“Well, I thought that you wouldn’t care for her to join us,” Cassie said. She sounded irritated.
“No, have her come along, too. I have a friend who will meet us at the Mexican restaurant.”
A friend. Hmpf. Another fae.
But then again, if she went with them, she could try and keep Cassie safe.
Only she had to get rid of Deveron for now so she could put a shirt on.
Cassie knocked on the bathroom door. “Did you hear that Alicia? Do you want to go?”
“Sure, but have Deveron...” She almost slipped and said something about his companions. “Have Deveron step outside of the room so I can get dressed.”
“Oh, oh, sure.”
With a voice as smooth as heavy satin, Deveron said, “I’ll be waiting in the lobby.”
“Okay, fine,” Cassie said, sugary sweet.
When the door clicked close, Alicia yanked the bathroom door open, intending to get a change of clothes—and nearly died.
Standing in the center of the room watching her, was the first golden-haired fae she’d seen on the beach. His blue eyes narrowed as she faked looking right through him. And pretended to herself she was totally dressed and not exposing her bra-clad breasts to an immortal faery.
Jeez, her whole body heated with embarrassment.
They had no earthly feelings, she reminded herself. He sees you as nothing more than a dumb dog.
She dug through her garments hanging in the shared closet as goose bumps covered her arms, and her heart beat rapidly. Did the dark fae realize she knew they existed and this one was left behind to test her?
She was certain that was the reason.
This afternoon, she would have to put on the performance of a lifetime. Unfortunately, acting wasn’t something she was good at.
As nonchalantly as she could, she pulled out a simple blue dress, smiled at Cassie, then stalked into the bathroom and shut the door.
“I was surprised he wanted you to go with us,” Cassie said as she leaned against the door.
“Yeah, well, you heard him. He has a friend who needs to be entertained.” The thought soured her. Sure he figured she’d be totally entertaining. Watch her squirm as she tried to pretend she couldn’t see the other fae.
When she walked back into the room, the fae was sifting through her undergarments in one of the drawers in a chest.
She could have screamed. And she knew that’s just why he was rummaging through them—to get a reaction from her.
He looked up in the mirror at her. Again, his eyes narrowed.
She quickly leaned down to slip on a pair of heeled sandals.
Grabbing Cassie’s arm, she said, “Ready to go?” She worried her face appeared as red as chili peppers because her cheeks were so hot.
“Hungry?” Cassie asked as they stepped into the hall. Then she closed the door to their room.
Alicia had been, but for now, she was way too keyed up to be hungry at all. “Sure.”
Footsteps sounded behind them, but she refused to look back. If whoever it was proved to be the fae, he’d realize for certain she knew he existed because she could hear the movement of an invisible fae, when she shouldn’t be able to.
When they arrived at the lobby, palm tree and ferns nearly hid the fae from her sight. In fact, when she saw the dark fae, she imagined he felt right at home among the lush greenery.
Deveron’s gaze took in her blond hair, blue dress, and strappy sandals as he crossed the white marble floor to greet her. He barely looked at Cassie. Was he already trying to form a rift between Alicia and her friend?
He glanced at the fae she imagined stood behind her as she could feel his warm breath touching her bare shoulder.
Deveron smiled.
Had the blond-haired fae told Deveron using some kind of facial expression that she was indeed startled to see him in her hotel room? Could they telepathically communicate?
Maybe going out with Deveron and his cohorts wasn’t such a great idea after all.
He motioned to the lobby doors. “Your carriage awaits, ladies.”
He stepped in between Cassie and her, only his hand rested on Alicia’s lower back as he guided them outside. She resented it, but when she tried to step away from him, one of the golden-haired faeries drew close so she couldn’t move in any direction without running into him.
An invisible fae could slip right through her, giving her a strange tingling feeling like when her foot would fall asleep. She avoided bumping into faeries for that reason.
But when the fae began to speak, she blinked hard. She’d never heard an invisible fae speak before. Was he doing it for her benefit? To see her reaction?
“I believe your concern is warranted,” the fae said, not speaking to Alicia, but to Deveron, though his blue eyes studied Alicia as he walked backward in front of her.
She tried to control where she looked, but avoiding looking at the creature could prove that she saw him, too.
“She’s wily, my lord.”
Deveron nodded. She figured he couldn’t speak to the fae or confuse Cassie. So in a way, the dark fae was forced to playact also.
Good.
She was certain he was dying to ask the blond-haired fae more, but couldn’t.
The other stood slightly shorter and had green eyes. He didn’t pay much attention to either of the women, just led the party toward a black Ford Taurus.
She wondered when the royal fae had learned to drive a car.
Neither of the other two wore gold medallions. She assumed they served their lord, as the one had called him. That they were not members of the royal family. Or maybe they didn’t always wear them in the human world.
Deveron opened the car door for Cassie, while Alicia yanked the back door open for herself. Before she could slide into the leather seat, the fae with the blue eyes slid in first and sat where she planned to.
She hesitated.
Deveron raised his brows at her when he shut Cassie’s door.
Alicia groaned inwardly. No way did she want to sit on the fae. Her whole body would tingle all the way to the restaurant.
