“Yes, and unless we get back to your room now they will get another chance. I don’t mind my odds at three to one, but I don’t know if they will even fight me or just go for you. And since you can’t see them, I’d prefer you were somewhere safe,” Devin replied, turning and going down another hallway. “Shit,” Devin said quietly, while scanning the hallways. He grabbed Nessa and pulled her with him into one of the lover’s alcoves.
“What?” Nessa asked as her eyes grew big, understanding where they were standing.
‘We need to hide and this was the best I could do,’ Devin replied mentally to Nessa.
He pulled her body up against his as he backed into the small space, and her big billowing skirt hid his day human jeans. Devin stood a good six inches taller than Nessa, and he knew his face had to be hidden also. The fuzzy outline of an assassin appeared down the hallway. Devin didn’t say anything to Nessa before he leaned down and kissed her.
CHAPTER 7
Nessa was startled by the sudden kiss, but not disappointed. She didn’t think that the serious, train-all-the-time Devin would even know how to kiss, let alone be good at it. She wrapped her arms around him as the kiss continued, and his arms pulled her tighter against him. Subconsciously she heard the footsteps of their follower come and go, but neither one of them ended the kiss. Something about pressing her lips to his felt right, just like her fingers through his hair and his arms around her waist. Touching Devin put everything in place. She had never felt like that with anyone before, and the kiss heated up a bit.
The bond was growing stronger, and both Nessa and Devin could feel it. They were connected much tighter than either would admit. Nessa tried not to pry into Devin’s mind as they kissed, but couldn’t help it. Thoughts were filtering across the bond, and she was shocked at what she found. The increased beat of his heart wasn’t from the chasing assassins, as she thought it was. He was enjoying the kiss as much as she was. And if she saw his thoughts, then he saw hers.
Nessa pulled back and broke the kiss. She didn’t want Devin knowing that he was beginning to mean more to her then he should. She had to let him go as soon as they broke the bond. It was the only way for them to both survive. He wasn’t meant to be in the sidhe world, and she couldn’t leave.
‘Are you sure they’re gone?’ Nessa asked Devin as his hands dropped from her waist.
The moment was lost and Nessa kind of regretted it. If she hadn’t worried so much, they could still be kissing. Devin stuck his head out of the alcove and looked around. His heart was still beating quickly and she could hear it sound perfectly with her night human senses. Was he still excited about the kiss, too? He pulled back in and took her hand.
‘Stay right next to me and do exactly as I say. I don’t know where they went, but for now they’re gone,’ Devin answered her. He held on tight to her hand and pulled her out of the alcove.
He led the way, weaving back between hallways to her part of the palace. Nessa was unsure how he even knew where he was going as they took new hallways he hadn’t been down, but she didn’t ask. He seemed to be concentrating on getting them back unharmed, and the least she could do was be quiet while he led her back. While it would’ve been easier to sneak back to her room under normal conditions, she couldn’t do it now. She couldn’t see the assassins, but Devin could. He was the best guard she could ever have around her. She trusted him.
After two more turns they were back in her room. When they crossed the threshold, Nessa felt the zing of the blood wall she had created with Ronan. They were safe, for now. Devin held onto her hand a moment longer as he looked around the room. His heart was still beating fast from their escape and near finding in the hallway. Soon it slowed and he let her go.
“Your dress is a different color,” Devin mentioned, looking down at Nessa’s gown. It had gone from a light, shimmery green to a pale pink color. It was probably the best disguise for them as they escaped.
Nessa smiled mischievously. “Cloaking spell to avoid crowds,” she replied. “I figured out, when I was a child, that you can escape most situations when they are looking for a certain color. I always cast one on my clothing when I’m encountering a bunch of the court.”
Devin smiled and nodded in appreciation. “That’s probably what saved us back there. They were looking for your green dress and didn’t find it. Do you run away often from court functions?”
Nessa just shrugged.
