The Day Human Prince

by B. Kristin McMichael

  “Shouldn’t we be driving off in this thing, like soon?” she asked, unconcerned about the blood flowing freely from her. She waved her hand at the car’s steering wheel. Devin didn’t even acknowledge the problem of sitting still. He was more concerned that Nessa wasn’t healing.

  “Did the bond do this to you?” he asked, finally moving back to the driver seat properly.

  “No. Now can we get going before whoever is out there decides to take a chance and touch this metal box?” Nessa asked. She was as testy as ever, but the color had drained from her face. Devin was still concerned.

  “It isn’t an issue. They won’t be coming in here. We’ll leave when we’re ready,” Devin replied, reaching back behind the front seats again. He pulled out a first aid box. He had never used a Band-Aid on a night human before, but then again Nessa was a bit different.

  “We’re just going to sit and wait for the assassin to get brave?” Nessa asked incredulously.

  “We’re not waiting for anything,” Devin replied, pulling out what he needed to fix her up. “If he could get in, he would have the first time he tried to open the door, or maybe the second or third times.” Nessa’s face dropped. She hadn’t even seen anyone approach the car.

  “Wait, you said he tried to open the car?” she replied, still shocked.

  Devin wasn’t shocked. Desperate people did desperate things, even if they were afraid of technology and cars like the sidhe. The assassin was desperate. Devin had seen that in his eyes.

  “And tried to throw something at it- I don’t know what, and I don’t care. Well, I do care if it scratches the paint, but that’s something I can fix later. We don’t need to worry about the assassin. What I care about right now is getting the bleeding to stop on you. He may not have hit an organ, but he did leave a mess that needs to heal now before you bleed out on me,” Devin scolded.

  Nessa was momentarily speechless. She looked outside her window for her attacker. It was too dark to see far, and the wayside wasn’t well lit. Devin knew she wouldn’t see him. It was weird that the sidhe saw through their spells if they let each other, but if they didn’t, they were blinder to the spells than Devin was. Sidhe magic was a conundrum to Devin.

  “Why can’t he get in?” Nessa finally asked.

  Devin threw his hands in the air. He was busy trying to save her life, and she was worried about something he had told her not to worry about. “You get three questions, and then we figure out how to get you better and stop bleeding.”

  Nessa pouted. Obviously her bleeding wasn’t as issue to her, but it was to Devin. It was his car, and she didn’t even know how to drive. They weren’t going anywhere until Devin said so.

  “Your friend can’t get in because I say so. This is my car, and only those allowed in by me can get in,” Devin replied logically.

  “That makes no sense,” Nessa replied, irritated with Devin. The car was not alive. Only live objects could make the choice to allow one in or out.

  “You aren’t the only night humans that do magic. I had a favor to call in and this was it. My car is my protection. Once bound to me, no one else can enter without me letting them,” Devin replied. “Question one done. Now what?”

  “Why do you think that that person is my friend?” Nessa asked. She had figured it was a sidhe, but Devin had admitted to her being his first sidhe ever.

  “Because he gives off the same shadow as you do when you go invisible,” Devin replied. “Question two done.”

  “That isn’t done. I’ve no clue what you mean by shadow.” Nessa pressed down on the wound and tried to hide her gasp from the pain with a small cough.

  “Each night human class casts a different shadow. Yours looks just like his over there, by the table you were sitting at before.” Devin pointed out the front windshield of the car. No one was sitting there, but there was a distinct shadow on the ground. Most people would have missed it from the varied light cast around the parking lot, but Devin did not. He didn’t miss any details.

  Nessa nodded. Devin hoped that meant she accepted his answer.

  “That man, even if he’s hidden, is the same as you, a sidhe,” Devin replied. “What is your final question?”

  “How do you know he is a he?” Nessa asked.

  Devin looked over to her to see if that was really her last question. It was more than obvious to him as he fought the man that his opponent was a man. Even the one he left on the sidewalk was a man, although a small man. Devin was unsure what her question meant. How did one know male from female? Did she mean that she was wondering if he felt some body part to indicate whether the person was male or female?

