Secrets (The Forever series, Book 8) (28 page)

“Yes,” I say with a small, proud smile, ignoring the Vampy
sense that tells me I should be suspicious of him, but not why.

“Who was it?” CK croaks into the ensuing silence.

I look him square in the eye, but I don’t say anything.

“Who was it?” he asks again, this time his voice as steady
as a rock.

Again, I hesitate, out of worry for Sebastian, not Aelfric.
With any luck, Drake has taken care of that.

CK takes a step forward and is about to repeat his question
when Sebastian takes his arm to hold him back. I look at him and he is grim and
determined.

“It was my father,” he says. “The Light Fae King.”

You could hear a pin drop in the seconds after Sebastian
made his declaration. I sit again and wait for it. It comes in three, two, one…

I am glad when Xane steps forward, already having been clued
in on Sebastian and his dad, to calm everyone down. Sebastian is standing stoic
and silent, his eyes on mine.

“That would make
you
the Light Fae Prince?” Cole
asks, pointing at Sebastian accusingly.

“Yes. I was before I was turned,” he replies.

“The one from the prophecy?” Devon asks in disbelief and
turns to me to add, “He is supposed to marry you and knock you up?”

Way to be sensitive about it, Dev. “Yes,” I say quietly to
yet more growling.

“Liv,” Cole says, squeezing my hand. “You can’t…” He shakes
his head at me.

“I have no intention of,” I reassure him to his and
everyone’s relief. Except Sebastian, he looks pissed.

“But, his father…what he did to you. What if you are
already?” he asks hesitantly and I know everyone else was thinking the same.

“The Dragon Shift has taken care of that, don’t worry,” I
say, patting his hand, hoping that Sebastian was right about that.

“Hang on a minute,” Devon says. “None of this makes any
sense. You are a Vampire, Livvie. You are unable to reproduce. Not to mention,
so is he.” He points to Sebastian.

I look away from Sebastian, to Xane, and finally to CK. His
anguish is hitting me hard. It is even worse because he is staying out of this.
I know how it must be killing him to hear all of this and to stay quiet, but he
knows I don’t want to hear from him.

“Hence the amended prophecy,” I say. “Also, it has been
suggested that as I am no longer just a Vampire, it is a strong possibility.
Other Liv has seven kids,” I add for extra benefit. I refrain from mentioning
Cassis and the Other, Other me.

“How long have you known this?” Cole asks me and I had been
dreading this question.

“A couple of months,” I say with a quick look to Xane, who
had in fact been the first one to mention it.

“Months?” Cole asks. “You mean you have known about this for
months and yet you still go to Lincoln knowing what might happen?”

Aaaaaahhhhh! My brain is tired of the differing versions of
that question being asked. I should have kept my mouth shut.

Lincoln stands then. I haven’t heard much from him, but that
is standard for him. “You have no need to worry about that, Cole, I cursed
myself to not bear children, before Liv and I started our, uh, physical
relationship.”

My eyes snap to Lincoln’s, who is looking at me intently.
This is the first I have heard of this, but I can’t say that I am not relieved,
since I had to remove my own curse. I look gratefully at him that he has jumped
in and saved me from a potentially explosive situation. I see CK relax a
fraction at that news as well and it angers me. As soon as I get out of here I
am replacing my own curse, as this is one oven that isn’t going to produce a
bun of any kind.

Cole nods grimly at Lincoln who sits again. This is getting
far too complicated. I hope that Xane keeps his trap shut about his lack of a
curse and our couple of dalliances. Lucky for me, he does, and Jess asks a
question. “Back to Sebastian’s father,” she starts and we all look at her in
surprise. I had forgotten she was even there, she had been so quiet and still
this whole time. “Does your own father know what happened?”

“Yes, he does. Sebastian told him after it happened.” Ah
crap, I sigh at myself, and hold my hands up again before anyone can speak.
“Sebastian was with me this last day in the D.F.K.”

“D.F.K.?” Jess asks.

“Dark Fae Kingdom,” I clarify.

“How did you get there?” Devon asks him suspiciously.

“My father came to get me,” Sebastian says.

“And you didn’t think to tell anyone?” Devon asks.

