‘Devin, get here now. The assassin was just here,’ Nessa whispered across the bond. Maureen was in charge of the assassin after all.
CHAPTER 11
Devin raced through the hallways, pushing unsuspecting sidhe out of the way with either his hands or the magic he was randomly conjuring. Nessa was in trouble. The assassin was there. He needed to get to her; he needed to finally end this. The assassin had to be caught. His thoughts kept repeating as he sprinted around the bends of the palace. Turner kept up with Devin on his newly cleared pathway. He didn’t hear the words Nessa spoke to Devin, but he knew only one thing would get him moving like that. They both knew how urgent it was.
Devin rounded the corner to the hallway where Nessa was still standing in her doorway. She was pressed against the boundary, staring at someone on the ground.
“Fiona’s right here,” Nessa shouted to him.
Devin passed Maureen as he ran to the unconscious Fiona.
“Where’s the assassin?” Devin asked.
“He was beside Maureen,” Nessa replied. Devin looked over his shoulder at Maureen before he knelt beside Fiona. Turner only glanced down at Fiona before standing at Devin’s back, watching out for him.
‘She wanted out,’ Nessa told Devin silently. ‘She came here to get out of the village. She was afraid her mother would kill her. Maureen showed up and so did the assassin. The assassin did something to Fiona, and she dropped to the ground like that.’
“I took care of him,” Maureen stated as she stooped beside Devin next to her daughter. “I was too late to stop him, but was able to put a spell on him. He won’t live much longer, be assured of that.”
“Took care of?” Devin asked suspiciously.
“I was just out looking for Fiona. She had gone on a walk and hadn’t returned. I rushed here as quickly as I could when I felt her in distress, and once I saw that man attack my child, I put a reverse spell on him. What he did to Fiona would be repaid to him,” Maureen explained as if it was obvious. The matronly woman didn’t even have a hair out of place, nor was she exhausted. There was no way Maureen had rushed over to Fiona.
Devin didn’t look up at Nessa as she spoke more. He was too busy inspecting Fiona and keeping Maureen in his peripheral view.
‘I didn’t see any rushing, and if they were, it was to find Fiona before she escaped.’ Nessa glared at Maureen. The lady lied perfectly, but that didn’t matter anymore. Nessa couldn’t say with certainty what happened with Maureen and the assassin, but she was sure they were together.
“I got the scent,” Turner called from down the hallway. He had been pacing around, looking for something. “I can track him.”
Devin nodded to Turner, who turned to go after the assassin. He wanted to go with him, but he couldn’t leave Fiona dying. Nessa felt that through the bond, and he didn’t try to hide it.
“Let me go with him,” Nessa pleaded. She could help in place of Devin.
“No,” Devin replied. How could he let her leave the room, even if the assassin was dying just like Fiona?
“If he was injured, he can’t hurt me. Let me go with Turner,” Nessa pleaded.
“No,” Devin replied, inspecting Fiona for the poison. It was much more than a dart could have put into her.
“Devin, these are my people. Let me do my job. Let me keep them safe,” Nessa added, putting more authority behind her voice. “I am their queen. How can I be a ruler if I hide in my room? I need to do this. Trust me to stay safe. Trust Turner to keep me safe. He will need help once he finds the assassin. He doesn’t know his way around the village.”
Devin finally looked up. Determination shone in her eyes. Nessa needed to go with Turner, needed to save her people. Devin understood that, and knew that he couldn’t keep denying her from doing her job. She would be queen in a day. He had to let her go, no matter how much he wanted to keep her in a safe box forever. Devin sighed.
“Fine.” Devin stood and took her hand, allowing her to pass through the barrier. Devin pulled her close and kissed her. “Don’t do anything foolish, and keep me informed of what you find.” When Devin glanced down the hallway, he nodded to Turner and knew that was enough. Turner would do everything possible to keep Nessa safe.
