“Yes, get up, we’re going home,” I say stiffly.
“Oh, Aefre,” he says and falls at my feet. “I am so sorry for what I did to you. I didn’t mean any of the things I said. I was angry and I was lashing out. You shouldn’t have been there; you should have left when I told you to. I knew the monster was going to come out, I never wanted you to see it.”
I stand there stock-still. My heart is breaking for him, he is so upset, but I push it away as I am upset too. This time, I won’t forgive him.
“Aefre, please say you forgive me. I can’t bear it. I can’t bear what I did to you. Say you forgive me,” he begs.
“We have to go,” I say, stepping back from him and he looks at me with such pain and anguish, I have to look away before I fall to the floor with him and forgive him. I take Remiel’s outstretched hand. “Constantine, we have to go. Now.”
He gets to his feet slowly and I look down. He hurt me so badly and yet I still love him. Damn him. “Take his hand,” I say.
“Well, we are in a bit of a pickle now,” Remiel says to me casually. “Who knew it was two in, two out?” He shrugs and smiles at me innocently.
“You son-of-a-bitch,” I hiss at him. “You knew that all along.”
“Well, I may have had a hunch. I was hoping I wasn’t right,” he admits slyly.
“So, what do we do now?” I snap at him.
“Either he goes, or you go. The choice is yours.”
I close my eyes and breathe in deeply. There is no choice. “Take him,” I say as I open my eyes and glare at him.
“Wrong choice,” he says. “I vote you.”
“What?” I say, perplexed. “What the fuck is all of this in aid of?”
“Aefre, what is going on here? Who is this, anyway?” Constantine asks.
I sigh in exasperation. “Constantine, this is Remiel. The Thirteen. We have a sort of truce going. Or at least we did until he just tricked me into coming here.”
“I didn’t trick you, I told you I didn’t know for sure.”
“And now what? If you take me back, we are back at square one, if you take him back, I am stuck here. To what end? Is this where you want me, out of the way?”
“No, I want to take you back and have my two days with you, with him out of the way.”
“What two days?” Constantine growls at him.
“My payment for bringing Aefre here,” he explains.
“That isn’t what we agreed,” I argue.
“Go back with him, Aefre. This is the last place you want to be,” Constantine says, taking my hand.
“No, I came here to get you back and you are going. Drake was going to come for me sooner or later. This is some music I have to face now, like it or not. Remiel, take him back. I will find my own way.”
“No,” he says. “I told you I am taking you back.”
“No!” I yell at him. “You are taking Constantine.”
“For what price?” he asks. “You get one chance. Make me an offer and I will take him back if it is acceptable. If not, I take you.”
“One week,” I say quickly. “Seven days. Now take him.”
“Done,” he says again in glee. “Do find a way out of here in a hurry, my dear.” He takes Constantine’s arm, who is protesting loudly, and blinks out of existence, leaving me in this dark, damp cell with iron bars and earthen floor that smells of my sire’s blood.
Oh, fuck, what have I gotten myself into now?