“It is a risk,” he agrees. “However, I don’t think he will. He is devoted to you. He was afraid of losing his new powers, but he didn’t. It’s all good.”
“It’s all good?” I repeat. “You had better fucking hope so.”
“So, you are going to choose him then?” Lincoln asks.
“I’m not choosing anyone. I never was,” I say, biting my lip. “I was forced into doing that and now it is the last thing I want. I am putting it all behind me and moving on. Constantine understands that.”
“Really?” Lincoln asks, not believing me for a second.
“It’s a long story,” I say with a sigh. “Things are just going to be weird for a time while I try to figure out where everyone’s place is. Including my own.”
“I can live with that,” Lincoln says, taking my hand and leading us back towards the house. “So where will we be living? L.A.?”
“No, a fresh start. We all need one. Devon is currently looking at villas in Tuscany,” I say.
“Tuscany? So that you can be close to Constantine?” he asks.
“What makes you think I won’t be living with Constantine?” I ask in return.
“That would make a statement that you just said you aren’t ready to make yet,” Lincoln says astutely.
“My daughter will be living there,” I say. “I want to be close to her. All the time.”
“I get that,” Lincoln says. “So, you will be living with him?”
“Perhaps,” I say and leave it at that. Lincoln doesn’t press the issue and for that I am grateful. I don’t know how any of this is going to work. It sounds like it is going to be difficult and I have had enough of difficult
to last me several lifetimes.
Delinda comes racing out of the house and I stoop to pick her up. “Did you have a nice time with Papa?” I ask.
“Yes,” she says. “He said we will be spending a lot of time together from now on.”
“You will be,” I say to her with a smile that I extend to Remiel.
“Daddy!” she cries in delight, right in my ear. My stomach drops as I watch Remiel’s face go dark as he looks over my shoulder. I turn around slowly and see Sebastian standing about ten feet away from me.
“Aeval, I can explain,” he says.
I shove Delinda into Lincoln’s arms. “Get into the house with her now,” I command him. He goes without objection, clutching tightly onto a furiously wiggling Delinda, trying to get to her father.
“You have some fucking nerve,” I snarl at him. “You should have waited until I was ready to come to you. Now, this is going to get ugly.” I stalk towards him with my hands clenched into fists, but I get jerked back by a strong hand wrapped around my wrist.
“The honor is all mine,” CK says, pushing me behind him. I remember now that I told him to come for me if I didn’t return and it looks like he showed up right on time. I had no idea what I was going to do to Sebastian, only knowing that I wanted to hurt him, but not kill him. He isn’t worth the guilt. I really do just want to forget all of this and move on. But seeing his face so soon, knowing what he did to me…he should have waited. I can’t help the flare of anger that rises in me and if I had attacked him and if he defended himself from my actions, he could have ended up hurting me a lot worse.
“Step aside,” Remiel says. “This is my fight. My revenge.”
Err, actually…
“He doesn’t get to walk away from what he did to me,” CK snarls. I don’t need to be able to see his face to know he has gone red-eyed. He is fuming. I can feel the power from here. He stretches out his hand and a coil of red smoke billows up out of his palm. I have absolutely no idea the destruction that he can do with that. I am fairly certain that when he used it on Xane, it was a low-level spell.
“Aeval, please, can we talk?” Sebastian asks, ignoring them both.
I push my way through the two of them, standing side by side, and say, “Do not call me that. I am not your wife. I am not even really Fae, since my father has abandoned me. It’s over, Sebastian. What you did to me... you promised.” I shake my head at him. “You promised you would never do that again. I can never trust you again and I will never love you again. Leave now before I change my mind and end you for this.”
“Oh no,” CK says, practically elbowing me out of the way. “He needs to be punished for what he made you do to me.” I see him avert his eyes and curse under his breath. I knew Sebastian had made me do or say something to hurt CK. It looks like it’s going to come out now, finally.
“What did I do?” I ask him quietly.