“I am King of the Light Fae, my dear. Do you really think I remain clueless where my Dark counterpart is concerned?”
Clearly not.
“So he must know you are here then, trying to get to us?”
“Probably,” he says and shrugs. “His usual arrogance makes him think he is still going to get you to go to him. Now enough talk. We should leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I say, excluding Sebastian as he can do whatever the Hell he likes.
“Neither am I,” Sebastian says with another glare at me.
Neither of us gets to hear what Aelfric opened his mouth to say, as all of a sudden a gigantic maw opens up in the sky, ripping the dark clouds apart at least a hundred feet wide, flashing orange and black, before three Dragons swoop through the tear in the sky and land not far from Aelfric’s grazing unicorn. Thank Christ there is a shadow cover over these extensive grounds, or we would have a whole bunch of explaining to do.
Aelfric looks annoyed at the interruption, Sebastian’s mouth drops open, and Xane and I look at each other and sigh. Tiamat had Shifted as soon Her feet hit the ground but the other two, both blue Dragons on either side of Her, remain as they are. The left one is huge, bigger even than my mother and the other one looks familiar and seeing as the only other Dragon I have seen is To’Kah, or Finn, as he goes by, I am guessing it is him. He tilts his head at me, and my inspection and I nod. Yes, it is him. Damn, I really should have called him to find out what he wanted with me.
“No one is going anywhere,” Tiamat declares as She strides forward in Her true human form, the exact opposite of me: tall, curvy, waves of black hair, and Her Dragon eyes, which just freak me out.
“Tiamat,” Aelfric bows majestically. “How lovely to see you again.” Sarcasm drips from every word.
“Aelfric,” She says, glaring down Her nose at him. “What is the meaning of this?”
“I have come to take my son and your daughter back to my Court to be wed. It is only fitting now that we have a Dark Fae Princess.”
Tiamat glares at me and I cringe. Not only because of Her steely gaze, but
I also know I look a fright. I take a moment to Shift, now that I can, and once again I am clean and neatly groomed. Choosing propriety over fashion, I dress in a suitable gothic gown, similar to my mother’s, that I know She would approve of. “Better,” She snarls in my head, using the telepathic Power that we Dragons have.
“Aefre is already wed,” She says to Aelfric, who dismisses it with a wave of his hand.
“While I don’t disapprove of a marriage to the Demon Overlord, it still holds no water in our Kingdoms. She will be wed to Kalen before the next full moon.”
Tiamat’s eyes flick from me to Xane and She arches Her eyebrow sardonically but keeps up the ruse, more out of a the-less-you-know-the-better-to-keep-him-safe reason and not out of disrespect for Cole, who - although She has never met him in person - She adores.
“There will be no Fae marriage between Aefre and Kalen. It is not her destiny,” She declares.
“But it is. Our prophet was quite clear that my firstborn son is fated to be with Drake’s only daughter.”
“Aefre is not Drake’s daughter, she is mine,” Tiamat says heatedly and the three of us just stand there staring at them as they argue. I cast a quick glance at Xane, who looks back at me with a “we need to talk” look and I sigh and nod. Despite my anger at Sebastian for deceiving me, I look over at him too and he rolls his eyes at me.
“Do you think they would even notice if we left?” he murmurs.
“Probably not,” I murmur back.
I hear them yelling about destiny and the stars and the blessed Fae baby and the Future Empress and I step forward. “Enough!” They both turn to look at me, clearly having forgotten we were even there. “Let me make something perfectly clear. One, I am not going to the Land of Faerie to marry Sebastian and two, someone had better get me my sire back before I blast the lot of you to kingdom come.” The ground rumbles under our feet at my Power Surge.
“Calm yourself, my dear,” Tiamat says to me soothingly, sensing my deep anger. “You are free to leave. I will not allow Aelfric to take you. You will, however, have to make your own arrangements to get Constantine back. As much as I would like to help you, I have no way of getting to the Fae Kingdoms. We are Draco non grata,” She says wryly and I almost chuckle.
“If you don’t come with me, you will be making a big mistake,” Aelfric says. “You don’t want the Dark to have anything to do with your Union.”
“There is no Union,” I remind him with clenched fists.
“There will be,” he says confidently. “I suggest you make the decision quickly to choose Kalen’s side over your own. If Drake gets his hands on your child, I fear for us all.”
He leaps back onto his unicorn and vanishes from sight.
“Go now,” Tiamat says. “Not much will stop your father from coming for you when he thinks he has waited long enough. You hold all the power for the moment. Use your resources wisely.” And with that, per usual, cryptic comment said, She Shifts and flies off with Her pals back through the rip in the sky, which closes behind them. I can’t believe She just acted like me knowing my father’s identity wasn’t a big deal. We have never discussed it and yet She just adapts to the circumstance without hesitation. Maybe that’s why She is such a great leader. Nothing surprises Her and nothing catches Her off guard.
“Livvie?” Xane asks me innocently. “Do you mind explaining how you are the Dark Fae Princess and why the King of Light Fae calls Sebastian his son?”