“If the princess walks in the garden with you, I can sit here and enjoy the fragrance of the flowers.”
“No. If you cannot walk, we’ll find something you can do. I won’t leave you behind.”
She rubbed her temple, the dizziness fading from there. “Do you think someone here will realize I’m not who I say I am?”
“I wouldn’t dare let my guard down.”
She took a deep breath, not understanding their fae logic. “Why didn’t you just return me home?”
“They would have found you.”
“Who?”
He crouched at her knees and took her hands in his. “The Denkar royal guard.”
“But won’t they find me here sooner? I mean, what if someone discovers I can’t move like you do. That I can’t become invisible to humans.”
“Not all fae transport themselves like that. Some hate the side effects too much. And if you are among fae, you would have no need to become invisible. The fae could see you anyway. It’s only among the humans that we become invisible.”
“And on occasion, visible.”
He smiled.
“Why do you care what happens to me?” The notion had plagued her ever since he kissed her the first time. Had he unduly influenced her with dark fae magic? Bound her under his spell?
Deveron stared at her for a moment, then his lips turned up slowly. “Truthfully?”
Could she handle the truth in her delicate condition? She nearly laughed out loud at herself. She nodded.
“No one has ever doused me with ice cold drinks before. There has to be an appropriate payback. You’re mine until I think of an adequate revenge.” His dark brown eyes sparkled with delight.
“You’re kidding right?”
His smile broadened. “Ask Ritasia. I don’t get angry, Alicia. I get even. Another dark fae quality.”
“You already got your revenge when you took me prisoner.”
“You’re my guest, my faery princess. Until I say otherwise.”
“Amuse yourself with the human a while longer?”
“Precisely. As long as you continue to intrigue me, you’re mine. Another dark fae quality—extreme possessiveness. Cannot be helped.”
Before she could tell him just what she thought of his dark fae qualities, royal blue gowns, sparkling in the sunlight, caught her eye. And then she saw the thin-faced girl, whose red hair was pulled so severely back, it made Alicia’s temple throb…or maybe it was the fae travel that had unsettled her so.
Deveron released Alicia’s hands and stood.
The girl’s catlike green eyes glared at Alicia. The girl obviously didn’t care for the intrusion. She crossed the courtyard with two ladies in tow. Her medieval chaperones? Maybe they thought Deveron would kiss Lorelei the way he’d kissed Alicia and that was forbidden. She swallowed hard. Yeah, the way the prince had kissed her should be forbidden. She looked at his lips that had thinned into a straight line as he watched Lorelei approach.
The thought he’d even want to kiss the girl—
“I’m so pleased you have returned, Deveron.” The girl took his hands in hers and kissed each of his cheeks.
If her blood could turn green with envy, Alicia’s just did. She wondered, though, why she was jealous. She couldn’t be resentful of a dark fae who had the hots for another fae.
Deveron greeted Lorelei in the same manner, then grinned at Alicia, who had to be wearing a Texas-sized scowl.
Deveron motioned to Alicia. “Princess Lorelei, meet my cousin, Princess Alicia.”
“From Neferon?” Lorelei asked, avoiding looking at Alicia.
“Yes.”
“I thought so.” She ran her hand over Deveron’s hair. “I didn’t think anyone in your direct line had light hair.”
“A very few.” He raised his brows at the tenderness the Venician princess showed him, and Alicia assumed this was a new side to Lorelei he’d never seen before.
Was she showing her female possessiveness? If Alicia hadn’t been pretending to be Deveron’s distant cousin, she’d have put some moves on Deveron to outdo the snooty redhead. Well, not because Alicia felt anything for him, but she knew he wanted out of the relationship with Lorelei, and she wouldn’t have minded helping, just a little.
But of course if Alicia did anything like that, she was certain she’d put herself in more danger. Cool it, Alicia. Be the weak, indisposed nobody and blend into the background like a shy violet tucked beneath a shrub full of blooming roses.
Shy violet her foot. She’d never be able to play that role.
