“HEY!”
My voice bounced off the high ceiling, echoing along the vast room. The guys jumped. Arthur splashed mead all over his pants. Four faces turned to me in concern.
“Could you maybe fill me in on what thegoddamn helljust happened?”
I was swearing like a sailor tonight, but swear words wereinventedfor nights like this.
The guys exchanged a glance, and then Corbin said slowly, as if he were choosing his words carefully. “What just happened is that we were attacked.”
“Brilliant deduction, Sherlock. Iknowthat. But what was I attacked by? Those guys were on drugs or something… but I’ve never heard of any drug that can turn your hands into claws…”
“Not drugs, Maeve.” Corbin said, his eyes burning into mine. “I know this is going to be really hard for you to believe, but those guys weren’t human. They’re fae.”
CHAPTER TEN
MAEVE
“Not human?” That doesn’t make sense. “You mean they’re some other species? But… there are no other primates in the world with that level of language ability. I mean, that wasastounding. What genus and species are they? Why have I never heard of thesefaein scientific journals? Are they localized in the UK or—” I stopped as I noticed Flynn grinning. “You’re teasing me.”
Flynn grinned harder. “Not pulling your leg, but I think our little scientist is confused.”
“They don’thavea genus and species, Maeve.” Corbin explained. “No scientist can exactly get close enough to study them, for reasons which you discovered tonight. I wasn’t kidding when I said they’re fae.”
I’m lost.
“Fae? As in…fairies?”
“The very same.”
I studied Corbin’s face, waiting for him to crack up laughing, But his pouty lips remained pursed, completely devoid of mirth.
“But…that’s just kids stories…” I glanced at Arthur, but he was nodding sagely. “I stopped believing in fairies years ago. Actually, I never believed in fairies…”
“Oh well, then,” Flynn grinned at the guys. “You hear that, lads? We’re totally safe. Maeve doesn’t believe in fairies, so they’re going to stop trying to tear our throats out now.”
He tipped the last of his mead down his throat and reached for my glass. I knocked his hand away. I had a feeling I’d need the alcohol.
“Unfortunately, belief doesn’t factor into it one way or the other.” Corbin said. “The fae are real, and if you’re staying at Briarwood, they’re going to be a very real part of your life.”
That was such a cop-out answer, but something in the seriousness of his voice made me pause.
I remembered that my stalker…the fairy or whoever he was – knew my name. And that he followed me here from Arizona.
A shiver ran down my spine.
I folded my arms. “Okay, so let’s say for argument’s sake that I believe you about this fairy business. Which I don’t. But let’s just leave that aside for now. What do these fae want? Why did they attack us like that? Where did the dog come from? And why didn’t they all follow us up the path to the castle?”
Flynn gestured at Corbin with a flourish. “Take it away, mate.”
Corbin cleared his throat. “I’ll try to answer all your questions, but there’s some stuff we can’t explain right now. Especially not while you’re jet-lagged and slightly tipsy. They didn’t follow us up to the castle because we have magic protections called wards around the Briarwood’s boundary. These wards have been in place for many centuries. The fae can’t walk on this land, in the same way we can’t pass over into their realm. But they want us. They want this castle. It’s very important to them.”
“I’m sorry,magicalprotections?”
“Yeah.” Corbin blinked. “Arthur, Flynn, Rowan and I…we can sort ofdomagic.”
Oh hell.
In a small voice, I asked, “Like card tricks, pulling a bunny out of a hat, that sort of thing?”
