“It was part of the plan,” I snarl in loathing. “Plus, I hated her. She has been the bane of my very long existence, if it wasn’t for her, I never would have…” I trail off with a quick look to CK. He doesn’t look best pleased at the reminder of my rash behavior nine hundred years ago.
“I loved her,” James says sadly. “You know that.”
I do know and I feel just a tiny bit sorry for him. If he had been the one and ended Constantine, I would be devastated and probably try to stake myself.
“I know,” I say quietly. “I’m sorry that you are hurting.” I can’t really say any more than that.
Less forgiving than me, CK pushes him to his knees and says, “Now, bow to your Queen before you get the fuck out or I’ll take it upon myself to finish you off.”
He stares up at me in surprise. “Queen? Is that what all this is about? You killed my sire to be Queen?”
“No, I killed her because my mother wanted me to, she was no longer required.”
“No longer required? I required her!” he says in pain.
I soften even more. “CK, let him go.”
He doesn’t question me, and he lets him go.
“I’m sorry,” I say again. He stands up and slinks out without another word.
“We haven’t seen the last of him, you know,” CK warns.
“I know. But I can understand how he feels. If anything ever happened to you…” I turn from him not really wanting to think about that.
“You okay?” I say to Cole, who has been silent, along with Devon, throughout this encounter.
He nods. “Yes, fine.”
“Watch your back. He may try it again,” I say as I pull him to me.
“Don’t leave my side then,” he says quietly with a slight chuckle.
“Ahem.” CK clears his throat in an effort to remind us of his position on that, like we needed reminding. “Now about that other matter, why we are here in the first place?”
“Really? After everything else that has just happened? CK, I need to get back to L.A. Our little trip to the Dragon Realms has lost me yet another couple of days. I have a life to get back to,” I snap. He flinches briefly. I think. It’s hard to tell. I drop like a stone onto the sofa, exhausted, hungry, and dreading getting back on the jet to head back to Italy in a couple of days’ time. Plus, all the work this Queen malarky is going to throw at me.
Making a decision, my first royal decree if you will, I stand and say, “We’re going home to L.A. Now, all of us. All of us.” I repeat the last part to get my point across with a hard glare at CK.
“Aefre, I told you the other day, I am not moving to Los Angeles,” he says.
I all but wither under the glare from Cole. He knows the tide is turning. He is just going to have to get on board with CK being around more. And so is Devon, for that matter.
Ignoring the burning gaze from my irate charges, I turn back to CK. “Yes, you are. I’m not flitting around the world anymore. It’s exhausting and I have a new Council to build. I’m doing it at home. If you want this arrangement to stand you will do as I say.”
The evident fury on my sire’s face at my order, makes me smile inwardly. “Do I need to remind you of the terms of this arrangement, my sweet?” he hisses at me.
“Liv, don’t do this,” Cole begs me quietly.
Devon – who still doesn’t know about the terms – flicks his eyes from me to Cole to CK and back to me.
“Do I need to remind you that you work for me now?” I hiss back. “You will be wherever I say you will be.” Okay, I am actually surprising myself now as well as him as his astounded look lasts longer than his usual fleeting expressions.
He steps closer to me, glaring down his perfectly straight nose. I’m still inches shorter than him even in my heels. “Say that again?”
“I said you work for me now and you will be wherever I want you to be,” I say, not backing down to his, and my own, utter amazement.
“Liv,” Cole says quietly but I ignore him. This is between CK and me.