He promises to worship and adore me. To love me always and to follow my lead.
Rather unusual vows, I’m sure, but meaningful to us.
After the “I do’s” and exchange of rings, we kiss. We are now husband and wife, in the mortal sense. Cole is overjoyed, Devon is outwardly happy, but I know he is sad on the inside and me…
I’m at peace.
It's odd. I didn’t even know there was a war raging inside me, but now I feel the calm after the storm.
“Aefre,” the deep gravelly voice from before echoes in my head. I start sharply at the invasion. “It’s time for the next step,” it says.
“What next step?” I ask in my head, feeling foolish. But there’s no answer, of course.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
F acing yet another trip across the Atlantic in a few days, we are all trying to get back to our regular schedules. Cole moves fully into the mansion and Devon and I get back to work. I have no more voices in my head, but the recurring dream comes every night, ending in the exact same place every time, so I learn no more. It’s frustrating which is not helping my mood or my Power Surge at all. I am less than fine, but it’s still the party line, which Cole and Devon accept, not wanting to push me. In truth, I’m a wreck and it’s very unsettling.
Beating my pen in a loud staccato on my desk, it snaps suddenly in two under the force of my beat.
“Fuck’s sake,” I mumble and throw the two ends at my open office door, just as Scott, my executive assistant, raps on it. As they aim straight for his head, I cry out, “Ah!” in alarm and rush to his side as they smack him square on the forehead. He starts in surprise.
“Scott! I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he brushes it off. “A bit edgy there, Boss?” he asks with a grimace.
“You could say so. I really am sorry,” I say again, rubbing his head.
“Anything I can help with?” he asks.
“No, it’s a…personal issue, but thank you,” I say.
He nods briskly and hands me the revised Harlow files. “Just need your signatures.”
I smile my thanks, and he turns to leave. Pausing, he turns back and says, “Maybe Mr. Savant could help you with your personal issue? You know, before you throw anything else at us hapless employees.” He winks and I chuckle.
He has a point that I need to talk to someone, but it’s not Devon. I need my sire. I sigh, not wanting to drag him back to L.A., again. Although, I know he would come in a heartbeat if I asked him to. He is being very loving at the moment and I miss him. I reach a decision that I will go to him. I haven’t travelled that far since the very first time I did it inadvertently, but I don’t suppose it really matters how far away the destination is. I hope, anyway.
I tell Scott not to bother me for the next couple of hours, primarily because I won’t be here. I close the door and quietly lock it. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and picture my sire, hoping it will be enough to take me to him wherever in the world he is, and hopefully I won’t end up in the middle of the Piazza del Duomo or the Via Mercanti.
I feel the vortex wash over me and I open my eyes. It takes me a second to register where I am. As it turns out, I’m at The Council head offices in Milan. Ha! I did it. Grinning at the very startled Giulia, I say “Buonasera.”
Giulia recovers her composure and replies, “Buonasera, Liv. It’s nice to see you again. It’s been a while.” She smiles genuinely.
I return her smile. “It has. It’s good to see you too.”
“Seems you’ve picked up a few new tricks since I last saw you,” she remarks.
I laugh. “Yes, so it would seem. Is he here?” I ask, eager to see CK now that I’m so close.
She nods and says, “As always. He’s in his office. Shall I call him?”
“No, I’ll surprise him,” I say.
She giggles and says, “Fine, but you will have to walk the rest of the way. No Teleporting, or whatever it was you did, outside of the reception.” She hands me my visitor’s badge.
I nod my thanks and head to the elevator. CK’s office is on the top floor and I push the button.
I knock on his door when I reach it. He opens it with a look of suspicion. “I thought I sensed you,” he says when he sees it is, in fact, me.