“I’ll have to remember that then. Don’t look for you wearing the same color as you entered with,” Devin replied light-heartedly after their stressful stroll through the hallways.
Devin walked to the table and finally unclenched his fist. Nessa heard the clank of metal hitting the table, but saw nothing. Pulling out a knife from his shoe, Devin pricked his finger and dripped blood which caused the arrows to suddenly appear when the blood touched them. Nessa stared at them. Devin was keeping her safe, but she hadn’t guessed that he was busy catching the arrows.
“Four assassins, three arrows, because one returned to the man who shot it,” Devin replied to the unasked question in Nessa’s eyes.
Nessa looked at the small arrows. How Devin could catch them was beyond her, and the fact that he did it while they were invisible was even more unbelievable. The sidhe might look down upon day humans, but Devin was a formidable foe for anyone. Nessa was glad to have him on her side.
“You understand what that means?” Devin asked.
Nessa counted the arrows again and examined them closely without touching them. She noted how they were each slightly different due to the shape of the feather fletching on each. Yes, she understood what that meant.
“The four of the five houses sent assassins to get me except for my own since Ronan is in charge,” Nessa told Devin. He nodded in agreement. “That means they all want me dead?” Nessa replied with a question.
It was hard to imagine that all of the houses wanted her dead. It was especially difficult to know that the Ferguson family had sent an assassin. She had grown up with all of them. While she didn’t know the other three houses well, Finn had been her best friend growing up. His mother was like a second mother to her. How could the Ferguson house order her death? Maureen had to know it had been done. She had to have approved it. Nessa didn’t want to believe it, but there were three different arrows on the table and a dead assassin back at the hall. Nessa didn’t doubt Devin’s word. The sidhe rulers wanted her dead.
“How strong is the spell around the room?” Devin asked, eyeing the many entrances.
“Strong,” Nessa replied. She may not look like much compared to the other sidhe warriors, but Nessa had been trained well. Her magic was the strongest in her family, hence the reason Uncle Rolf hadn’t challenged her becoming the head after her brother’s death.
Devin nodded. “And it’s a ball of protection, right? Not just the sides, but the top and bottom, too?”
“Yes, this is a magic sphere. We’re completely safe within these walls. No one beyond Ronan can enter unless I give them permission,” Nessa agreed. Devin was playing protector and hero, but she was still in shock over the fact that Maureen would want her dead.
“And you didn’t give anyone else permission?” Devin asked, raising his eyebrows to emphasize the question.
Nessa had no clue what he was referring to. “No. Why would I? Who have I had a chance to talk to that you haven’t heard what’s been said?” His protectiveness was nice to have, especially with the threat on her life, but Nessa was unsure of what to make of the accusation that she let someone else in her room.
“Not even an old friend or two?” Devin asked, still not giving names, yet clearly thinking of someone specific. Nessa was unsure why he was accusing her of something, but it was obvious that he wasn’t happy with her.
Nessa searched her mind. Everyone was too busy with their own lives, and any female childhood friends no longer lived in the village. She had yet to see any old friends beyond Finn and Fiona. Her head snapped up to look at Devin.
He was circling the room, checking each entrance. He wasn’t even looking at her or her revelation, but he was still ticked at her.
“You mean Finn?” Nessa asked, surprised by the jealously that had laced his tone now that she knew who he was referring to. “He would never hurt me. He was my best friend growing up.”
“And he’s your ex-fiancé now, unless you reached a new agreement when dancing with him tonight,” Devin muttered as if he didn’t care. He sounded almost robotic.
That was Devin’s specialty. He could completely shut off his emotions. Sure it protected him from getting hurt, but she knew the flipside. Nessa had seen him do that with Arianna. It was that specialty that kept him from truly loving her the way she needed to be loved. But Nessa was still surprised that it was aimed at her now, and over Finn of all people.
“There is nothing between Finn and me. There never was. I broke the engagement, and he completely agreed. He didn’t even fight my decision. We’ve been friends forever. He’s like a brother to me,” Nessa replied, going over to the bathroom door.
