Мишель Роуэн - Reign Check

“Leave the princess alone,” Michael growled, sounding as dangerous and protective as I’d ever heard him. “Or you’ll have to deal with me.”

My eyes widened. “Michael …”

“Let go of me,” Rhys snapped.

It took several seconds, but Michael finally released him. He held his arm out to block me from Rhys, who was leisurely brushing off the front of his shirt.

“I’ll forgive that behavior only once,” Rhys said calmly, although his brown eyes swirled, a sign I now took to mean he was more worked up inside than he cared to show on the surface. His gaze dropped to Michael’s amulet. “I wasn’t aware Shadows were allowed to leave the dark worlds.”

“I guess you were wrong,” Michael replied tightly.

“I guess I was. Still. It doesn’t seem appropriate for a Shadow to enter the human world.”

“It doesn’t seem appropriate for a faery king to go to a human high school, either,” Michael said, standing protectively between me and Rhys. “Don’t you have a kingdom to run, Your Majesty?”

“The safety of my people comes first, no matter how I need to ensure it.”

“The princess isn’t a threat to your people.”

“We’ll see.” Rhys looked at me. “I think you need to keep a tighter rein on your servant, Nikki.”

“Michael’s not really—,” I began.

Rhys cut me off. “So, Shadow, are you here because of the prophecy?”

Michael continued to glare with unfriendliness at the faery king. “You shouldn’t be filling the princess’s head with lies that will only worry her.”

“It’s not a lie,” Rhys said firmly. “Besides, you’re in no position to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do.”

Michael ignored him. “Princess, we need to leave. Your father’s waiting.”

There was no question whether or not I’d go. I’d ditch my afternoon classes; not a problem. My father wouldn’t summon me if it wasn’t something important. And besides, I really wanted to talk to him about Michael’s continuing servant status. I needed answers and I needed them now.

I looked at Rhys. “I’ll make sure to tell my father that you’ve decided to harass me.”

Rhys’s eyes stayed on Michael. “By the looks of the company you keep, Nikki, I’d say I’m the least of your problems.”

I frowned at that. “Thanks so much for your opinion.”

I expected him to walk away, but he stood there, his arms crossed, watching Michael carefully before his attention returned to me.

“Just be careful with this one,” he said distastefully.

“With who? Michael?”

“Yes.”

I snorted. “You’re really telling me to be careful? What do you care one way or the other?”

His eyes swirled. “Fine. Forget I said anything, then.”

Without another word, he turned and walked back into the cafeteria.

Um, what was that? The dude who was thinking about killing me if he decided I was evil suddenly wanted me to be careful?

Sure. That made sense.

“I don’t know what his problem is,” I said as Michael and I left the school. “Why would he tell me to be careful if he hates my guts?”

“Because he doesn’t hate your guts. I think he likes you.” Michael was walking so fast I had to jog to keep up with him. “Isn’t it obvious?”

I gaped at him. “You’re not serious.”

“I am.” He stopped walking and turned to me to show he actually looked a little amused now.

“You think this is funny?” I asked.

“When I got here and you said he’d threatened you, I was worried you’d been in danger and I’d had no clue.”

“Kind of difficult for you to know what’s going on from the Shadowlands.”

“I know.” His amusement faded. “It’s disturbing to me.”

“He doesn’t like me. I saw it in his beady little faery eyes. He can’t stand me, actually. And he’s a little bit afraid of me. It’s a whole mix of unpleasantness.”

“Why would he be afraid of you?”

“He’s scared of my Darkling side. He thinks I’m all nasty and evil underneath my shiny, happy exterior.”

“Then for a king he’s a bit of a fool, isn’t he?”

“I totally agree. Do all faery royals have to take the throne so young? Maybe the power’s gone to his head.”

“The king and queen of the faery realm died recently. Rhys was their only son and heir to the throne.”

“Oh.” It hadn’t even occurred to me that he’d become king so young because his parents were dead. Then again, that was what would happen to me if my father died. It wouldn’t matter how old I was — I’d be queen of the Shadowlands.

I felt a sudden surge of sympathy for Rhys having to take on so much responsibility at his age. I didn’t want to feel it, but there it was. Had he been close with his parents? Did he miss them? Was this the reason for that grief I’d seen in his eyes earlier?

“How did they die?” I asked.

“I don’t know.” Michael shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, looking suddenly uncomfortable talking about death with me in the middle of a cold but bright Erin Heights street. “It doesn’t excuse him from bothering you in any way, shape, or form. He needs to go back to his kingdom and keep his nose out of issues that have nothing to do with him.”

“Hopefully he’ll take the hint.”

Michael looked at me intensely for a moment. “Whether he likes you or not, I swear, if he lays one finger on you, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself from hurting him. I don’t care if he’s a king.”

I gave him a slow grin. “And I appreciate that.”

He pulled me to him and kissed me quickly, then backed away a few steps, looking a bit guilty about what he’d done. “Can’t do that when we’re around your father.”

“What would he do if he found out?” I challenged. “And do we really care?”

“Princess, please. Let’s keep it a secret.”

I let out a sigh of frustration. “How can you be so accepting of everything? Dumb rules and lame behavior.”

“They might seem dumb to you, but they’re still rules that govern the behavior of everyone inhabiting the dark worlds. It’s how it’s always been.”

“Then it needs to change.”

That earned me an actual laugh from him. “Just because you don’t like a few things, everything has to change?”

That sounded about right to me. “Sure. Why not?”

He shook his head. “Let’s not argue. Let’s just go see your father. I don’t want to keep him waiting too much longer. I’m trying to detect the gateway. I know we’re close.”

“Fine, we’ll go see him,” I said. “But this discussion definitely isn’t over. Understood?”

His lips curled into a half smile. “Understood.”

“While you’re doing your gateway detecting, I have to call my mom quickly.” I fished into my backpack and pulled out my cell phone, pressing the speed dial to call home.

“Hey, Mom,” I said when she picked up on the third ring. “I just wanted you to know that after school I’m going out with Melinda for a bit.”

It was amazing how easily the lie spilled forth. I felt guilt swirl inside me, but I couldn’t tell her where I was really going, could I? And if I wasn’t home right after school, I knew she’d worry. I’d rather come up with a nice little white lie that didn’t hurt anybody.

“Oh, really?” Mom said, and I could hear disappointment in her voice. “I was hoping you’d be home right after school.”

“Why?”

“I finished my book today and wanted to celebrate with dinner out and a chick flick.”

My mom was a paranormal romance novelist. When she got into a new project, she lived and breathed the vampires or werewolves or whatever her characters were for months. When it was all done, she suddenly had a lot of time on her hands and liked to cram in a whole bunch of mother-daughter events and excursions before she started on her next book.