Well, now you know how it feels. Jerk.
“It doesn’t matter. I need to find the truth first. Now, shall we?” I say brightly to CK, who just nods at me and lets me puffport us out of the Fae Kingdoms, leaving Sebastian staring sadly after me. I shake my head to clear that image of him from my mind. I will not feel bad for him. He doesn’t deserve it.
“Aefre,” CK says and turns me towards him once we have landed in the library at the house in England. “Why did you not tell me? I think, as your husband, I have a right to know.”
“It’s complicated,” I say. “In light of Drake telling what he did, I have no idea who is lying to me and for what purpose. I just want to do this and then think about that later. Please?”
He nods stoically, accepting that I don’t want to talk about it, and then, remembering that he didn’t want me on Earth, he says, “Aefre, you must go back now. I can do this by myself.”
“No, we do this together,” I say.
“Please, I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you or our child,” he says desperately.
“I will be fine with you here to protect me,” I smarm at him and it has the desired effect. He clutches my hand tighter and Teleports us off to who knows where.
Chapter 12
“Who knows where” turns out to be a residence that CK keeps in Florence, Italy. Not the apartment, but a very old, grandiose structure that I had hoped never to see again. There are a lot of bad memories of this house-come-castle, and I really don’t want a trip down that lane right now.
CK also has a grimace on his face as he remembers all that transpired in this house and now, I see why he didn’t really want me to come.
He clears his throat and lets go of my hand as he straightens his cuffs. He just can’t help himself when he is uncomfortable. I look around the library. This never used to be here, or at least not as it stands now. It is a typical library, nothing new here, and I don’t clap eyes on any sword.
“Where is it?” I break the silence.
“Upstairs,” he says. “I just wanted to bring you to a room that you aren’t familiar with first to get you used to where we are.”
“Good thinking,” I mutter.
“Aefre, I–,” he starts, but I hold my hand up.
“Ancient history,” I say, pushing away the memories of Vito killing my charge, and learning of his betrayals, of the time I spent here with Frederick before my sire returned to me from Rome, and then there was the time that CK…
“I knew you would come back. I just had to wait it out,” Remiel suddenly snarls at me, bringing me out of the past.
CK growls and pulls me in close to his side, angling his body in front of mine protectively.
“Give me back my daughter, Aefre, or I will tear everyone you love into little shreds while you watch,” Remiel says.
“You dare to threaten me?” I ask and step out from behind the CK barrier. Everyone seems to have forgotten, including Remiel, that I can take of myself. I hold my left arm out to the side and into my hand pops none other than Gladius Infernus.
CK and Remiel both hiss at me and take a step back from the flaming sword. I wave it about in f
ront of Remiel and say, “I won’t hesitate, so make a move and make my day.”
It is undeniably corny, but man, oh man, would it make my century to get rid of him!
He shakes his head at me. “You seem to forget, my dear, that I hold a power over you that will cease your ability to wield that damn thing,” he says to me and then mutters something I don’t understand with his hand outstretched.
I frown at him.
What is he doing?
“Motherfucker!” I suddenly scream into the silence and drop the sword onto the rug to let it smolder into the rich fabric. My hand has been burnt with a third-degree burn and it hurts like a bitch. Without the Vampire to dull the pain, my feelings are so much more intense, and apparently, I also don’t heal up straight away. I hold my left hand in my right one, cradling it against me as the tears seep out of my eyes and CK pulls me closer to him again and away from Remiel.
“What the fuck?” I screech at him as CK murmurs something that sounds like, “Holy fucking shit.”
Remiel is smiling smugly at me with his hands behind his back. “I took away the part of you that gets to use the sword. Your Dragon has been tied.”