woke that morning, he’d been waiting all day to catch her alone, but since the episode the previous night with the Blackthorn Throne, Nightshade had hardly let her out of his sight.
As soon as his friend disappeared, Devin slipped into the corridor and knocked on Ruby’s door. She answered and he went in, closing the door softly behind him.
“Devin?” Ruby squinted at him in the firelight. “You’ve just missed Nightshade.”
“I’ve been waiting for him to leave.”
“Oh.” Ruby was holding bedcovers to her chest. “That sounds ominous.”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he reassured her. “I just need to speak with you about your visit to the Seelie Court.”
“Fine. Give me a moment to get decent.”
Devin wandered across to the fireplace on the far side of the room and stared at the dancing flames. Twister had tried to persuade him not to accompany them to the Seelie Court in case his presence provoked trouble. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Ruby problems, but he had to take this chance to catch a glimpse of Aila.
Ruby stepped up beside him, tying the cord on her dressing gown. “Okay, what did you need to tell me?”
“Twister doesn’t want me to come with you. He thinks my past disagreement with the Seelie king and queen will muddy the waters.”
“You have a thing for Aila and her parents disapprove?” Ruby asked, her eyebrows raised.
Devin winced. “Am I that obvious?”
“Every time her name’s mentioned, you zone out.”
He dropped into one of the wing chairs by the fire and dragged his hands through his hair. Gods, he was pathetic.
Ruby wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick hug. She was soft, warm, and smelled wonderful. He envied Nightshade his happiness.
“I need to ask you a favor,” he said. He wanted to give himself to Aila in every way, but at least if he entrusted her with the stones containing the essence of his mind, body, and spirit she would realize how much he loved her. He pulled a tiny leather bag containing the three linked stones of his Magic Knot out of his coat pocket. “Would you give this to her? Tell her . . . I still think about her.”
Tell her I still love her.
Ruby weighed the tiny bag in her palm. “If I’m going to be responsible for this, do you mind telling me what’s inside?”
Devin dragged in a breath. It wasn’t fair placing such a burden on Ruby’s shoulders when she had so much else to contend with. And yet . . .“My Magic Knot.”
“Blimey.” Ruby pushed it back into his hand. “I’m not bonded with you now I’ve touched that, am I?”
Despite his melancholy, Devin laughed. Ruby was so charmingly naive about the ways of his world. “You’re safe from the hideous prospect of bonding with me as long as you don’t open the bag.”
She flushed. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I’m teasing,” he said as she fidgeted.
“Okay, then.” She held out her hand for the bag.
“I really appreciate this, Ruby. I won’t cause trouble when we get to the Seelie Emerald Palace . . .” He glanced up at her understanding hazel eyes. “I just want a chance to see Aila again.”
She gave him an appraising look. “I’m not worried. You might even distract their attention from my fake marriage to Twister.” She rolled her eyes. “That man is seriously disturbed.”
Devin squeezed her hand. “Troy told me what happened in the Assembly Room. Twister isn’t normally so obnoxious. For some reason he’s desperate to control your power, Ruby.”
“Well, please thank your father for his help when you next see him.”
“Of course.”
But unease trickled through him. Troy had only helped her because Nightshade asked. His father normally only helped family. For some reason, Troy had formed an attachment to Nightshade. And if Troy grew possessive of his latest fancy, Ruby would be the loser.
* * *
Three days later, Ruby left her dogs in the care of the house brownies and met
As soon as his friend disappeared, Devin slipped into the corridor and knocked on Ruby’s door. She answered and he went in, closing the door softly behind him.
“Devin?” Ruby squinted at him in the firelight. “You’ve just missed Nightshade.”
“I’ve been waiting for him to leave.”
“Oh.” Ruby was holding bedcovers to her chest. “That sounds ominous.”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he reassured her. “I just need to speak with you about your visit to the Seelie Court.”
“Fine. Give me a moment to get decent.”
Devin wandered across to the fireplace on the far side of the room and stared at the dancing flames. Twister had tried to persuade him not to accompany them to the Seelie Court in case his presence provoked trouble. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Ruby problems, but he had to take this chance to catch a glimpse of Aila.
Ruby stepped up beside him, tying the cord on her dressing gown. “Okay, what did you need to tell me?”
“Twister doesn’t want me to come with you. He thinks my past disagreement with the Seelie king and queen will muddy the waters.”
“You have a thing for Aila and her parents disapprove?” Ruby asked, her eyebrows raised.
Devin winced. “Am I that obvious?”
“Every time her name’s mentioned, you zone out.”
He dropped into one of the wing chairs by the fire and dragged his hands through his hair. Gods, he was pathetic.
Ruby wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick hug. She was soft, warm, and smelled wonderful. He envied Nightshade his happiness.
“I need to ask you a favor,” he said. He wanted to give himself to Aila in every way, but at least if he entrusted her with the stones containing the essence of his mind, body, and spirit she would realize how much he loved her. He pulled a tiny leather bag containing the three linked stones of his Magic Knot out of his coat pocket. “Would you give this to her? Tell her . . . I still think about her.”
Tell her I still love her.
Ruby weighed the tiny bag in her palm. “If I’m going to be responsible for this, do you mind telling me what’s inside?”
Devin dragged in a breath. It wasn’t fair placing such a burden on Ruby’s shoulders when she had so much else to contend with. And yet . . .“My Magic Knot.”
“Blimey.” Ruby pushed it back into his hand. “I’m not bonded with you now I’ve touched that, am I?”
Despite his melancholy, Devin laughed. Ruby was so charmingly naive about the ways of his world. “You’re safe from the hideous prospect of bonding with me as long as you don’t open the bag.”
She flushed. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I’m teasing,” he said as she fidgeted.
“Okay, then.” She held out her hand for the bag.
“I really appreciate this, Ruby. I won’t cause trouble when we get to the Seelie Emerald Palace . . .” He glanced up at her understanding hazel eyes. “I just want a chance to see Aila again.”
She gave him an appraising look. “I’m not worried. You might even distract their attention from my fake marriage to Twister.” She rolled her eyes. “That man is seriously disturbed.”
Devin squeezed her hand. “Troy told me what happened in the Assembly Room. Twister isn’t normally so obnoxious. For some reason he’s desperate to control your power, Ruby.”
“Well, please thank your father for his help when you next see him.”
“Of course.”
But unease trickled through him. Troy had only helped her because Nightshade asked. His father normally only helped family. For some reason, Troy had formed an attachment to Nightshade. And if Troy grew possessive of his latest fancy, Ruby would be the loser.
* * *
Three days later, Ruby left her dogs in the care of the house brownies and met
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