Secrets (The Forever series, Book 8) (2 page)

“What did he do?” he croaks.

“He ripped me to shreds before he threw me out of the
windows,” I say into his chest and then pull back. The last thing I need is to
be cuddling Sebastian if CK makes another appearance.

“No,” Sebastian says weakly. “He wouldn’t…” But then he
looks at me and again at the tower and asks, “He threw you out of the window?”

I nod and my neck cracks painfully. I wince as it is still
newly healed and I don’t particularly feel like having it snap again. “And then
he just disappeared. Teleported out of here like it meant nothing to him.”

“Liv, sweetie. There has to be a reason he did it. He
wouldn’t just do that and then leave you. He wouldn’t.”

“Well if you find him you can ask him, because I can think
of no good reason why he would.”

“I can’t find him. I can’t even sense him,” he says
worriedly.

Find him? Sense him? He can find and sense our sire when he
is not here? I knew he had more honed skills with that than me, but I didn’t
realize it went as far as all that.

“Screw him,” Xane says fiercely. “He can stay away as far as
I am concerned. I won’t let him near you again, never again,” he almost yells
and I shy away from him and the sudden rush of power that sweeps off him.

“Why are you here?” I ask him then, finding it odd that he
would be.

He looks at me sadly and then at Sebastian. He finally says,
“I knew it the second you hit the ground. I felt your fear and your pain. I
came straight away.”

“Same here,” Sebastian says quietly.

“Oh,” I say awkwardly. Well, I couldn’t have been out for
very long then if they came straight away. I suppose that’s something that I
managed to heal quickly enough while unconscious.

“Who brought the tower down?” Xane asks.

“Me, mostly. Both by being slammed into it, but also by my
Power.” I shrug, brushing it off. “Seb, you had better go and do damage
control. And get Marguerite to hire someone to get this mess cleaned up and
fixed.”

He pauses and clears his throat.

“I am still the lady of this house, whether he likes it or
not. Now go,” I say with as much authority as I can and he jumps to his feet.
He scampers off and I sink back against the wall and close my eyes.

“You need to feed,” Xane says and takes my hands and pulls
me forward. I open my eyes as his lips touch mine and he whispers, “Take what
you need,” before he pushes his tongue into my mouth and kisses me. His hands
gripping mine tightly, I pull on his energy, but instead of coming out of his
hands, it is coming out of his mouth and into mine. I am taking his very
essence with no watering down and it is a fair boost. I let go of his hands and
take his face, pulling him even closer to me as I feed from him, absorbing as
much of him as I dare. I push him away before I get carried away and he grins
at me. “Feel better?”

“Much,” I say. “Wow. How come we have never done that
before?”

“Because you weren’t ready. You can only share pure essence
when you are truly bound. I have always known we were, but it has taken you a
bit longer to accept.”

I want to say something to him, to tell him that I do accept
our bond, but Sebastian returns and the moment is lost.

“All sorted. I told them you were in the tower and it
collapsed. Marguerite is outraged on your behalf and I can only imagine that
Georges is going to get an earful and a half.”

“Georges? The weasley glasses guy? Who
is
he?” I ask,
remembering him all of a sudden.

“The architect in charge of making sure this place stays
standing and seeing to any renovations, and whatever else that needs doing.”

“Oh no. As much as I dislike that man, he doesn’t deserve to
be blasted for something that isn’t his fault.”

“You said do damage control. I did. Just forget about that
now and concentrate on getting stronger. You need to feed.”

“She already did,” Xane says smugly and Sebastian glares at
him.

“I see. Perhaps a blood top-up wouldn’t go amiss?”

I nod gratefully and they both help me stand, although I am
now quite capable of getting up under my own steam after Xane’s generous gift.

We turn to head back towards the castle and stop dead. Or at
least Sebastian stops dead, forcing me to as he has a tight grip on my elbow.

“What?” I ask as I glare at him and then follow his gaze to
where I see something that I am sure can’t be possible. I must be hallucinating
or something.

Us three step back as the “something” in question comes to a
graceful landing a few feet in front of us and I gape openly at the tall,
light-haired man sat astride a…unicorn. A unicorn? Fuck me. Now I think I have
seen everything. Assuming this is real, of course. I am still on the fence
about my brain’s functionality after it being loosened slightly in my head by
an almighty drop from the sky.