Nessa made a wide circle to keep away from Maureen, who sat there holding Fiona’s hand. She only glanced down at Fiona, who was completely passed out. At least she wasn’t feeling the pain Nessa had felt with the poison. Suddenly, Nessa could smell blood, and knew that Maureen was talking to Fiona through a blood bond—the unique way night humans could talk to each other if they connect their blood. Nessa hated to leave Fiona there, especially with her mother, but there was nothing she could do to help. Devin watched the pain cross Nessa’s face, and he didn’t have the heart to tell her that the poison was already too much for Fiona to survive.
Devin looked back down at Fiona as Nessa left with Turner. The poison was at least ten times the amount that Nessa had ingested before, and way more than had been in Ronan and Gemma combined. Devin made a small cut and tried the poison to see if it would pull out of Fiona. He didn’t know how long it had been in her. If he were lucky, it would have just entered her, and he could get it out. It stuck to her as he suspected it would. Fiona was really in trouble.
Devin glanced at Maureen. Her expression was that of a caring mother, but her feelings—which he could slightly feel—were that of excitement. She wasn’t sad at all. In fact, she was excited that her daughter was dying. Devin didn’t want to deal with the lady, but needed to.
“Can she hear us?” Devin asked, knowing that they were sharing a blood bond to communicate.
“Yes,” Maureen replied honestly.
Devin examined Fiona again. He had to make a plan, but what were his options? The poison filled almost each cell of her body. There was so much, he wondered how she’d even made it to Nessa to talk to her. Devin moved a little of the poison around and realized that he had two options. He could put all of the poison inside of the baby and take it out before the poison spread to Fiona, or he could put all of the poison inside of Fiona and save the baby. There was no way he could save both; there was just too much in her.
“I can save Fiona, or I can save the baby if I act now,” Devin told Maureen.
“Oh,” she replied, like she was shocked, but she didn’t seem to mind the news at all.
“How far along is she?” Devin motioned to Fiona’s protruding belly.
“The baby was due next week. It’s safe to take the baby now.” Maureen knew what Devin was asking. She didn’t even hesitate to make it known that they should do that.
“What does she want to do?” Devin asked. He wasn’t going to take the baby out if that wasn’t what Fiona wanted. Without Fiona, the baby would be Maureen’s to raise. That wasn’t a fate he would want anyone to have, but it was ultimately Fiona’s choice. It was her baby, and she was the mother.
“Save the baby,” Maureen replied. Devin figured that would be the answer Maureen gave no matter what Fiona said, since she couldn’t talk.
“Get a doctor here now to take the baby,” Devin replied. No matter what Fiona’s real answer was, the baby was going to be born now.
Maureen stood and hurried away. This time she really did look like she hurried, as her long skirt billowed behind her. Devin pricked his finger, reached down, and connected to Fiona via a blood bond.
‘Do you want me to save the baby or you?’ he asked her mentally.
‘Save my baby,’ Fiona replied.
‘But if I save you, you can have more children,’ Devin explained.
‘But Rhys will never have more children. Save my child, Devin. Save my child from this poison. Save my child from my mother. Save my child from the sidhe world. Take him away, and don’t let them ever find him,’ Fiona pleaded. She’d had a complete change of heart from just days prior, and Devin was shocked to hear her words. Nessa was right. Fiona wanted out.
‘Did you know your mother was using your brother to try to
kill Nessa?’ Devin had to ask. Why was she different now?
‘No. I was mad, just like everyone else, that Rhys did not return, but when Nessa told of how he wanted to take Arianna, I felt like he got what he deserved. I never thought Nessa should be killed for it. I’ve known Nessa since she was a baby. She’s as close as any girl has ever been to me,’ Fiona added. ‘I always thought she was like a little sister.’
‘And your mother? Did you know what your mother had been up to?’ Devin asked. He hated to waste more time, but he needed confirmation on his suspicions.
‘No. I found the assassin meeting my mother and heard them discussing how to use the poison to kill me next. My mother knew that you suspected her. She was going to throw that off long enough to get the rest of the Ferguson clansmen in town to help her with taking over the palace,’ Fiona replied. ‘She’s planning a war.’