“Fiona didn’t play it that way,” Devin answered.
“Fiona has no clue about anything. She’s just trying to manipulate you. I’m sure he sees me just like a sibling,” Nessa tried to explain.
“I’m not sure he feels the same sibling feeling as you,” Devin answered, making his way over to her. He stepped by her and inspected the bathroom for a threat before nodding to her to let her pass.
“When I told Finn I was going off with my brother on a promise that I could break the engagement and make my own choice, he completely agreed with me. He said women should always get a choice,” Nessa replied.
Finn had been her greatest supporter in getting out of the engagement. He was the one that suggested she make a deal with Rhys if she was upset over the engagement. She was surprised by how much he wanted to help her, especially now that he wasn’t the only one that had been asking for her. Finn had tried to protect her, not force her to marry him. It was completely an older brother move. Nessa shook her head at Devin while he stared dubiously at her. While he was a great bodyguard, and knew exactly how to fight every threat, Nessa wondered how good a judge of love he was.
Nessa moved to shut the door, but Devin put his foot in the way before she could close it.
“Leave the door open from now on. Our bond is strongest when there isn’t a barrier. The few seconds that barrier makes could mean life or death,” Devin explained. He still didn’t trust that the room was safe. Nessa found she wanted to protest, but the words were stuck in her throat.
Nessa’s breath caught in her chest as they stood close. Images of the stolen kiss in the hallway filtered through her mind. She accidentally glanced at his lips and had to close her eyes from the gut reaction she had to kiss him again. It did no good. She could still smell him. He was a mixture of scents, and it was making her want to do more with him. She tried not to look at him and to ignore the scent of his skin, but the bond wasn’t playing fair. She felt everything he felt through it. The bond said he was picturing the same thing. They both were caught in the bonds snare. Nessa pinched her thigh and took a breath. Things were getting more difficult. She could smell his day human blood from the finger prick, and it made her hungry. But it wasn’t the same type of hunger as when she was low on blood. She had never needed to feed regularly on a day human, and she shouldn’t have been hungry. But something about Devin made her want every part of him, including his delicious-smelling blood. Devin reached forward and tucked a loose curl behind her ear.
“You may not see it, but every single male there tonight was captivated by you. Don’t let your guard down with anyone, including Finn Ferguson,” Devin said softly. “You’re too innocent, Nessa. You don’t see that you’re a lamb walking among wolves.”
Nessa rolled her eyes and slipped into the bathroom, away from Devin. No one beyond Finn had even given her a second thought her whole life. Even at the normal court functions, no one cared that she was there. She was the second child. Rhys was the star of the family, and even now she saw their eyes looking for Rhys. Everyone might have been looking at her, but it was because she had Devin beside her. Just because the bond made Devin notice her, it didn’t mean anything. The pull was strong to be near him, but he was still Devin. When the bond was gone, he would be gone and no one would look at her again.
Leaving the bathroom door open was going to take some getting used to. It wasn’t a problem that Devin saw into the bathroom or anything. It was just embarrassing knowing that he was a few steps away and could feel her through the bond. She decided just to wash the make-up off her face and slip into her pajamas. No need to be embarrassed even further with a shower. Nessa quietly made it back into the main room. Devin was lying across the bed, shirtless. She had seen guys shirtless before, but it never made her heart beat like it did now. Nessa hid her gasp at her surprise over finding him in her bed that way with a little cough. Devin looked up from his book.
“This is the second book I’ve finished of your grandfather’s. I’m not sure there’s a way to break the bond. He doesn’t mention it anywhere,” Devin said as she approached the bed. Nessa hesitated. She had slept in the same bed with him the night before, but something just felt different now, what with the kiss and his obvious state of undress.
Devin completely ignored the situation as he set the book down. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He didn’t seem to like what he was finding—or not finding—in the books.