“Kalen,” the man says to Sebastian, as he drops lightly from
the unicorn. He has long, flowing blonde hair and is dressed completely in
white from head to toe, and he is really tall.

Sebastian tenses up so tightly I think his head is about to
explode. Either that or he is going to rip my arm off. Neither are very
pleasant thoughts, so I put my hand on his and he relaxes slightly.

“What do you want?” he asks through gritted teeth and I
sweep my gaze from him to the man, who I can see now looks just like Sebastian.
I gulp as I realize that is the other way around. Sebastian looks just like
him, his father.

“You know why I am here,” Sebastian’s father says. I remember
his name is Aelfric. He dismisses Sebastian in favor of me and I can see his
perfect eyebrow arch slightly at the state that is me. “Aefre,” he says with a
slight nod. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You have caused quite
the stir among my people.”

“Aelfric,” I say, inclining my head regally as he did. I may
look a mess, but I am still Queen of the Underworld and Princess of the Dark
Fae, apparently. He looks surprised that I know who he is, but then moves his
green-eyed gaze to Xane, who straightens up to his full six-feet-four inches,
but is still somewhat shorter than Sebastian’s dad. “Xane Draconis, Overlord of
Hades. It is quite the honor. Your reputation precedes you. Never fought a
battle and lost. It doesn’t surprise me that you have aligned yourself with the
new Queen.” He casts his eyes down to my left hand and takes in my wedding
rings, along with the Dragon ring that I gave to Xane, which he stubbornly
wears on his own left hand. “Demons and Dragons. So powerful. Unfortunately for
you, I am here to take my son and his bride-to-be back to my Kingdom so that
they can join in a Fae Union.”

Xane looks at me and then at Sebastian and then back to
Aelfric, figuring it all out and having none of it. “No, I don’t think that you
are,” he says loftily, and I smirk inwardly at his tone. I forget who he is and
how he got there. To me, he is just Xane, but to the rest of the Underworld, he
is Ruler of Hell, a ferocious warrior – who apparently doesn’t ever lose a
fight. Good to know.

Sebastian remains silent but I can’t blame him. As far as I
know he hasn’t seen his father since he was turned two thousand seven hundred
and sixty years ago.

“Kalen,” Aelfric says, looking back at his son. “I warned
you if she ever showed up I would be back for you. It is time for you to do
your duty to the Court.”

Interesting. He told me that he was banished, never to
return. Little liar. I narrow my eyes at him and he purposefully ignores me.

“Drake has not acknowledged her yet,” he says, taking our
linked hands and casually moving them behind his back.

“Actually he has. She wouldn’t bear the Royal Fae markings
if he hadn’t. He may be a stubborn son-of-a-bitch, but he knows he can’t deny
her.”

Crap. So he saw them then.

“Then where is he? Making a sudden and short appearance and
then disappearing again is hardly much of an acknowledgment,” Sebastian scoffs.

“He was here,” Aelfric says, looking back at me. “He was
here to take you back to his Kingdom, only he arrived during a rather brutal
and bloody fight between you and your sire.” He says the word “sire” as if it
is distasteful to him.

“What?” I say, now confused. “He wasn’t there.”

“Oh yes he was. Unfortunately your sire threw you to the
ground before he could take you. He bargained with your sire instead in that
moment. He will be back for you. I can assure you it is in your best interests
to come back with me now and have your Union be Light, before he does.”

It takes me all of a few seconds to catch up. Constantine
threw me out of the windows to stop Drake from taking me? I think back to the
moments before. He relaxed and smiled at me, I thought he whispered something
to me, but it got lost in the wind and rain and the one hundred and fifty foot
drop to the ground. I want so much for it to be true. That he did it to save
me. It would also explain why he disappeared suddenly and that Sebastian can’t
find him. It doesn’t make up for all the other horrendous things he did and
said, but it makes me feel a tiny bit better. It also makes me remember what he
said about using his Powers on me and how he had to get someone else to do it:
Sebastian. I yank my hand from his and step closer to Xane, as I remember that
he has been spelling me to leave Cole. Remiel was right all along. I guess I
have some apologizing to do. Sebastian looks at me quizzically, but I ignore
him. I’ll deal with him later in private.

