“How so?” she inquires.
“It’s none of your business,” he retorts, remembering Liv’s very explicit concern about their relationship being just between the two of them.
“It is my business when things like this occur. If she were here by your side as she should be, then this would never have happened. No one would dare defy the Queen,” she says.
“No one should dare defy me!” Xane yells at her and she inclines her head respectfully.
“I know,” she murmurs. “However, with Xerxei by your side you, the both of you, will be unchallenged, for eternity.”
“Eternity?” he scoffs. “I don’t have eternal life, Mother.”
“Don’t be so sure about that. The Queen’s blood runs through your veins,” she answers, and he focuses on her completely now.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
She tilts her head again and walks in a large circle, her gown swishing with every step. “You need to take her as your wife,” she says eventually.
“You don’t say?” he mocks her, but she ignores him. “And how do you propose I do that? There happens to be several beings in my way, if you happen to recall, not the least of which is her husband.”
“Husband,” she says with derision. “A mere Vampire is not fit to be wed to our Queen.”
“It is Tiamat’s plan. He was Her Chosen one,” Xane says, hating every word of that sentence.
“Tiamat is not thinking of the bigger picture,” Xanthe says carefully. To betray their Empress is not a wise move.
“What is the bigger picture?” he asks. “As far as I can tell, Cole is needed for something as her husband. That is what Tiamat said before She sent us back in time.” He wonders if Tiamat knew he would remember everything as Liv does, as to what happened before She shifted time. He can’t say for sure how or why he remembers, but no one else does.
“Oh, please, She was probably only trying to gain favor with Her daughter by getting her back what she wanted,” his mother says scornfully, and he sighs.
“To what end?” he asks. His mother is up to something and he would like her to get to the point so he can get out of here.
“The future Empress, of course,” she snaps at him.
“Liv is the future Empress, what has this got to do with gaining favor?” Xane is so confused his head is hurting.
“Not the Queen, my son, the Queen’s daughter,” she says, and he catches on. “Tiamat is as power hungry as She has always been, but She has run out of creatures and beings to control and rule. The Queen is but an ill-conceived crossbreed, but her daughter will be pure and all powerful. That is what Tiamat wants. She wants the girl to raise Herself in Her image, to be everything that She wants.”
“That’s a bit harsh on Liv, don’t you think?” he asks with a frown. “And what has Cole got to do with it?”
“He was the one that set forth the prophecy in motion. Tiamat believes that he is the one that will get the Queen with child. She believes that they belong together because he activated her powers. I think She is wrong,” she says with authority.
“And who do you think is the right choice?” Xane asks.
“You, of course!” she screams at him. “Demons and Dragons! There is no more powerful couple in any Realm. A child between the two of you will be more powerful than anyone could ever imagine,” she adds. Her cheeks are getting flushed and she is starting to lose her temper. “This should have already happened!” she yells and Shifts to her Demonic form. Yeah, it's easy to see where he gets his rage from. His mother is a formidable woman, she would have to be to stand next to his father. They show themselves as all genial and loving and gentle around Liv, but no, this is the truth of the matter. Xanthe is a powerfully wicked woman who will stop at nothing to get her own way. She faces Xane, her wings flapping wildly and knocking over the congregation chairs in her agitation. Standing about seven feet tall, she is smaller than him in his true form, but she can be pretty intimidating when she wants to be.
“I did the spell for the Blood Magick ritual,” she roars at him, as he just sits there, letting her vent. “It was strong, and it was foolproof. There should have been no errors! She should have felt the bond ripping at her insides if she wasn’t near you. How did it go wrong?” She makes a noise of pure frustration and then Shifts back to her human form, all composed like nothing had ever happen
ed.
“It didn’t go wrong, Mother,” he says calmly, after a moment. “She has admitted her feelings to me, but sadly her Vampire side is too strong and those that she is tied to pull her away from me.”
“I will go to Tiamat, make Her see that a child between the two of you will be far stronger than a child born of a Vampire,” she says determinedly.
“Putting aside the fact that if Xerxei and I do have a child, we will not be handing it off to Tiamat to raise,” he says wryly, “The last being to convince Tiamat to do anything was…never. How do you plan on changing Her mind? And furthermore, even if you do convince Tiamat, She might not be able to convince Liv it is in her best interests to be with me.”
“If I can get Tiamat to see it is right, then that isn’t going to be a problem, I can assure you. Now that She has everything so close to Her grasp, She will not let anything stop Her from getting what She wants,” Xanthe says.
Xane watches her for a moment, thinking that if Liv ever found out about this deceit, she would skin him alive. “Do it,” he says shortly.