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a mortal. They will have no mercy upon you, were you to be captured,” he explained in a low voice.
    Chelsea blinked back moisture from her eyes and swallowed. She didn’t understand this man at all! One minute he was nice and the next he was dreadful! “Okay,” she whispered back shakily.
    Nuallán nodded, leading her slowly into the meadow, ignoring the many creatures that came up to peer curiously at Chelsea. She stared back at them in the same manner, barely able to recognise the Fae, and other beings, some were easy enough and she had seen them in books of mythology. Others…well, they were scary enough that her gaze quickly flitted away from them.
    A tiny creature whizzed right by her nose, so close, that she took a startled step back, staring after it in wonder.
    As Chelsea took a step into the clearing, she felt something odd, like she had just passed through some sort of...barrier. Something unseen, and yet, a very tangible force. She blinked uncertainly and looked behind her, her brows scrunching up together in a perplexed manner. What on earth was that?!
    Her hand slipped from the Fae lord's arm when he kept walking, but he halted when he realised that she was not still beside him.
    “Is something wrong?” Nuallán asked slowly, his expression rather arrested as he stared at her closely. His silver eyes flicked from her face to the forest behind her and she saw one of his hands tighten into a fist.
    Chelsea had the distinct feeling that something momentous had just occurred and the expression on the Fae lord’s face fairly screamed that he had not expected her to notice something was amiss. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. Something just happened, but I’d better not tell him. After Nuallán’s overreaction with the door in the huge tree, she wasn’t inclined to question him over something that made her uneasy.
    Had she just crossed some invisible, magic barrier that they all didn’t want her to know about?
    Something about the silver-haired Fae’s body language was off and Chelsea’s brain was shouting at her to act unconcerned.
    “Ah, no. No, it's nothing. I just felt a cold breeze.” she replied easily, with a smile. She ran a distracted hand through her fiery hair, not quite meeting his golden eyes.
    It was probably nothing. Right, Chelsea?
    And maybe she had been mistaken and it had been just a breeze.
    Nuallán did not look entirely convinced, his posture still stiff, but he said nothing, merely offering his arm again politely. “Come, I must escort you to our Queen.” He murmured, stroking his index finger back the back of her hand as it rested on his arm.
    As Chelsea laid her hand over his arm, again noting the coolness of the flesh beneath the silky cloth of his robes, she looked around curiously.
    The clearing was huge and fairly flat, the birch trees surrounding it in an almost perfect circle. The grass beneath their feet was deep and green, with scattered white flowers here and there.
    The bright orange of the torches that lined around the circumference of the meadow gave off a glow that was warm and inviting and Chelsea felt the tension and fear of the night seep out of her.
    The handsome lord noticed the relaxed expression on her youthful face and he smiled warmly. “Are you feeling much improved, little one?’ he questioned. “You are our guest and this celebration is for you and our Goddess. We do not want you to be fearful of us. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make this night more…pleasurable for you.” He finished in a low tone that felt like a caress.
    Chelsea flushed red and ducked her head. Why did he have to say it like that? She groaned in embarrassment. The red-head was certain that Nuallán knew she had a crush on him. It was blindingly obvious in the way she found herself looking back at him through her lashes, a shy smile curving her lips.
    Nuallán smiled back at her and seemed about to speak, but then his head