“Then let us go,” Sebastian snarls back, helping me up, as Aelfric, with fury on his face, waves the Guards off to let us leave.
“Get her under control and get back here by the full moon,” he says as Sebastian picks me up and carries me out of the Court, as I stifle the cries of agony that holding onto the Shift are causing.
“Aefre, please be okay,” he mutters as we exit into the fresh air and sunshine and he puts me down carefully.
“How is it that he manages to rile me up more than Drake does?” I ask as I sit heavily, breathing deeply.
“Two reasons I can see. One, he doesn’t frighten you like Drake does and two, Drake just ignores your family so no insults necessary,” he says wryly. “I’m so sorry, Aefre, I thought he would help. It never even occurred to me he would have the same plan. I should have guessed it though.”
“You once said to me, never trust a Faerie. I guess you are right. Please take me home. I need to get back to my home,” I say to him.
“Of course. But what are we going to do? Both Courts want us back here soon,” he says, helping me up and I stand, a bit shaky, but at least not about to Shift.
“I am not coming back,” I say forcefully. “This baby stays with us.”
“But what about the marriage?”
“Sebastian, I can’t think about that right now. I need to focus on getting home and then Constantine and I are going to go away.”
“Where are you going?” he asks slowly.
“Away. From everything.”
“Just the two of you?” he asks sadly.
“For a time,” I say, taking his hand. “I want you to join us, but Constantine wants some time alone, and I have to give it to him. Especially now, as he doesn’t want anything to do with me when I start to show,” I add cautiously as I know this will both anger and delight him.
His eyebrows go up and he tries to hide his conflicting emotions. “He told you that?”
“Yes,” I say as I keep my eyes straight in front of me.
“He is sending you away?” he asks in disbelief.
“No, I will still be at Ponte, but he won’t share a bed with me, and he won’t be with me,” I explain.
“Then you will be with me,” he says, taking my hand more firmly.
“No, Sebastian. I can’t disrespect him that way. He is hurting, not trying to deliberately hurt me. I will sleep alone.”
“He is a fool if he lets you sleep alone,” Sebastian says heatedly.
I smile wanly and he looks at me, concerned.
“We have walked a distance today, my love. I need to rest,” I say.
“No, Aefre, we need to keep going. We can’t leave anything to chance.”
“Sebastian, I haven’t fed for two days and holding off the Shift has worn me out. I need to rest.” I stop and sit on a large rock. I look out into the distance and see the beautiful forests and mountains and wish that I could appreciate its beauty, but all this place is to me is increasing demands, humiliation and hate.
“I will carry you then, we cannot stay here a minute longer than we have to.” He gives me his wrist to feed from and it gives me enough energy to stand up again.
“If only we had our Powers, we could just get to the Faerie Ring,” I say, gesturing in annoyance at being so helpless.
We disappear in a puff of smoke and find ourselves right next to the Faerie Ring, staring at each other in wonder. “Did you do that?” he asks me.
“I think so. Or, more to the point, it was…” I say and run my hand lightly over my stomach. “She is a powerful little thing, isn’t she?” I say with a shy smile.
“She?” Sebastian croaks, also running his hand over me. “She is a she?”