“It was of no one’s concern but mine,” Sebastian says.

“Excuse me?” Devon asks. “You knew we wanted to get her out
of there. This would never have happened if we had gotten her out of there in
the first place.”

“Devon,” I say. “Calm down. I told you I didn’t want to
leave and now that I have made my appearance and Drake has acknowledged me,
Sebastian’s presence is required at Court. Both his own and mine.”

“This is all getting a bit much,” Devon says. “I think we
all just need to take a minute.”

“Agreed,” I say and we all sit there staring at each other.

“I still haven’t finished with my question,” Jess says suddenly.

“Oh, sorry,” I say. “What is it you were getting at?”

“If your father knows what happened to you, what is he going
to do about it?” she asks.

All eyes turn back to me. “He made a threat on Aelfric’s
life. I have no idea if he has seen it through.”

“He hasn’t,” Sebastian says.

“How do you know?” Jess asks him.

“If my father were dead, I would have been recalled, and I
am still here,” he says, hands on hips.

“What do you mean recalled?” Lincoln asks.

“My father dies, I become King,” Sebastian says to a stunned
silence.

He sounds definite about that so, regardless of his
so-called status, he is still the one. “Oh man, I can’t cope with anymore of
this,” I say, standing up. “I need some air.” Cole opens up the French doors
and I step out onto the terrace, with him at my back.

“Get me CK,” I say to him. I am going to have to face him at
some point. Might as well be now.

He goes off to get my sire and I walk further out into the
gardens. It looks like snow and I shiver. I call a thicker coat to me and I instantly
feel warmer. It is so strange, I still haven’t become used to it.

“Aefre,” his voice comes from behind me and I stop walking.
I brace myself and turn to him. “Please let me speak first,” he says to me.

I nod, as I am still unsure what to say to him and I want to
hear what he has to say.

“I’m sorry,” he says and I look away. “I know that it
doesn’t cover it and I will spend the next several lifetimes making it up to
you. What I did to you in the tower was unforgivable. I hate myself for hurting
you, it is killing me when I think about what I did. And the spelling was the
single stupidest thing that I have ever done. I love you so much, I wanted us
to be together. I never meant any harm to Cole, I wanted you to bring him with
you when you came to me. But, I just couldn’t wait any longer to have you as my
wife. I’m sorry about how I went about it. I should have waited for you. What
happened over there to you, I just, I want to kill him for hurting you. I want
to help you heal.”

I turn and walk away from him, deeper into the woods. He
follows me after a moment, and silently we walk until we reach the clearing.

“First things,” I start, “The fight that we had in the
tower, I am partly to blame for.” He starts to interrupt me but I shush him.
“We completely blindsided you and you had every right to be angry at me. You
asked me to leave, because you knew what was going to happen if I stayed. I
didn’t listen, and that is on me. I am more upset by what you said, than what
you did.”

“I didn’t mean any of it, Aefre. I knew it would hurt you
and that is what I was trying to do. Please know that I do not think that about
you. I never have and I never will.”

I nod and ask him, “Have you ever used your power on me
before, to get me to do what you want?”

He shakes his head vehemently. “No, Aefre. Not ever. I made
a promise to myself when I sired you, that I would never use it on you. I
didn’t want to tell you about it because I knew you would always wonder if I
had or would use it on you.”

I believe him about that, but that is the least of our
issues. “The spelling,” I say. “Now that is something I cannot forgive. You had
no right to mess with my head like that. You violated my mind, but that aside,
I told you I wasn’t ready to leave Cole. You made me believe that you were
waiting. You promised me, and when I called you on it at
Ponte
you threw
a fit at me for suggesting it. I don’t think I can get past this, Constantine.”
I pull the ring he gave me off my finger and hold it out to him. I feel cold
and dead inside and it makes me shudder. It is an ugly feeling and I don’t like
it.

He looks devastated and shakes his head. “No, Aefre. Please
don’t be hasty. I will do anything you ask to make it up to you. Anything. Just
please do not give that back to me. Please,” he begs me, closing his hand over
mine.

My heart is breaking over his sorrow, but I can’t forgive
him. Not this time.

“Please, Aefre. Please don’t give it back to me,” he
whispers. “I will give you time, just please put it back on.”

