowned, four throwing knives. She looked up at him in confusion. He jumped up, crossed the room and pulled piece of parchment from beneath his cloak. She watched as he tacked it to the wall, the second she figured out what it was she burst out laughing. It was an extremely crude rendering of Lady Monica. “Your artistic skills need improvement.”

He shrugged. “Not my first career choice, I think I’ll be fine. Go for it. We wouldn’t want you to be out of practice while you’re laid up.”

With a little giggle, she picked up one of the knives and hurled it at the “target” hitting Lady Monica right between the eyes. After throwing the other three knives, she felt much better. Logan retrieved the blades and placed them on the bedside table with a smirk. “Very nicely done.” He had removed the target and rolled the parchment, placing it beside the knives.

“Thanks Logan, you always seem to know how to make me feel better.” She watched his cheeks turn a bit pink.

“It’s no big deal, Holly. After all, it’s kind of my fault you hurt your ankle in the first place.”

She shook her head; there was no arguing with him. With a sigh, she took his hand and gave it a small squeeze. “It isn’t your fault Logan. Let it go.”

“Nope, not going to do that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine torture yourself then.”

He winked at her, leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “All right, sadly I have to go. The princess is going torture us today with some sort of garden party. You are lucky that you get to miss it.”

“Oh joy, have fun!” She called as he headed for the door.

He lifted a hand and waved at her without turning around. “I’ll bring you back a finger sandwich!”

“Eww, no thanks I’ll survive!”

He chuckled as he shut the door behind him. Holly settled back against her pillows with a sigh, glad that she wouldn’t have to suffer through the garden party and wondering what, exactly a garden party was.

***

Mitchell leaned down and spoke quietly to Deva. “You look very pretty.”

She cast him a sideways glance. “I look like an entire flowerbed threw up on me!”

He quickly stifled a laugh. “You certainly do not. That dress is very becoming and it would be more so if you would stop scowling.”

“Fine, there are you happy now?”

“Yes, I would be even happier if you would dance with me.”

Her cheeks heated up the second he said the words. “You’re mother will get angry if she sees us dancing. I think it’s better if we don’t.”

“I’ve already danced with all the other girls she invited; come on Deva let me dance with the only girl I really want to dance with, please?”

“Stop it Mitchell, my cheeks are probably bright red!” she hissed at him.

“They are, but you look pretty when you blush.”

“You’re impossible!”

“But you like me anyway, so let’s dance!” He snatched up her hand and dragged her out into the crowd of dancers.

Deva gave a squeal and a laugh as he twirled her into his arms and swung her around the dance floor. “Mitchell! Your mom is going to kill us!”

“I’ll be certain she doesn’t, trust me.” He winked at her.

Standing near the edge of the gardens, Logan grinned and turned to his right ready to make a comment to Holly, only to remember that she wasn’t standing beside him. He sighed and shook his head. He’d been doing that a lot today, turning to make some comment to her only to realize she wasn’t there. It hadn’t occurred to him before today how comfortable he’d become with her or how much he’d come to rely on her being beside him. As stupid as it was, he missed her and her snide comments; he even missed all of her little plans. A silly little grin spread across his face.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me what it is you’re grinning about son?”

Logan turned and glanced at his father. “Not particularly. Is there a reason you’re here?”

Crowley shrugged and smiled. “Just checking in on things. I see Mitchell and Deva are continuing to give Cassandra fits.” He inclined his head in the couple’s direction.

Logan chuckled. “Yes, I think the princess is going to lecture Mitchell again later. I doubt he’s going to regret his actions however.”

“No, I doubt he will. Well, I suppose I had best get back to work then. You should go enjoy yourself a bit; you needn’t stand here the entire time you know.”

He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “I wouldn’t feel right about it.”

Crowley lifted his brows and sent Logan a knowing look. “Why is that, because Holly” isn’t here?”

“What? No, no of course not!” he protested a little too vehemently.

Crowley chuckled, patted him on the back and turned to leave. “I think you protested a might too quickly there my boy.”

Logan folded his arms over his chest and glared at his father, refusing to say another word, Crowley laughed, shook his head and left. Once his father was out of sight he blew out a breath and dropped his arms to his side. Yeah he’d protested a bit too quickly to his dad’s comment, he needed to watch that in the future. He glanced out at the gathering, his father was probably correct, he really wasn’t needed here. Knights walked the castle wall; Deva was by Mitchell’s side, so Logan was mostly useless. With a shrug he slipped out and headed for Holly’s room, she was probably bored out of her mind; he’d stop by and see if she wanted company.

Not because he wanted to see her.

He hummed as he walked down the hallway, stopped in the kitchens and grabbed a loaf of bread, some cheese and a pitcher of water. He couldn’t show up empty handed. Without knocking, he shoved open the door to Holly’s room and stopped dead. “Good Lord above what do you think you’re doing?” He dumped everything on the table near the door and rushed across the room, catching Holly as she tumbled from the top shelf of the bookcase.

“Practicing, what does it look like?”

“You’re supposed to be resting! Are you insane, you could have been killed!” He glared down at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. “I wouldn’t have fallen if you hadn’t of distracted me!”

“You were climbing the damned bookcase, Holly! I repeat: Are you insane?”

“No, I most certainly am not. Are you going to put me down now?”

Logan’s cheeks suddenly turned a bright shade of red as he realized not only was he still holding her cradled in his arms, she wore only a night gown, which had shifted as she’d fallen and was now bunched up past her knees. He grumbled under his breath, stalked over the bed, and carefully placed her on it before tucking her beneath the covers. “Can you please stay in bed and rest until your ankle is better so you don’t give me heart failure?”

