He turns to me with a hard look. “You think I haven’t killed my own before? I know the consequences, Aefre. I know the loss. But he must pay for what he did to you. You gave him a reprieve before. Not this time. Not again.” He softens as he says quietly, “What he did to you. What he said before? I can’t bear the thought of him doing that to you. I need to finish him. Unless you want to do it yourself?”
“But Polly...”
“Will be collateral damage. I will not allow him to live one day longer. It’s either you or me. Your choice.”
“Lizzie. Let him do it,” Devon says as he joins us. “Just let him do it.”
“Where is Cole?” I ask him.
“His agent has been calling all night. I told him to take it. He doesn’t need to be here for this.”
“Fine. You do it,” I resign myself, as it is a moot point. He will do it anyway. “I will go and sit with her.”
“No, you go with Constantine. I will sit with her. You need to see this through,” Devon says.
I pull him close and whisper, “Thank you. I love you.”
He nods and leaves us.
Constantine grabs my hand and leads us to the door. “Break it,” he says. I focus my Power and break through the wards as if it is nothing.
He pulls me forward, but I say, “Wait.”
“What is it?”
“I’m going down with you,” Lincoln says, sidling up to my other side. We both look at him in surprise.
“Lincoln, no. Just go and wait in the sitting room.”
“Not a chance. He kept me prisoner for half a century. I want to see him finished.” He grabs my right hand, as his fingers brush against my ring, he mutters, “Interesting,” as he gazes intently into my eyes.
CK glares at him. “And who are you again?”
Lincoln, standing his ground, says, “A victim of, what I have assumed over this last half an hour, is one of your own. You owe me this.”
“Don’t get in the way,” he says shortly as he pulls me forward.
“Wait,” I say again, and he stares at me impatiently.
Having already been down those steps once tonight, I know I cannot do it in my six-inch heels. I pull them off, but keep them in my hand as no way am I going down there without them.
CK tuts at me as I lose a few inches, but staring up at Lincoln’s great height, he smiles at me.
“Allow me,” he says and takes them from me. Standing at least six feet two inches tall, I smile my thanks up at him and wonder again how it is I attract such tall, gorgeous men. He winks at me and says, “After you, Your Majesty.”
Oh, lord, but he is just wonderful.
Descending the steps quickly, we reach the bottom and he hands me my shoes back. I slip them on and feel loads better.
Finding Lance in my old cell, we watch him closely as he does with us. He is chained to the wall, but with magick.
“Father and Sister. Always together. I should have known you would be my first visitors,” he glances slyly at Lincoln and adds, “But you. You are unexpected.”
“Our Queen broke your curse on me. I wanted to be here when she finished you off,” he says calmly.
Lance laughs. “She won’t end me. If she didn’t allow it before, I see no reason why she would have changed her mind.”
Putting my hand to the cell door, I once again break through the magick lock and it springs free. I step inside, with my sire casually holding my hand as if this is the most normal thing in the world. I pull away from him though and narrow my eyes at Lance. Leaning my elbows on the altar that is probably still stained with my blood, I say to him, “I’m here to give you what you always wanted.”