“Young? Maybe compared to her. I find it very unnerving speaking with Her, as She looks like you.”
“I know what you mean. I think She does it on purpose.”
“She looks like you?” Sebastian asks.
“That’s hard to say, certainly She can Shift to look like me, but I don’t know if that is Her natural form or not. I thought it was at first but the last two times She has cloned me, right down to my accessories, so I don’t know,” I say.
“I’m glad that I can go with you. I’m in the right mood to give that woman a piece of my mind.”
“No, CK, don’t go in all guns blazing.”
He looks affronted. “I wasn’t planning on. Despite what you think, I do have tact, Aefre.”
“Well, don’t piss Her off. She is already mad at me.”
“What for?”
“Choosing the uncertain path,” I say mysteriously. “I have no clue what that means, so don’t even ask. CK, I still need to talk to you, please.”
“I will leave you two alone,” Sebastian says.
“Thank you,” I say as he leaves.
“What is it, Aefre?” He looks concerned by my serious face. “Should I be worried?”
“No, but you are going to be mad,” I say.
“Oh?”
“We never got a chance to speak about it after the Jess thing, but you will come with us to Miami and to Europe, yes?”
“You are still going? I thought you would have cancelled in light of your decision to teach our newbie the Vampire way?”
“No, we are still going. The three of us. I just assumed you would be as well.”
“Well, I’m not leaving you to wander around the globe alone,” he says with a slight smile as I had said that to Cole.
“Okay, good. After this is over. After the movie is finished and after Jess is in control and Devon can take her back to L.A., I…” Shit, just say it woman. “I need some time alone with Cole. A lot of time. Without interruption.”
His face hardens as he registers what I’m saying. “How long?”
“A week at least, if not more,” I say in dread.
“I see.” He pulls away from me and ponders this for a good long while. Long enough that I get to pour myself a drink, make myself comfy on the sofa and have a look through the rest of Sebastian’s gifts. Each one is meaningful in some way and I am really surprised. I think he is trying to show me that he does know me and doesn’t think of me as a wanton whore. Although, my eyes do go straight to ‘W’ expecting something unsavory there but what I see is a globe. The World. He gave me the World.
“Ten days,” CK says eventually. “Ten days starting with a Thursday to the next Saturday and I get the following Sunday to Wednesday. Take it or leave it.”
“Done,” I say without hesitation. I will have to work on Lincoln and Devon will be unhappy, but my priority is spending proper time with new charge. All of this time apart is not good for him.
He nods. “I am not entirely unreasonable, Aefre. You just need to be able to offer me something in return.”
Oh, s
ure, if I looked up 'unreasonable' in the dictionary, my sire’s photo would take up the whole page.
“I may have more than that to offer you,” I say carefully.
He looks at me sharply. “I’m listening.”