The Day Human King by B. Kristin McMichael
Nessa’s eyes grew big. She finally understood how serious he was. The moment they both had been waiting for was there. Devin could ask her, and she was willing to accept his proposal.
“Aye.” A male voice called from across the glen. “Is that you, little Nessie?”
Nessa’s concentration on Devin shifted to the new arrival. Devin turned to see who it was. Personally, he wanted to hit any person that was dense enough to interrupt them. Two lovers rolling in the grass was not something you interrupted.
“Sorry,” Nessa whispered as she stood and greeted the man who approached. He was big and burly with curly red hair on his head and face. As he got closer, Devin noticed he had to only be in his twenties, but was built like an ox.
“Liam?” Nessa guessed, finally recognizing the man. The man wasn’t from their village, yet Nessa knew him.
Grinning, he stooped down to hug her. He picked her right off the ground and twirled her in a circle. He was too comfortable with Nessa for Devin’s taste. Devin stood and clenched his fists. His perfect moment was being ruined by a big ox that insisted on touching his girl.
‘He’s from one of the other villages,’ Nessa told Devin silently. ‘He’s a family friend, and just that.’ Nessa had to have felt Devin’s jealously.
“I knew you wouldn’t forget me. My pa told me that I shouldn’t expect much since it’s been over ten years, and you were but a wee girl at the time, but I was sure that you’d remember me. I’m not the forgettable type,” Liam told her. He was quite full of himself.
Nessa blushed as she was sat back on the ground from his big, long-lasting hug. Liam didn’t even attempt to introduce himself to Devin. He wanted to cough to get their attention, but in reality he just wanted the big oaf to move along. Devin was close to asking Nessa to marry him. The timing was right, and he was sure she was going to say yes. Devin stood and waited as Liam continued to talk. Couldn’t the big ox just move along?
“How could I forget you?” Nessa asked. That stung a bit for Devin. “You were the only one who actually stood up to Rhys when I was younger.” Devin’s jealously softened a bit. He knew how harsh Rhys could be with her when she was young. Anyone that helped her, she would remember.
“Well, he needed a little beat down after he was being rude. No lady should be treated that way,” Liam laughed. He obviously had not forgotten the incident either.
“I wouldn’t have classified myself as a lady,” Nessa replied with her own laugh. Devin tried to wait patiently for the red-haired fellow to leave. “What are you doing here?” Nessa finally asked what Devin wanted to know. The sidhe didn’t commonly visit the other villages.
“Coming to your coronation, of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Only wish Rhys was around to see it, too. Can you imagine how upset he would be right now?” Liam laughed a deep, hearty laugh. Nessa joined in the laughter, but Devin did not. He was early, and Devin didn’t appreciate that. It made it seem like this oaf of a man had some hidden intention. Devin hated the sidhe and their hidden agendas.
“Then your father isn’t coming?” Nessa asked, seeming a little disappointed. Devin appreciated that she wanted to see the father more than the ox.
“No, I insisted I be able to represent the family,” Liam replied. Nessa nodded with a smile. Obviously, they were old friends. “Because I could only do this in person.” Liam bowed down to Nessa. “I ask formally, Vanessa McKinny, since you are unwed, may I court you?”
Author note:
Thank you for reading THE DAY HUMAN KING! Keep reading for the first pages of the next book in this series. Before we get there, I’d like to ask that if you enjoyed reading this book, please consider leaving me a good review on Amazon.com. Look for updates on my website on my current works, or join my mailing list at: http://www.bkristinmcmichael.com/list
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SNEAK PEEK at the conclusion of Devin and Nessa’s tale in book three, The Day Human Way
Chapter 1
Devin stared at Nessa, waiting for her to acknowledge what he just heard. Some unknown redheaded sidhe had just asked to court her. She wasn’t available for courting. Nessa was his, and only his. They were bonded. What more did you need beyond that to be the one considered courting her. Nessa didn’t reply right away. She didn’t even look over to Devin.
“Yes,” she whispered. Devin stared at her in shock. He had just been about to propose marriage to her, and now she was saying yes to allow some unknown sidhe to court her. “You know I can’t decline,” she added, finally looking at Devin.
Devin turned his back to her, not even saying good-bye, and made his way to the bridge leading to the village. He didn’t even stop to glance at her. The love of his life had just told someone else that they could court her. Even if he didn’t know the exact details of what courting meant to the sidhe, he knew enough to know that didn’t bode well for him. As Liam began talking again, he slowly made his way back to the palace and the room he shared with Nessa. The moment had been perfect, and he still didn’t get the chance to ask her.
When Devin walked into Nessa’s apartment, he began to look around the room for his things. He didn’t have much with him, and he placed it all in a bag. There were plenty of empty rooms in the palace, and he needed to get away from Nessa for a while. How could she just say yes? Why didn’t she say no? Devin had just told her how much he loved her, and now she was allowing another guy to court her. It was wrong, and Devin didn’t need to stay around to find out why she did it. Devin’s bag was packed when Ronan and Turner entered the room.
Ronan looked to Devin and then at his bag. They obviously didn’t expect Devin back so soon.
