The Winged Fae (The World of Fae) Read Online Free PDF

several steps toward the straw mattress suspended on ropes, covered in a scratchy black woolen blanket, then pushed the girl’s satin slipper–covered feet aside and sat down on the edge of the bed.
    He didn’t want to let on that he could no longer stand. But he was certain his people would jump to their own conclusions about his action. And not in a way that would please him.
    Not only did his own Denkar kind stare at him with mouths agape, except for Deveron, whose eyebrows arched heavenward also, the winged fae finally tore her gaze from the ceiling and looked at him to see who was encroaching on her space. Her eyes widened in recognition.
    “Yes, it is me,” he said hotly.
    “You have recovered,” she said softly.
    He was surprised to hear the regret in her voice. What kind of a game was she playing?
    “What is your name?”
    “The message,” Deveron said, as if her name meant nothing.
    Niall cast Deveron a dark look. Who was doing the questioning?
    Deveron gave him an even darker look.
    Niall relented and asked the girl, “What was your message?”
    She smiled and folded her arms. “If they leave, I’ll tell you.”
    “You will tell us now,” Deveron commanded.
    Someday Deveron would be king. Already he wore the royal mantle well.
    “Or?” she asked.
    She had the most exasperatingly impish way of speaking that would infuriate any sane person. Even so, Niall stifled a chuckle. He couldn’t believe she’d speak thus to the crown prince of the Denkar fae!
    “My lord,” Niall said, “Please give me a few minutes to speak with her alone.”
    Deveron studied the wench, then Niall could see he was giving in, his rigid posture relaxing marginally—only for the moment though. “Explain to her if she doesn’t tell you what we wish to know, she will suffer the consequences.”
    Niall knew what that would entail. Starvation, dehydration, sleep deprivation, even torture, if they thought it necessary. They would eventually learn what they wanted from her. But he didn’t want it to go that far and would do everything in his power to convince her to speak up before it was too late.
    When Deveron lead the other men from the cell, Niall said again, “What is your name?”
    “Serena.” She smiled sweetly at him. “Come closer.”
    He knew the guards would have removed her weapons, so he wasn’t concerned she’d put him in another comatose state. But he wasn’t about to let her play him either.
    “What was your message?” he asked, firmly, without hesitation, demanding an answer, not moving any closer to her.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you to sleep. You had startled me.”
    He snorted. Although her words sounded like the truth, he still couldn’t believe she had kissed him. “Why did you kiss me?”
    Her lips turned up in the most exasperatingly wicked smile. “I give you permission to kiss me back.”
    He stared at her with incredulity. “I would not wish it under any circumstances.”
    “That’s not what you indicated when I kissed you.”
    His mouth opened, but he clamped his lips tight after that. What had he done? Certainly not encouraged her in any way. He had been dead to the world.
    Without his asking, she gave him the answer. “You smiled after I kissed you.”
    He arched one brow.
    She shrugged. “I guessed it was good for you.”
    In his dreams, yes. Ignoring her comment, he asked the one that Queen Irenis herself would wish answered soon. “What was the message that you’d painted on the wall?”
    “Take me there, and I’ll interpret it for you.”
    Hearing her words, he smiled.
    “You are not afraid, are you?”
    As if he was afraid of the girl. “You can tell me right here what you said on the wall.”
    “I don’t think so. I believe, if your people cannot read it, I must have written the message wrong.”
    “All right, then tell me what you had intended to say.” When she looked downright mutinous and wouldn’t say, he warned, “The queen will not go easy