“Something wrong?” Deveron asked, his tone amused.
“No, nothing.” She climbed on top of the fae and hoped she squished him good. As soon as she sat on him, she felt as though millions of nettles touched her skin, not painfully, but with an odd sort of prickling.
Deveron mouth curved in a small smile, then he shut her door. She was afraid he knew that she could see the fae.
When they arrived at the Mexican restaurant, Alicia played her cool role for all it was worth. After Deveron opened Cassie’s car door, Alicia allowed him to open hers. And she purposely didn’t jump out of the car, but took her time, though she was dying to get off the blond fae’s lap.
Again, the dark fae’s eyes and lips smiled at her in that devilish manner that seemed to be his trademark. His gaze shifted to the blond fae she knew stood behind her. What secret communication passed between them this time?
Had the blond fae enjoyed her sitting on his lap? Again, she felt her cheeks flush.
Deveron’s hand drifted to the small of her back as he escorted them inside the restaurant. Smooth...really smooth. She attempted to slide away from his touch, but the blond fae from the beach appeared in front of her, giving her barely room to walk without stepping on his boot-clad heels.
A hostess seated them immediately due to the early lunch hour. Lively Spanish tunes played overhead as the smell of grilled beef scented the air conditioned room. Alicia’s stomach rumbled.
Colorful sombreros, and cowboy boots decorated some of the walls, while others pictured murals of cactus and Spanish cowboys riding the range. But when she shifted her attention back to Deveron, she found he studied her still.
Cassie was already looking at her menu. Did she not notice the interest Deveron was paying Alicia? She could have kicked him for trying to upset her friendship with Cassie.
At the bare table, another blond fae, thi
s one brown-eyed, joined them. He first looked at Deveron who nodded, then motioned to Cassie. “This is Cassie.”
Then he took Alicia’s hand. “And this is Alicia. Meet Micala, my cousin.”
Was Micala truly Deveron’s cousin? The family resemblance was there, Alicia had to admit.
The new faery took in her appearance, just like Deveron had, but then he did the unexpected. He moved his seat closer to Cassie and began to talk to her low, so Alicia couldn’t hear their words.
Cassie glanced at Deveron, who smiled broadly back at her. She must have felt he didn’t mind if she talked to Micala. So Cassie turned her attention to him while Deveron faced Alicia. She imagined Deveron targeted her because she endangered him.
Now she was sure the inquisition would begin.
“Where are you from?” Deveron asked her.
The other fae watched her while Micala continued to distract Cassie.
Were they trying to figure out how she came to know they existed? She felt like a goldfish in a glass bowl with a lethal audience. The golden lion guard and the dark fae panther watched her, waiting for the right moment to pounce on her and eat her up.
“Sacramento, California.”
“Who are your parents?”
She folded her arms. She wasn’t about to put up with the third degree. “Who are yours?”
Deveron’s dark brown eyes sparkled with amusement as he grinned. But the gold that ringed his eyes shimmered like iridescent faery dust, so she wasn’t in too much danger...at the moment. Yet, she assumed he wouldn’t want to reveal who his royal parents were and seemed amused she’d counter his question with one, too.
He sipped his water slowly, never taking his eyes off her. He was challenging her to a duel.
Slip up once and he’d have her terminated.
“How much do you know about us?” he asked.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
He set his glass down on the table. “Ahh, but you do.”
He motioned to the blue-eyed faery, then held up the water glass to him. The faery moved close to Deveron and leaned over to hear his words spoken privately.
In response, the faery grinned, lifted the water glass, then walked over to Alicia. He began to tilt it toward her lap.
Immediately, she grabbed it from him and sat it back on the table.
“You weren’t bothered by a floating glass of water?” Deveron leaned back in his seat. His eyes twinkled in the soft light. “Most would have been upset, but you saw Herlenkis carrying it toward you. Instead of observing him, you watched me. Why wouldn’t you have watched the glass of water?”
“A magician’s trick.”
He smiled. Then he leaned forward against the edge of the table and pinched his dark brows together. “You will tell me everything I want to know. First and foremost, who your parents are. Or...” He glanced at Cassie, who was talking to Micala about the glorious beaches in Padre Island. “Your friend will. Your choice.”
Again, a roguish grin creased his face as a glint of malice reflected in his dark eyes and the gold circle around them glowed brightly.
CHAPTER 3
Alicia sat taller and crossed her arms. No dark fae, royal or otherwise, would intimidate her with vague threats. But before she had time to tell him off, a female fae appeared next to him. The transparent edges of her body indicated she was invisible to humans like the two blond male faeries who hovered around the table.
Ice blue silky sheers covered an opaque shimmering gown that reached the female faery’s ankles. Her hair coiled on top of her head like rich satiny brown rope and golden clasps decorated in sapphires held it in place. Her brown eyes were the same dark color and almond shape as Deveron’s. But she had a small, pixie-sized face, rather than the handsome square jaw like Deveron had. She, like Deveron, wore an embossed gold medallion featuring a lion’s head at her breast.
The whole time she only considered Deveron, ignoring his female human companions and the blond faeries as Deveron scowled back at her.
