“What now?” I say wearily, but they all look away quickly. Ignoring their sympathy, I turn to Ahmed. “So, what next? Is my other dead husband going to appear?” I snarl. “Pretty sure that reunion will go differently,” I add, my rage over everything I have just been through firing up its engines.
“Aefre,” CK croons. “Calm yourself.”
Spinning to him, I yell, “No! I won’t calm myself. I want him here so that I can beat the shit out of him myself before I kill him all over again. You should have saved him for me.” I pout now, realizing how foolish I sound. The Power is surging through me again and is causing havoc now that my emotions have been so severely fucked with.
“Had I the presence of mind to save him for you, I would have. As it was, he fucked up any chance I had to tell you about myself and to turn you the right way. I saw red after he stabbed you, stabbed us, and I ripped his fucking head off.” Constantine is practically yelling himself now and he never, ever raises his voice. My eyes widen at this revelation, and I start laughing hysterically.
“Really? You really took his head?” I ask in between laughs. “You never told me that. I guess I always just assumed you stabbed him back.”
He smiles now. “No, my love. If you really must know, I took his head and placed it atop the spear, outside your cottage’s front door, for all to see.”
Cole gapes at him in horror, while Devon looks impressed.
I cross over to him and embrace him. “Thank you. Somehow that makes me feel better,” I say.
He shrugs. “Anything to protect you, my sweet. I would do it again in a second. I should have, but you wouldn’t let me,” he adds softly.
Ahmed clears his throat. I had forgotten he was even there.
“I am sorry, my dear. It was necessary that you learn the true events of that day. To know that nothing you did or didn’t do would have changed the outcome.”
I nod grimly, seeing it all in my memory again.
“Your rise to power will be swift now, child. You need to be prepared,” he states.
“Rise to power? What does that mean?” I ask confused.
“You are the Power of One. The only one, to rule,” he says.
Pardon? Rule?
“What? What about The Council?” I stammer.
“It will be disbanded.” He shrugs apologetically at Constantine, who just looks as if he knew all along.
“Disbanded how? Gregor and Eloise won’t take that sitting down,” I ask.
“They won’t have a choice.” Again, with the mystery. “Come here, child.” He holds out his hand and I take it hesitantly, glancing at Corinne, who nods reassuringly. As our hands join, a spark flares up and everything I need to know is transferred into my head. I double over at the overload of information that is racing through every synapse. In agony, I try to pull away, but Ahmed holds on tight as I drop to my knees unable to stand up any longer.
Cole rushes forward. “What are you doing to her?” he demands, trying to get to me as CK holds him back. I can see all of this going on even though it is behind me. I’m trying to separate all the images, all the knowledge in my head. I cry out clutching at my head with my free hand.
Then it all stops.
The pain is gone, the images, knowledge and Power are there. My future is clear. The mission is perfectly clear.
Ahmed helps me up and he says, “The transfer is complete. You know what you need to do?”
I nod. Yes, I do know. My eyes gleam as I hold out my hand and a sword made from the flames of Hell appears in my hand.
All five Vampires take a collective step back as I twirl the sword in a perfect circle, flicking my wrist expertly, remembering William’s tutelage.
“Err, Liv?” Cole asks, “What the fuck is that thing?”
“This, my love is Gladius Infernus,” I say in awe.
“The Sword of Hellfire?” CK breathes. “I thought that was just a myth.”
“Nope. The only weapon created that can end an Initial Vampire. Or two,” I add in unrestrained glee.