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of hair behind Arianna’s ear. He had to be careful with his
actions while they could be seen by others as they neared the house
windows. His role was as her guard. The longer the men didn’t know
who he was, the safer both Arianna and Andrew would be.
    ‘Just remember to play it
safe. No matter what side he is on, he can always change his mind,
or just be playing with you. The sidhe are very tricky people. They
can hide behind their magic, and you’ll never see it
coming.’ Andrew had never dealt with the
sidhe personally, but he had much more experience in the night
human world in general. Arianna was too trusting, and he worried
about that.
    ‘I know,’ Arianna replied. While she sounded like a teen
complaining to her parents, she knew exactly where the protective
nature came from. Arianna looped her arm in Andrew’s and pulled him
back inside.
    ‘But it’s so much quieter
out here,’ Andrew protested.
    ‘They are all asleep. No
one is awake, but I figured outside is so much more exposed than
our room,’ Arianna replied, and Andrew
easily complied.
    As they turned down the hallway to her wing
of the manor, Arianna caught the slight beating of a familiar
heart. Devin wasn’t in bed with everyone else. He was in the
practice hall.
    ‘Go ahead,’ Andrew replied, stopping outside the door to
allow just her inside.
    Devin stood at one end of the room. He was
already dripping sweat from his workout. He was now onto his
accuracy practice, even though it was unneeded. Arianna stopped
just inside the doorway and watched him. He tossed knives again and
again, hitting all of the targets head on. While all the other
night humans slept, Devin practiced. He had always been like that.
It was the reason he was better than most night humans. She moved
silently across the room, and sat down on the table the held the
weapons. Devin was a sight to see as he hit the target again and
again with each weapon that he picked up. His years of training
showed. She didn’t even know how he got all the knives to fit in
such a small spot. Arianna watched closely as a bead of sweat
dripped from his forehead, down the side of his face, and along his
neck. She saw his pulse beneath the sweat. His beating heart and
the blood inside him called to her. She quickly jumped up and ran
from the room as silently as she came. It had been three weeks
since she last fed. She was thirsty, and Devin, with his day human
blood, was too much of a temptation.

Chapter 9
     
    Arianna stood outside the Meyer estate with
all the competitors on the brisk spring day. She was wrapped in a
warm coat, but the men all stood around shirtless, anticipating
their need to be able to transform to their night human forms for
the competition. The retainers all lined the field behind the
competitors. By the end of the competition, this area would be
transformed to hold seating areas for hundreds of spectators for
the last fights. Now it was just an empty field with targets at one
end.
    “Since you all had plenty of time to
practice yesterday, today we will have the first competition. To
test your accuracy, we will be aiming for targets. Accuracy is of
great importance when you fight to defend yourself and others,”
Arianna started her prepared speech. She avoided looking at Jan, as
his style was to overpower with strength more than accuracy. She
stifled a laugh halfway through her speech as she felt his
confusion by her statement. He could not see the importance of
accuracy over strength. He had always won every fight based on
strength. Arianna knew the truth was that both were important. “You
will be in groups of five to a target. You will get one chance to
throw. If you miss the target, there will be no scoring.” All the
men nodded. It was easy enough. “It is as simple as this. Stand on
that line,” Arianna pointed behind the men. “Aim for that target.”
Arianna pointed over one hundred yards away behind her. “And the
closest to the bull’s-eye wins. Got