Curses!

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Book: Curses! Read Online Free PDF
Author: J. A. Kazimer
Tags: Fantasy
unsure of what else to say. I wasn’t much for shooting animals, especially fellow villainous ones. Now, give me a clean shot at a white knight ...
    â€œDad.” Asia gestured to the brave hunter / king, and to her mother seated so primly next to him. “Mother. I’d like you to meet a friend of mine. A duke,” she motioned to me, “Duke ...”
    â€œRJ. I go by RJ,” I said when she paused.
    â€œYes.” Asia grinned as if we shared a secret. “Meet Duke RJ.”
    Asia’s mother, Lady Maledetto, rose from the sofa with a regal air, the look of welcome vanishing from her face at my assumed title. After all, a princess, even an ugly one, needed a prince, not some duke with delusions of grandeur and initials for a name.
    I smiled my most charming smile and studied Lady Maledetto. Asia resembled her in many ways, the red hair and pert nose, not to mention the smoking-hot body. By all accounts, King Maledetto had married up. How had Cinderella avoided her true mother’s ugly genetic fate? It wasn’t like the king was anything to look at, with his grey hair, beard, and mead gut that spilled over his belt like a muffin.
    â€œDuke RJ.” Lady Maledetto held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My daughter’s,” she glared at Asia, “told us so much about you.”
    Liar, liar, pants on fire. I checked to make sure her nose hadn’t grown before clasping her hand in mine. “Thank you, madam.” I slowly bent to kiss her knuckles like I’d seen plenty of princes do. Somehow, I slipped into the role of Duke RJ without even trying. Must have something to do with the “nice” clause. Fucking union. “It’s a pleasure to be here, but under the most tragic of circumstances.” Lady Maledetto stared blankly at me, so I added, “Cinderella’s death. I’m sorry for your loss.”
    â€œOh. That.” She waved her hand in the air between us, probably calling her legion of killer bluebirds. “Yes, it’s a sad time for us all. Honey,” she pointed to the king, “say hello to Asia’s friend.”
    The older man shuffled from the couch. “Duke, was it?”
    â€œIf Asia says so.” I nodded, my eyes never wavering from his face. “But feel free to call me RJ, or whatever you like.” I grinned. “Most people do.”
    â€œSo what brings you to our fair kingdom?” Like any good father, the old king regarded me with suspicion through narrowed eyes. The kind learned by men at a very young age. We were not to be trusted around beautiful women. Ever.
    â€œDaddy,” Asia started to interrupt.
    I held up my hand to stop her. “Well, sir, Asia asked me to, so here I am. Your daughter—”
    â€œStepdaughter,” the king and his wife said in a freakishly similar manner.
    â€œStepdaughter,” I corrected, “is very persuasive.”
    The king nodded in apparent male understanding of the inner workings of the illogical female brain. Asia looked as if she wanted to scream. On the other hand, her mother just beamed at the clueless king, and then her attention returned to me.
    â€œYou must be starving after your long journey,” the queen said. “I’ll ask Winslow to ask Cook to have one of the maids deliver some sandwiches to your room.”
    My stomach growled, reminding me of my aborted breakfast attempt. The thought of bread, meat, and a selection of cheese excited me much more than it should. “That sounds grea—”
    â€œNo, thanks,” Asia interrupted. “RJ’s not hungry, and I’m on a diet.”
    â€œOf course you are, dear.” The queen nodded as if the shapely princess next to me needed to lose a hundred pounds. If anything, Asia was far too thin. I preferred my victims a tad meatier, but I knew, perhaps better than anyone did, how mothers could be. Mine, to this day, insisted on holding my hand
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