She couldn’t even venture to guess. Nessa would have never thought her brother’s best childhood friend, and her former fiancé would try to kill her, and that had already happened. Also, the woman she thought of as a second mother had been always plotting to control and then kill Nessa. While it was easy to think someone who didn’t know her would be plotting, she had dealt with those close to her doing it before. Now she had no clue what to expect.
Her uncle continued to talk and motioned to the suitors in the front row. Each nodded their heads back to him. She should have been listening to them, but it was hard to concentrate on what her uncle was saying when she knew one person out there was willing to kill anyone that liked her just to get to her. Nessa suppressed an involuntary shiver. She hated the thought that someone would be trying to kill Devin, too. She was sure almost everyone knew she was bonded to him. If the witch sidhe knew this, would they not kill him, but do something else? What if it wasn’t an admirer at all? What if it was a way to get to Nessa? Cassie seemed sure the person liked Nessa, but how did that teenage witch even know that? She was only a girl, just like Nessa.
Uncle Rolf turned to Nessa, and she realized a little too late that she should have been paying attention.
‘Follow him,’ Devin told her, knowing that she had no clue what was going on.
‘Thanks,’ she mumbled through the silent bond as she turned and followed behind her uncle.
Uncle Rolf led Nessa past Devin. The breeze reached out to her, and she knew it was her invisible bonded human. He slipped something into her hand as she passed. She didn’t dare stop walking and kept behind her uncle, who didn’t even seem to notice. Uncle Rolf kept walking as he passed the nobles and ventured further into the crowd. She never thought in a hundred years that she would be the family member being crowned one day. She always assumed her father would live a long life, and when he didn’t, she was sure her brother, Rhys, would be king long after she was dead one day. She never thought she needed the knowledge of the crowning ceremony, and since her return, she had no time to ask about anything. She had spent the entire time back worrying about her own life, and now Devin’s life.
Uncle Rolf finally stopped walking at the tree Devin had previously used to travel outside the village. Nessa was shocked to be standing there. Was she supposed to go somewhere else?
“This is the sapling from the tree our great king planted when he assumed the throne, and the wars for the crown ended. Vanessa’s own grandfather and my father saved this piece to plant when the tree was destroyed close to sixty years ago. While we no longer have the tall oak it came from, the same magic lives in her baby, just like the same magic of my father lives in Vanessa. To prove this, her blood will be added to the tree.” Rolf handed Nessa a dagger he was holding.
Nessa tried to hide her surprise, but it was hard. She already knew that her barrier wouldn’t let a knife penetrate it. How was she to prove anything with her blood? Would Devin drop the barrier? She felt for him, and he was at the back of the crowd. There was no way he was going to let the barrier down, but she was unsure what she was going to do. Nessa glanced up at her uncle, and he shrugged. He was just following tradition; she was sure.
‘In your hand, just keep it hidden,’ Devin replied.
Nessa felt the small thing in her hand. She squished it between her fingers and was still unsure what to do.
‘Pretend to cut your hand,’ Devin instructed, noticing she had no idea what it was.
Nessa wanted to complain, but hundreds of expectant eyes were watching her. She had no option but to listen and do what Devin told her. She hesitated as she placed the blade against the soft item she was holding. The crowd had to think she was hesitant about cutting herself, but she was unsure what she was even cutting.
‘You can’t hurt yourself, just pierce the pouch and put the blood on the tree,’ Devin told her. He knew exactly why she hesitated.
Nessa’s instincts told her to complain about being bossed around, but she was too nervous to do so. Too many people were watching her expectantly. She pushed the blade against the pouch in her hand, and nothing happened.
‘Push harder,’ Devin told her. Why did he have to be bossy?
‘I was just going to,’ Nessa replied before adding some more force. She felt the squish of the contents from inside what Devin had given her. She glanced down to see blood spill across her hand.
Devin chuckled across the bond. She looked up briefly in his direction. She could feel him stronger when he let his guard down emotionally.