  “Because he is,” Devin replied, not sure why he needed to explain that to her. Millions of small details made men different than women, but he was sure she had to know that by now.

  Nessa suddenly realized that Devin might interpret her question in an embarrassing way. “No, I only asked if you were sure because there are very few assassins that are male. In fact, I don’t know any families that train male assassins.”

  Devin shook his head. Her question wasn’t about physical difference after all. “Definitely a male. Now, your question time is done. I need an answer before you bleed all over my car. How do we stop it?” Devin was sure that she wouldn’t die from the wound, even if they didn’t stop it immediately. There was always the issue of how the trip would affect him now that they knew that it was more than a little dangerous to be outside his car and he couldn’t just go into a hospital.

  Devin pushed back her hand again to view the wound. It wasn’t healed over at all. That was a first in his book for night humans. Part of him wondered if this was how sidhe naturally healed, or was it an unintended side-effect of the bond she placed on him? They shared blood now. He had tried only weeks ago to convince Arianna not to bind to Andrew as it could weaken them both. Did Devin do this to Nessa? Could his humanity be delaying her healing?

  “Blood,” Nessa finally answered in not more than a whisper.

  Devin looked up from her wound. He was only inches away from her. He couldn’t tell if the whisper was from the pain, or from being so close to what she needed in order to heal.

  “Sidhe don’t feed more than once a month, as they don’t need blood to sustain their magic. That comes from nature. The only thing we need blood for is healing from sidhe weapons,” Nessa replied.

  Devin still hadn’t moved. She needed blood. It wasn’t safe to leave the car at this point, and he was unsure if the sidhe fed until a victim was dead. All night humans were different. There was no way he was going to try to find some innocent person if they could end up dead.

  Devin cocked his head to the side exposing his jugular vein to her. It really was the only option. Nessa pushed him away. She still had some strength left.

  “There’s no way I can feed on you,” she replied. “And this isn’t life threatening. It will heal eventually. Maybe even by the time we make it back to my village.”

  Devin grabbed her hand as she kept him pushed away.

  “Yes, I can tell it isn’t life threatening at this point,” Devin replied. He pulled her closer. “But that still doesn’t mean you can go without feeding. If there is one thing I’ve learned from night humans, it’s that you don’t want to be a day human caught in a car with a hungry night human.”

  “I’m not hungry.” She pouted. Devin had to admit her pout was cute, but her denial was even cuter, like he would judge her for wanting blood. Devin held back his own eye roll and just smiled. “And I can’t feed on you. I’ve never fed on anyone in my life. Blood was always brought to me. If I try to feed on you, I will probably end up killing you.”

  “You won’t kill me,” Devin said confidently. He placed her hand on his chest to feel the beat of his heart beneath it. All night humans were drawn to the beat of a day human’s heart.

  “You don’t know that for sure,” she replied, looking away, but not moving her hand.

  “Yes, I do. I know you. You won’t ki
ll me. In fact, I don’t even think you could if you wanted to.” Devin smiled slyly at her. She couldn’t hurt him. He could annoy her as much as he wanted, and he would be safe. He already knew that. The only way he’d be dying around her was if it was possible to die from someone rolling their eyes at you too much.

  “Sure I could. Do you have some sort of memory problem? I’m the night human, and you’re the day human.” Nessa tried to pull back, but the beat of his heart was too alluring.

  “I’m bonded to you. You won’t kill me. You can’t kill me.” Devin let go of her hand. She didn’t move to push him away. Devin knew at that point he had won her physical argument. Now he just had to win the verbal one.

  “I don’t know how,” she complained, eyeing his neck hungrily.

  “No one knows how the first time,” Devin replied, watching her every move. He was winning the argument. “I think it’s simple if you just let your instincts take over.”

  Nessa closed her eyes and shook her head.

  “Then you must need some motivation,” Devin replied, moving even closer to her.