“There are still more, aren’t there?” Nessa asked. She didn’t know exactly how many books she had on binding, but she thought it was close to a half dozen.
“I think one more, but none of these explain breaking the bond. They all warn that you need to be sure before you do the bond because it’s permanent,” Devin replied as Nessa remained standing. “Are you really going to stand there all night?” Devin asked, a smile was tugging at the corners of his usually serious lips.
Nessa had no reply. It was awkward to sleep next to him, and she couldn’t explain it without being even more awkward. How was she supposed to pretend there was nothing between them when she knew better? She didn’t want to feel what she felt, but she did.
“You slept by me last night and there were no problems. You don’t talk in your sleep or drool, so why the hesitation?” Devin asked.
“I know I don’t drool,” Nessa snapped back, sitting on the bed. Devin smiled smugly. “Were you watching me?”
“I was waiting to see why it bothered you last night,” Devin replied, like it was the only obvious answer. Yes, he had watched her. “You were very hesitant last night. I figured you had to do something embarrassing when you sleep.” His explanation did make sense, but the bond said otherwise.
“And you don’t sleep?” Nessa replied. When did Devin have time to watch her? They had traveled all night, and arrived after many hours in the car and one assassination attempt. Nessa had barely been able to keep her eyes open long enough to pull the covers up.
Devin shrugged. “I don’t sleep more than about four hours a night. If I’m really tired, maybe five or six.”
Nessa’s momentary anger faded, and she had to stay. She was already sitting on the bed beside him. She wanted to stand back up, but knew he would only tease again. She laid her head down on the pillow and turned her back to him. Devin turned out the light and climbed under the covers. Nessa’s heartbeat increased. She was alone in a protected room that no one could enter with a guy she just kissed not even an hour ago. If her father were alive, he would’ve killed her by now for just that much. He always said he would kill any guy that touched his daughter.
Devin’s arm slid under her head, startling Nessa from her thoughts of her parents yelling. Nessa moved to sit up, but Devin placed his other hand on her hip, essentially causing her to give up her fight to move.
“I need to touch you to keep track of you while I sleep,” Devin said quietly.
“What?” Nessa asked, t
urning around to face him.
“I know you say the room is safe, and I don’t doubt your magic is the strongest in the village. If it weren’t, I don’t think we’d have made it this far already,” Devin explained. Nessa was stunned by his compliment. “But I don’t take chances. The only way we survive this is together. I’ll do my best to protect us as you do your best to survive your sidhe world.”
“Okay, but how do you keep track of me while you sleep? Anyone sleeping is basically unconscious,” Nessa stated logically.
“I was trained to be able to pull myself out of sleep if danger approaches. I spent years learning how to do just that, but the catch is that I need to be touching the person I’m protecting to do so,” Devin explained.
Nessa nodded and turned back around. He had been trained so much she wondered if he even had a life outside his dearg-dul-centered night human world. What would he even do now that Arianna didn’t need him? He wasn’t raised to be anything but the best in the night human world, and he was completely amazing at that. Devin’s arm remained under her neck as a pillow, and his hand was on her hip. His breathing slowed as she thought. He was actually going to sleep holding onto her. It was going to be a long night for Nessa as she tried to slow her heartbeat at Devin’s touch. Yes, it would be a long night.
CHAPTER 8
Devin watched Nessa take a deep, shallow breath later that evening. She was completely asleep in his arms and had been for hours. Devin knew that he should grab the book next to the bed and get more reading done, but he didn’t want to let go of her yet. He looked at the slope of her neck, completely exposed in the tank top she was wearing for pajamas. Her skin was pale white, as all night humans’ were, but at the same time Devin saw a pearlescent tone to it. She was as magical as the sidhe were always believed to be. Her dark curls ticked his arms, still wrapped around her, but he didn’t plan to let go to brush them away. His view followed down her neck and over her exposed shoulders. He silently kissed her shoulder and sighed as he pulled back.