“Right, well then. Get out,” Devon says.
“Ah, no,” Remiel says quickly, leaning forward to grab her arm. “You aren’t going anywhere, except to the Fae Kingdoms.”
Liv glares at him and stalls for a moment. “Why did you need Fraser then?” she asks.
“His reasons for being here are two-fold,” Remiel says. “Firstly, to get you to do as you are told and secondly, so that he can comfort Aefre when she returns.”
“Comfort her?” Liv repeats and looks around at the various forms of protest.
“Aefre is in a slight predicament,” Remiel says. “She needs careful handling.”
Liv snorts with amusement and says, “And you want to give her over to Fraser? I think you will find that careful isn’t in his nature.”
“We have already discussed his role, he knows what is required of him,” Remiel says quietly.
“I don’t get it,” Liv says. “He isn’t hers. What can he possibly do to help her?”
“It’s complicated,” Xane says.
“Yeah, I know, lost love and all that, but what’s wrong with all of you?” she asks, enjoying the slight dig. Okay, massive dig.
“Aefre hasn’t responded to us in the way we would have hoped,” Remiel says.
“What, not even her ‘darling boy’?” she sneers at Devon, who glares at her and then looks away. She feels the pang of guilt over what she did to him and bites her lip.
“Aefre’s condition is quite severe,” Remiel finally admits to her. “She needs–”
“A shock to the system?” Liv asks, cutting in. “Is that where you are going with this?”
“In a matter of speaking,” Remiel says.
“I see, but I still can’t help you in the way you want me to,” Liv says.
“You can and you will,” Remiel says.
Liv contemplates this for a moment. “What will I get in return?”
“A charge in one piece to take home,” Remiel says straight away.
“I need more,” she says. “I am risking my damn life here.”
“You can have Vito,” Devon says to her with disdain. “You haven’t been able to keep your eyes off him since you got here. It’s what you want, isn’t it, another of Aefre’s men to take?”
“Jealous?” she asks him.
“Never,” Devon growls back at her. “You are a despicable whore.”
“Ouch,” she says sarcastically. “Man, you really need to work on buttering me up here if you need my help so badly.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Constantine says with a glare at Devon. He sidles up to her with a gorgeous smile and it makes her heart miss a beat. He heard it too, as his smile grows and becomes more predatory. “I can see the effort you are making with your sire. You are trying to be better, aren’t you, Liv?” He curls a lock of her hair around his finger and lets it spring back into place.
Liv rears back from him slightly and gives him a narrow-eyed look. “What’s it to you?” she asks.
“You are trying to seek approval from your sire. I applaud you, it is an honor for you both to find your way back to one another,” Constantine says in that smooth voice that makes her ache to go back home and be with her own sire now that they have been reunited so recently.
“Don’t,” Liv says, holding her hand up and backing away. “Don’t try and manipulate me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Constantine replies. “I am merely telling you that I appreciate you turning over a new leaf, as I know he does too.”