“Your blood for their new charges, in exchange for me taken back as their leader,” CK says flatly and I know that he doesn’t find that idea appealing in the least.
“You and Remiel,” I say, knowing it will piss him off, but it has to be said. Even he can’t do this alone.
He grunts at me. “Vito is right, Aefre. You shouldn’t be subjected to being used like that. I cannot get on board with this plan.”
“I have already made my peace with my decision,” Vito states, pulling himself up to his full height, feet planted wide apart, his hands behind his back and his gaze straight ahead. “I am all Dark Fae. They will need less from me than they will from Aefre.”
“Vito,” I say, about to warn him to shut the fuck up, but CK drops my hand and goes to stand directly in front of his old soldier.
“Your sacrifice is appreciated,” CK says in the same formal tone that Vito had used. “You shall be compensated accordingly.”
“No!” I shout out as Vito nods stoically. This plan has gone down the crapper so rapidly it has made my head spin.
“It is done,” Vito says with such finality no one, not even me, dare say a word against him.
Great. Just one more thing to feel guilty about. Why, oh why, can’t these men stop being such idiots and let me take responsibility for my own fucking mess for once?
“Any chance we can lose the D.B?” I ask, indicating the Cleric with the creepy snapped neck.
“Of course,” Remiel says gallantly and whisks it away to…you guessed it…who knows where. I really do need to take the time to find out where he goes for these things. Although, I fear I will find a mass graveyard somewhere, filled with murdered corpses. So...maybe not.
“Look, Vito, I know you are trying to do what’s right here, but this is my responsibility. It’s me they want,” I say, knowing it will affect no one in the room, especially him.
“They came after your daughter,” Vito says. “I will not let that happen again.”
“Neither will I,” I hiss at him. “You have to know I will never accept this.”
“And that is one of the many reasons why I still love you,” he says boldly, fixing me with his swirly purple eyes as CK hisses at him.
I roll my eyes and look around the room. Rosalina is now sitting quietly on the sofa; Devon is giving her googly-eyes–which activates my green-eyed monster in a big way—and Lincoln is leaning against the stacks of books with his arms crossed and a stubborn look on his face. Frederick is giving Vito a fierce look after his declaration, which sets a fire off in my heart of the unexpected kind, and CK is trying his best not to kill the man who has swooped in to “save me” from the humiliation and pain of being bled for a spell.
Someone is missing and I don’t mean Remiel.
It hits me hard that it is Xane. He banished me from the Underworld in a really mean way on his way to…I gulp.
CeeCee.
I can’t help the look I give Lincoln and he is at my side instantly. “Don’t think about it,” he murmurs to me.
“I–,” I start but get interrupted by a voice that I never thought I would hear again and never wanted to.
“Rosalina, why didn’t you say you were coming here? You know how much I have wanted to come,” Jess says with a pout, appearing next to Rosalina in an ethereal white dress that does not leave a whole Hell of a lot to the imagination.
Chapter 7
Ponte, Italy, October 2014 - Aefre
“You!” CK hisses at her before anyone else can get a word in. We are all so shocked to see the living, breathing body of a girl we saw as dead as a doornail not so long ago. “You were told to stay away!” He directs his words to Rosalina, but he points his finger at Jess.
Say what now? He knew?
“You knew she was alive?” I splutter, tearing my eyes away from the hated girl and finding Devon who looks–probably like all of us–like he has seen a ghost.
“It’s complicated,” CK says, brushing it off.
“She is one of mine,” Rosalina says, standing up. “She is of Druid blood. I asked Con for her body after she was turned back into a mortal and killed so that I could resurrect her.”
“Excuse me?” I shriek, now looking straight at Jess, who couldn’t look any smugger if she tried. Then I shake my head. “You know what? I don’t give a shit. Get her out of my home.”