“Stop it!” I whine. “And whatever you do, do not say his name!”
Cade pauses with his mouth open, clearly having been prepared to do just that. He looks around, as do I, and then he closes it again. “Uh, yeah. Perhaps not.”
“I think my various houses have had enough damage caused by my Dragon for one lifetime,” I say wryly.
He snickers but then he goes serious when he sees I am not happy about this new development. “That’s going to make things tricky,” he comments.
“No kidding,” I say. “So you’ll stay?”
“Do I have a choice?” he asks.
“No, not really. Sorry,” I say apologetically.
He heaves a sigh and then says, “By the way, I should say thanks.”
“What for?” I ask, sitting forward curiously. Is he really going to finally thank me for saving his life?
“You know,” he says and looks away, embarrassed. “Not kicking my ass when I took advantage of you.”
I take a moment to let that sink in and then laugh in his face. “You didn’t take advantage,” I say in between chuckles.
He glares at me and I try desperately to stop laughing, but it just makes it worse. Eventually he smiles and then laughs too, long and hard, but then he says seriously, “I thought it was just an excuse, I never actually realized how much better it would make me.”
I shrug. “At least you don’t have to worry about that anymore,” I remind him.
“Thank God,” he mutters.
“Gee, thanks,” I say wryly and he smiles and pats my hand.
“You just aren’t my type,” he says glibly.
“Prefer busty brunettes?” I ask and then wish I could take it back. I seem to have forgotten that Jess is no longer with us.
“Oh geez,” he moans and drops his head into his hands. “I should have known Devon would tell you.”
“It’s none of my business,” I say, miming zipping up my lips.
He looks at me again and just bobs his head once and the discussion is over. He gets up and with a glint of amusement in his eyes he says, “Sebastian!” and then howls with laughter at my expense as I flash-Shift into Aeval.
Chapter 13
After Cade leaves me alone, I steel myself. I am going to have to start laying the foundation for my ruse to get Remiel to, first tell me about my daughter and then take me to her. I can’t just pounce on him and declare my undying love for him. He won’t buy it for a second. I am going to go for a quiet admission that I miss our dead child and that I am ready to try again when the time is right. I can only hope that one of his mysterious powers isn’t to be able to recognize that I am already pregnant. That would be bad.
I get out of bed and summon up sweats and vest. I don’t really want to look like I am trying too hard. I want this to look unplanned and real. I take in a deep breath and then huff it out as I remember that I can’t say his name without risk of Shifting into V.A. right here in this bedroom. I squint my eyes closed and just think “Remiel” in my head and then open my eyes. Well, if I expected that to work, I am a bigger fool than I look. I decide to take the risk and whisper his name, bracing myself for a bone-breaking, house-destroying Shift, but nothing happens. At all. I don’t Shift and he doesn’t show. Getting a bit irritated that he is now ignoring me, I say in a loud and steady voice, “Remiel.”
Nothing.
I stamp my foot in frustration. I cannot get into the Dragon Realms without his help. It has been well and truly locked down and I am public enemy number one. Tiamat will never allow me back in there unless I am on the arm of my Chosen One. I am about to try again when I hear a ruckus coming up the stairs. There are several loud voices and the one that is the loudest is that of Lord Falcor. I tilt my head curiously, wondering what he is doing here in my house causing a fuss. He bursts through the door, red in the face with anger, but that doesn’t top the sheer rage on Xane’s face as he follows.
“How dare you enter without permission,” he bellows in Falcor’s ear. “My wife deserves more respect than you are currently showing her.”
Falcor looks between me, standing in the middle of the room in my casual gear and Xane, and then to Constantine, who has followed at more sedate pace, trying desperately to stay out of this Demon business, but not wanting to be too far away from me.
Falcor looks flustered as his anger abates and he realizes he has stepped on protocol in a big way. “I apologize, my lady,” he says stiffly. “I let my urgency get in the way of my manners.”
I accept his apology with a brief nod, more intrigued as to the reason for his visit than him barging in on me unannounced. Although, it occurs to me now that if Remiel had turned up and Falcor had caught me weeping in his arms it wouldn’t have gone down well at all. “What is this about?” I ask.
Falcor looks towards Xane and then says, “I am here in an official capacity, my lady, at the behest of the House of Aldric.”