“Drake has Constantine?” I ask.

“Yes. Locked deep underground. I suspect Drake took him as
he is waiting for you to go to him now. It is his style. He does so loathe to
chase when he can lure his prey to him.”

“How do you know all of this?” I ask him, thinking he is
being quite forthcoming. It makes a nice change from all the subterfuge and
secrets that comes with my lot. Must be a Faerie thing. Too bad Sebastian lost
his honesty when he became a Vampire.

“I am King of the Light Fae, my dear. Do you really think I
remain clueless where my Dark counterpart is concerned?”

Clearly not.

“So he must know you are here then, trying to get to us?”

“Probably,” he says and shrugs. “His usual arrogance makes
him think he is still going to get you to go to him. Now enough talk. We should
leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I say, excluding
Sebastian as he can do whatever the Hell he likes.

“Neither am I,” Sebastian says with another glare at me.

Neither of us gets to hear what Aelfric opened his mouth to
say as all of a sudden a gigantic maw opens up in the sky, ripping the dark
clouds apart at least a hundred feet wide, flashing orange and black, before
three Dragons swoop through the tear in the sky and land not far from Aelfric’s
grazing unicorn. Thank Christ there is a shadow cover over these extensive
grounds or we would have a whole bunch of explaining to do.

Aelfric looks annoyed at the interruption, Sebastian’s mouth
drops open, and Xane and I look at each other and sigh. Tiamat had Shifted as
soon Her feet hit the ground but the other two, both blue Dragons on either
side of Her, remain as they are. The left one is huge, bigger even than my
mother and the other one looks familiar, and seeing as the only other Dragon I
have seen is To’kah, or Finn as he goes by, I am guessing it is him. He tilts
his head at me and my inspection and I nod. Yes, it is him. Damn, I really
should have called him to find out what he wanted with me.

“No one is going anywhere,” Tiamat declares as She strides
forward in true Her human form, the exact opposite of me: tall, curvy, waves of
black hair, and Her Dragon eyes, which just freak me out.

“Tiamat,” Aelfric bows majestically. “How lovely to see you
again.” Sarcasm drips from every word.

“Aelfric,” She says, glaring down Her nose at him. “What is
the meaning of this?”

“I have come to take my son and your daughter back to my
Court to be wed. It is only fitting now that we have a Dark Fae Princess.”

Tiamat glares at me and I cringe. Not only because of Her
steely gaze, but I also know I look a fright. I take a moment to Shift, now
that I can, and once again I am clean and neatly groomed. Choosing propriety
over fashion, I dress in a suitable gothic gown, similar to my mother’s, that I
know She would approve of. “Better,” She snarls in my head, using the
telepathic Power that we Dragons have.

“Aefre is already wed,” She says to Aelfric, who dismisses
it with a wave of his hand.

“While I don’t disapprove of a marriage to the Demon
Overlord, it still holds no water in our Kingdoms. She will be wed to Kalen
before the next full moon.”

Tiamat’s eyes flick from me to Xane and She arches Her
eyebrow sardonically but keeps up the ruse, more out of a the-less-you-know-the-better-to-keep-him-safe
reason and not out of disrespect for Cole, who--although she has never met him
in person--She adores.

“There will be no Fae marriage between Aefre and Kalen. It
is not her destiny,” She declares.

“But it is. Our prophet was quite clear that my firstborn
son is fated to be with Drake’s only daughter.”

“Aefre is not Drake’s daughter, she is mine,” Tiamat says
heatedly and the three of us just stand there staring at them as they argue. I
cast a quick glance at Xane, who looks back at me with a “we need to talk” look
and I sigh and nod. In spite of my anger at Sebastian for deceiving me, I look
over at him too and he rolls his eyes at me.

“Do you think they would even notice if we left?” he
murmurs.

“Probably not,” I murmur back.

I hear them yelling about destiny and the stars and the
blessed Fae baby and the Future Empress and I step forward. “Enough!” They both
turn to look at me, clearly having forgotten we were even there. “Let me make
something perfectly clear. One, I am not going to the Land of Faerie to marry
Sebastian and two, someone had better get me my sire back before I blast the
lot of you to kingdom come.” The ground rumbles under our feet at my Power
Surge.