Мишель Роуэн - Reign Check

Yeah, Michael and I had started off a bit shakily, but he’d more than made up for it since then.

We weren’t alone in the hallway. Other students moved past us steadily, heading in and out of the swinging cafeteria doors, which was the only factor that made me refrain from throwing my arms around him. I couldn’t remember being happier to see anyone before. I couldn’t keep the grin off my face, my troubles with Larissa (almost) forgotten.

“You were fighting with your friend.” Michael’s voice was very serious and filled with concern.

“I wouldn’t exactly call her my friend. And it was more of a loud disagreement than an outright fight.”

He glanced warily toward the cafeteria doors. “If she’d made any attempt to harm you, I would have intervened immediately. If she had any idea who you are—”

“But she doesn’t and she won’t,” I said firmly. “Don’t worry. I can handle Larissa.”

He still looked troubled. “As long as you’re okay.”

“I’m fine now.” I decided I didn’t care about the potential audience of students. I went up on my tiptoes and kissed him quickly.

“Princess, you really shouldn’t do that here,” he said cautiously, but the glimmer of a smile was struggling to appear on his lips.

I glanced around to see a passing guy looking at us strangely and my face reddened. Michael called me “Princess.” I’d asked him repeatedly to call me Nikki, but he almost always refused, instead insisting on addressing me by my official royal title.

Grabbing Michael’s hand, I led him over to the doors at the end of the hallway, where we could talk more privately.

“You think we shouldn’t kiss in public?” I asked.

“Yes.” He swallowed and looked down at the ground. Then he raised his eyes and met mine. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. It’s fine with me. More than fine, really. But if anyone sees us …”

Right. The stupid, pointless rule that forbade demons and Shadows from openly dating. “Forget about that. I honestly don’t care what anyone thinks. I thought you already knew that.”

“I do.” His hands were now clasped behind his back, his amulet, a bright green stone that looked like a large flat emerald, visible on top of his zippered sweatshirt.

Because Michael was a Shadow, the magic amulet the exact color as his eyes helped him keep a solid form. Without it, he became as disembodied as a ghost — or an actual shadow —one that would quickly fade away to nothingness. A common punishment for Shadows who refused to do what they were told was to temporarily (or worse, permanently ) take away their amulet.

Like I said before, Michael wasn’t exactly a normal boyfriend. Also, if I wasn’t mistaken, he was blushing a little bit from me kissing him in front of everybody. It only made me want to do it again as soon as possible.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Your father ordered me to bring you to the Shadowlands immediately. He wants to talk to you.”

I frowned at that. “He ordered you?”

“Yes.”

I would have preferred he use the word “asked” or “requested,” which would have fit much better with Michael’s new nonservant status. Unless …

“Hold on,” I said. “You spoke to me telepathically a moment ago. Can we still communicate that way even though you’re officially not my servant anymore?”

He met my eyes. “About that …”

I shook my head, a feeling of dread twisting in my stomach. “Don’t even try to tell me nothing’s changed. My father promised me.”

“Princess, please. It doesn’t matter.”

“I can’t believe this. Why would he lie to me?”

“King Desmond didn’t lie. I do believe he meant what he said at the time he said it.”

“So you’re still a … a servant ?”

“I am what I’ve always been.” He held up a hand when I was about to say something, I didn’t know what. He must have seen the outrage on my face. “Please, don’t overreact, Princess. I didn’t expect things to change overnight. In fact, it’s very possible things will never change.”

Quite honestly, ever since my father had made the promise, I hadn’t given it much more thought. I’d just assumed things would change immediately.

“Why aren’t you fighting this?” I asked. “Why do you seem to accept this so easily?”

“Because it’s not the time. Your father has been very good to me over the years. You really have no idea.”

“How? By ordering you around?”

“He allows me to come here through the gateway and see you. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to at all.”

“Allows you,” I repeated, disliking the sound of those two words used together.

“Shadows are servants to demonkind. That’s how it’s always been. He told you what you wanted to hear because he loves you and wants you to be happy. Please, Princess, don’t make a big deal over this.”

“I don’t know if that’s possible. It is a big deal.”

He hesitated. “Does it change anything … between us ?”

“No, of course not.”

“Good.” He nodded, and that smile I found so completely devastating (in a good way, that is) touched his very kissable lips again.

I took his hand in mine. His skin was warm but coarse, as if he did manual labor. When we first met, Michael had kept his servant status from me because he’d been under the impression that I would think him less worthy. He’d been dead wrong. I didn’t care who he was — rich, poor, a servant, a Shadow, or whatever.

I set aside my annoyance for now, but my father and I would be having a talk about this issue very soon. “You said my father wants to see me? About what?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Didn’t he tell you?”

“No. He only said it was important that you come back with me immediately.”

“I wonder if it has to do with the prophecy,” I mused.

His dark brows drew together. “What prophecy?”

“Apparently there’s some prophecy about me that was just uncovered.” I shivered, thinking about it.

“Who would have told you something like that?”

I glanced over my shoulder and a distinct feeling of unease flowed through me when I saw the bearer of my prophecy news exit the cafeteria and scan his surroundings before spotting me.

“I really wish he’d just go away,” I grumbled, and let go of Michael’s hand.

“Who?”

I gestured in the direction of the approaching faery king. “Him.”

“Nikki,” Rhys said drily as he reached us, his eyes flicking to Michael for a moment. “There you are. Trying to avoid me doesn’t change anything, you know.”

“Who are you?” Michael asked.

Rhys stared at him. “Who are you ?”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

I cleared my throat. “Rhys is the king of the faery realm.”

It took a moment for this to register with Michael. “What are you doing in the human world?”

Rhys pursed his lips. “I thought that was going to be our little secret, Nikki. Or maybe you want me to spread your little secret around as well?”

I glared at him. “Michael lives in my father’s castle. He’s not a student here.” I looked at Michael. “Rhys came here to investigate me. Thinks I’m some sort of threat to his fellow iridescent-winged friends. He’s the one who told me there’s a prophecy.”

Michael took this information in, his expression steadily darkening. “Did he threaten you, Princess?” he asked quietly.

The implied threat in biology was still at the forefront of my mind. “A little. But I—”

Before I could say another word, Michael grabbed Rhys by the front of his shirt and slammed him against a nearby locker.