Reign Check by Michelle Rowen

father’s hand on my shoulder. “Nikki, it’s fine.”
    “Fine?” My voice sounded pitchy. “How can you say this is fine?” I looked at Michael. “Did you know about this?”
    He shook his head, his jaw tight. “No. I promise I didn’t.”
    My father crossed his arms. “I didn’t tell Michael anything other than that I wanted him to fetch you.”
    Fetch me? Did he even realize how demeaning that sounded? But at the moment, I couldn’t think about it. I was too freaked by seeing Kieran up close and personal.
    My gaze shot to my father. “How could you even let him in the castle? What if he tries to kill you?”
    “Prince Kieran denies any allegations that he was assisting Elizabeth with her plans.”
    “And you believe him?”
    His lips pressed together and I could see the tension he’d been trying to hide. “What I believe is inconsequential at the moment. All I can tell you is that if, by chance, anything unexpected happens while the prince is here in my kingdom”—his eyes turned from hazel like mine to demon red in a split second—“it would be highly unacceptable.”
    He sounded civil, but I could hear the underlying threat in his words. If Kieran tried something funny, then he’d seriously regret it … but only for a short, painful moment.
    The thought was oddly comforting.
    Kieran’s expression didn’t change from neutrally pleasant. “To ease your mind, Princess, let me explain that, while any member of demon royalty visits the Shadowlands, it’s a rule that they must voluntarily give up their powers for as long as they stay. I’m as helpless as a human at the moment.”
    “Elizabeth wasn’t helpless,” I said.
    “No,” my father replied. “She was an exception, since she was family. But she can’t return again.”
    Elizabeth had been banished to the Underworld as punishment for her crimes. Not much of a punishment as far as I was concerned, but at least it meant she was far away from here with no chance of ever returning.
    I glared at Kieran. “Speaking of my aunt, how is she?”
    “She’s understandably shaken,” Kieran replied coolly. “She’s very sorry for any pain or distress she caused you both and wishes she could take back the unfortunate events that occurred.”
    Yeah, sure. She was only sorry that she got caught. But I held my tongue and didn’t say that out loud.
    As my heart rate slowly returned to normal, I took a moment to study the prince. I remembered my first impression of him when I’d seen him through my aunt’s gazer—a means of communicating between the demon worlds by looking into a shallow pool of water. He looked unnaturally attractive, sort of like the airbrushed male models on the covers of my mom’s romance novels, with piercing ice blue eyes under slashing black brows. There were no flaws I could see on Kieran’s perfect face. I could almost understand why Elizabeth had been ready to kill her own brother to do whatever this guy wanted her to do. Almost.
    I suddenly realized I was clutching Michael’s hand for support. I didn’t actually remember grabbing onto it or when he’d come to stand next to me again.
    His green-eyed gaze captured mine. ::It’s okay, Princess. I’m here and I swear I won’t let anything bad happen to you.::
    Thank you was the simple thought I projected back to him. I squeezed his hand before letting it go.
    The action and unspoken connection between us was observed by Kieran. “You and your Shadow servant are very close, aren’t you, Princess Nikki?”
    My shoulders stiffened at the sound of his deep voice. “Michael’s not my servant. He’s my … my friend .”
    I looked at my father, who stood next to me, his attention on the prince. I could have sworn I saw him bristle slightly at my wording.
    “How very forward thinking of you, Princess. But … only friends?” Kieran asked, then glanced at my father. “Your Majesty, the way your daughter looks at the Shadow worries me. I can’t help but wonder if