foods from the restaurants where she so frequently lunched, brunched, and dined. There were Hungarian tortes drizzled with strawberries from the Café Des Artistes, browned sea scallops in a creamy risotto from 44, juicy fried chicken from Sylvia’s in Harlem, crème brûlée from Le Cirque, blinis from the Russian Tea Room, and an entire pyramid of her guilty littlelunch secret—steaming Big Macs. Tabitha moaned as her empty stomach contracted.
She buried her face in her hands, trying to figure out how she could have authored such a disaster. She remembered drifting toward sleep in Colin’s arms, succumbing to her vague and dreamy longings for warmth and light and food. Closing her hand around her mother’s amulet …
Before she could pursue that thought, Colin stirred in his sleep. She looked frantically around the tiny cell, seeking somewhere to hide the result of her fantasies. She even leaned over and peered under the bed, as if she might actually be able to stuff everything under it and distract him from noticing the bed itself.
When Tabitha righted herself, she found Colin propped up on the pillows, eyeing her rump appraisingly.
She glanced down, suddenly afraid she’d wished herself into a skimpy Victoria’s Secret teddy. She was relieved to find she was still wearing her frumpy flannel pajamas, though they didn’t stop Colin’s drowsy scrutiny. His heavy-lidded gaze drifted lazily downward, then up again, finally coming to rest on her puzzled face.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a sheepish curl and Tabitha thought for a moment he might actually smile at her.
But his attention was caught by the scents wafting up from the table at the foot of the bed. As he surveyed the feast, his habitual scowl reappeared, only to be slowly replaced by an expression of terror.
He scrambled out of the bed in a blind panic, jerking the flowered sheet around his waist as if he were naked instead of fully clothed and partially armored.
“What manner of trickery is this?” he demanded,backing away from her until his shoulders struck the cell wall.
Forced to improvise, Tabitha shrugged. “I don’t know. It was all here when I woke up. Maybe you have an ally in Brisbane’s court who wanted to make your captivity more comfortable.”
She inched toward the table, prodded by her empty stomach. Now that the jig was up, she didn’t see any point in depriving herself.
She chose a plump chicken breast. But before she could bring it to her lips, Colin crossed the cell and smacked it out of her hand. It landed on the carpet with a juicy plop.
She dolefully looked at the fallen morsel. “Do you think it might be poisoned?”
“Worse,” he said, signing a cross on his breast. “Enchanted.”
Tabitha managed to smile weakly. “Enchanted?”
“Aye.” The husky timbre of his voice sent a strange shiver through her. “I’ve heard many a tale of bold and true knights who partook of enchanted food only to fall under the spell of the enchanter for all eternity.”
She wasn’t hypocrite enough to chide him for being superstitious. “Well, since we’re probably going to be spending eternity right here in this dungeon …” She snatched a Big Mac and bounded off the opposite side of the bed, cramming a bite into her mouth before he could stop her. A moan of sheer delight escaped her. Processed cheese had never tasted so delicious.
Colin watched her devour the steaming hunk of beef, hunger obvious in his eyes. She held out the remainder of the burger. “Go on. I think it’s safe. I don’t feel the least bit beguiled.”
After a moment of hesitation, he reached across the bed to accept her offer. He peeked under the sesameseed bun and scowled at the pickles, then tore into the burger. Tabitha admired the flash of his delighted grin, thinking he didn’t have bad teeth himself for a man with no access to a Long Island orthodontist or twice a year cleanings.
While she settled cross-legged on the bed to feast on
She buried her face in her hands, trying to figure out how she could have authored such a disaster. She remembered drifting toward sleep in Colin’s arms, succumbing to her vague and dreamy longings for warmth and light and food. Closing her hand around her mother’s amulet …
Before she could pursue that thought, Colin stirred in his sleep. She looked frantically around the tiny cell, seeking somewhere to hide the result of her fantasies. She even leaned over and peered under the bed, as if she might actually be able to stuff everything under it and distract him from noticing the bed itself.
When Tabitha righted herself, she found Colin propped up on the pillows, eyeing her rump appraisingly.
She glanced down, suddenly afraid she’d wished herself into a skimpy Victoria’s Secret teddy. She was relieved to find she was still wearing her frumpy flannel pajamas, though they didn’t stop Colin’s drowsy scrutiny. His heavy-lidded gaze drifted lazily downward, then up again, finally coming to rest on her puzzled face.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a sheepish curl and Tabitha thought for a moment he might actually smile at her.
But his attention was caught by the scents wafting up from the table at the foot of the bed. As he surveyed the feast, his habitual scowl reappeared, only to be slowly replaced by an expression of terror.
He scrambled out of the bed in a blind panic, jerking the flowered sheet around his waist as if he were naked instead of fully clothed and partially armored.
“What manner of trickery is this?” he demanded,backing away from her until his shoulders struck the cell wall.
Forced to improvise, Tabitha shrugged. “I don’t know. It was all here when I woke up. Maybe you have an ally in Brisbane’s court who wanted to make your captivity more comfortable.”
She inched toward the table, prodded by her empty stomach. Now that the jig was up, she didn’t see any point in depriving herself.
She chose a plump chicken breast. But before she could bring it to her lips, Colin crossed the cell and smacked it out of her hand. It landed on the carpet with a juicy plop.
She dolefully looked at the fallen morsel. “Do you think it might be poisoned?”
“Worse,” he said, signing a cross on his breast. “Enchanted.”
Tabitha managed to smile weakly. “Enchanted?”
“Aye.” The husky timbre of his voice sent a strange shiver through her. “I’ve heard many a tale of bold and true knights who partook of enchanted food only to fall under the spell of the enchanter for all eternity.”
She wasn’t hypocrite enough to chide him for being superstitious. “Well, since we’re probably going to be spending eternity right here in this dungeon …” She snatched a Big Mac and bounded off the opposite side of the bed, cramming a bite into her mouth before he could stop her. A moan of sheer delight escaped her. Processed cheese had never tasted so delicious.
Colin watched her devour the steaming hunk of beef, hunger obvious in his eyes. She held out the remainder of the burger. “Go on. I think it’s safe. I don’t feel the least bit beguiled.”
After a moment of hesitation, he reached across the bed to accept her offer. He peeked under the sesameseed bun and scowled at the pickles, then tore into the burger. Tabitha admired the flash of his delighted grin, thinking he didn’t have bad teeth himself for a man with no access to a Long Island orthodontist or twice a year cleanings.
While she settled cross-legged on the bed to feast on
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