Page 1 of All In

chapter

one

Juniper

The problem with being an Elven princess is that modern luggage is not built for our weaponry.

While I can appreciate having a worthy foe, I’m not sure that a suitcase is … well, worthy of the title foe.

I appreciate even less that in this epic battle between princess and suitcase, the suitcase is winning.

Frankly, it’s humiliating. Even more so because my sister Clover is here to witness my potential defeat.

I lean forward, pressing as much of my body weight as I can on the rectangle of doom. Still, it does not budge.

The zipper remains a solid three inches from reaching the other side, gaping open like it’s personally offended by what I’m asking of it. And that’s after I unzipped the expansion part. I blow out a breath. The wisps of blonde hair that have escaped my messy bun (let’s be honest, it’s more like a messy wad at this point!) flutter against my cheeks.

“Juniper,” Clover says in a tone that’s either chiding or teasing.

I glare up at my older sister.

She stands in my bedroom doorway with her arms crossed. She’s staring at me with an expression that is equal parts amusement and incredulity.

“What?” I ask.

“Are the props necessary?”

I narrow my eyes at her. “Define necessary.”

She laughs. “Fair enough.” She walks towards me, her gaze flitting from the suitcase to the various other piles of things on my bed.

“You’re driving, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are you fighting so hard to get everything into one suitcase?”

“Because it’s already not one suitcase. It’s this suitcase, plus my hanging bag for my Arwin costume, my case of carrying my sword, and my bag of holding.”

“You mean your backpack?”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, oh boring one. My backpack. My point is, I have all of that, plus my cooler bag of snacks and my two cases of La Croix. When I show up at the hotel, it’s already going to look like I’m moving in. I feel like two suitcases instead of one might push me over the line between obsessive packing and deranged packing.”

Clover presses a hand to her chest, shaking her head. “Oh, you sweet child. I hate to break it to you, but …”

I wince. “I already passed it?”

“By a sword’s length.”

I exhale the elegant sigh of an elven princess.

“Just bring your stuff in forty-seven bags, if you have to. That’s what luggage carts are for. Oh, and cute bellmen.” She waggles her eyebrows at me.

I glare at my suitcase. “But I am the master packer.”

“Yes, yes, human Tetris, or whatever.”

“I have great spatial awareness.”