“I’m not sure, but I take that as a sign it didn’t go well,” Ronan surmised with a grim expression.
Devin shoved his last shirt into his bag and looked up at Ronan. “Not exactly.” His tone was icier than he intended. Ronan looked a bit hurt. It didn’t faze Turner.
“What are you fighting about now?” Turner asked, pointing to the filled backpack.
“And where are you going?” Ronan added, getting over the momentary anger of Devin.
“Going?” Devin repeated. “I was going to find a new room in the palace, but I think I’d feel better in the village. I know a few people, and hope that they can take me in for a day, or maybe two, until I decide what to do next. I’m not sure where I’ll go after that, so it might take a few days to plan.”
“You’re leaving the sidhe, not just the palace?” Ronan asked in shock. “This is serious,” Ronan told Turner. Turner nodded. Devin wasn’t angry about something, he was actually sad, and both Ronan and Turner could see that much.
“What happened?” Turner asked a second time.
At that question, Devin shook his head. It made no difference now if he told them. He already heard Nessa’s reply. She would allow that other sidhe to court her. If she had her doubts about Devin, she made it clear now. She didn’t love him like he loved her. It had all been one-sided. What he thought he felt through the bond wasn’t really there. Their love wasn’t what he thought it was. She wanted someone else.
Ronan looked at Devin. “What happened?” Ronan repeated Turner’s words. They both were concerned.
Devin sighed. “I was about to ask her when some other sidhe showed up. Guess he took the early train to the village for the coronation, but whatever. He interrupted me as I was asking Nessa by making it very clear he’s interested in Nessa, also. He asked to court her, and she said yes.” Devin gave them the short version of events.
Turner’s mouth dropped open in shock. He understood exactly what Devin was feeling. Nessa was choosing to allow someone else to court her.
Ronan smiled and laughed. He didn’t take it as a serious matter. “Who was it?”
Devin didn’t find the matter a laughing matter. He looked up and glared at Ronan. There was nothing funny with Nessa breaking his heart. Dev
“No. Seriously, who was it?” Ronan asked.
“A big redheaded guy named Liam,” Devin replied like it mattered. Nessa broke his heart.
Ronan shook his head. “Liam Kay came early. No surprise there.” He didn’t seem worried about the situation at all. Devin was planning to leave the sidhe, and Ronan was laughing.
“What do you mean?” Turner asked, getting into the gossip a bit when Devin just wanted to run into the village and disappear.
“Liam Kay has had a crush on Nessa since we were all children. He put in a formal request to court her when we were small and her father said yes. Nessa wasn’t saying yes because she was interested in him,” Ronan explained to Devin. “She had no choice. He father already promised Liam that he could court her. She couldn’t break her father’s word that, when she came of age, Liam could court her. Nessa is just following tradition, and the word of her father that was already given. It had nothing to do with her love for you.”
That was odd news. Devin wasn’t sure Ronan was correct. Devin saw the smile she had when she recognized Liam. And if Liam truly had been one of the first ones to save Nessa from Rhys’ wrath, then she probably did have feelings for him at one point. There was no way Devin could sit around in the same room as her if she was confused about what she wanted from life. Just because they were bonded, that didn’t mean they were married. Nessa was still allowed to make her own choices, and Devin didn’t want any doubts in their relationship. He loved Nessa completely. That much he knew. But did she feel the same? He couldn’t be sure, and he was still moving out.
The Day Human Way by B. Kristin McMichael is coming Spring 2015. If you join the mailing list you’ll be notified when it’s released, and I usually offer a discount that I only announce to my newsletter subscribers. While you’re waiting for the next installment and looking for another clean YA fairie series, you may be interested in checking out The Gypsy Healers Series by bestselling author and my friend Quinn Loftis. I’ve included the first chapter of “Into the Fae” starting on the next page.
Bonus Excerpt: Into the Fae by Quinn Loftis
Excerpt, Into the Fae
Book 1 Gypsy Healers Series
Quinn Loftis
Prologue
“It has been said that with great power comes great responsibility and that is true. However, what should have been added to that saying was that with great responsibility must come even greater self-control. For those with great power often seem to lack the power of self-control. Not that I have any such difficulty.” ~Perizada of the Fae
I am over three thousand years old. I have seen civilizations rise and then crumble like sand beneath the evening tide. I have watched kings be exalted on their thrones, only to be ripped down and trampled upon as the next great name is being written over the fallen. I myself have fought in battles and felt the warm spray of my enemy’s blood upon my face as I cut them down. I have laughed in the face of danger, danced on the edge of death with the warlocks, played chicken with the wolves, riddled with the pixies, and yet, the thing I fear most does not come at the end of a sword. The thing I fear most comes at the will of another. It is not something I can force, it is not something I can change, and it is not something I can control. So, in short, I don’t like it.
At this point you might be asking yourself who I am and why anything I say matters. Well listen up and listen good because I’ll only say this once. Don’t bother to point out to me that you can come back to these pages and read it over again, it will only piss me off, and the last thing anyone needs is a member of the high fae pissed off at them.
