That gets Xanthe’s attention and she sits up straighter. “And?”
“And nothing. She stopped me from killing him,” he replies.
“Hm, maybe she has more brains than I thought,” she mutters and Xane takes offense on Xerxei’s behalf. She is as quick as a whip. Most of the time. “Where is she now? I thought she might want to see me in my current state and perhaps add to it,” she adds nastily.
“It’s not her style,” Xane says shortly. “And she’s gone. She had somewhere else to be.”
“Of course she did,” Xanthe says.
“Which brings me to my visit,” Xane says. “The reversal for her disease. What is it?”
Xanthe regards him with her one working eye. “I told you I haven’t found it yet,” she says.
“Did you even bother to try? It seems to me that you have lost all interest in helping me secure my future with her and would rather see her fucked and with child by the prodigal son,” Xane sneers at her.
“Yes, I tried. Tiamat wouldn’t hear of it. I fear She wants to keep Her daughter as she is so that she doesn’t interfere…”
“With what?” Xane snaps at her as she pauses.
“Her plans,” she replies shortly.
“What are you hiding?” he asks, coming up close to her.
“Nothing,” she says and then sits back against the pillows. All this talk has worn her out, but Xane isn’t finished with her yet.
“Do you even have a remote idea? Something that we could try and see?” he presses.
“Oh, I have my suspicions,” she says and closes her eyes.
Xane holds onto his temper at her reticence. “And they would be?” he asks through gritted teeth.
She opens her eye and says, “I’m not in a very giving mood, my son. Perhaps once the re
st of my body heals, I may share with you then.”
“If you want a body to heal at all, I suggest you tell me right now,” Xane says to her. He has been threatening people all over the place today and he is ready for some action. Even against her.
She takes him seriously and beckons him closer. She whispers her theory into his ear, and he blanches. It’s impossible. Even for him.
He straightens up. “That’s what you think?” he asks her quietly.
She nods sagely and he leaves her then. If he is going to pull this off, he has some serious planning to do. Not to mention finding a patsy to give it to her. If he does it, he might as well kiss her goodbye. No, it has to be someone dumb enough to take the fall and yet loyal enough not to betray him. He can’t think of a single creature that falls into both of those two categories. He looks back at the closed door of his mother’s bedroom. He is going to have to find a martyr for his cause and he knows precisely where to start.
Chapter 11
The Underworld, March 2014 - Liv
I am hugely creeped out by Sven’s threat. If he does drag this Trial up again, it is going to be a disaster. Xane and I will be put under a microscope and I can’t see my two actual husbands being on board with me moving into his bed. I was feeling a bit claustrophobic after that and I had to get out of there. I know I should have stayed but leaving seemed like a much better option. Besides, I have to go and see Lincoln and find out why he’s acting so weird. I leave the guest bedroom after a quick shower and change of persona and costume, and head downstairs. I have no idea if I should wait for him to come and get me or just turn up. I don’t have to worry about it for much longer as I go downstairs and see that he is waiting for me in the foyer, pacing fretfully.
“Hi,” I say, and he stops and turns to me.
“Hey,” he says. “You ready?”
I nod and hold my hand out for him. He hesitates but takes it. “Can we walk over?” I ask. It will give me a bit of time to work out his problem. If it was just me leaving, he would be more eager to be with me on my return. As it is, he seems reluctant.
He nods and we head outside. It’s very weird being inside the house with all my things from home and then stepping outside into a completely different setup. The orange sky and black clouds cast an eerie light and we walk on in silence. He knows how much I hate silences.
“Linc,” I start. “Is everything okay?”