courtiers. He was angry with Nessa, but none of the men there would ever be able to tell the difference. She really should have told him more about Liam.
‘ They will never trust me,’ Devin told her.
‘ Doesn’t matter,’ Nessa replied. Even with all the emotions she did feel from him, and the anger and jealousy that had been there only minutes ago, Nessa was sure that Devin wasn’t the one causing the illness. Unfortunately, the other sidhe thought the complete opposite.
“Devin, it might be a good idea to back away from this until we can get these men better,” Uncle Rolf suggested. Nessa didn’t want Devin to leave her with several angry sidhe. The anger was directed at Devin, but she still didn’t feel safe with them.
Devin looked at him and nodded. He turned to leave, and Nessa’s mouth dropped in shock. He was walking away so easily. That wasn’t like him. Was he part of it after all? Was he just going to let the men die? Was he leaving? Without turning around, Devin talked silently to her in her mind.
‘ Take them somewhere in the palace together,’ he told her. ‘Keep them safe and isolated from everyone. I’m going to get some help on this one.’
‘ What?’ Nessa asked in disbelief. Of all the times to listen to her uncle, he was choosing now? Was he really leaving?
‘ Don’t worry, Princess. Whoever did this won’t hurt you.’ Devin mistook her shock as fear for her own safety.
‘ What?’ she asked, still too shocked at seeing him leave the room.
‘ I’ve gotten better at my spells. You’re completely safe,’ Devin answered. ‘Just keep them isolated. I don’t know what set this off, but there has to be a witch around. I’ll get some help so we can figure this all out.’
Nessa didn’t understand but knew enough to do what he asked. Devin was planning something, and she was sure he would do it perfectly. Devin had a knack for situations like they were in now. She trusted him completely.
“We need to take them to our sick wing of the palace and keep them isolated,” Nessa told the men. “It might be contagious.”
“See,” the second man said as Devin disappeared out of the room, “I knew the day human did this.”
“Devin wouldn’t have done this,” Nessa snapped, starting to get angry herself at all the accusations.
“Then why is the day human leaving?” Liam’s relative asked. He was still glaring at the spot where Devin had just been.
“Because, unlike the sidhe who want to sit around and point fingers, he’s actually going to investigate what happened.” Nessa was furious with the sidhe now. It was true; they were never ones for figuring out the truth. All they really wanted to do was sit and cast blame until someone killed the accused, whether the person was guilty or not. Maybe if they opened their eyes, they would see that Devin was actually an asset and his day human way was a bit more productive than that of the sidhe.
“Only he can activate a curse like this,” the second man complained, still blaming Devin.
“This wasn’t a curse from the sidhe,” Nessa replied, exasperated at how much they wanted to blame Devin. “This is a witch curse.”
The men immediately backed away from their relatives in fear. Outsiders were not tolerated well in the villages, but outside magic was even less tolerated.
Uncle Rolf reached down to usher Nessa away. His hand wrapped around her arm, but there was a space between his hand and her arm. The bubble Devin had encased her in was still around her, but tightly. And she could move it. Devin had been practicing, and she appreciated it. Any lingering fear for her own safety disappeared when she saw that. Even if he wasn’t around, Devin was still protecting her. She should have never doubted that he would keep her safe.
Uncle Rolf noticed her new protective skin. “What is that?” he asked quietly after directing the relatives of the sick men to take the bodies and follow them.
“Devin,” she
‘ They will never trust me,’ Devin told her.
‘ Doesn’t matter,’ Nessa replied. Even with all the emotions she did feel from him, and the anger and jealousy that had been there only minutes ago, Nessa was sure that Devin wasn’t the one causing the illness. Unfortunately, the other sidhe thought the complete opposite.
“Devin, it might be a good idea to back away from this until we can get these men better,” Uncle Rolf suggested. Nessa didn’t want Devin to leave her with several angry sidhe. The anger was directed at Devin, but she still didn’t feel safe with them.
Devin looked at him and nodded. He turned to leave, and Nessa’s mouth dropped in shock. He was walking away so easily. That wasn’t like him. Was he part of it after all? Was he just going to let the men die? Was he leaving? Without turning around, Devin talked silently to her in her mind.
‘ Take them somewhere in the palace together,’ he told her. ‘Keep them safe and isolated from everyone. I’m going to get some help on this one.’
‘ What?’ Nessa asked in disbelief. Of all the times to listen to her uncle, he was choosing now? Was he really leaving?
‘ Don’t worry, Princess. Whoever did this won’t hurt you.’ Devin mistook her shock as fear for her own safety.
‘ What?’ she asked, still too shocked at seeing him leave the room.
‘ I’ve gotten better at my spells. You’re completely safe,’ Devin answered. ‘Just keep them isolated. I don’t know what set this off, but there has to be a witch around. I’ll get some help so we can figure this all out.’
Nessa didn’t understand but knew enough to do what he asked. Devin was planning something, and she was sure he would do it perfectly. Devin had a knack for situations like they were in now. She trusted him completely.
“We need to take them to our sick wing of the palace and keep them isolated,” Nessa told the men. “It might be contagious.”
“See,” the second man said as Devin disappeared out of the room, “I knew the day human did this.”
“Devin wouldn’t have done this,” Nessa snapped, starting to get angry herself at all the accusations.
“Then why is the day human leaving?” Liam’s relative asked. He was still glaring at the spot where Devin had just been.
“Because, unlike the sidhe who want to sit around and point fingers, he’s actually going to investigate what happened.” Nessa was furious with the sidhe now. It was true; they were never ones for figuring out the truth. All they really wanted to do was sit and cast blame until someone killed the accused, whether the person was guilty or not. Maybe if they opened their eyes, they would see that Devin was actually an asset and his day human way was a bit more productive than that of the sidhe.
“Only he can activate a curse like this,” the second man complained, still blaming Devin.
“This wasn’t a curse from the sidhe,” Nessa replied, exasperated at how much they wanted to blame Devin. “This is a witch curse.”
The men immediately backed away from their relatives in fear. Outsiders were not tolerated well in the villages, but outside magic was even less tolerated.
Uncle Rolf reached down to usher Nessa away. His hand wrapped around her arm, but there was a space between his hand and her arm. The bubble Devin had encased her in was still around her, but tightly. And she could move it. Devin had been practicing, and she appreciated it. Any lingering fear for her own safety disappeared when she saw that. Even if he wasn’t around, Devin was still protecting her. She should have never doubted that he would keep her safe.
Uncle Rolf noticed her new protective skin. “What is that?” he asked quietly after directing the relatives of the sick men to take the bodies and follow them.
“Devin,” she
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