I am Perizada, a member of the council of the high fae. I was chosen long ago by the Great Luna, the creator of the werewolves in case you were wondering, to be an ambassador if you will—between the fae and the wolves. You see, the fae are the most powerful of all the supernatural beings. Therefore, the Great Luna saw fit to make us the overseers and law enforcers of the supernatural world. I did as the Great Luna asked and became the go between for the Wolves and the council of high fae.
As time passed, the werewolves’ vulnerabilities as a species, their tendencies toward divisiveness and territorialism, began to weaken the packs. In an effort to aid the wolves, the Great Luna, in her infinite wisdom, presented the packs with a gift—gypsy healers. These are humans with an affinity for healing magic. So it was that a gypsy healer was chosen from the tribes of gypsies and given to each pack. It was then that the Great Luna decided that it would be best if the high fae were assigned a certain number of packs and healers to oversee. I was given the packs in the region of Romania. At one time they were divided into two packs but after the werewolf wars, the two became one and now are under the rule of one great Alpha, Vasile Lupei. That is how I came to be the liaison to the Romanian pack. But that is not really where this story begins, for that we must go back a little further. Now I will condense this as much as possible to bring you up to speed so that you don’t feel the need to stab yourself in the eye out of boredom.
Before the great werewolf wars, there was a powerful fae, the most powerful in fact. His name was Volcan. You might say he is our dirty little secret, yes, even we mighty fae have them. His power—and lust for more of it—became an obsession. Unbeknownst to the high council, he began to create witches with his dark magic and began releasing them into the human population. By 1605 it was evident that the witches were out of control and we, meaning the Fae council, knew we needed to step in. This is where the story gets hazy. Not many know that once the Great Purge, that’s when all the witches were wiped out, happened, Volcan was not destroyed. His power was so weak that we, the council, decided that a more fitting punishment was to let him wither away in his castle in the dark forest. So for an entire century we left the evil wizard to his own devices, checking on him occasionally to make sure he was still harmless. Towards the beginning of 1700, we began to feel so magic growing around the dark forest once again. We continued to monitor it and even attempted to put some binding spells around it. By 1705 it was evident that Volcan was once again attempting to create witches. We had underestimated his determination and ability to fly under the radar. We realized our mistake in having not destroyed him during the Great Purge and we knew we couldn’t be lenient again, he had to be stopped. A desperate battle was fought between Volcan and an alliance of wolves and fae. Volcan’s castle was raided, and at the cost of many lives, he was defeated.
If this story were a movie then that would be the end, the happily ever after for the wolves and fae alike, but alas real life often sucks sour lemons. The happily ever afters never come or if they do it is at too high a price. Unfortunately somehow evil continues to rule in the hearts of those who think they are superior to everyone else. Volcan’s evil had permeated the dark forest so completely that it had to be sealed off, and the knowledge of it blocked from the minds of those who had been involved in the battle. There is more to that part of the story which will surely unfold as we continue forward.
For my part, which this is about me so really the most important information you need right now is my juicy details. When we sealed the dark forest, we unknowingly imprisoned a pack member of the Romanian wolves and not just any pack member. We unknowingly confined none other than Lucian, Vasile’s brother. For centuries he lived in darkness, surrounded by malevolent magic that has no place in the fae realm. Now, ages later, circumstances, horrible circumstances mind you, that involved my own sister trying to kill me, for which she will pay, led to his release. Now I am not begrudging Lucian of that, far from it. I am however disturbed, rattled beyond anything I have faced before, and let me tell you I have faced things your puny minds cannot even begin to fathom, because upon his release and thanks to the Great Luna and her bloody love-fest, the wolves are able to find true mates with the fae and you guessed it―yours truly is the true mate to one Lucian Lupei. In the words of the great Joh
So now that you’re up to speed, for the most part, I suppose we can get this party started. Things are going to be moving fast so if you need to get some beauty rest before you start this journey with me, I suggest you do that right about now. But if you’re ready and you think you got what it takes to keep up with me, then keep reading, (insert creepy voice), my pretties. We have a psycho bitch fae to catch, a mate to deter, and lives to save. There is no time for dilly dallying or wishy washy pansy ass whining. If you’re in this with me, then you are in it ‘til the end. And the first one of you that cracks a joke about the whole being mated to a werewolf thing will be farting out of their mouth every time they hear the word gas and burping from their butts every time someone laughs for the rest of their stinky, noisy existence.
As my good friend Jen would say, let’s do this. Okay she would say him, but we’re going to go with this in an effort to keep things rated PG.
Chapter 1
“There’s so much noise, so much life and light and chaos. For so long I have been trapped in silence, surrounded by death and darkness. Even though I’m now surrounded by all this light, I find that all I want is her. In the midst of all the reunions, there is only one my soul cries out for, but she is the only one who won’t let me near.” ~Lucian
“I’m tired, Costin,” she whispered to him.
“Lay down, Sally mine. I’m here with you.”
Peri watched helplessly as the little healer lay on the ground, her breaths growing shallower by the second. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t get to her no matter how she tried. She was pleading with the Great Luna not to let this light be taken from the world, but her only answer was the final breath that rattled from Sally’s lungs.