She giggled. “Oh come on, Logan, you weren’t really worried, were you?”

He sent her a serious look, before turning away to fetch the items he’d brought for her. “Yes, I was. I don’t want to see you hurt. Well, not anymore than you’ve already been hurt.”

“Ohhh snacks! Thanks Logan! Hey, what happened to the garden party?” She took a piece of bread with cheese when he offered it to her and scooted over so he could perch on the bed beside her.

He shrugged. “I got bored. It was no fun without you there. I had no one to talk to.”

She cocked her head to the side. “You mean no one to make fun of and boss around?”

He poked her in the knee. “No, come on. I like talking to you. We have fun. Besides you missed Mitchell and Deva dancing again. The princess turned a lovely shade of mauve.”

“Do you even know what mauve looks like?” she asked.

He chuckled. “Maybe.”

They talked and shared the bread and cheese. Logan found it much more enjoyable than the garden party and he was glad that he’d left. It didn’t take long before he was stretched out beside her, his hands cradled beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling while they talked. He’d told her the truth, he enjoyed talking to her. It didn’t matter what it was, it was always enjoyable. He liked the way her mind worked. She was clever.

After several hours, she gave a loud yawn. He smiled and looked over at her. “I’d better let you get some rest or the healer will be cross with me.” He lifted himself on his elbows and made to leave.

“Don’t go, please?”

He frowned at her. “Holly, you need to rest.”

She looked away from him with a sigh. “Yeah, I know … it’s just …”

He settled back beside her. She looked as if she didn’t want to be alone, as if she were frightened of something, he knew Holly well enough not to ask what it was. “How about I just stay until you fall asleep?”

She gave him a blinding smile. “Thanks Logan.”

He blinked, nodded, and lay back down beside her. He sucked in a breath when she suddenly snuggled up beside him. “Um, sweet dreams Holly.”

“Thanks Logan, really.” She hugged his arm tightly.

He smiled bemusedly down at her. She looked like a small child. Her face completely relaxed. Whatever had upset or frightened was now the furthest thing from her mind. Simply by staying by her side he’d banished it, it made him feel ten feet tall to have been able to do that for her. He closed his eyes and settled in to wait until he was certain she was asleep. If all he could be was her friend, someone for her to talk to, confide in, and the one to banish the monsters in the night, then that’s what he’d do. Maybe someday in the future, she’d see him as something more.

***

Mitchell pulled back and shut the door. “Um so what do we do about that?”

Deva laughed. “We leave them alone.”

Mitchell gave her a stricken look. “Deva, come on Halt would murder him!”

“Halt isn’t here now is he?”

Mitchell glanced back at Holly’s door. “No, I suppose he isn’t. Logan is on top of the covers and Holly is beneath them.”

Deva rolled her eyes, grabbed his arm and hauled him off down the corridor. “Honestly Mitchell, give it up. Holly is injured and she probably just wanted Logan to stay and keep her company. There’s nothing going on there, the two of them probably just fell asleep.”

Mitchell glanced back once before they rounded the corner. “I guess … still …”

“Gorlog’s beard! Give it up! It’s late Mitchell, leave them alone!”

He sighed. “All right, come on I’ll walk you to your room.”

He stopped at her door. “Good night Deva, I had fun today.”

“So did I, even after the lecture from your mother,” she said with a giggle.

He put his forehead against hers. “It was worth it, you have to admit.”

Her heart rate sped up with him so near and when she spoke; her voice was low and breathless. “It was.”

Mitchell grinned down at her. He wondered if she could hear the pounding of his heart. He dipped his head, pressed his lips to hers, and kissed her, his hand slipped around her waist and he drew her near, holding her closer.

Deva wrapped her arms up around his neck and slipped her fingers through his hair. She could kiss Mitchell for eternity; she settled close to him and smiled up at him when he pulled back.

“Good night Deva.”

She sighed and rested her head against his chest. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

He hugged her tightly. “I feel the same. However, I doubt my mother would be pleased to discover me in your room in the morning.”

She shook her head at him. “Mitchell, it doesn’t mean you can’t stay.”

He grinned and kissed her on the forehead. “It does sweetheart, I am the prince and I need to consider everything, so as much as I’d love to throw caution to the wind and simply sleep beside you for the night, I can’t.”

She propped her head against his chest with a groan. “I hate when you make sense, I hate even more that you’re the prince and stupid appearances count.” She drew in a deep breath and blew it out loudly. “But, I understand.”

He put a finger beneath her chin and tilted her face up so she had to look at him. “I will never let my mother separate us, you know that right?”

She saw the worried look on his face and smiled. “I know you’re not going to give up on us, Mitchell. I’m not giving up, either. We’ll get her to agree, eventually.”

He pulled her in close and hugged her tightly. “I love you, Deva.”

“Love you too, Mitchell.”

He kissed her again. “Good night.”

“Night Mitchell.”

“Go on now.” He pushed the door open and waited until she was safely inside before he turned away and left.

Neither saw Lady Monica lurking in the shadows near the opposite end of the corridor. Mitchell turned and wandered off toward his room, walking past her as he headed in the direction of his room, she shrank back into the shadows created by a hanging tapestry and he never saw her lurking there.

She only emerged after he’d gone, she glanced at Deva’s room, a tiny smile on her lips, before she left, heading in the direction of her own room. Quite happy with the information she’d learned this evening.