“Better,” he says with a smile. “Thanks. You?” He doesn’t want to pry, but Devon looks like he needs to talk.
“Good,” Devon says with a nod and wanders over to the suitcase lying on the bed. “You’re packing?” Cole gets that he ignored the question and leaves it.
“Yeah, I am getting out of this hotel,” Cole says.
“You are moving in with Carolyn?” Devon asks carefully.
“Yes,” Cole replies. “She finally told Michael about me and now we can be together as a family.”
Devon nods again and looks at the picture on his nightstand. “This him?” He picks it up and examines it.
“Yeah,” Cole beams. “He is great.”
“Of course he is, he’s yours,” Devon says softly and puts the photo back down. “Is it weird? Being a dad?”
“Very,” Cole says. “I had given up thinking it would ever happen after I was turned, and then when I found out about him it was…I knew she wouldn’t like it.”
“She?” Devon asks.
Cole just shrugs. He won’t say her name. He just can’t.
“Ah,” Devon says, getting it.
“Don’t,” Cole says, putting his hand up as he knows what Devon is going to say. “I can’t.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Devon says mildly. “But there is something that you need to know.”
“I don’t want to, man. Nothing to do with me,” Cole says vehemently.
“If I don’t tell you and something happens to you, I would never forgive myself,” Devon says, and Cole must admit it catches his interest.
“Fine,” he huffs. “Say it and then we change the subject, or you can leave, got it?”
Devon nods quickly and then takes in a breath. “Lizzie has a daughter. She is Remiel’s child and living in the Dragon Realms. She didn’t know about her until a few months ago, the one we’d thought died, and now she is planning to go and rescue her,” he says in a rush.
Cole just stares at him as his heart breaks. “What?” he whispers. “Her child lived?”
“Yeah,” Devon says, fiddling with the zipper on the suitcase. “They lied to her about the baby dying. Point is, when Lizzie takes her away, there will be war to get her back and you might end up in the crossfire.”
“Me?” Cole asks, perplexed. “Why me? I have nothing to do with her anymore. We are divorced and I am with Carolyn now.”
Devon fiddles for a bit longer and Cole lets out an exasperated noise.
“We are all going to the Fae Kingdoms,” he says eventually. “It is the only place where the Dragons can’t get to us. Lizzie has made the arrangements and we will probably be gone awhile. You will be the only one left that Tiamat can use to get to her. Just watch your back and do me a favor and learn magick, please.”
Cole is silent for a moment. He doesn’t know what to say or how to feel. To know that she had a child with that monster is unbearable for him. But on the other hand, he is glad that he isn’t around to have to see it. “I don’t really know how to respond to that, Dev, but I will watch my back. Magick, though? No, I am done with all of that.”
Cole goes back to folding his clothes and Devon sighs. “Just learn a few basics. I can teach you. You have a family to protect now, bro.”
Cole angrily slams his t-shirt down onto the bed. “Don’t bring them into this. I don’t want them anywhere near magick or any of the shit that life with Liv, or whatever she is calling herself these days, brings. I am out. O-U-T, out. Got it?”
Devon glares at him, but then admits defeat. “Got it,” he says, holding his hands up.
They both stand there awkwardly until Cole sighs. “You do magick now?” he asks, a little bit impressed despite himself.
Devon accepts the change in topic, and he grins. “Yeah, I am getting quite good at it. Xyla says I’ll be a ‘proper’ Demon in no time.”
“Xyla?” Cole asks slyly, glad to have the topic veer in a totally neutral direction. He is also interested to hear about what Devon has been up to. He misses him and their friendship.