“Twin?” Devon asks, trying not to let his panic show. No one said anything about a twin sword that is still out there.
“Oh yes, a matching sword, forged from the same spell. Just in case one of them ended up in the wrong hands,” Jess says.
“You are lying,” Devon hisses.
“Am I?” Jess asks, standing back up again. “The swords were forged by my ancestors. I know all about them, how they work, what powers are needed to use them, and where the second one is.”
Devon studies her features. She always was a good liar. He can see no signs of deception on her face now, but that doesn’t mean she is telling him the truth. But is he willing to take that risk with his sire’s life threatened?
Jess gives him a seductive smile and takes a few steps closer to him. “I will gut her unless you come back to me. The choice is yours,” she whispers into his ear, then steps back. “I will give you a day to think it over. Twenty-four hours.”
Devon’s eyes slide to the clock that reads midnight.
“After all, I know the decision you will make and I want you to have a proper farewell with her,” Jess says.
“Meaning?” Devon growls menacingly.
“If you come back to me, I won’t hurt her,” Jess says with a little laugh. “But you will never see her again. You will be mine and only mine.” The challenge in her eyes makes him want to kill her, but he knows when he is outmatched, and somehow, somewhere, she has a cache of powers that he knows nothing about and clearly cannot fight on his own.
“Make it count,” she snarls at him before she vanishes from his sight.
He clenches his fists and goes to his love. “I won’t let her hurt you,” he says fiercely, bending down to give her a kiss on her lips. But nor is he going to take this ultimatum. He will find a way to get that bitch out of their lives, for good this time.
Devon opens the door and lets Lincoln in, who bounds up onto the bed and turns in a circle before he settles himself on Lizzie’s feet. He will protect her until the rest of them can come to her. He pauses briefly to wonder why he didn’t Shift and come in while Jess was here, but perhaps she had spelled the room so that he couldn’t hear what was being said inside. Who knows what she is capable of now? But there is one person that can tell him and get her under control. He storms down the hallway and at the top of the stairs makes a noise of frustration. In all of the upset he had forgotten he could Astraport.
Devon lands in the library and, when he doesn’t see her anywhere, demands, “Where is Rosalina?”
Constantine blinks at him after a moment and asks darkly, “What do you want with her?”
“We have a big problem,” Devon replies. “Where is she?”
“She went back to Minerva. The dead rogue situation needs addressing,” Constantine says. “What is the problem?”
“Jess has threatened Lizzie’s life. Given me an ultimatum,” Devon explains.
“Then take it,” Constantine says in irritation.
“Never!” Devon spits out. “I won’t go back to her.”
“That is her ultimatum?” Constantine asks in surprise. “I don’t see the problem, especially seeing as how that girl doesn’t have the power to kill my wife.”
“You don’t seem overly concerned,” Devon snarls at him. “But you should be, as there is another sword and Jess knows where it is and how to use it.”
That stops Constantine dead in his tracks. For a second. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffs.
“I don’t want to believe it either, but isn’t that being more foolish?” Devon asks.
Devon waits as Constantine comes to the same conclusion as he did.
Jess must be stopped.
Ponte, Italy, October 2014 - Lincoln
Lincoln gazes at his sleeping Alpha. She is in a deep sleep, which tells him she has been spelled – again. When will people learn to leave her alone? He lets out a heavy sigh and Shifts back to his human form. He wants more than anything to climb into the bed with her and snuggle up to her, to kiss her and smell her sweet hair. But Constantine would have his Wolf hide if he found him doing that in their bed. Instead, he pulls the covers off her and gazes at her round belly.
With a slight frown, he places his hands on her and closes his eyes. Asleep, she has her guards down and he can find himself being drawn into her thoughts. He ignores everything and concentrates on the baby’s emotions. Something is amiss and he intends to find out who the traitor is in their midst.
He gasps in shock when he gets kicked fiercely and pulls his hands back quickly as Aefre grunts in her slumber.