We stand like that in the clearing for some time. My tears
are falling, icy cold against my cheeks. His head is bowed, his hand clutching
mine, waiting for me. The feeling inside me warms up again, a sudden shift from
a crushing blackness to warm, white light. He lets go of my fingers and walks
away from me. He has put the ring back on my finger and I, for my sins, have
let him.

Cole finds me awhile later standing over the Faerie ring. I
am dying to go back and see what exactly Drake is doing about my assault. “What
are you looking at?” he asks me as he wraps his arms around me.

“A Faerie ring. You step into it and it takes you to the Fae
Kingdoms.”

“What, just anybody?” he asks.

“No, just the Fae.”

“Can you use it?”

“Drake said yes,” I reply.

“What’s he like? Your father?” he asks.

“Large and terrifying,” I snort and he chuckles. “Although I
have no doubt that he can be shit-your-pants scary, I have seen his softer
side.”

“What are you going to do about the prophecy?” he asks
hesitantly.

“I am going to have the Union with Sebastian,” I say and he
crushes me in protest. “It’s just a formality,” I add before he can yell at me.
“It’s a ceremony that is important to my father and has no bearing on our
relationship, or our marriage.”

“What about the baby?” he asks.

“There can be no baby, if there is no sex,” I say and he
pulls his face at me. We stand there holding each other and I know I have to
reassure him further that I have no intentions of bearing a child. We jump a
mile when there is a crashing coming through the woods towards us. My first
thought is that Demon-Wolf thing, but it isn’t a full moon…or even night for
that matter. Sebastian comes charging towards us with a determined look on his
face.

“What are you doing?” I ask him, as he heads straight for
the Faerie ring.

“Going to avenge you,” he says shortly. “If Drake isn’t
going to kill my father, then I am.”

“Wait, Seb. You can’t do that,” I grab his arm to stop him.

“Watch me,” he says, and pulls away from me as he steps into
the ring. He disappears, and I stand there with my hands over my mouth. Ah,
Hell. This is bad. I should step into the ring myself to go and stop him, but
suddenly, I really don’t want to. I don’t want to go back there, not just yet.
I hope that Sebastian is capable of keeping himself alive, but I just can’t go
to help him. I take Cole’s hand and back away with a feeling of panic. We walk
back out of the woods to the lightly falling snow. “You aren’t going to follow
him?” Cole asks me, slightly surprised.

“Nope, I am not getting in the middle of a Faerie fight.
It’s between them now,” I say to his relief, covering up my anxiety and real
reasons for my lack of concern.

“It’s been a long day,” he sighs.

“It’s been a long year,” I amend. “We need to talk about
something though.”

“What?” he asks as we head back into the house.

I Astral us upstairs to our bedroom and close the door.
“That Vampire you were with the other night.”

“Oh,” he looks at me in dread, but I smile in reassurance
that I’m not mad with him.

“Is it something that you want to be regular?” I ask,
fiddling with my rings.

“No!” he says loudly. “No, Liv, I told you then it meant
nothing. I was lonely and aching and I wanted you, but you weren’t here.”

I nod, accepting that, but he continues, “I spoke to Devon,
he said I should have someone, for when you aren’t here.”

“He’s right,” I say. His face tells me that is not what he
wanted to hear.

“I asked him something. Something that just came out. I
don’t want any secrets between us, just know that I was tired and frustrated
and I asked him to give me Jess when I needed her. I didn’t mean it,” he adds
hastily as he can no doubt see the anger on my face.

“Jess?” I snap at him.

He nods.

“What did he say?” I ask, curious in spite of my initial
anger. I am not sure that I am happy to have to share him with someone so close
that I have to see every day. Yeah, I know…hypocrite. Give me an H, give me a
Y…

“He said he would ask her and that I have to ask you,” Cole
says, looking away.

“And?” I press.

He looks back at me. “And, nothing. I haven’t spoken to him
about it since.”

“I see,” I say turning around to pace. “Why her?”

He gives his reasons, but it sounds rehearsed as if he has
been practicing it for my benefit. I see his point, in a way, but it’s all a
bit too close to home. Not that I am one to throw stones, but still.