[Here is the rest of Chapter 2 due to the character count limit!]

“My apologies,” I gasp out. “I’m not used to so many rules.”

He reaches out, and I still for a second, not sure what the hell is going to happen next. But he just straightens my crown and brushes a stray strand of hair back behind my ear. “I understand,” he says, looking seriously at me. “But as allies, it’s important to me and my people that you put your best foot forward in all of your affairs. Because mistakes you make will reflect on us as well. And the kingdom of Ward grows increasingly antsy to claim more land. Yours and mine.”

I nod, feeling my heart sink in my chest. He thinks I’m a fool. Martin thinks I’m a fool too. So far everyone I’ve met who’s a named character in this fuckin’ book thinks I’m going to ruin everything. “I’ll do better,” I promise quietly.

“No,” he says, leaning in and lifting my chin so I have no choice but to look directly into his eyes. They’re still warm, kind eyes, but his brows are knitted in obvious concern. “We must all do our very best.”

The sound of my alarm jolts me awake. My bed is cold with sweat. “Ugh.” I climb out of bed and strip out of my sweat-soaked pajamas. I thought this would be fun. So why am I so stressed out? 

And why do none of these damn characters like me? I pick up the book, which once again, I’ve carelessly let fall to the floor, and check the pages. They’re slightly damp from all my stress sweating. I sigh and lay it faceup in the sun, turning my tabletop fan toward it to dry the pages while I’m at work.

I don’t have it in me to check the internet for what people now think of the book. Who cares? If I keep dreaming in this world and keep making changes to my own, I might as well focus on seeing it through to the end. And doing a damn good job with it.

Because I’m hopeless to figure out what the hell is even going on. If I’m in some kind of long extended dream, if I’m hopping universes, if my book is just magic—I don’t even know where to begin with all that shit.

As the breeze from the fan flips through the book, I watch as the pages flutter by until they come to a stop on the last page.

About the Author.

I freeze.

The author. That’s it.

I need to talk to the author.