“You are her charge,” Remiel says with a frown. “As much as I dislike that she turned you, I told her I would accept you.”
Remiel looks so perplexed that Devon almost laughs out loud.
Almost.
He wouldn’t fucking dare.
“So, your word is your honor? Is that what you are saying?” Devon comments dryly.
“Of course,” Remiel says, insulted.
“Well, forgive me, but there isn’t exactly a fine line between trying not to kill me and sharing your charge with me,” Devon says, laying his cards out on the table. He is risking a lot with this lie. He has no intention of Remiel being the one that she chooses to be with when she gets around to it. It will be him. He didn’t go through with the risk of becoming a Vampire again just for kicks.
“I am unfamiliar with sharing,” Remiel says stiffly.
“She will never be true to one. Never,” Devon says. “Especially now.”
Remiel thinks it over for a while, swishing his tea around the cup. “Very well. I accept your renegotiation.”
“Good,” Devon says with a nod, choosing not to dig too deep into the man’s change of heart. “So, will you go and bring her back now?”
“Not yet,” Remiel says.
“You know what she is doing right now, don’t you?” Devon asks, getting frustrated.
“I have a good idea,” Remiel says grimly. “But this time away is not a bad thing. She needs time with Delinda to explain things and to bond with her.”
Devon thinks about that. Okay, yeah, the guy has a point. That poor girl must be so fucking confused, but that doesn’t help him and his dire need to be near his sire.
“You are absolutely no help whatsoever,” Devon grumbles and Astraports himself off to the only place that Constantine would have taken them.
He looks up at the looming castle, the night sky its backdrop. The stars are plentiful and bright, and the moon is full. It’s a pretty romantic sight, Devon reluctantly admits, but to his ire, he has landed on the edge of the castle, right outside the gates. The wards have surrounded the entire grounds and he can’t get through. He wonders if Lizzie can sense him out here, but he can’t sense her, so probably not. He will just have to wait. He sits himself down on the grass and looks up at the sky.
“I will break the wards come morning,” Remiel says to him, peering down at him lying on the grass.
“How long is that?” Devon asks. He hasn’t worn a watch since they left Earth as time has no meaning anywhere else, strictly speaking.
“A few hours off yet,” Remiel says. “Mind if I wait with you?”
Devon’s reaction is priceless. He gapes openly at his sire’s sire and nods. “Yeah, yeah sure,” he stammers beyond surprised at not only the request, but that Remiel actually made it a request in the first place.
He watches as Remiel sits himself down and looks up at the sky. “It’s nice here. I can see why Aefre loves it so much,” he comments.
“What, are we making small talk now?” Devon asks.
“Nothing wrong with a bit of polite conversation,” Remiel replies. “Seeing as we are inextricably bound to one another, I will make an effort to get to know you, for Aefre’s sake.”
“Interesting,” Devon mutters. “Got five hundred years to catch up?” Remiel gives him a look and he laughs. “Yeah, I guess that you do.”
Devon purses his lips as he has no idea where to start this bizarre conversation, or even if he should. Is Remiel playing him or is he really interested? He can’t for the life of him imagine why this terrifying and oh-so-powerful creature is playing nice with him.
He is just about to open his mouth to say something, anything, in the somewhat awkward silence, when a stranger appears out of nowhere via Vampire Teleportation.
“Ah, she has returned,” the man says.
“Who the fuck are you?” Devon asks, looking up at the man but not bothering to stand up to show his indifference.
The Vampire looks down at him with cold, black eyes that are so empty they drain the life out of Devon with just one glance. “Not your concern,” he says shortly.