sh of power floods the room and we all turn to the source.
“Mother,” I say with a smile. “What an unexpected surprise.” We don’t go in for hugging or touching at all. She is a very aloof creature.
“Aefre,” She says, inclining Her head. Her eyes flick behind me and I gulp, remembering that my father is also in this very room. I have no idea if they have seen each other since they ended their doomed relationship, and I get my Power ready to do damage control, should the need arise. As it turns out, there is no need as Drake smiles at Her and She at him.
“Tia,” he says.
Tia? I blink at him in surprise. It’s pretty, but I would never have assumed anyone would shorten Her name. Much like Constantine, but there is me calling him CK. I guess everyone has a special someone.
“Drake,” She says and inclines Her head regally. As expected, there is no big reunion hug. They stay on opposite sides of the room, but it is better than a fight, I suppose. She turns to Cole and beams at him. She has never officially met him, despite his role in all of this. “Cole,” She says. “How lovely to finally meet you.”
He inches towards my side and I can tell he is nervous. Not only does he have the Empress in the same room with him, but also my father. The dreaded Dark Fae King. It hits me then that this is the first time I have had both my mother and father with me together. Quite the momentous occasion.
“Tiamat,” he says. “Yes, it is quite the honor.”
Drake clears his throat loudly and we turn back to him. He looks pointedly at me and then at Cole.
“Daddy,” I say. “This is my husband, Cole.”
He sneers at me, as I knew he would. “Husband,” he scoffs and completely ignores Cole.
CK, having had quite enough of holding on to his announcement, states loudly, “Aefre and I would like you all to know that as of yesterday, we are now also man and wife.”
Silence follows that and there isn’t one out of the three of them that is happy about that news. Sebastian looks so hurt I want to go to him and offer him comfort, Tiamat looks like She could quite possibly commit murder, and Drake’s sneer increases, and he says derisively, “Pah! You Vampires are far too free and easy with your love. It is a disgrace.”
“Daddy,” I warn him quietly with a look that he shrugs off.
“It makes no difference anyway,” he says grandly, “You can call them both your husbands, but the only one I will accept and acknowledge is Kalen.”
“Never,” Tiamat hisses at him and I have the presence of mind to move us out of the line of fire. And I do mean that literally. “My daughter will never unite in a Fae marriage.”
“Oh, she will,” Drake responds. “My daughter will be wed to Kalen by the end of the month. We have waited about long enough. That is why we are here. To bring her back with us.”
I look to Sebastian to confirm that and he shrugs slightly, still reeling from CK’s announcement.
“Over my dead body!” She shrieks at him, advancing forward, talons already extended. “She is not your daughter! She is mine!”
Oh, crap, this is bad. I had thought the whole ‘playing nice’ was just an act. This is far more in line with how I thought it would go.
The crackle of magick goes across Drake as he pulls on his power. Hopefully this is just them posturing and they won’t actually assault each other.
“Mother,” I say to Her, but She ignores me, still yelling to Drake that he will never get his hands on me, blah, blah, blah. They look like they are about to attack so I pull on CK and Cole and nod my head to Sebastian and we all leave them to it. I scamper across the terrace wanting to be as far away from them as possible, in case one of them decides to grab me and run. I really hate this whole piggy-in-the-middle thing.
“Well, that was a disaster,” CK says, when we are safely out of reach. “It is any wonder you were conceived, Aefre, with all that hostility between them.”
I snicker despite myself, as I must agree. It is hard to see them being in love after what we just witnessed. I turn to Sebastian and ask, “Why now? Are things getting better?”
He shakes his head. “No, not really. Neither side will give in, but I am done, Livvie. I am going through with my plan as soon as I can, but I need you protected first.”
“Plan?” CK asks. “What plan?”
“I never wanted this,” Sebastian says. “You know this has never been what I wanted. I did this for Liv, to keep her safe. But it isn’t enough. We need to be wed before I abdicate.”
“Abdicate? You are coming home?” CK sounds delighted with this news, as am I, but I am still wondering what he means about keeping me safe.
“Yes,” Sebastian sighs. “I am going to let Thrace take over, but if we aren’t married by then,” he looks to me, “you will belong to him. Drake will have no choice but to give you to him and Thrace will take you and do his duty. Over and over again until he gets the outcome he wants.”
Chapter 4