Fraser looks at Devon and asks, “Devon, yes?” Devon nods. “Emily told me all about you. She missed you terribly while you were apart. I’m glad you came back to her after I was gone. She needed you and she’ll need you again. Thank you for helping her.”
Having no words, Devon just inclines his head.
Fraser looks back at me. “Go now to your husband.” He chokes out the last word. “He needs you. They need you to be strong, Emmie. He needs all of your heart, my love.” He pulls away from me and I die inside knowing I have to let him go. Again. “I love you. I will always love you,” he says softly.
I square my shoulders, trying to be strong…for him. “I will avenge you, m’fhìor ghaol,” I say to him, not caring that two out of the three men behind me understand as I call him my true love. “I swear to you I will have his life for yours.”
He nods.
I say, “I love you. Ne Obliviscaris.” Forget not.
He smiles his wonderful smile. “Ne Obliviscaris,” he repeats his clan motto – our clan motto – back to me.
He fades away and I break down into a heap on the wet ground as the rain starts to fall, mimicking my tears.
Constantine is at my side in less than a second kneeling on the wet ground with me, pulling me to him, comforting me – or trying to, as there is no solace for me. I have lost my soul mate all over again and I don’t think I can survive this, not again. Cole drops to his knees and strokes my back as I let my head fall into Constantine’s lap. He strokes my soaking wet hair. Devon takes off his jacket and places it over me to keep most of the rain off. I grip his hand, and he too sinks to the cold, wet, muddy ground.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Who knows how much time passes? It feels like forever.
“Be strong, Aefre,” CK whispers to me. “Come back to me, come back to us. We need you.”
Need me? Since when does Constantine need anyone? That random thought cuts through my sorrow.
“I always need you, my sweet. Even if I don’t say it,” his voice softly repeats my own words back to me, with that uncanny ability of his to read my thoughts.
Forcing myself into a sitting position, I demand, “What did you just say?”
He looks puzzled. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Yes, you did. I heard you. You repeated my words back to me from the other day. You’ve never said that to me before,” I insist.
Watching me closely, he says, “Aefre, I didn’t say anything.” But I can tell so
mething is amiss. I huff and fall back into his lap.
Rounding on Devon, suddenly I snap, “You knew. You knew this would happen and you didn’t warn me.”
He looks at me, confused. “No, Lizzie. I didn’t know this was going to happen. I knew you couldn’t let go. That you blamed yourself. I think it’s safe to say, not even a tiny bit of this is your fault, Kitten. There is nothing you could have done,” he says quietly.
I choke back another sob. “Gregor,” I say flatly. “Why? Why would he do that?”
“Why does he do anything?” CK snarls.
“We’ll ask him,” Cole says harshly, “right before we hold him down and you take his fucking head off.” He pulls me to him, and I lean into his chest as he tightens his arms around me.
“Now, my boy. That is a sound plan,” CK approves with pride and he Teleports us off the wretched Culloden Moor and back into the Underworld cave.
Still huddled on the floor, we are all soaking wet and filthy. We must look a fright as Corinne and Ahmed stare at us in pity.
CK and Devon help me stand up. I smooth out my ruined dress and pull my hair from my tear-stained face. Everyone is staring at me.
“What?” I snap, more than agitated.
“You are not yourself, my dear,” Corinne says kindly. I realize that I still look like Emily Campbell.
“Shit,” I mumble as I turn my back to them and Shift. I’d rather none of them had seen me that way. I get now why Devon is so possessive of Elizabeth. Taking a minute to bring some clips to my hands, I pin it back. I turn around, and everyone is still looking at me.