“I see,” he says with a nod, getting what she is not saying. Xerxei and her sire are together now in the way that they are not. He pulls his hand out of hers and closes himself off. There is nothing for it now. He is about to say his goodbyes when Aster comes racing across the lawn with an agitated look on his face.
“What is it?” Xane asks straight away.
“We have a problem,” Aster says, looking flushed and harried. “CeeCee has gone into labor.”
“What?” Xerxei snaps at him. “That is too soon.”
“Precisely why it is a problem,” Aster says.
“No problem,” Xane says. “She has the child and then we execute her. That is what we agreed on.”
“Xane, no!” Xerxei says, taking his hand again. “We said we would talk about this and come up with another plan.”
“This is the plan,” Xane says. “She was tried for treason and her punishment is execution.”
“Xane,” Xerxei says urgently. “You agreed to come up with a lighter sentence.”
“You tried to sway me while we were screwing,” Xane says, fixing her with an icy stare that he can see shocks her to her core. “I didn’t agree to anything and this is no longer any of your concern, Aefre,” he adds, driving home their split by using her other name.
He sees her stiffen her spine and give him an imperious look. “I am still Queen of the Underworld,” she says haughtily.
“And I am Demon Overlord. This is my domain and what I say goes. Period,” he retorts and takes Aster by the arm. “Your reign here has ended, Aefre. Go home.”
He Astraports off, with a stunned Aster, to CeeCee’s prison. He will give her no mercy; his heart has been shattered into a million tiny pieces and there is no space for compassion. Only rage and despair.
The Underworld, October 2014 - Aefre
“You can’t be fucking serious!” I shout out after Xane but it’s too late. He’s gone. I am about to Astral myself to him to blast him for being such an obnoxious dick but Lincoln Shifts and stops me.
“Don’t,” he says. “You will make things worse.”
“He is going to kill her,” I shriek at him.
“That is her sentence,” Lincoln says carefully. “You need to leave it.”
“How can I?” I ask him. “How can I live with myself if I don’t help her?”
“It’s not your place. Not anymore, Aefre. Everything has changed now,” he says solemnly.
“I
am still Queen,” I say fiercely.
“When have you ever thought of yourself in that way?” Lincoln asks me earnestly. “Do you think that anyone will take you seriously if you try that argument again? Xane didn’t. He is Overlord here. He rules.”
“Jesus,” I spit out at him. “What has gotten into you? Don’t you have any compassion?”
“For a woman who betrayed you in front of hundreds of Vampires?” he asks. “Not really, no. We still don’t know if, or more likely, what the Vampires are going to do about your Dark Fae blood.”
I pause but don’t go down without a fight. “They have been quiet, keeping to themselves. They won’t try anything. They know it’s pointless,” I argue, even though CK and Devon pointed out that this is probably a bad thing.
“They are planning something, Aefre. That is why they are being so quiet. Dammit, woman. Stop being so stubborn and just accept it when you are wrong,” Lincoln says in exasperation. “If you go and fight for CeeCee, you know that you will putting yourself at risk. Is it worth it?” He slams the point home and I concede with slumped shoulders. Xane is hurting right now. I still can’t believe how cold and hard he was with me. I know that things have changed between us now, but I was hoping we could try and rekindle something, anything. I still love him, it’s just different somehow now. I know if I go to him now, he will lash out at me out of spite and I cannot put my unborn child in the line of fire. Somehow, I am just going to have to pray that he gives CeeCee mercy or that I find a way to live with my guilt.
“Fine,” I grumble and then rake my gaze over him. He is standing naked and proud and a shot of lust goes over me. But I don’t give into it. I am still mad at him. His hot, naked body is too much of a distraction, so I Astral some clothes onto him to his immense disappointment.
“You owe me a fucking explanation,” I state, crossing my arms.
He sighs and rubs his hand over his face. “I know,” he says wearily. “I really wanted to tell you straight away, but Sebastian threatened me. You know that I can’t live without you, Aefre. He said he would separate us for eternity. You know what that would do to me.”