Page 30 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

Apparently, these drawers were the heavy part.

So I ripped out the other one, letting it crash into the first on the ground, and then started to push. Though it was still pretty firm, I was able to get it to move a bit. It scraped across the floor, making even more noise in the room. Said floor beneath the desk was now scratched, but I wasn’t really worried about it.

It felt like it took forever, but I finally managed to get the desk all the way over to the window. At least then maybe I could tell where I was, and maybe even see someone who could help me.

I hiked my skirt out of the way and started climbing on the desk.

“You know, if you’re going to make an escape attempt, you should probably try not to make so much noise.”

My head whipped around to a voice I recognized. The man was there, though he was no longer in a waistcoat and a button up. He had on a loose fitted tunic and a thicker jacket that was fully unbuttoned. He had on some kind of chain necklace I couldn’t see the end of, and a worn brimmed hat perched on his head.

I grabbed my necklace—my curse—on impulse. Though he looked dashing in his previous clothes, something about this attire seemed to actually fit him. Looked more him for some reason. Not that I knew anything about my kidnapper, obviously.

“What the hell am I doing here?” I asked.

“There was a slight… misunderstanding last night,” he said.

My brows rose. “Misunderstanding? You call kidnapping a misunderstanding?”

He held his hands up in mock surrender. “Kidnapping is a little harsh. There’s just something I need from you, and then you can go back.”

I sucked my teeth. “For someone who wants something from me, you’re not doing a very good job convincing me. What is it? Money?”

He snorted. “I have plenty of that.” Though by his current attire, you wouldn’t be able to tell. “I want that.”

He pointed to my hand, where the blue pendant sat. I lifted my brow. “Really?”

He nodded. “Give it to me and you’re free to go.”

I shrugged, and turned. “Fine, try to take it off.”

He stood behind me and tried to pull the chain apart, managing to do nothing except hurt his hands. “There must be a way to take it off.”

I turned back to him. We were now much closer. His dark eyes looked down into mine. Though he was clean shaven just last night, he was already growing back some stubble. I considered how the slightly spiky hair would feel against my fingertips.

My brain turned to the kiss we shared in the garden, one I’d almost forgotten about. For someone who looked so hard, his lips had been so soft and pliable.

But right now was a really bad time to remember the lips of the man who kidnapped me.

“No one we’ve talked to has been able to,” I said, trying to get back to the subject at hand. For a long time after it happened, it felt like I was being carted from one healer or mage to another. My mothers worried about it for a long time. What was such a powerful magical amulet doing to me?

But after a few years, it seemed clear that it wasn’t doing anything except sitting on my chest, a weight reminding me of that day over and over and over again. Though every once in a while my mother would bring someone else in to try to break whatever spell was keeping this piece of jewelry bound to me, other things had taken priority, and it was just something I lived with.

At this point, it almost felt like it was a part of me. “If every royal mage can’t break the curse, I don’t think you’ll be able to.”

His jaw was set, as if I’d issued a challenge instead of given a reasonable warning.

“We’re getting it off,” he said as if it was final. “And when I do, it’s mine.”

“Moons, have you always been this cocky?” I snapped. “I’m telling you, not even all the resources the kingdom had to offer could help me, so what makes you think you can?”

He shrugged. “I just don’t fail.”

It felt like talking to a wall. “Okay, so what did you have in mind?”

He thought for a moment. “I thought this was supposed to work,” he said, holding out what looked like a small key with a magestone on the end, though the stone was mostly shattered.

“Yeah, obviously,” I said. “This looks like a cheap piece of crap you get at a phony mage shop.” Anyone with basic magic knowledge should have understood that.