Sebastian puts his hand on my shoulder, and I cringe. I don’t think he meant to do it but CK’s eyes zero straight in on it and without looking at either us, just focusing solely on Sebastian’s hand, he says, “But you knew? She told you?” He spits out the last word and we both flinch.
Sebastian, being a braver soul than I, steels himself and says, “Yes. She had to, because of who he is. Because of who she is.”
“And she would be who, exactly?” he asks Sebastian, but his eyes are now boring through mine like two black lasers.
“The Dark Fae Princess,” Sebastian says. “Her father is Drake. King of the Dark Fae.”
“The Dark Fae Princess,” he repeats, and his super brain is figuring it all out in the microseconds it takes him to say it out loud. “The counterpart to the Light Fae Prince. You.”
Sebastian nods and I just stand there, motionless.
“She is your supposed Chosen One,” he states it and then lets out a sad laugh. “It all makes sense now, the sudden turnabout. Why you changed your mind about being with him. Because you two are supposed to be together.”
“I tried to warn you,” Sebastian says. “I told you what I felt when I touched her. You said it was impossible, that she couldn’t be Faerie, but you were wrong.”
“And you were right. You two found out and kept it a secret. Your own little secret to share and keep from me. How could you?” he asks, but I don’t know which one of us he is talking to. Probably both of us. “You knew and you didn’t tell me. I expect this from her but not from you.” He turns to Sebastian and I feel a mild sense of outrage at the “I expect this from her” comment, but I push it down because I know he is hurting.
“I’m sorry,” Sebastian says. “I wanted to tell you. I asked her to tell you, but she wanted to see if Drake ever showed up looking for her. If he didn’t then none of this matters.”
Thanks, Seb. Way to throw me under the bus…again.
“None of it matters? Oh, I’d say it matters. The two of you lying to me about something so important.”
“No, not lying.” I suddenly come to life. “Protecting you from something that I hoped would never happen.”
“Protect me? I don’t need protecting, Aefre. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that and I would rather you had come to me before he showed up here throwing lightning bolts at you. So, what now that he has come for you? Are you and Sebastian supposed to swan off into the sunset together?”
“No!” I say forcefully. “That isn’t going to happen. I don’t care what he says, I am not joining his Court to be married off and bred.”
Sebastian’s hand still on my shoulder tightens painfully and I curse myself to death right now as I realize what I’ve said.
“Bred? You are expected to breed? With Sebastian?” he asks deathly quiet and I die a little inside at the expression on his face. “You know this is what is expected and yet you still went to him today knowing?”
“It won’t happen,” Sebastian says, trying to repair the damage I have caused. “She hasn’t been acknowledged yet. She still might not be. Drake is a bigot of the highest regard. He believes only in true blood. Liv is only half Faerie, if that.”
“But you still knew. You still fucked each other knowing that she might get pregnant. This is unforgivable. From both of you.”
“Constantine, plea
se just listen,” I beg him.
“No, I am done listening to your lies. I cannot bear to look at either one of you. You have betrayed me in a way that I never thought could be possible.”
“No, Constantine. It isn’t like that.”
“It is exactly like that, Liv. Please leave now, both of you just get out.” He hasn’t raised his voice the entire time and that scares me more than if he had. Not to mention he called me “Liv”. His quiet calm belies a deeper rage and I would have preferred if he had yelled and hit me than have him walking silently away from me. I take a step to go after him, but Sebastian holds me back.
“No,” he says quietly. “You don’t want to go after him. Just leave him be.”
“I can’t,” I say, the tears falling down my face. “I have to make him see that I didn’t mean to hurt him.”
“Give him some time. He will see. Just give him a bit of time. I’ll go and take Cade with me, but you stay. You have a better chance of getting through to him alone than if I am here. But just give it some time. Do not follow him now,” he emphasizes but I’m not listening.
“Why are you even here?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer straightaway, just pulls up my sleeve and I stare at my arm in horror, taking in the swirls and thorns that other me had, forming slowly and now that I see them, painfully.
“No,” I say. “No. This is going to make everything worse.”