jerked Ruby against him, his grip so tight she could hardly breathe. “They’re not talking about
that
type of mistress, woman. Be quiet and stop embarrassing us.”
A red mist filled Ruby’s gaze, and she punched Nightshade on the shoulder. “Embarrassing
us?
I’m the one who’s been kidnapped and dragged here half-naked.” She struggled in his arms. “Put me down!” She hated depending on anyone else. She could look after herself.
Nightshade lowered her to her feet, scowling; then the sharpness of his gaze softened and he released a pent-up breath. “I’m sorry.”
As he looked down at the ground, she felt a little kick ofremorse in her chest. Nightshade had answered her cry for help and stood up for her. Yet, here she was taking out her anger on him when it was clearly the king’s fault she’d been kidnapped.
She touched Nightshade’s arm, and his eyes rose to meet hers. “I’m really glad you’re here. I wanted to see you again. I’m just a little stressed out right now.”
He gave a single brief nod, and she hoped she was forgiven.
Ruby faced the king with a questioning lift of her eyebrows. “Why
did
you have me dragged here against my will?”
Twister dug in his pocket and tossed three gold coins toward the beak-noses. Then he pivoted around and stared at Ruby. He subjected her to his brooding scrutiny while he fingered his scarred chin. “Tell me about your parents, Ruby.”
The coil of tension inside her wound tighter. She doubted he wanted to know that her mother had been obsessed with supernaturals and it had eventually gotten her killed. He wanted to know about her father. She did, too, but she had a nasty feeling her father’s identity was about to get her into trouble.
Nightshade stepped closer, and his hand rested lightly at her waist. “You have nothing to fear while I’m here,” he said softly.
She drew in a shaky breath and released it. “If my mother’s to be believed, my father looked like an angel.”
Devin said under his breath, “I assume ‘angel’ translates to golden hair and white feathery wings. Got to be Kade.”
An excited chatter rose from the crowd, and people started to scatter with a patter of running feet.
“Thor’s blood!” Twister glanced around as if he’d just woken from a trance. “I should have known better than to do this in public. Word that we’ve found the new Mistress will get back to the Seelie Court within minutes. We must get her to safety before the Seelie huntsmen send out their specters to track her.”
The unquestioning acceptance that her father wasn’t human numbed Ruby with shock. Despite her mother’s stories and Ruby’s strange magical affliction, until that moment, she hadn’t entirely believed it was true.
“Hold on! Why’s she in danger from the Seelie Court? Tell me what’s happening,” Nightshade demanded. But Twister had already hurried away, issuing orders to break camp.
Ruby had been wondering the same thing. On unsteady legs, she took half a step back against the reassuring solidity of his body. His arms closed around her, and his warm strength helped ground her.
Devin closed in and placed a hand on Nightshade’s shoulder, making sure to keep his whispered words quiet. “Kade is one of the few winged individuals in the Seelie Court. His mother was the Mistress of the Beasts. I’m sorry to be blunt, Ruby, but I haven’t time to dress up the truth. Kade’s one of the Seelie huntsmen, and he’s a nasty piece of work. Eavan and Nairne, the Seelie king and queen, have threatened to throw him out of their court many times, but they’ve never followed through because they couldn’t risk offending his mother. Now his mother’s dead, his only chance of maintaining his privileged position is if he controls you.”
So, her father was a selfish jerk. No surprise there after the way he’d seduced her mother, then never shown his face again.
“I’m not a lost bag he can reclaim now he thinks I’m
that
type of mistress, woman. Be quiet and stop embarrassing us.”
A red mist filled Ruby’s gaze, and she punched Nightshade on the shoulder. “Embarrassing
us?
I’m the one who’s been kidnapped and dragged here half-naked.” She struggled in his arms. “Put me down!” She hated depending on anyone else. She could look after herself.
Nightshade lowered her to her feet, scowling; then the sharpness of his gaze softened and he released a pent-up breath. “I’m sorry.”
As he looked down at the ground, she felt a little kick ofremorse in her chest. Nightshade had answered her cry for help and stood up for her. Yet, here she was taking out her anger on him when it was clearly the king’s fault she’d been kidnapped.
She touched Nightshade’s arm, and his eyes rose to meet hers. “I’m really glad you’re here. I wanted to see you again. I’m just a little stressed out right now.”
He gave a single brief nod, and she hoped she was forgiven.
Ruby faced the king with a questioning lift of her eyebrows. “Why
did
you have me dragged here against my will?”
Twister dug in his pocket and tossed three gold coins toward the beak-noses. Then he pivoted around and stared at Ruby. He subjected her to his brooding scrutiny while he fingered his scarred chin. “Tell me about your parents, Ruby.”
The coil of tension inside her wound tighter. She doubted he wanted to know that her mother had been obsessed with supernaturals and it had eventually gotten her killed. He wanted to know about her father. She did, too, but she had a nasty feeling her father’s identity was about to get her into trouble.
Nightshade stepped closer, and his hand rested lightly at her waist. “You have nothing to fear while I’m here,” he said softly.
She drew in a shaky breath and released it. “If my mother’s to be believed, my father looked like an angel.”
Devin said under his breath, “I assume ‘angel’ translates to golden hair and white feathery wings. Got to be Kade.”
An excited chatter rose from the crowd, and people started to scatter with a patter of running feet.
“Thor’s blood!” Twister glanced around as if he’d just woken from a trance. “I should have known better than to do this in public. Word that we’ve found the new Mistress will get back to the Seelie Court within minutes. We must get her to safety before the Seelie huntsmen send out their specters to track her.”
The unquestioning acceptance that her father wasn’t human numbed Ruby with shock. Despite her mother’s stories and Ruby’s strange magical affliction, until that moment, she hadn’t entirely believed it was true.
“Hold on! Why’s she in danger from the Seelie Court? Tell me what’s happening,” Nightshade demanded. But Twister had already hurried away, issuing orders to break camp.
Ruby had been wondering the same thing. On unsteady legs, she took half a step back against the reassuring solidity of his body. His arms closed around her, and his warm strength helped ground her.
Devin closed in and placed a hand on Nightshade’s shoulder, making sure to keep his whispered words quiet. “Kade is one of the few winged individuals in the Seelie Court. His mother was the Mistress of the Beasts. I’m sorry to be blunt, Ruby, but I haven’t time to dress up the truth. Kade’s one of the Seelie huntsmen, and he’s a nasty piece of work. Eavan and Nairne, the Seelie king and queen, have threatened to throw him out of their court many times, but they’ve never followed through because they couldn’t risk offending his mother. Now his mother’s dead, his only chance of maintaining his privileged position is if he controls you.”
So, her father was a selfish jerk. No surprise there after the way he’d seduced her mother, then never shown his face again.
“I’m not a lost bag he can reclaim now he thinks I’m
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