  Both of them now were sitting in the passenger seat, Nessa on Devin’s lap. He reached up and touched her face gently. She pressed her face into his hand. Devin knew the effect it would have on her. Between the beat of his heart, and his close proximity, she could feel the blood as it pumped through him. The bond made the closeness feel right and perfect. Devin knew he was correct. Nessa wouldn’t hurt him. She couldn’t. Inside her mind she was still warring with herself. Devin pulled her closer to him. Without thinking any more, Nessa bit down.

  Nessa pulled back in horror at what she had just done. She had drank blood from a living day human. She had never in her life fed on a live human before. It was completely different that drinking blood from a cup. It was warmer, fresher. It tasted much better. But she wasn’t willing to admit that to Devin. As she pulled back and savored the new taste, she was still wrapped in Devin’s arms. He was studying her intently. She blushed from the proximity. Everything about drinking his blood was different. Drinking blood from a human was much more intimate than she ever imagined.

  Devin didn’t let go of her right away. He stared at her. He analyzed her. His eyes were unnerving. He wasn’t scared of her, or the fact that she just bit him and drained some of his blood. In fact, he was concerned about her. Nessa wanted to wiggle away, but there was nowhere to go. He was in her seat with her. Nessa looked back at him, and found that he let her go far enough back so that he could look at the wound.

  Once he was sure she was fine, Devin slid back across the middle of the car, over to his seat. He started up the engine and backed up in the parking lot, backing up further then he needed to go. He paused, looking out Nessa’s window to the wayside bench. The shadow he had described was still there. Devin stared across the sparsely-lit parking lot at the assassin. It was as if Devin didn’t just see the shadow, but the actual person. Nessa looked out there and didn’t see anything; she turned back to Devin.

  The marks from her teeth faded slowly as she felt them appear on her own neck. The bonding had made it so that his wounds would transfer to her since she had the ability to instantly heal when properly fed. As quickly as they appeared on her, they were gone. She had the stronger blood of the two of them, but as he gave a nod to the invisible foe, she would never admit it to him. Something about the nod he gave to the unseen assassin told her she wasn’t the stronger one of the pair. Devin Alexander was an amazing day human and so different than she ever imagined.

  Devin drove back on to the highway, and Nessa found the car wasn’t uninviting now. The car kept them safe. Maybe it was with Devin’s blood in her that she was more comfortable, but whatever it was, she found herself curling up in the seat.

  “It will still be a while,” Devin said quietly, as if not to disturb her.

  Nessa yawned and had no time to ponder the tenderness in his voice. She was too tired to ponder anything, and was off to sleep. The soft gentleness of the road kept her in the soft lull that made her sleepy. It wasn’t until that lull stopped that she woke. Nessa woke with a start to find herself sitting alone in the car with it turned off. She opened her eyes and glanced around. Was the assassin still chasing them? Nessa rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. Was Devin safe? Devin tapped the back window to get her attention. They were at a gas station.

  “Do you need anything?” he asked, pointing to the building.

  Nessa shook her head no. Devin finished pumping the gas before going into the store. He returned quickly. It was if he could feel her fear at stopping.

  “We’re getting close to where you said we need to go. I’ve seen no signs of the assassin following us,” Devin said, starting the car back up. “We should make a plan before we get there. I have a feeling you’re not going to be welcomed with opened arms.”

  Nessa shrugged. She never expected them to be happy she was home. All she was hoping for was exile over death after killing her brother. Finding assassins attacking her made her realize they didn’t even want her to get home.

  “Can you tell me the vital details of how we go about unbinding?” Devin suggested.

  “I don’t know,” Nessa replied. Devin looked dubiously at her. “Really. I don’t know. I have more books at home about the binding. We might need my grandfather. If we do, I’m sure he’ll be able to tell us.”

  “Okay. Then how about the details of the sidhe in general? What is the social structure, hierarchy, who are the important people to not piss off?” Devin probed. He was in serious planning mode. Nessa saw the warrior in him making all his mental preparations.