‘Your entire family was going to attack?’ Devin asked. This was much more than he expected. He thought they had an assassin and Maureen to deal with, but not an entire family.
‘They wouldn’t have a choice. My mother is the head. They have to follow her orders, or end up being castoff. They would all know the consequences if you found out or won, so they would have to stand beside her. Really, they are innocent, but wouldn’t have had any other options. My mother is evil, and she’s willing to do anything to have power. I never knew that meant killing me.’ Fiona was hurt by everything that had happened, and Devin didn’t blame her. Her own mother was having her killed by a poison with no cure. That wasn’t what a mother was supposed to be like.
‘And yet you still want to save the child. You know that’s what she wants,’ Devin told Fiona.
‘I know, but I also want him to have a chance. If you save him, you can take him away. You don’t have to give him to my mother. I ran away and came here because I knew you could help. You are the only person not caught in her lies. She planned to kill me back in our wing and take the baby first. This way she thinks she’s going to win, but I still win. You’ll do that for me, right?’ Fiona was a bit worried. ‘You will save my baby?’
‘I’d never let your mother have the child. This baby is innocent of everything your family has done, and he is blood to Nessa. I will save him, and keep him from your mother,’ Devin replied, looking up upon hearing footsteps rushing down the hallway. ‘I will keep him safe. I promise.’
‘Thank you,’ Fiona’s voice drifted off as Devin let go of her hand.
Maureen returned with a portly man beside her. He was mostly out of breath, and even Maureen had a few strands of hair out of place. They had rushed back. Maureen reached down and took Fiona’s hand again. Devin couldn’t imagine what the woman was saying. Was she lying to Fiona, or gloating now that there was nothing Fiona could do about it? He hated to leave Fiona like that, but he had to do what he needed to do. His concentration had to be on saving her baby.
“Are you sure you want to save the baby?” Devin asked Maureen, giving her one last chance to care about her own child dying. “I can save your daughter.”
“Fiona wants the child saved, and I have to agree,” Maureen replied. “I’ll do as she asks, and maybe this baby will make up for Fiona always screwing up. We have to let this baby redeem his mother for me.” She glanced at the man beside her.
Screwing up? Devin wanted to ask, but pretended like he didn’t hear the offhand comment made to the doctor beside her. Maureen looked down at Fiona. They were still linked through the bond, and Fiona had to be talking, which gave Devin a moment to study Fiona. The poison was flowing through her blood, and it was too much for anyone to handle. It was easy enough to get it out of the baby, but Devin needed a plan on how to get the baby within the barrier of Nessa’s room as quickly as they got it out. He didn’t need to promise Fiona to save the child. He would have anyway. However, he needed to figure out how to do it.
Devin studied the poison and watched as it slowly grew. He had to make a plan before it was too late. The poison pumped through Fiona with each heartbeat. Devin put a barrier between Fiona and the baby once the deadly liquid was out of the baby and completely into Fiona, keeping the baby safe. Devin watched the poison flow. He was running out of time. One more pump, and the blood flowed from her heart and into her arms. Devin watched as it all the way into Fiona’s fingers, which were touching her mother. The blood mixed a little, and Devin wished the poison was in Maureen. It would solve most of the problems. Devin suddenly had a great plan.
He needed to act quickly and be sure that Fiona completely understood his actions. He needed to be sure Fiona would not hold it against him once he did what he needed to do. Fiona had to fully back her claim that her mother was evil. It was the only way his new plan would work.
“Maureen, you can cut the pleasantries. I know that you want the baby,” Devin told the older woman bluntly.
She smiled back. “Of course I want the baby. If I do it right, like I did with raising Fiona’s brother, I can make certain that this one makes the family proud.”
“And they are not proud of Fiona?” Devin asked. He was waiting for Maureen to call Fiona a screw-up again.