Alicia reached out to Deveron and yanked at the bottom edge of his tunic. “Isn’t he a sweetheart?”
He couldn’t have grinned any bigger nor could Lorelei have given her a more demonic look. Oh well, nobody could say humans didn’t have their own devilish moments to want to even up the score.
“Your cousin can remain behind here to rest as my steward said she is unwell. One of my ladies can see to her.”
“I’m to keep an eye on her at all times,” Deveron said.
“Oh? Even when she beds down for the night?” Lorelei smiled. “I’m teasing of course.”
Right.
Wouldn’t Lorelei like to know how Alicia had been with him in his bed already, as innocent as it was?
But before an issue could be made of whether they would take a walk with or without the pretend princess, Ritasia appeared.
“Here you are,” Ritasia said to Deveron and Alicia. She smiled. “What are we doing?”
Lorelei stiffened her back.
Ritasia winked at Alicia. Evidently, Ritasia didn’t get along with Lorelei any more than Ritasia did with the princess’s brother.
Lorelei quickly said, “Deveron is taking me for a walk. Since you arrived at such an opportune time, perhaps you could stay with your cousin and watch over her instead.”
Deveron took a deep breath of exasperation. Alicia imagined he was sorely vexed with his sister’s intrusion. But truthfully, Alicia felt it would be best for all concerned, for the moment.
“I can,” Ritasia said.
Lorelei took Deveron’s arm. “Later, ladies.” The two maids followed them along the stone path, keeping a respectful distance.
When they disappeared down the path, Ritasia sat next to Alicia on the stone bench. “They were still searching for you and Deveron at the castle, having found traces of his recent faery dust trail in his room. But then word reached us that he was taking his duties concerning Lorelei to heart and that was the end of the concern. For the most part.”
“For the most part?”
“You’ve caused quite a stir, Alicia. Deveron has never transported a human girl anywhere before. And the rumor you can see the fae when we’re invisible has reached my mother. The search continues for you, but not in the Denkar kingdom.”
“They’ll assume I’m with Deveron. Don’t you think?”
“Maybe. Though I’m sure no one wants to upset Lorelei so they wouldn’t want to make a scene in attempting to apprehend you here. Or they may believe he wouldn’t risk offending Lorelei and bring you here. In any event, they are searching other kingdoms at the moment. Though not all will be receptive to our questioning.”
“And Cassie?”
“She is fine. Micala is a good fae. A perfect gentleman.”
Alicia looked in the direction Deveron had taken. “Does he always get even?”
Ritasia laughed. “You bet. Why?”
Alicia shook her head.
Ritasia’s brown eyes sparkled with interest. “You will have to tell me someday what prompted that question.” She ran her hands over her emerald green gowns. “I have to know who your parents are.”
But Alicia knew Ritasia meant she wished to know who Alicia’s fae parent was. Alicia felt she had to know, too, if she was going to survive this hunt for her. She felt that Ritasia might be able to help her find her father. But if Alicia found him, would he protect her? Or pretend the half human/half fae wasn’t his da
ughter? She stamped down the sorrowful feelings that rose up deep inside her. She shouldn’t care. She couldn’t. Survival was all that was important for now.
“I never knew my father’s name.”
“Then he’s the fae.”
“He wrote in a journal about fae ways. About several of the kingdoms.”
“About the Denkar?”
Alicia nodded.
“Some of the other kingdoms wrote some awful things about us. But in history you’ll find no society is above doing wrong at some time or another.”
“Your people destroyed my kind.”
“Fae-knowers?” Ritasia swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“And your mother would have me put to death if she knew the truth about me.”
“We don’t know that,” Ritasia said, defending her mother.
“You think she wouldn’t?”
“If you endangered our kind…” She let her words trail off. “Or she may keep you prisoner. On the other hand she will not like it that Deveron is so infatuated with you.”
“As a human plaything. To get even with me.”
Ritasia smiled. “Pray tell what did you do to him?”
