A blush tinges her cheeks. “So, he is off limits.”
“Damn straight,” I mutter, at least thankful that she is minding someone’s word, even if it is Dracul’s, in this case.
“Can we talk about this later?” she pleads with me, looking embarrassed that the entire castle contingent is involved in her personal life.
Woe is me, that she even has a personal life. This stinks, big time.
“Yes,” I say. “Do not leave this castle.” I give her a look that makes her nod her head and she disappears back into her bedroom.
I close my eyes briefly and then turn to CK with a smile. “You are back?” I ask tentatively.
“Yes.” He returns my smile.
“Thank the gods,” I murmur as he sweeps me up into his arms.
He kisses my lips, he kisses my hair and holds me tenderly, just like I need right now.
Thia wiggles in between us and he laughs at her protests. “I missed you too, sweet one,” he whispers to her. “Take her,” he says to me, thrusting her into my arms. “I will see you shortly.”
He has gone all business now and it chills me.
“Did you find her?” I ask.
“Yes, she is here,” he answers.
“Where?” I croak out.
He takes me by the shoulders and turns me towards the alcove windows. He points to the eastern-most spot and my blood runs cold. I didn’t even know that was still here.
“She is in the pit. Come dawn, she will burn,” he says softly into my
ear, as he slips something onto my left ring finger.
I glance down and shake my head. “Take it back,” I say, struggling to get the blue diamond ring off my finger. “It’s tainted. I don’t want it.”
He gives me a fierce frown. I know what this ring means to him, but I just can’t accept it-wear it-knowing that she has had it on her finger, flaunting it about.
“Aefre…” he starts, but I shush him.
“Get another one if you will, but that one is ruined,” I say just as fiercely and turn my back on them all to stalk into the bedroom, my heart hammering in my chest. I close the door behind me and lean against it, breathing out in relief. Back in my safe haven.
Being out there, knowing that she was so close, affected me more than I thought it would.
Chapter 19
Ponte, Italy, March 2015 - Constantine
He watches his wife disappear into their bedroom with a look that could commit murder. He went to great pains to not only get her this ring, but to curse it and then relocate it once it was stolen from her. He doesn’t understand why the curse isn’t fucking working. She should have clambered over everyone, including their daughter, to get it back where it belongs.
Frederick clears his throat and Constantine shakes off the feeling and tries to get where she is coming from. Tainted. Yes, that has to be it. Someone else has worn it and tainted it.
“And that would be…how many times that she has left that room since I left?” he inquires, already prepared for the answer of a single digit.
“Third,” Devon growls. “She is being impossible.”
Constantine nods with a grimace and looks out of the window at the sunrise pit where Clementine currently resides.
“I will make sure she is there before sunrise,” Frederick says quietly. “She needs to see this through.”