‘What’s this?’ Nessa asked.
Uncle Rolf took her hand and stared at it. The barrier was still intact, but her own blood was spilled across her hand she pretended to cut. He seemed baffled but proceeded anyway by taking her hand to the tree and wiping her blood on the leaves. The tree soaked up her blood instantly and the audience gathered grew silent. They waited along with Nessa, who had no clue what was going to happen. She found out quick enough as the dark sky began to fill with something headed her way. Nessa would have been scared if she hadn’t already heard their chatter.
Thousands of butterflies descended on Nessa and the crowd. No one moved as they watched the tiny, fragile little beings work together to pick up her crown from her uncle and move it to her own head. Nessa stood and watched them. They talked excitedly to each other. She had always been able to call to butterflies, but she had no clue what that meant. As they all took to the air, one remained behind. The pretty blue-colored winged creature was neither the largest nor the smallest of the ones that came. She flitted around Nessa’s head before landing on her crown.
“Like the others that have come before her, Vanessa McKinny is rightfully queen, and all of us will follow her,” the butterfly spoke. Nessa watched the faces of those around her. It was clear she wasn’t the only one that heard the butterfly this time.
People began to kneel to Nessa.
“We, the life around you here in nature, are yours to command. Lead our children of nature well, for like the butterfly, you have grown and changed. They will need you to survive. Please take care of the sidhe,” the butterfly spoke to Nessa.
Lifting up into the air, Nessa watched the blue iridescent wings disappear into the night.
“Princess Vanessa, from here forth will be addressed as queen. Hail, Queen Vanessa,” Uncle Rolf announced. The audience gathered returned the cheer.
“Hail, Queen Vanessa.”
Nessa was still looking to the sky as her uncle spoke. Was it that easy? A little blood on a tree made her queen? Nessa had to think not, but it seemed that was it. Nessa looked to the crowd. Around her people bowed their heads any time she caught their eye. It must have been that easy because, in one moment, she was officially the Queen of the Sidhe.
CHAPTER 6
Devin waited but already knew the answer. He knew the moment the crowd started to leave and the witches didn’t move what that meant. He didn’t need the witches to tell him what he had already felt, too. They hadn’t found the sidhe using witch magic in the crowd.
“Are you sure they weren’t there?” Nessa asked as they waited in her room for everyone to make it to the dinner and ball being held next. She had to wait as she was to be the last to arrive. Devin chuckled at her reaction when she had been told this. Her face had said it all anyways. She hated to be the center of attention.
“They were there,” Cassie replied. She seemed to have no problem looking Nessa in the eyes, unlike Devin.
“We couldn’t tell who it was,” Maria expanded Cassie’s answer.
Devin had been looking himself and knew what they meant. He could faintly feel the witch magic and the difference between sidhe and witch magic, but it wasn’t coming from just one spot.
“I thought all you had to do was look?” Nessa replied, now staring at Maria.
“Oh, we did,” Maria replied. “But it almost seems like they knew we were looking for them. I saw trace amounts of witch magic on many people, including you. Whoeve
r it is was, was near enough to touch you.”
Devin gritted his teeth. He couldn’t hide that it made him visibly upset that the witch sidhe magic user had been close to Nessa. She was protected, and he made very sure of that, but it still made him upset. Nessa was his to protect, and since someone got that close, it meant he had failed. He was lucky Nessa wasn’t the target, but he couldn’t take any more chances like that. He needed to find the witch sidhe, and he needed to do it now.
“So what’s the plan?” Turner asked from across the room. Devin nodded to him. His friend noticed how much it bothered him that Nessa wasn’t absolutely safe.
“I would be able to tell exactly who it was if we could analyze who touched you one at a time,” Cassie replied with a shrug. “But how do we get people to line up for that, especially if someone knows we are onto them?”
Maria nodded. She must have been thinking the same thing.
