The Dark Fae (The World of Fae #1)(11)

When dark faded to light and she managed to focus on her new surroundings, she realized to her horror, she was laying beneath Deveron in a pale blue velvet bed surrounded by the same colored curtains that shrouded them in secrecy. A human girl pinned to a very comfortable bed by her enemy.

She opened her mouth to object, but Deveron shook his head at her and clamped his hand over her lips to keep her quiet.

“Stay here, while I get something for you to wear,” he whispered in warning. “Do not, whatever you do, leave the bed. Neither of us can afford any of the other Denkar fae catching you here.”

“Where are we?” Though she suspected it was his bed—his bedroom—or he would not have been so bold to bring her here.

“My bedchambers at Castle Donao, the kingdom of Denkar.”

Why in heaven’s name did he bring her here of all places? In the middle of the spider’s web where the black widow of them all would devour her in one fell swoop?

A chill trickled down her spine. “Deveron, why did you bring me here?” As if she didn’t know. To play with her as he would with any human girl. And then when it wasn’t safe or fun anymore, give her up to the powers to be.

He grasped her hand. “To keep you safe. To protect you. I promise that’s my only intention.”

She scowled at him. “A promise from an evil dark fae?”

He lips twitched upward slightly. “You’ll have to trust me.”

She gasped as she thought of Cassie. “Cassie! What of Cassie?”

“Micala will take good care of her.”

She frowned at him.

A slow smile curved his lips. “He’s not a dark fae, or I should say…not evil like me. He won’t allow any harm to come to her.”

“But what about me? I mean, she’ll be worried that I disappeared…that I—”

“He’s made sure she only thinks he’s been with her. As far as she knows, she’s alone on this trip, and she and he will share some fun times together, nothing more.”

“Fun times?”

“Pleasant…nothing unseemingly.”

Why didn’t she believe him? Because he was a dark fae…that’s why. “Why did you bring me here?” she asked again. “You had no reason to.”

“The royal guard was after us.”

“Us?”

“I’m supposed to be elsewhere. But if they had learned or were to learn what you’re capable of…” He shook his head. “I didn’t want to have to worry about your well-being. You’ll be safer with me.”

She glowered at him with her most evil, narrow-eyed glare. “It’s because of you that I’m in this mess.”

He smiled at her words. But he hesitated to leave her. “Are you going to be all right?”

“Right. I happen to be in the wicked lair of the dark fae.”

His dark brows knit together in a frown. He whispered in her ear. “Stay put and I will return shortly.”

Alicia nodded, but she wouldn’t release his hand.

His lips curved up again, only this time his eyes warmed and twinkled with a strange mixture of delight and intrigue. “Would you like for me to give you a goodbye kiss?”

She released his hand at once.

“I should world jump with you more often. It makes you more…compliant.”

She slapped his chest and whispered, “Go and hurry back. Then you can…why do I need to change clothes?”

“To blend in with the other blond-haired fae.”

“Why would I need to do that? I mean, why can’t you return me to—”

“You are going to stay close by my side. End of discussion.”

She scowled at him, not caring for his superior male attitude.

He grinned at her, kissed her lips, nipping the bottom one, and when she touched her tongue to his to show him he wasn’t so much in charge, he groaned. “Later, faery princess.”

Faery princess. She was a human who was in a whole lot of trouble.

And then he vanished.

All at once her skin erupted in goose flesh. Alone in unfamiliar surroundings a sudden sense of disquiet filled her. What if he didn’t return? What if she got caught in his bed?

She sniffed at the bed linens. They smelled like Deveron. And then the realization sank in that she was indeed in his bed.

Great! If his parents should catch her here of all places, she’d be dead meat.

She scrambled through the bed curtains and meant to stand on the floor, but as soon as her feet touched the woven rug, she collapsed to her knees. Her head swam with dizziness as her stomach grew nauseous.

Then women’s voices grew close to the room, and Alicia’s heartbeat quickened as she grabbed for the bed curtains.





CHAPTER 6





“I swear I was with him one moment and the next, he was gone,” a woman said somewhere outside Deveron’s room as Alicia fumbled with the bed curtains. Was Ritasia the one who was speaking?

“If you are hiding anything concerning this matter, it will not go easy for either you or your brother,” a woman warned. Her voice sounded older and concerned.

“I had nothing to do with his disappearance,” Ritasia insisted. Her voice grew closer to the bedroom door as her footsteps padded outside the room. “Why should I wish to get into trouble for my brother’s folly?”