We went back down the corridors, with its pristine walls and portraits of previous kings lining them.

“You can let go now,” I said to Micah, whose grip was still tight around my wrist.

He did as I asked, though only after a brief pause. “What were you thinking?” he asked, turning around so he faced me.

“I couldn’t let him keep throwing verbal daggers at me. I’m not some sort of target for Gaius’s words.”

“Gaius is temperamental, and a prince. Nobody’s treated him like that before. He might have gotten enraged and done something he hadn’t meant…”

Doubt simmered in me. “He wouldn’t have hurt me, would he?”

Micah shook his head and exhaled. “No, he isn’t that sort of person, but I think he lost control of his dragon there. He might have accidentally hurt you, which was why I was asked to take you away.” His eyes searched mine before lowering to my lips. “It’s not something we want.”

I raised a brow.

“Never mind.” He stepped back. “Forgive Gaius. He’s not an entirely terrible person.”

“It’s hard to see otherwise.”

“He’s abrasive, yes, but he takes care of us brothers. He always tried to stick up for Rylan when Father got mad as a child, and he stopped Miriel from giving me a hard time, too. He’s just…” Micah leaned on the wall, next to one of the portraits.

“Just what?”

“Narrow-minded.”

“He’s two hundred years old. I’d assume someone that old would have gotten over that by now.”

“He’s been a prince his whole life. Everywhere he went, people saw him as such, and he interacted people with that persona. He’s been in his comfort zone, and I don’t think anything ever pressured him to change. Still, he might look down on others, but I don’t think he’s ever been this mean to anyone.”

“He’s picking on me for no good reason.”

“I think he likes you.”

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “What?” I laughed in disbelief. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything so silly.”

“He gets like that when he starts finding interest in people lowborn. He shields himself because one of his first loves wasn’t a noble, and she left him because he was a prince. Or, at least, that’s what Kael told me.”

“Why?”

“She didn’t want the lifestyle that came with being royalty, I suppose.”

I couldn’t fathom that. Everyone adored royalty, or at least respected them. I’d been fighting for a taste of that respect my entire life.

“I don’t want him to like you, however,” Micah said.

I raised a brow. “I still find that notion ridiculous. And why not?”

Micah took my hand in his. He brought it to his lips, and time seemed to stop for a moment. His bright eyes dug into mine. “I think Kael has a point.”

I pretended to laugh, attempting to shrug off what he was saying. “I’m starting to think you four brothers are playing a prank on me, or something of the sort.” His gaze became too intense for me to hold, so I let my eyes wander down to avoid it. That failed to solve the problem, because all I saw was his chiseled stomach. I could feel heat crawling up my neck.

“I don’t talk much, but I think I’ve said more with you in this conversation than most other females,” Micah continued. “How do you do it?”

“You tell me.” I pursed my lips. This was too much for me to take.

“I think it’s because I see a little bit of myself in you. Because I can sense that longing from you, and I can relate to that on such a personal level that it scares me.” Kael smelled of the sea. Micah, however, had the sweet scent of golden honey. Sweet and tempting. “That, and you’re gorgeous.”

Males and their attraction to pretty things. I pulled my hand away and walked onward. “I have a lot of work to do. We should head back.” My stomach was doing strange somersaults, and I needed a moment to breathe.

“I have some time to burn. Do you need help?”

“That’s all right,” I replied, probably too quickly. I second-guessed myself about turning him down. Micah’s abilities would be helpful to my work.

“What are you up to?” Kael said from down the hallway. He sauntered up to us, then swung an arm around my shoulder. “Micah, I overheard what you said.”

Micah cocked a brow. “And?”

“You’re out of luck, ’cause Sera’s mine.”

“Sera never said anything of the sort, has she?” Micah replied, an edge to his tone.

Kael’s arm was heavy. “What do you think, kitty-cat?”

“I think that the both of you are too much of a distraction, and that I have another deadline coming up tomorrow morning,” I said.

Kael chuckled. “She didn’t disagree. I’d say that’s a yes. Since I’m one for games, how about we make this into one?”

I could almost hear the crackle of challenge coming from between them. “All this is unnecessary—”

“What do you have in mind?” Micah said.

“First one to get a kiss from Sera wins,” Kael said.

“I’m not a toy,” I reminded him. “Or a game.”

Micah pulled me aside, tearing me from Kael. He pressed me against the wall, and his lips lingered close. I was stunned into silence. Micah hovered above me, his heat on my skin, as if asking for permission, but Kael placed a hand over his brother’s lips and shoved him away. “Not like that. She has to give it to us.”

I rubbed the back of my neck and pushed myself from the wall, feeling an ache on my back. What was that?

“I…” I had to have a talk with Frederick. I mused about what Frederick’s reaction would be over this new development, and an image of him gushing swirled through my head. I was teetering on the edge of squealing. “You might be up for this, but I’m not. I don’t need this on my plate right now. I have a vote to concentrate on, and if you two are constantly flittering about me, I won’t be able to get anything done.”

“What are you going to do when you lose?” Kael asked Micah, completely setting my comment aside. “I think if you lose, I want you go around wearing a hat shaped like a large, phallic mushroom for the next month.”

Micah shrugged. “If you lose, you’ll have to help Rylan’s with his duties.”

“Are you trying to sentence me to death?”

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and moved away from the two bickering children. “I’m leaving.”

“Not unless you tell us who your favorite is,” Kael said. “We need to keep score.”

“Frederick. He’s my favorite. He’s lovable, and funny, unlike the lot of you, and doesn’t have my heart jumping out of my chest with every other sentence he says.”

They both frowned. Their eyes flickered to yellow, then back.

“Who’s Frederick?” Micah asked, his voice deepening.

Had I just endangered my best friend’s life? “Uh, he’s… He’s not someone to affect this challenge. He’d be more interested in getting into your pants than my robes.”

Relief swept over their faces. I wanted to feel special with their sudden interest, but I reminded myself that I was currently nothing more than a shiny jewel the men wanted to fight over. This game was just to stroke their egos. It was entertaining—what girl wouldn’t like two men fighting over her? But I had to keep my eye on the prize. And that didn’t include being a plaything to two princes.

“Good,” Kael said, pacing behind me. “So, what do you want, kitty-cat? What’s the next thing I can do to win that kiss?”

I twisted sharply, raising both my hands. “Best thing you can do for me right now is back off and let me breathe.”

“That seems rather dull, doesn’t it?”

“Stay. Away.” I needed time to process everything. “I’m going back to my room, and if I see any of you within a couple feet from me, I’ll just kiss the other person, ending the match.” My face went hot as I spoke, because the image of having my lips on either of them sent my lady parts spiraling out of control with longing.

The threat, however, was enough to keep them back. I quickly meandered down the corridor to get some distance between me and them.

When they were still within hearing range, I heard them argue.

Kael said, “I’m taking her to the council tomorrow.”

“What gives you the right?”

“You don’t know this, but I told her I liked her first. Finders keepers.”

“I’m not an object!” I shouted back, before scampering back down the hallway.

A couple of maids were strolling by. They gave me strange looks as I zipped past them.