CHAPTER 8
Alicia wouldn’t tell Ritasia what she had done to Deveron to solicit his promise he’d get even with her, though she was amused his sister would be so intrigued.
“I swear whatever it is that you have done, you have gotten him wrapped tightly around your finger. You pull the string, and he’ll come running,” Ritasia said.
“Nonsense. He’s a dark fae. He has no interest in a human.”
“But you’re not exactly all human, are you? Maybe that’s what intrigues him most about you.”
“My father must have been fae.”
“Yes. Did he stay with your mother?”
“Only until I was five.” No matter how many times she told herself she didn’t care, she did. Even now her heart felt like a block of cement, and her eyes grew tearful.
Ritasia nodded. “It would be difficult to ignore his own kind for very long. Or maybe…” She rubbed her hands, seemingly deep in thought as she squinted her eyes and stared at the ground.
“What?”
Ritasia faced Alicia. “Maybe, he worried for you and your mother’s safety. Maybe he abandoned you to keep his kind from learning about you.”
Deep down, Alicia had always resented her father for leaving her mother and her. But what if he did it to protect them from the vindictiveness of the fae? Then he was a hero, not a villain. He’d left the ones he’d loved to protect them.
“Maybe you’re right.” She hoped Ritasia was. And now she was truly determined to locate her father.
“Sure,” Ritasia said, patting her hand. “You know I am. What do you remember about him? Did he wear a medallion?”
“No. Not that I could remember anyway. I was only five.”
“Well, I wouldn’t think he was a royal fae. What color was his hair? Blond like yours?”
“No. Dark like yours and Deveron’s.”
Ritasia frowned. “He couldn’t have been from the Denkar.”
“I don’t think so. He called them—you—barbarians.”
“Unless he was one of us and was angered that we might kill you.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. Would he be related to you then?”
Ritasia smiled. “No, most likely not. There are tons of lines in the Denkar that are not related to us. Just like in the case of humans, too much inbreeding can cause problems. That’s why the royals marry into other kingdoms…well, and to make alliances. And I know everyone who is closely related. If a male fae disappeared for five years, I would have known.”
“What other kingdoms have dark-haired fae?”
“Oh, all of them. Some more than others.”
“That doesn’t help.”
“No, if he was a royal, that would help.” Ritasia fingered her gold medallion.
Alicia considered the diagrams in her father’s journal. “Which fae have the symbol of the dragon?”
Ritasia narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
“It’s one of the symbols he drew in his journal. He drew yours, Venicia’s, and three others. But none were of Neferon. I’m wondering if there’s a clue in that.”
“Maybe. What did he say about Morcalon?”
“Who?”
“The fae of the dragon.”
“Nothing. He just drew the symbol. Maybe he didn’t know much about them. Just that they existed.”
“Every fae knows of them. They are the most warrior race of all of the fae.”
“I thought the dark fae were.”
Ritasia smiled. “I guess it depends on who’s writing the history.”
“Oh.” Alicia hadn’t considered that, but she supposed Ritasia was right.
Ritasia took a deep breath. “The dragon fae are our sworn enemy. Have been forever.”
“Oh.”
“What other symbols did he draw?”
“The cobra, hawk, and griffin.”
Ritasia stared at the ground, then looked up at Alicia. “All the major kingdoms, but one.”
“And Neferon isn’t one.”
“No.”
“Which did he leave out?”
“The sphinx. The fae of the sphinx are said to be of the earliest civilization. As peaceful as the ones of the dragon are warlike. Where the sphinx fae try to keep peace, the dragon fae prefer fighting. Lorelei’s father is a sphinx fae. Her mother, of course, is Venician, of the gargoyle fae.” Ritasia tapped her fingers on the bench. “Your father wrote about each of the major kingdoms?”
“Except for Morcalon and the sphinx fae.”
“Tell me what he said about the others. Maybe that’ll give us a clue.”
Just then, Deveron and Lorelei returned. She looked miffed as her mouth turned down at the corners. Deveron didn’t seem to be any happier.