She quickly leaned over and whispered in Deveron’s ear.
His eyes widened.
She nodded.
He took a ragged breath, then rose from his seat. “Ladies, business calls. I will drop by later to see you.”
The female fae said, “You will not, Deveron.”
Alicia’s brows rose in amusement as he glanced at her. So the tough, ever-in-control Deveron could be ordered about by a female royal fae?
He pulled two twenties from his wallet and dropped them on the table. “Enjoy lunch.”
“You don’t think you can return after you take care of your business?” Cassie asked. She looked terribly disappointed.
Alicia sighed, deeply relieved the dark fae was leaving.
Micala kissed Cassie’s cheek, and she smiled. “Later,” he said, echoing Deveron’s sentiments.
Deveron grasped Alicia’s hand and squeezed. “I will know all about you, my faery princess.” His dark eyes gleamed with mischief, warning her he wouldn’t be trifled with.
“In your dreams,” she said, her voice icy.
“I never sleep.” His lips curved up at the corners slightly, then he hurried out of the dining area with Micala and the other two fae males.
The female remained behind and studied Alicia. She ignored Cassie, but Alicia assumed this was because the faery was of the royal house and only Deveron’s interest in a particular human female would raise the dark fae’s ire.
Was the fae his girlfriend then?
“Insipid human,” the fae snarled.
“Jealous faery,” Alicia responded back. Then her whole body warmed as the faery stared at her with her mouth partly dropped open. The golden rings around her dark brown eyes weren’t glowing yet though. She must have been in shock to hear Alicia speak to her, and certainly Alicia was shocked that she’d let the words slip off her tongue.
Whatever had made her speak to the faery? And particularly those words. Envy? Nah. Why should she care if Deveron had the hots for his own kind? Certainly not when he thought he’d tell Alicia what she would and wouldn’t do. And then he’d terminate her.
Alicia did what she should have done in the first place, ignored the haughty faery. “That was awfully nice of Deveron to pay for our lunches, Cassie. But I was thinking maybe we ought to save some of our money and return home early.”
“Do not ignore me,” the faery said to Alicia, fisting her hands on her hips.
“You’ve got to be kidding. We worked all year at the Pizzaria just to earn enough to take this vacation,” Cassie said, then sipped her water.
Alicia nodded, knowing there was no way she’d ever convince Cassie to leave the resort early. She certainly couldn’t tell her about the fae.
The faery growled when Alicia continued to pretend she didn’t exist. When the waitress set chips and salsa on the table, took Alicia and Cassie’s orders for beef fajitas, then left, Alicia said, “Do you want to go to a movie following lunch?”
The fae smiled an almost malevolent grin, then vanished.
Now what?
Cassie dipped a chip in hot sauce. “Yes, I’d like that.”
A movie would keep them away from the hotel for a while if Deveron and Micala returned to their room to see them. But what was the female fae up to? She’d cause problems for sure.
Was she going to report back to their queen now that Deveron had entertained a human female who could see the fae kind? Would she issue the order to terminate Alicia sooner?
Maybe she should have spoken with the faery.
She glanced at Cassie. No. Cassie would have wondered who Alicia had been talking to.
When the steaming hot platters of sizzling beef strips, onions and green and red bell peppers arrived, so did the royal female fae.
Only this time she was visible and sported a hot pink halter top, faded blue jeans, and a pair of golden sandals. Must have been her favorite as they were the same she’d worn with her fae costume. Her brown hair hu
ng down to her hips in satiny curls now, but the clips with the sapphires still pulled the strands out of her face.
Alicia could see how Deveron could be smitten with the beautiful fae.
She smiled at Cassie, ignoring Alicia and said, “Micala and Deveron sent me to keep you company. Deveron said he’d left enough money that I could have lunch on him also. I sure am famished.” She turned to Alicia and smiled, but the look wasn’t entirely friendly. “Aren’t you?”
***
Deveron stood before his mother as she gave him one of her you’d-better-mind-me looks.
She wore her royal gowns of deep purple with an embroidered golden sash draped diagonally across her body. She only wore the sash when she administered court. He imagined he’d pulled her away from her duties to dispense justice in the fae realm.
Which meant she was peeved with him.
“I understand you have been entertaining two female humans at a beach resort.” Her voice sounded cold and irritated.
What he wanted to know was who ratted on him?
“It doesn’t matter how I know, but that I do.” She couldn’t read minds, but she came awfully close to it. “What did I tell you, Deveron?”
Don’t mess with the humans. But the fae traditionally played games with them. Why stop what had been a satisfying ritual for many millennia?
Should he tell her he had a most important mission? Discover how the human could see them? Or would his mother put someone else in charge of the investigation?
Most likely.
But if she caught him having anything further to do with the human girl, his mother might go through with her threat to turn him into a human for a time. That would end his desire to be with them.
That’s what she’d said anyway.
“Yes, my lady mother,” Deveron acquiesced.
“I mean it, Deveron.”
He bowed his head. “I understand.” But he had no plan to give in to his mother...not when the girl needed to be thoroughly investigated. And he had every intention of doing the job.
Did others like her exist? It could lead to the downfall of their people, couldn’t it?