“Time to go,” he says shortly, with a pointed look at me.
“Yes,” I say, agreeing, relieved not to have to answer Delinda’s question. “CK, would you mind awfully if we went back to Ponte, just for a while, until we can get stuff sorted?”
He grimaces at me, but I know he won’t refuse. “Yes, of course,” he says tightly. “For a couple of days.”
I nod my thanks and look over at Devon. “Did you find anything?” I ask, really struggling with trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy while Sebastian’s dead body is lying outside.
“Not yet,” he says, avoiding my gaze for some reason. “I will.”
“Okay, after you’ve taken Lincoln and Vito to Ponte, please,” I say, ignoring his shifty behavior. I put it down to his lost-and-found blood-craze and he doesn’t want me knowing what he got up to.
“CK and I need to stay here and sort something out,” I say to them before they go. “We won’t be long.”
Remiel is the first to go, Astralling out with Delinda, and Devon follows with a sullen-looking Lincoln and Vito with his fierce face still on.
I turn to my husband. His face is pale, and his lips are tight. He is trying to hold it together, but I can, for once, see right through him.
“Come,” I say, finally taking his hand. I lead him back out into the gardens and halt when he plants his feet.
“What exactly are we doing?” he asks with a frown.
“We need to drop the shield and let the Fae know what’s happened. I didn’t want the others around when they come. It’s going to be messy enough without getting them all involved and putting Delinda at risk,” I explain.
He grits his teeth and then nods before I continue, “I am going to tell them it was me.”
There is a long pause and then he shakes his head vehemently. “Are you insane?” he bellows at me. “They will execute you!”
“No, they won’t. I am Drake’s daughter. This makes sense, CK, I had the motive and the means,” I say.
“Drake will have no say over this, Aefre. This is a Light Fae matter. You will be putting yourself and our child to death if you tell them it was you!” he shouts.
“They won’t execute me,” I say to him calmly. “Drake won’t let them.” I am banking a Hell of a lot on a father who seems to have abandoned me, but I am sure he won’t allow anything bad to happen to me. Like seventy percent sure. No sixty. Err fifty/fifty?
“Why are you doing this?” he asks desperately, wringing his hands.
“Because if you tell them it was you, they will execute you without trial. I, at least, stand a better chance,” I say bluntly.
“I would die a thousand deaths to save you and our baby,” he says passionately. “No, Aefre. Remiel and I did this, we will take the responsibility.”
“I–,” I start, but a whooshing sound behind me stops me.
“Both of you leave now,” Dracul says to me. “I will take responsibility for this.”
“What?” I cry out, going to him and staring up into his face. He towers over me, standing at least two feet over me. “You can’t do that! I won’t let you. It will be war.”
“Bring it,” Dracul says with a slow smile that makes me shiver with dread.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s…it’s…it makes no sense whatsoever!”
“Actually, it does,” he replies. “You are my sister and he aggrieved you. I exacted my revenge for your honor.”
“For fuck’s sake!” I yell up at him, beating my hands ineffectually on his massive, amour-like chest. “It was my revenge! Mine! And I didn’t want this!” I point to Sebastian weakly, unable to look at him again like this.
“You were not capable of seeing this through,” he says calmly, taking my hands. “And that is a good thing, Sister. Your husband is right about one thing: they will kill you for murdering their King if you admit to this. All of you are complicit in this. They won’t see reason.”
“What about you?” CK asks, only now joining me in front of my brother, Emperor of the Dragon Realms. Holy shit, I only just remembered!
“Oh, they could try,” Dracul says menacingly. “But they would be taking on a whole lot more than they could handle. They will be in disarray now, losing yet another King. Anders is not up to the task to rally troops and Delinda is still considered the blessed child. You need to be here to protect her. Both of you, and Remiel. It is the only way.”