That was a dilemma. If Cassie needed to see the touch to tell, then she needed to be closer than Devin found comforting. It was hard enough to be sure to keep Nessa safe, but now he was worried about Cassie, too.
“Why don’t we open up the possibility to court Nessa to everyone?” Ronan suggested.
Everyone turned to him to wait for an explanation as Devin gritted his teeth. That wasn’t something Devin wanted to do. He didn’t need more men chasing after his sidhe. Ronan noticed the anger starting in Devin’s eyes, but kept talking.
“There’s dinner and a dance in like fifteen minutes,” Ronan added quickly. “If we say anyone that wants to court Nessa has to dance with her, we can kill two birds with one stone. Nessa can turn down as many men as she wants, not including those horrible suitors, and you guys can look at each person alone with her. You said it was someone that loved her. If her secret admirer is out there, wouldn’t they want the chance to court her?”
“And what happens when she turns them down?” Devin asked. He could just picture the witch-magic-using sidhe turning his powers on Nessa when she disappointed him.
“Cassie and Maria can tell Nessa if the person is who they are searching for before Nessa tells them no. That way she stays safe,” Ronan replied, looking at Cassie and Maria for confirmation of his plan.
“It could work,” Maria said, pausing to think for a moment.
“And what if the magic is as muddled as it was before? Looking at them won’t tell you who they are,” Devin replied, not liking the plan for multiple reasons, but the strongest was because he didn’t want more people trying to claim Nessa.
“If she wears gloves, and we can’t completely see who it is, she can just leave the gloves on the table halfway through the dance, and I can tell from that,” Cassie explained. Devin found it annoying that everyone was working to make this a plan.
“From gloves?” Nessa asked. She was completely new to the witch magic but had been told only a few of the witches were strong enough to tell an aura from what was left behind on objects. Cassie must have been one of them.
“We don’t have the power to stay hidden and do that, Cassie,” Maria replied before she could answer Nessa.
“We wouldn’t have to hide if Devin just tells everyone I’m his relative or something,” Cassie replied. “If I don’t use my magic, no one will know I’m anything but a normal girl.”
As much as Devin didn’t like it, they all had a point. Holding his emotions in check, he thought for a moment. It was true, without being a full-blooded witch yet, Cassie was just a day human like Devin was. No one would know the difference. He looked over at the teenage witch. Her dark brown hair was a stark contrast to his blond, but they did have the same blue eyes. It was possible he could pass her off as his cousin. Cassie was staring back at him with those clear blue eyes, waiting for his reply. For some reason, she felt very strongly about helping Nessa.
“I don’t like that,” Maria stated. She understood completely that what Cassie was saying was true, just like Devin got it. “I can’t leave you alone in a room of sidhe unprotected. Our uncle would kill me.”
“I wouldn’t be alone. I’d be with Devin,” Cassie replied.
“And us,” Turner added, pointing to himself and Ronan.
“Didn’t you say once that Devin was the strongest human you ever met, and how you wished he was a decade older so you could date him? Now he can do magic, too. Doesn’t that make him doubly strong?” Cassie begged, and Maria’s face burned red.
A pang of jealousy flitted across the bond he shared with Nessa. Devin laughed, and Nessa actually seemed a bit resentful. Devin had to stop the laugh that was going to grow stronger if he looked at either Nessa, who was jealous, or Maria, who was very embarrassed. He turned his attention back to Cassie.
“I’m willing to take you with if you promise to do exactly as I say,” Devin told her. He remembered the kid Cassie that had been with the witches when he had trained there. She was known for being quite stubborn. “Any disagreeing with me and Maria will instantly be there to whisk you away.”