“I believe we just took a race through the gardens. As far as I’m concerned,” Lorelei said, her voice verging on whining as she wiped her flushed face with a lace-edged cloth, “neither of us won.”
Alicia smiled. “Then it was a tie. Neither of you will be upset by the results.”
Ritasia laughed.
Deveron frowned at his sister. “You may leave now, dear sister. I will take care of our cousin.”
“No,” Lorelei nearly snapped. When everyone looked at her, she smiled. “Tonight we shall have a grand ball…a masked affair. I insist that Ritasia and your cousin attend. We will all have such fun.”
“I will stay,” Ritasia said, but her voice was not cheerful. More than this, she sounded concerned and Deveron’s face appeared to mirror this.
Evidently, they knew Lorelei was up to something, and Alicia hadn’t a clue. She envisioned it was something wicked.
“I don’t dance well,” Deveron said.
Alicia couldn’t imagine the dark fae hunk wouldn’t be able to dance. He appeared to be the kind of guy who could do anything with great success. But she wondered why Ritasia didn’t jump in to confirm Deveron’s claim.
“Nonsense,” Lorelei said. “I saw you dance with Princess Nevian last year and believe me, every marriageable young lady watched the two of you. I was green with envy that I could not catch your eye as I was too young.”
“How old are you?” Alicia asked, surprised that the girl would have been too young the year previously, but was now being foisted on Deveron.
Lorelei tilted her chin up. “Sixteen. And you?”
Then Alicia noticed the fae didn’t have the golden fae ring around her eyes. Why not?
“Seventeen,” Alicia said, still trying to discern the meaning of the fae having no ring. She glanced over at the ladies who waited on Lorelei. Both had the shimmering rings encircling their eyes. What did it mean?
Deveron smiled at Alicia’s answer.
Did he like that she was more his age? Come to think of it, she didn’t know his age.
Loud brass bells rang out across the
castle grounds, sending a shock wave through Alicia.
Lorelei pulled Deveron past Alicia and Ritasia toward the castle. “Time to eat.”
Ritasia helped Alicia to stand, then looped her arm through hers. “You stick close to me, Alicia, whatever happens.”
“Why do you want to help me? I thought I’d made you pretty mad when I called you a jealous fae, then ignored you existed. Of course I only did so because I’d come to my senses and realized I should have held my tongue in the first place.”
Ritasia giggled. “I’m like my brother. I don’t get mad, I get—”
“Even.”
Ritasia’s eyes sparkled in amusement. “You must have realized I was pretty shocked to hear you speak to me. I knew I wasn’t a jealous fae, for one thing. How could I be jealous over my brother’s interest in a human girl? In truth, Deveron’s escapades liven up fae life, which can be rather dull at times. Why else would we visit the humans?”
She took a deep breath and looked pleased with herself. “Now you are irking Lorelei more than I ever could. I will help you to widen the rift and protect your back at the same time.”
“Great. I already have your mother and all her people ready to do me serious harm. And if she discovers your brother is irritating the fae that your mother intends for your brother to marry all because of me—”
“Yes, well, fae business can be rather dangerous at times. Aren’t you game? I suspect you wish to find your father. Deveron and I will help you in that endeavor. And I further believe you have no more desire that Deveron marry the witchy Lorelei than I wish to wed her despicable brother. And finally, I don’t think you’re the type of human who flinches when faced with danger.”
Well it depended on the danger. Snakes and poisonous spiders Alicia flinched at.
As they walked into the great hall filled with fae courtiers dressed in their evening finery, a red-haired male, who looked very much like Lorelei, approached them. He reminded Alicia of a stick figure she might have drawn with a mop of unruly, curly red hair that rested at his shoulders. Maybe that’s why Lorelei kept her hair confined. It was a bushel of red frizz. Okay, so that was catty. It might be very pretty.
Though she hoped it was not.
“Prince Phillinois,” Ritasia said, curtseying.