“Proud of her? The whole family would fall apart if she were left to rule it. She couldn’t even get Rhys to marry her, how would she rule a family? She’s an idiot that believes in love. Well, this is what you get for believing in love: a bastard child,” Maureen replied bluntly. Devin sure hoped Fiona was listening. He needed to be sure that Fiona understood how bad her mother truly was. He didn’t want any retribution for his newest plan.
Devin found the bond between mother and daughter, and pushed the poison toward Maureen. He hoped that his actions wouldn’t come back to hurt Nessa.
“Can you make another bond to keep her strong? She’s fading, and I don’t know if she will survive long enough to get the baby out,” Devin asked as he placed his hands on Fiona and moved the poison.
“Like this?” Maureen asked, making another cut on her second hand and grasping on to Fiona tighter. Maureen would do anything to keep the baby alive.
“So, in your eyes Fiona deserves to die?” Devin asked, starting the conversation back up as he moved the poison around.
“She should have died in place of Rhys. At least he understood how to rule. This child could have been raised by a great king if Nessa hadn’t gone and killed him.” Maureen was getting all of her anger out at once. Devin couldn’t have asked it to go better than that. She didn’t even notice as the poison entered her veins. Devin directed Maureen’s clean blood back into Fiona through the second cut. He didn’t know if it would work, but it seemed to be so far. They were related, after all.
“But she’s your daughter,” Devin added, trying to keep the conversation going.
“She’s a waste of space,” Maureen added. Her anger fell a little, and she wobbled with her grasp. “You can’t believe how much time I have had to spend cleaning up after her. She never did anything right. I’d give her directions, and this is what I got. Seduce a king and get him to impregnate you. I didn’t mean unmarried. It means nothing without a marriage. She has always been a disappointment since the first time she met Rhys. This child will never understand there’s no room in marriage for love.”
Devin pushed more poison into Maureen. She had to be feeling the effects, but said nothing. She was too busy complaining about Fiona. Maureen stood no chance against the poison flowing through her blood; this way, he could save Fiona and the baby by sacrificing her mother.
“And that’s why you turned to assassins?” Devin asked as the last bit of poison left Fiona.
Maureen’s head snapped up, the sudden movement causing her to sit down from lack of balance due to the poison in her blood. She was falling victim to it, but coherent enough to know that Devin was trying to get a confession out of her.
“You can’t honestly think I’m involved in the poison and assassinations. He attacked my daughter. I fought back against him. I have no clue who would do such a thing,” Maureen ad
ded.
Devin reached down and picked up Fiona, who was still unconscious.
“I’d believe not,” Devin replied as he began to walk away.
“What are you doing?” Maureen asked as she turned back toward Devin. Suddenly, she tipped over and was lying on the floor. “We need to get the baby out before the poison kills my grandson.” She turned to the doctor. “I’m not feeling too well, Oran. I feel a bit sick.”
“I think you should worry more about yourself,” Devin added. Maureen tried to move, but her body was paralyzed. “I hear that poison is pretty quick.” Devin stepped into the protected room. Ronan was standing in the doorway, watching. He easily took the sleeping Fiona from Devin and put her on the couch.
“What did you do?” Maureen asked, shaking from the pain. She really had no clue what Devin had just done.
“Well, I figured any good mother would ask for their child to be saved, and be willing to do anything to see that happen. You asked for me to save your grandchild, but not your daughter. I figured I’d give you a chance at redemption. You get to save your grandchild and your daughter now,” Devin answered. “I didn’t know it would work this way, but it seems if you are from the same bloodline, I can just transfer the blood between you. You take all of the poison, save your daughter and grandchild, and get to be the great mother she never had. You get to die as her savior. Isn’t that great?”
Maureen opened her mouth to protest, but no sound came out. She was dying, and there was nothing anyone could do to help. Devin didn’t even look back at her. He didn’t care what her response was. Maureen Ferguson was an evil lady, and would be nothing but an evil lady until her last breath. Thankfully, that would be soon.