Smiling, Cassie nodded. Devin hated the plan of offering Nessa to more people, but it was the best one they could think of. If he didn’t let his jealousy take over, Devin would have admitted it was a good plan. He was unsure if he believed that Cassie could do as he asked, but she was the best bet for finding the mysterious magic using sidhe. Devin hadn’t a clue who the person was, and needed to find them soon before they cast another spell. They might not get as lucky and be able to reverse it this time, and he was sure he didn’t want to find out what would happen if one of Nessa’s suitors was killed. Like it or not, Nessa was going to be dancing with a lot of men at her coronation party. Devin had a feeling it would be the greatest test yet of his self-control, and it was one he couldn’t fail.
Nessa entered the dinner alone. It was nerve-racking to stand before everyone and be crowned, and now she had to walk in front of them while they all stopped their meals to stare at her. She begged to have Devin escort her, but Ronan explained that he could not. He wasn’t even officially a suitor and therefore he had no claim on being beside her as she was presented to everyone. Nessa walked in and went to the table where her uncle and cousins were sitting. They stood and greeted her as she sat. Ronan smirked at her as she squirmed under the attention. Nessa was going to have to pay him back later for his obvious enjoyment of her misery. Wasn’t that what cousins were for?
Nessa looked around and found Devin not even ten feet away. He was sitting at a table with Cassie and Turner. No one else sat at the other three place settings. Devin shrugged when he noticed her eyeing over the empty chairs.
‘I didn’t think I was going to win any popularity contests,’ Devin replied. He was doing fine so far, even if Nessa worried that their plan might be a bit too much for him. ‘Guess I need to invite more friends the next time there’s a party.’
Nessa smiled and shook her head. She knew how much the sidhe feared and loathed him, but it was still shocking to see that no one would even sit at the same table with him.
‘Besides, it makes it easier when they hand out blood. I won’t have to explain that one to Cassie,’ Devin added.
Nessa hadn’t thought of that. Bringing Cassie after she volunteered seemed like the perfect plan so she could catch the witch sidhe, but now Nessa had no clue how to keep her word to Maria in regards to keeping Cassie unaware of the sidhe being night humans. A human blood toast was always part of a sidhe dinner and celebration.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Devin replied to Nessa’s thoughts. ‘I’ve had plenty of practice keeping the night world a secret, and your uncle promised there would be no live blood drinking going on when I explained to him that my cousin didn’t know about night humans.’
Nessa nodded and turned back to her family at her table. It was strange how much Devin knew what was going to happen as she continued to forget he was in constant contact with both her uncle and cousin for details. He was prepared for everything. The food was already set and waiting when she entered, and everyone was
eating. She never had to think about the details.
“Nessie, are you excited to dance with your suitors?” Gemma asked around a mouthful of food. It was clear her cousin was excited to just be included in the festivities.
“Not exactly,” Nessa replied. She hadn’t had time yet to fill her younger cousin in on the details. She was sure Gemma would like to hear about the predicament of suitors as soon as she found out more since her barely a teen cousin was filled with romantic ideas. Having three suitors when Nessa wanted to marry another man was anything but romantic.
“Oh, yeah, forgot. Not a fan of traditions,” Gemma added, shoving more food into her mouth. Nessa let that be the reason.
“Gemmie, can you be any more unladylike?” Ronan asked, poking his sister.
When she smiled, food squished out of her mouth. Queen or not, they were still her cousins. It was fun to see Ronan tease Gemma, who picked up an even larger spoonful and shoved it in her mouth. Ronan cringed and shook his head. His words had the opposite effect than he had wanted.
“Having any luck finding out who poisoned the three suitors?” Uncle Rolf asked, distracting Nessa from her cousins and returning her to reality.
“Nope. Seems they are hidden quite well,” Nessa replied, looking at all the people sitting around the open dance floor. Someone out there was doing their best to sabotage Nessa, and she didn’t even know the reason why.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure Devin will keep you safe.”
Nessa smiled at her uncle. He was one of only three family members she had left. She had many distant cousins, aunts, and uncles, but no one directly related to her mother and father beyond Rolf, Ronan, and Gemma. She was happy she still had all three of them.