  “I can’t tell you that. It’s against sidhe law to tell any outsider those details,” Nessa whispered and watched the anger leak through Devin’s fine mask. She was being difficult, but this time it wasn’t on purpose. It really was against sidhe law. She was already in enough trouble- she wasn’t going to risk it if she didn’t need to.

  “Let me get this straight. You basically want me to go blind into your psychotic faerie world, and everything will be just fine once we find and talk to an old man? Is that really how you expect this to work?” Nessa didn’t reply. For once she wasn’t trying to make him angry. “Fine, be that way,” Devin grumped when she didn’t reply. “I guess I got all I really needed to know since another sidhe attacked you. And I doubt he was just trying to say hi. So what does it matter if you don’t want to share any other details, even though technically I do have sidhe blood running through my veins.” Devin was correct. He did have sidhe blood, Nessa’s blood. “I thought this whole bonding thing was supposed to be a partnership, but if you won’t even tell me any details, I can tell there’s nothing of a partnership here at all. Just don’t expect me to greet you like your fellow sidhe did back there at the rest stop.”

  Nessa didn’t reply to his rant and watched the scenery pass as they made their way back onto the road into the flow of almost non-existent traffic. Devin was correct. The bonding was a two-way street. She consented to give her blood, and he consented to take it. They may have had different motives, but they were looking for the same result; help Devin live. Now she was leading him into her world with little more than a few rumors to go on. It wasn’t nice to keep him in the dark. He deserved more than that. What more could they do to her for breaking the laws since she broke the number one law by killing her brother since sidhe can’t kill their king?

  “That wasn’t a greeting.” Nessa finally spoke, and turned to watch him as she talked. Devin focused on the road, though he had to know she was looking at him. “That was an elite assassin, obviously sent to kill me.”

  “Then the sidhe want you dead?” Devin asked, concern lacing his voice. Nessa was unsure if the concern was for her or for himself.

  “Not the sidhe in general, someone wanted me dead. If it was an official verdict they wouldn’t have been so sneaky. They tend to come right out and demand you submit to your death honorably. This one was sent by one of the five fami
lies.” Devin didn’t interrupt, so Nessa continued, “Each of the five families has their own training for assassins. The one you killed had the mark of an assassin on his neck, but it was covering a family mark. He wasn’t born into the assassin tribe, but trained to be one. I didn’t see the other, but I know that the assassin tribe doesn’t work with outsiders.”

  “These non-assassin-tribe assassins weren’t very good then, were they?” Devin asked, trying to assess the strength of the sidhe in general.

  If his only experience with sidhe was really only Rhys and Nessa, he would have a slightly skewed stance. The McKinny family was the strongest, and while Rhys and Nessa weren’t even close to the strength of their grandfather, they were still stronger than most of the sidhe.

  Nessa shook her head no to Devin and sighed. “No, familial assassins tend to be just as good as the tribe assassins. I think you must have thrown them for a loop.”

  “But you’re still alive,” Devin replied, stating the obvious. “They don’t seem to have very good aim.”

  Nessa shrugged. She knew exactly what Devin was hinting at. She knew, as well as he did, that the guy who attacked her didn’t miss on purpose. Nessa watched Devin drive for a few more minutes. Devin was bonded to her after all, and he was trustworthy, but Nessa didn’t know how much she should tell him. Devin didn’t prod further as she debated mentally.

  Nessa distracted herself by looking at the contours of his face. He was handsome, much better-looking than the men she grew up around, and something about him was a draw to her. Yes, she hated him most of the time, and found it fun to annoy him, but there was something else. Devin Alexander was different—special. He saw through sidhe magic, and he wasn’t even a night human, let alone a sidhe. He could fight toe-to-toe with even the strongest of the night humans, which he had done only weeks ago. He was strong, different, and completely confusing. One minute she felt something between them, and the next he would shut it off. Nessa wanted to trust him, but wondered if she should.