“Regardless, you have given me a chance and for that I am grateful,” he says.
“Well, it is a very good chance. Better than they can expect,” she says sadly.
“You don’t think it worked for them?” he asks.
“If I did, I wouldn’t have given you the chance to be with her. It would have been pointless. At least now either way she will get with child and it is up to the three of you to sort it out. I want you out of my World as soon as she wakes up,” Rosalina says and my stomach drops, as does my hand to my naked body. She gave Sebastian a chance to get me pregnant while I was passed out? And he took it? Oh, the gods, I feel sick and disgusted and…
I wake up in a bed in a dim room in the palace. The natural sparkle has been dulled like a dimmer switch on electric lights. I am stiff and sweaty and still naked. And I feel oddly like I have done this before somehow. I look around for my robe and see it lying over the armchair and I stand up and pull it on. There is a soft knocking and after I call “Enter” CK walks in with a soft smile.
“How do you feel?” he asks.
“Okay, I guess. A bit lightheaded,” I say.
“And pregnant?” he presses with a laugh.
I giggle at him and say, “I think it is too early to tell. I will let you know as soon as I feel any different.”
He takes my arm and gently leads me out of the room. “We have to go; Rosa is very cautious of our being here any longer than we have to.”
I nod and let him guide me towards the red and purple portal that is shimmering at the end of the hallway. “Where is Rosalina? I want to say thank you,” I say.
“She had business to attend to. She left the portal open for us, but we must hurry,” CK says.
“Where is Sebastian?” I ask and get an unexpected shiver down my spine.
“He has gone already,” CK says tightly.
He ushers me into the portal, and I arrive back on Earth with a lot more elegance than when I left it. It closes up behind us, and CK Teleports us back to the Underworld.
“You should get changed,” CK says and starts to rifle through my clothes again. I stop him by Astralling on some comfy sweats and a vest top and he sighs and shakes his head.
“No one will take you seriously dressed like that,” he says.
“Tough,” I say. “It has been a difficult few hours, CK. Just leave it be.”
I check the time to see that we have been gone over five hours, which isn’t all that long considering. It is dark out and I tell CK that I had better go and find Cole. He accepts it with a soft kiss and a loving smile. I know there is so much he wants to say, but his nature just can’t let him get it out, so I say it for him. “I love you and I can’t wait to have our baby in my arms,” I tell him and his face lights up. I squeeze his hand and go in search of the husband I have been sorely neglecting since I got home.
I find him in the kitchen looking less than his best and he looks up from his blood bottle as I enter.
“Hey,” I say and give him a cuddle.
“Hey,” he says and drops his forehead to mine. “Please stop going away. I can’t take much more of this.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Come,” I take his hand and lead him to the library where we curl up on the sofa.
I tell him, now, in detail about my visit to Carolyn. He nods but doesn’t say anything for a long time. When he does, it isn’t what I was expecting. “What happens now that you and Lincoln aren’t together anymore?” he asks.
“I’m not sure,” I say warily, wondering what else to add.
“Oh,” he says and then asks, “So you and Devon made up?”
“Yes,” I say with a smile.
“I hear you gave him quite the ass-kicking,” he says, returning my smile.
“You could say that,” I respond.
“Did you change your mind about…you know?”