His face crumples and I feel…something. I can’t place my finger on it, it’s like every time I get close to it, it moves, and I have to start over again. It’s confusing so I ignore it.
“No, Aefre,” Constantine whispers to me. “No, you don’t mean that.”
“I do. It’s been decided,” I say.
“By who?” he bellows at me, rushing towards the edge of the cage, only to be flung back by the magick.
“Me,” I say and then I leave. I have said what I came to say so there is nothing left for me to do here.
When Drake doesn’t follow me back up into the Entrance Hall, I hang around for a minute or two, but then give up. He must be having words with Constantine to stay away from us. I shrug and go back home to find my husband playing dolls with our daughter in her bedroom.
With a big smile, I sit down to join in and soon I forget all about the unpleasant encounter.
The Underworld, October 2014 - Devon
Devon glares out of the library windows, across to the burnt-out shell that used to be the Draconis residence. He really wishes they would hurry the fuck up and get it fixed. They all took it upon themselves to move into this house and when Lizzie was spelled into choosing Sebastian a few weeks ago, Drake imprisoned Constantine and sent him and Lincoln packing back to the Underworld. Cade is still there shacking up with Sebastian’s mom. It’s disgusting.
He sneers to himself and turns from the window. He is starting to get hungry again, but he doesn’t want to go into the kitchen. Xanthe was in there earlier and he just wants to avoid all of the Draconis family members at the moment.
But when his stomach rumbles, he decides that enough is enough. This is more his house than theirs and they need to stay out of his way. He storms into the kitchen to find Xanthe still in there, concocting something vile smelling on the stove.
“Do you mind? This is a kitchen for food,” he snaps at her.
She turns to him with an apologetic look. “Sorry, there is nowhere else.”
“How about your own damn house?” he retorts. “What is taking so long to get it back up and running? Can’t you just cast a spell?”
Xanthe indicates the copper pot in front of her. “What do you think this is? Lunch?” she remarks dryly.
Devon grates his teeth together. “Fine,” he grumbles. “Just hurry up with it.”
“This is only part of the spell, Devon,” she says. “You have much to learn.”
Devon folds his arms, but he supposes it can’t just be as easy as clicking your fingers to rebuild an entire mansion and its contents from the first molecule up.
“So, how is he?” Devon asks, just out of something to say.
Xanthe gives him a kind smile. “Not good. He is still locked away in the Castle grieving.”
“How come he only went off the deep end once he got back here? I mean, he knew before when he was in the Fae Kingdoms,” Devon asks as he goes about gathering the fixings for his sandwich. He will just have to ignore the smell of that potion.
“I think it only really sank in once he came away from Xerxei,” Xanthe says softly, avoiding his gaze.
“Oh,” Devon says, and they fall into an awkward silence. She is hiding something from him, but what?
After several minutes, Devon adds, “You should go and get him. We need him to help rescue Lizzie. She has been there far too long. God only knows what Sebastian has spelled her into thinking.”
“I have already told him that. He will come when he is ready,” Xanthe says.
“Well, I guess I will leave you to it,” he says and picks up his sandwich to take back to the library, hoping that it is still empty.
“I know you don’t want to hear this,” Xanthe says, making him pause in the doorway, “but there is someone who could possibly help you.” She gives him a meaningful look and he frowns at her. “Just think about it,” she adds.
Devon nods grimly and goes back to the library. Oh, he will think about it. In fact, he has done nothing but think about it since they arrived unceremoniously back here.
“Hey,” Lincoln says as he wanders in and over to a stuffed armchair by the fireplace.
“Hey,” Devon says, sitting down. “You okay?”