“You need to tell Constantine. The sooner you can cut this off at the pass the better,” Devon advises.
“What?” I shriek. “No! Never. He can never know!”
“He is going to find out, Lizzie,” Devon says with a roll of his eyes.
I take in a deep breath. I walk over to the crib and stare down at the sleeping baby as a thought enters my head. “I will tell him it’s his. That he or she is predominantly Dark Fae from my side.”
“Lizzie,” Devon warns me.
I know it’s dangerous, but it is the only way.
“If he ever even gets a whiff that I slept with Vito, he will take Arathia and leave me,” I explain.
“No, he won’t, if you are honest with him and give him a chance to get used to it,” Devon presses.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “When he found out about last time, he told me he would. He doesn’t make idle threats, Dev, you know that as well as anyone. I will never see either one of them again if he finds out about this.”
“You cannot pass the child off as his own. He will know.” He tries again to reason with me, but I am beyond reason.
“He cannot know,” I say with finality. I bring my eyes up to Devon’s bright blue eyes, about to protest again.
“If you tell him anything other than what I do, you can leave here never to return. Do you understand me?” I say quietly, but with force.
I am not in the business of making idle threats either, usually. Devon knows this is one time that I mean exactly what I say as he nods stiffly.
“He won’t hear otherwise from me,” he says.
“Good. Please find me Frederick,” I say, dismissing him. I need him away from me so I can think for a minute. It might not even be. One little electric shock doesn’t make a baby. Or does it? I knew it was a strong possibility, even probability, which is why I tried to stay away from Vito. No, if this comes to pass, CK will have to be convinced this child is his. There is no other way for it. I lean my forehead against the glass again and wait.
“You called, mi’ lady?” Frederick’s drawl comes moments later.
“Yes, please come in. Sit.” I gesture to the bed.
He perches himself gingerly on the edge and waits expectantly for me.
“Firstly, I need to tell you, I’m sorry,” I start nervously.
His eyebrows go up in surprise. “Whatever for?” he asks cautiously.
“For attacking you after what you said to me,” I say with a half-smile that makes him laugh.
“Pah, I can defend myself,” he says.
I pat his hand. “Still, I am sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so mad at you. You were only doing what you always do. Telling me what you see. I am not used to it,” I say with a heavy sigh. “Everyone around here just tells me what I want to hear. Even CK, mostly.”
He shrugs. “I never thought that was any good for you.”
He doesn’t say anything more, so I drop it.
“More importantly, I want to thank you,” I say formally. “For getting me out of there.”
“Oh,” he says, caught off guard for a moment. “Well, your husband was mostly responsible for that.”
“You got me out of that building, safe,” I protest, sitting next to him on the bed. “Thank you.”
“Humph. I just wish that I could have kept you safe from the beginning,” he mutters.
“You will now,” I say gently, taking his hand. “I need you to push me to leave this room but know when to stop. You know me, you know…”