“I know,” I say. “Just let me be the one to tell him, o
kay. Please.”
“Of course,” he says, as if he wouldn’t dream of blurting out our secrets. Arse. “Ready?” he asks.
“Yes,” I say, turning around. I take his hands and Astral us to the ruins of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, England. I look around expecting to see Rosalina standing there, which is rather silly of me as Sebastian said she lives on a plane adjacent to here. “How do we get there?” I ask CK and peer over his shoulder as Sebastian Teleports in behind him.
“What are you doing here?” I ask him as CK senses him and turns around.
“What are you doing here?” he asks back.
“None of your concern,” CK snaps at him. “Leave us.”
“No,” Sebastian says, and I roll my eyes. What is with everyone today?
“Why are you going to see Rosalina now?” Sebastian asks me with narrowed eyes. “Is there something I should know, Aefre?”
I grab CK’s hand that has bunched into a tight fist and is ready to slam into Sebastian’s nose.
“Call her that again and I will take your head off your shoulders and shove it so far up your ass you won’t know what hit you,” CK says and while the mental picture is rather amusing, the logistics of that would be rather difficult to accomplish what with Sebastian turning to ash and all.
As a result, Sebastian doesn’t give into the threat and crosses his arms as he looks at me, expecting an answer.
“Nothing like that,” I say quietly.
“Then what?” he presses.
“None of your fucking concern,” CK says and I don’t need to see him to know his eyes have gone black. He is really losing his control at the drop of a hat these days. It is slightly worrying.
Sebastian glares at him and CK glares back and then goes smug. Seems he has changed his mind and is quite eager to share now. “Aefre has agreed to have my child. We are going to see Rosalina to help speed the process along. So, if you don’t mind, we should get going. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Sebastian’s mouth forms a tight, grim line and he is absolutely furious. “What is the meaning of this?” he thunders at me. “You told me you chose your father, that means you chose me.”
“I have chosen my father, Sebastian, but it’s more complicated than we first thought. I don’t have time to explain it now, but CK and I agreed on this months ago. We are just pushing it forward to accomplish something,” I say.
Sebastian exchanges a look with his sire and with a triumphant look that CK smashes off his face before I know what’s going on, he says through the blood gushing down his face, “I was the one who told you, you wanted a child with him. Don’t think for a second that it was your idea.”
I gape at him and then at CK who is looking terrified that I might believe Sebastian’s claim. I’ll admit that I did think it was part of the spelling to begin with, but the more I thought about it the more I knew I wanted to give him what he wanted. “No,” I say, shaking my head. “Don’t lie to me, Sebastian. I know you didn’t. And even if you did, it makes no difference. CK and I are doing this.”
Before Sebastian can say a word, CK has grabbed my elbow and pushed me into a swirling vortex of reds and purples and I tumble through most ungracefully as he follows quickly.
“Close it! Now!” he yells, and I can’t imagine he is talking to me, so I look up and my jaw hits the floor, but unfortunately not before Sebastian steps through looking like thunder and all bloody to top it off.
I am staring into the bemused face of a beautiful woman who looks exactly like CK. She is almost the same height as him with long chestnut hair and the exact same eyes both in color and shape. She is the most gorgeous creature I have come across…with the exception of my sire, of course.
“Holy crap,” I breathe as CK takes my hand and inches me forward, with a look at Sebastian that speaks volumes. I would not like to be in his shoes later.
“Rosalina,” CK says with a regal nod of his head.
“Brother,” she replies, and his face hardens. I find his reaction curious and even more so when she steps forward to embrace him and he stiffly returns the hug.
“This is my wife, Aefre,” he says, indicating me.
I have the absurd urge to curtsey, but then remember I am a Queen and CK would beat me for being so casual about my own authority. Rosalina turns to me with a smile. It’s cold and it isn’t hard to see that this wasn’t the most loving family way back when. In a small part of me, I am glad it isn’t just CK, just the nature of his upbringing.
“Aefre,” she says. “How extraordinary to meet you under these circumstances.”
Extraordinary? I tilt my head in question and she laughs.