“Constantine will never allow that to happen,” Devon says fiercely. “He will protect his child at all costs.”
There is a short silence in which Remiel, and Frederick exchange a glance. “Perhaps,” Frederick says eventually. “It depends who he is trying to protect it from.”
And there’s the cryptic bullshit that Devon was expecting at the beginning. “I don’t–”
“Leave it to me,” Remiel interrupts him before he can finish his thought. “I will deal with my father, once and for all.”
“Our father,” Devon corrects him, wondering why on Earth he did.
Remiel gives him a sour look that practically curdles the blood in Devon’s stomach.
Frederick peers closer at him with an interested look. “Ah,” he says with a nod. “Yes, I sense it now.”
“Sense what?” Devon asks, not happy that he is that associated with his absentee father.
“The connection,” Frederick says and looks between him and Remiel with a smirk.
“Leave it to me,” Remiel growls, getting in Frederick’s face. He clearly is not happy to have half-brothers.
Devon feels the blood drain from his face as he understands what this must look like. Poor Lizzie. She must have real
ized this ages ago when they first found out about Laurentis. He can only imagine what she must feel over this family connection.
“So,” Frederick says. “The wards?”
“If Constantine hasn’t let them down by morning, I will break them. My daughter is in there,” Remiel says.
Devon raises his eyebrow at Remiel and his use of the word “daughter.”
“You can break them?” Frederick asks, impressed. “Constantine learned from the very best. It is the dawn of magick, the very beginning.”
“The dawn of magick?” Devon asks, intrigued, but gets ignored, which doesn’t surprise him at this point.
“I can do anything,” Remiel boasts, although it doesn’t sound like he is bragging. Just a statement of fact.
“Good for you,” Frederick mutters. “I will be back as soon as I am able. Please warn her of my visit. Outside of Constantine’s hearing,” he adds with a small smile.
Whatever went on with the three of them centuries ago, before the ‘untimely separation’, must hold fond memories for Frederick. The leads Devon to the conclusion that he somehow found himself up the Lady Aefre’s skirts. He shakes his head as he doesn’t find that all that surprising somehow. Protector indeed.
Chapter 18
Ponte, Italy, October 2014 - Constantine
Constantine looks up as his wife rushes into their bedroom, apologies on her lips.
“I am so sorry,” she says, going to him. “Delinda insisted on staying up so that she could she could see the moon and the stars.”
He leans forward to kiss her sweet lips. “Is she sleeping now?” he asks.
Aefre nods and he smiles down at her. Good. It’s about time he ravaged this woman he has waited so patiently for. But there is one thing he has to say first. “Which room did you put her in?”
“The one next to my old room,” she replies.
Constantine nods again and steps back from her. “Perhaps we could renovate your old room and let her have that one instead,” he says carefully and watches closely for her reaction.
Her cheeks go red and she flusters at a loss for words for a moment. Good, that is what he wanted from her.
“Erm, no, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she says slowly. “She is happy in the one she is in.”