His head turns slowly towards me. “What did you just say?”
“I said, I’m not just people, I am your wife,” I mutter and fall asleep.
Chapter 21
In my dream, I am drifting up the stairs to the North Tower, I stop halfway up as I can already hear them speaking and I stop to listen.
“I did as you asked, I am unsure why you are so mad at me,” Sebastian says.
“I’m not mad at you, I just want to know exactly what you are saying to her. It comes in fits and bursts and before she said she was my wife. I can’t have her catching me off guard every time she says something like that,” CK says impatiently.
“I am suggesting to her that she leaves her husband and becomes your wife. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“But that isn’t how it is coming out. She is getting confused.”
“Of course, she is getting confused,” Sebastian retorts. “I told you before that I am messing with her whole mind, not just a single thought but a whole set of them and every time she Shifts, it throws the spell off course. It is dangerous and quite frankly, I can’t say for sure how this is going to turn out.”
“Oh, so you are getting all ethical on me now that you have finally taken her as you wanted her.”
“There was no taking involved,” Sebastian says in a snit now. “We were together, and it was perfect. Christ, that woman knows how to please a man.”
“Spare me the details,” CK growls at him. “I can do without the imagery.”
“I’m sure it wouldn’t be too taxing to picture it,” Sebastian goads him.
“Watch yourself. If you disrespect her, I will beat you to within an inch of your life.” CK’s sinister tone has me stepping back a fraction.
“I’m not disrespecting her,” Sebastian says fiercely. “She has given me everything I ever wanted, and more. I owe her everything for what she showed me was possible today.”
Silence.
“Don’t you dare fall in love with her,” CK says quietly. “You will never have her that way.”
“Won’t I? I could quite easily suggest to her that it is me she is supposed to be with.”
“You would betray me for her?” CK asks in disbelief. “A couple of hours in the sack and you would throw away our entire relationship?”
“No, of course not,” Sebastian says after a few moments. “You know that I would never do that. I just don’t see why I always end up losing out. Why don’t I ever get to be happy?”
“Oh ‘Bastian. I know you feel that way, but you mustn’t. I am still trying to fix this. I will find a way to reverse what I did.”
“I told you I don’t want to be fixed. Not now, not now that I have her.”
“You don’t have her,” CK says quietly. “She’s mine.”
“Then why aren’t you with her?” Sebastian asks bitterly. “Why are you up here arguing with me?”
“It is not my intent to argue with you, but you need to be put in your place. If I can’t trust you with her, I can’t let you continue with this arrangement.”
“What? You would take her away from me even after knowing what she did for me?” Sebastian is furious.
“Can I trust you with her?” CK asks calmly and I can hear lots of smashing and crashing going on.
“Fuck!” Sebastian yells before more crashing. “If you take her from me, you might as well just stake me. I am not living this life without her. Not now.”
“Then you need to think about what you said. I need to be able to trust you. I asked you to do this for me, if you turn around and try to take her for yourself because of something you are hoping is true, you will leave me no choice.”
“It is the truth, but I won’t,” Sebastian whispers. “Please don’t take her from me. You can trust me. Please,” he begs, and I hear CK grunt.