“His sire,” Constantine sneers.
“Yes,” Devon says, standing his ground in a way that makes Cade think he has no fear of being beheaded. Mind you, Liv would probably kill her own sire if he ever touched her precious charge. He blinks when that sense of jealousy rears up and he pushes it away. It’s a Vampire thing, he tells himself. Nothing more.
“She told him to drink and he did.” Devon says the lie like a pro, and Cade hopes he can keep up the ruse when Constantine inevitably returns his gaze to him.
“And the reason you wish to please your sire?” Constantine asks him.
Thankfully his eyes have returned to normal, but the threat level hasn’t dropped an inch.
“Not to please her,” Cade says with as much strength as he can. The best lies are formed in truth so here goes nothing. “I was sick of being on my back like a weak-assed fool. When she came back and I felt my strength returning, I wanted more. She said human blood would help, and it has.”
Whether or not he believes this remains unclear as the three of them stare at each other in absolute silence for what seems like hours, before something so unexpected happens it makes them forget what they were saying.
Chapter 19
The Castle, March 2014 – Liv
I came here because I knew one else could follow me. Except Xane. But right now, he is probably the only one I can stand to be around. There is no drama there for a change. I sigh and push open the heavy doors to the meeting hall where the Trial was held. It is completely empty and my footsteps echo as I make my way to the platform at the front. Can I sit on the throne that Xane put me in that day? I suppose I can. We are married and he is Overlord, that must make me Overlady or something. I jump up onto the platform and take a seat. I feel very regal sitting here. This is where I am supposed to be, I think suddenly. Not necessarily with Xane, but here in this Castle, asserting my authority over my subjects. A blinding pain goes through my head, making my eyes water and go blurry. I cry out softly as I put my head in my hands and wonder what the fuck?
It goes as suddenly as it came and then I sit up straight and realize something is missing. I blink, trying to put my finger on it. My heart feels heavy as I know what it is. Lincoln has broken his bond with me. I can no longer feel his presence in my head, trying to push at the barriers I have up. That can only mean he has Paired with Chrissy. In a way, it is a bit of a relief. I let go of the mental blocks and the tension in my neck eases instantly. I rub it feeling sad, but knowing that I did the right thing, for everyone.
I can’t say for sure how long I sit there. The last candle flickers out and I am left in darkness. It is well into night and it has been a really long day. I am exhausted. No surprise there really. I take a moment to see if I am having any food cravings, but there is only the never-ending thirst for blood. I feel kind of sad about that too. I know CK would be so happy and that in return would make me so happy. I belatedly remember that I also had sex with Sebastian and while it wasn’t during the Heat it was after our union and things might have occurred then. I can only hope not. Not this time. Surely Rosalina wouldn’t have done the ritual if she suspected I was already pregnant. In fact, surely, I wouldn’t have been able to have my Heat if I already was. That makes me feel a bit better, before I crease my brow as something suddenly lands on my shoulders and pushes down on me. It’s that feeling of dread that I find so familiar. I should have known something would come and blow me to Hell and back. I giggle as I remember I am already in Hell and perhaps the awful thing has already happened. Doubtful, though. The feeling of foreboding worsens, and I want to get out of here, as if I can run away from it. And I need to sleep, so I get up and walk slowly to the doors, pushing them open and making my way to the stairs. I take them slowly, one at a time, needing something mundane to focus me. My brain has suddenly gone all over the place and I can’t get it back under control. All sorts of thoughts are popping up of all the things that can go wrong and the bad things that can happen.
My grounding force has always been Lincoln and he is no longer there. Of course, thinking about him brings its own set of unpleasant thoughts about what he is up to at this moment. It’s not a great leap to assume he is at it with Chrissy, and probably in Wolf form, as she was so quick to point out to me that is what he craves. I try to push all these miserable thoughts away. I have to get my head sorted. There are a lot of things about to happen and I need to be prepared for what is coming. Not the least of which is going to be a united front of Tiamat and Remiel once they find out I’m not going to be giving them what they want. I am still in shock over the fight between CK and Remiel earlier.
CK said he was strong enough to beat him, but I wasn’t sure I believed it. I do now. But something threw him off his game. Remiel did something to him and he stopped fighting. I have to find out what that something was, as it can’t happen again if we are going to war. And I do believe that is what this is going to come to. I have already told my father this. I whispered it to him in his office
on the day of my wedding to Sebastian. He gave me his full support and I know that he is capable of, if not beating the Dragons, at the very least he is capable of keeping me and the ones I love safe.
That brings Devon to mind and I wonder if he has done anything about his charge. I knew the girl wasn’t my biggest fan, but that betrayal still hurts. I tried to do my best for her. It’s not my fault that she was so jealous over my relationship with Devon that she tried to get rid of me.
I reach the top of the stairs and hear a hushed conversation coming from Xane’s bedroom. I pause to listen, but I am straining even with my Dragon Powers to overhear.
The room is heavily warded, but that shouldn’t be a problem for me. I wonder what magick this is that is keeping me out. I am tired and I just need some rest and arsing about out here in the hallway trying to listen to conversations that aren’t my business suddenly loses all of its appeal. My nosey nose is just exhausted.
I push open the door and I am not that surprised to see it is Xane and his mother. They both stop speaking as soon as I enter the room and Xane gives me a wide smile and tight squeeze. He is in a jovial mood and it lightens my load a little.
“Hi,” he says. “I didn’t expect you here.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” I say, making it a point to ignore Xanthe. I am still so mad at her. “I needed to get away from everyone.”
“And yet you come to the place only I can get to you?” he asks with a twinkle in his eye.
I smile at him and Xanthe clears her throat. I suppose now is as good a time as any to confront the woman. I fix her with any icy stare.
Before I can say anything, she starts. “I owe you an apology, Your Majesty,” she says. “I was only doing what the Empress asked of me.”
Humph. Of course, she dropped the word 'Empress' into that sentence to remind me I am not the highest on the totem pole.
“Did you help him, or did you just let it happen?” I ask.
She peers at me, probably wondering why it makes a difference, but to me it does.
“I helped him,” she says eventually.
“Then we have nothing else to say to each other,” I say loftily. Had she just stood back and let it happen, I might have been able to look past it in a century or two, but to help is inexcusable. And how can Xane be standing here like she didn’t do anything? I glare suspiciously at him and he suddenly backs away.
“Mother,” he warns her.