Chapter 542

Even as everyone returns to their homework, though, my eyes keep darting back to the little pile of chocolate on the side of the map. Delicately, working hard to use my espionage skills, I casually lean forward and slip my hand out -

Only for Luca to swat it away. I gasp in shock, mock appalled.

"Hands off," Luca murmurs, not looking at me as he looks down at the notebook in which he hastily writes. "I'm using those."

"They're mine!"

"You can wait, Ariel!" he says, laughing a little, “until I'm finished!"

"But I want one now," I moan, truly craving the little treat. "Can't I just have one of the dead troops!?"

"No!" Luca replies, laughing and glancing up at me, "I might need to set up the scenario again. Just...have a little patience, please."

“I have some of those," Daphne says at my side, and I turn to her with interest. “They're down in my room. If you're really dying for one, we could go down there?"

"Yes!" I say, jumping to my feet, instantly eager.

"Ariel, by the time you get down there and back up Luca will be finished -" Rafe says on a sigh, holding out a pleading hand towards me.

"No, I won't!" Luca calls, still looking down at his paper. "Slow writer!"

"Oh, it will take five minutes," Daphne says, putting her sewing into its basket and reaching out to take my hand. "Besides, I could use the chance to stretch my legs."

"But," Rafe sputters out, looking anxiously between us, "it's dangerous -"

"Rafe," she says, laughing, "I wander around this castle all the time, and I'm always fine -"

"But Ariel!"

"I'll go too," Ben says, neatly closing his book and standing up, stretching his arms over his head as he smiles as Daphne as me. "As the muscle. I'm always down for a late-evening chocolate run."

Daphne and I beam at Ben as Rafe sighs, turning towards Jesse. "Seriously, Jess?" Rafe asks, holding a hand out towards the three of us. "Nothing? No support on this?"

Jesse flicks his eyes up to Rafe for a mere second his face stony. “If it were just Ariel, cousin, I'd refuse in a moment because I enjoy seeing her suffer. But I'm under a sincere oath to deny Daphne nothing in this world. As such," he says, giving a dramatic sigh as he nestles back into the cushions of his chair, "my hands are tied."

Rafe groans, rolling his eyes, as my little trio of adventure seekers head towards the door. Luca waves to us over his shoulder as Jackson sends a warm pulse down the bond, encouraging me to have fun and be safe in his own little way.

Smiling, I slip out the door with Ben and Daphne on either side, and we hurry down the hall towards the stairs, Daphne swinging her sewing basket happily in her hand.

"You know, I'm a very strong hand-to-hand expert now, Benny," I say, smugly raising my chin. "You barely had to come for protection. Just for Daphne's sake."

"Oh believe me," he says, looking at me with wide, honest eyes. "I'm only in it for the chocolate, Ariel. Jackson really worked up an appetite in me, narrating all that death and

el?

destruction while moving the candy around the board with those broad hands..."

et

Daphne and I both burst out laughing and Ben grins at us as we all cheerfully move forward, chatting idly as we go down the stairs and then into an elevator that takes us down to Daphne's floor. When we get to her door and she quickly opens it with a tiny key, I'm charmed again by her little room so neat and tidy, with her sewing machine in the corner.

"Come in," Daphne says, waving us forward. "It will take me a minute to find the candy in all of my boxes - plus, I never have guests."noveldrama